EVERYTHING EVER

00:44:07: <Rainglove> Not too shabby garret. lacks detail in some areas, but looks alright.
00:46:07: <Benedict> Garret will be a professional one day!
01:25:31: <Goatwright> Shepard stares at Blackear.
01:25:40: <Goatwright> Waiting for a (new?) reply.
01:26:06: <Hippocratesi> "...Is he saying anything?"
01:26:27: <Rainglove> Blackear stares at Shepard, the DM busy in other places. "[Is there a point to this?]"
01:27:40: <Goatwright> "He wants to know if there's a point to this. Obedience training?"
01:28:05: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt shrugs. "I was bored."
01:28:53: <Goatwright> "[He says he was bored.]"
01:29:03: <Goatwright> "[An admittedly poor justification.]"
01:31:46: <Rainglove> "[... Alright. So what, I go get the stick?]"
01:35:20: <Goatwright> "[The goal is to go after the stick once its thrown and retrieve it for him. That's what the word] fetch [means.]"
01:35:38: <Goatwright> "[You're supposed to be rewarded once you return it. Usually with an overabundance of affection or a treat.]"
01:38:03: <Rainglove> His ears flick. "[There's food in this for me?]"
01:45:03: <Goatwright> "[Should be.]"
01:46:40: <Rainglove> Blackear runs off after the stick.
01:47:36: <Hippocratesi> "Huh."
01:48:01: <Goatwright> "He's expecting food as a reward."
01:48:54: <Hippocratesi> "God damnit, Shepard!"
01:49:03: <Hippocratesi> "Now I have to go hunting."
01:49:32: <Goatwright> "It gives you something to do, doesn't it?"
01:50:17: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt takes out his bow. "I guess so. You wanna come?"
01:51:15: <Goatwright> "Shall we wait for Blackear?"
01:54:02: <Rainglove> Blackear comes running back, stick firmly clenched between his teeth.
01:55:10: <Hippocratesi> "It's about time." Bertholdt takes the stick and tosses it. "Your reward is some nice, fresh stag meat. Come on." He walks off into the forest place.
01:55:28: <Goatwright> "[You're not supposed to get it that time. Sorry if that's confusing.]"
01:55:53: <Goatwright> "[We also now have to go hunt for your reward. I don't believe Bert was prepared for this.]
02:00:22: <Goatwright> Hippo grabs Chumani and the goats and starts heading off after Bert.
02:00:33: <Hippocratesi> >HIppo
02:00:40: <Goatwright> SHEPARD
02:00:41: <Goatwright> FUCK
02:01:07: <Gara> Eelis is in play, following.
02:01:25: <Benedict> Garret has absolutely nothing better to do with his time. Follows.
02:03:31: <Rainglove> Blackear gives the closest thing a hyena can give to a sigh, then goes along. Also it's totally late in the evening now.
02:03:53: <Rainglove> After a few minutes of walking, you spot a faint light in the distance, glowing through the trees.
02:04:22: <Hippocratesi> "Er...what's that?"
02:04:44: <Gara> Detect psi.
02:04:49: <Goatwright> "Hm. I'm not sure."
02:04:55: <Goatwright> Shepard Detects that Magic.
02:06:55: <Rainglove> It's a spell you recognize, Shepard. Campfire wall. Eelis, you know what it is as well.
02:07:14: <Rainglove> It's a pretty good distance away, but seeing as you work with it, you can recognize it just from the feel,
02:07:19: <Gara> "People."
02:07:52: <Hippocratesi> "Another party?"
02:08:03: <Goatwright> "Another druid, I think."
02:08:10: <Benedict> "Odd that we're running into parties now."
02:08:12: <Goatwright> "It's Campfire Wall. What I use."
02:09:37: <Goatwright> Shepard rubs his beard. "Shall we approach?"
02:09:46: <Gara> "Yes..."
02:10:02: <Hippocratesi> "Should we?"
02:10:25: <Goatwright> "Keep your weapons away if we do."
02:10:31: <Benedict> "So long as we don't start attacking wildly."
02:11:05: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt simply puts his bow away. "Your food's gonna have to wait, Blackear. [Or maybe not, we'll see.]" Orc.
02:11:22: <Gara> Eelis is disgusted.
02:12:49: <Goatwright> Shepard starts approaching the camp slowly
02:13:21: <Rainglove> It's a campfire wall. You can't see through it in either direction, it's a wall of fire.
02:14:00: <Hippocratesi> "Would they be able to hear us from inside the wall? I doubt we can go through it ourselves."
02:14:04: <Rainglove> Nice and circular.
02:14:22: <Gara> Eelis tries to mindlink anyone within.
02:14:28: <Goatwright> "They should be able to."
02:15:20: <Gara> "Mind linking."
02:15:49: <Hippocratesi> "Let's hope they don't react irrationally to that..."
02:18:08: <Benedict> "They'd have ta run through tha fire ta act irrationally."
02:19:12: <Goatwright> Shepard calls out to the ball of fire. "Hello! We are a party of adventurers, and would like to speak to you! We mean you no harm!"
02:19:58: <Rainglove> eelis, your ping is accepted. A male voice calls back from inside, "What?". Eelis hears the same thing mentally.
02:20:36: <Gara> ~We're mostly checking in so that you don't murder us all in our sleep.~
02:21:09: <Rainglove> ~I'll try to resist the temptation.~
02:21:19: <Gara> ~I appreciate that, ya know.~
02:22:41: <Goatwright> "Are you a group, or are you one?"
02:25:13: <Rainglove> "Depends on who's asking."
02:25:56: <Goatwright> Shepard stops shouting, turning to the group. "I'm assuming we're not going to try to hide anything, here?"
02:26:13: <Gara> "Nope."
02:26:25: <Goatwright> He looks to the rest of the group for approval.
02:27:01: <Hippocratesi> "Whatever you think is best, leader."
02:27:03: <Benedict> Garret shrugs.
02:29:47: <Goatwright> He nods and turns back to start shouting again. "We are a group of four plane explorers on a quest for the plane crystal. We are composed of a druid, a psion, a ranger, and a paladin."
02:33:30: <Rainglove> "You're after..." There's a distant sigh. "Our goals are very different, don't worry about me."
02:34:48: <Goatwright> "Are you not open to initiating a dialogue?"
02:36:03: <Benedict> "What are ye after?"
02:39:35: <Rainglove> "I'm not sure you'd be interested in talking to us. We're... rather opposed to you."
02:40:30: <Goatwright> Shepard gives the rest of the group a concerned look. "Why's that?"
02:42:54: <Rainglove> "I'd hope you know why."
02:43:37: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt lowers his voice. "I think he means that they're after the crystal as well."
02:44:01: <Goatwright> He blinks a few times. "Ah, yes. That makes sense."
02:44:03: <Benedict> "They just said their goals were different." Garret whispers.
02:44:20: <Goatwright> "They might have thought we had different goals, initially."
02:44:30: <Goatwright> "...which begs the question of what they thought they were in the first place."
02:44:56: <Gara> "When we take the crystal, the man-woman-thing-godling that has it will die. This means the the power players keeping things in line will be weakened."
02:45:24: <Gara> "This also means the balance of power on this plane will be irrepairabley abstructed."
02:45:30: <Goatwright> Shepard resolves to ask about that. "What other groups have you encountered that you wouldn't automatically assume we're planar spelunkers?"
02:50:20: <Rainglove> "We're not the only ones on this plane. People live here who aren't from where we are." The 'We' includes you.
02:51:33: <Goatwright> "And you've encountered roving groups of these local inhabitants?"
02:51:57: <Goatwright> "I can't imagine they were kobolds, then."
02:56:23: <Rainglove> There's a sigh again. "Was there something you wanted?"
02:58:26: <Goatwright> "Just interaction, really."
02:59:35: <Rainglove> "We don't enjoy interacting with people who do what you do."
03:02:08: <Goatwright> "We don't mean to pose a threat to you or your search. Surely we can talk without any mentioning of the crystal."
03:07:22: <Rainglove> "You breathe death. It permeates the air around you, choking out everything beautiful in this world. I'm uninterested in talking to you."
03:07:54: <Gara> Eelis blows out.
03:08:56: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt looks visibly confused.
03:09:17: <Goatwright> "[So you are a druid.]" Druidic.
03:09:22: <Goatwright> SHEPARD WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT PHILOSOPHY ANYWHERE.
03:10:59: <Gara> Eelis casts Natural Linquist: Druidic on herself.
03:17:02: <Rainglove> There's a moment of silence, and then a different voice answers. "[You do this, and yet you claim to be one with nature? Do you know what you are /doing/?]"
03:20:02: <Goatwright> "[We are assisting the handlers of the crystal in their current troubles so that they might give it to a group that does not wish to wrongfully take it from them. The longer they hold onto it, the more groups will come intending to take it by force.]"
03:20:33: <Goatwright> "[Preventing unnecessary slaughter is the most natural thing I know.]"
03:23:22: <Rainglove> "[Killing is a poor way to justify more killing. You would slaughter innocent creatures on your path to kill more, and then justify that by saying you are preventing death?]"
03:25:03: <Goatwright> "[The drakes we have slain are not innocent. They are intelligent and, like any other intelligent being, knowingly make their decisions. They are willfully becoming hostile towards others, and these specific drakes are following the teachings of a power-hungry dragon.]"
03:27:23: <Goatwright> "[You are a druid. You should know better than anybody else that nature requires balance, balance requires justice, and in that justice comes death. It happens in all of nature, regardless of the creature. Animals will band against creatures plaguing an ecosystem.]"
03:29:45: <Goatwright> "[Dying is nature's way of making things fair.]"
03:34:42: <Rainglove> "[You are entrusted with power, and you use it to kill. Magically destroying life is not nature's way of keeping balance, it is your way of seeking power. You disgrace everything you claim to stand for with every step you take towards that crystal.]"
03:36:00: <Goatwright> Shepard frowns. "I have been offended."
03:36:24: <Hippocratesi> "Do we kill him?"
03:36:29: <Gara> "Lets not kill him."
03:36:50: <Gara> Eelis glances at Bert. ~I'll have to have Garret detect evil on him later...~
03:37:21: <Goatwright> He puts his hand up, silencing Bert. "[We were given our powers to be agents of nature. To act on her behalf. If I were acting out of line, I would be without my powers now.]"
03:39:05: <Goatwright> "[Are you telling me you would not use your abilities to balance the power struggle between these corrupted drakes and the rest of the draconic inhabitants of this plane, or even the other adventurers that have been attacked thus far?]"
03:44:48: <Benedict> Garret watches the trees. Pretty.
03:45:36: <Rainglove> "[Nature does not give you power and then watch your every action. Nature trusts you. Nature sees that you can wield power and gives freely, hoping that you deserve what you get. Nature acts if you prove unequivocally that you do not deserve what you have gotten.] (character limit)
03:45:55: <Gara> Eelis disconects, then pings Garret.
03:46:11: <Benedict> Garret answers.
03:46:36: <Gara> ~You might want to detect evil on Bert.~
03:47:11: <Rainglove> "[There are many planekillers such as yourself who continue to wield this power, despite what they do. Drakes are small. They, ultimately, do not matter to nature. The fate of this plane, which you grind beneath your heal for your own gain, is what matters. This is why I will not deal with you.]"
03:47:12: <Benedict> Garret shrugs and stares at Bert. Evil? Eviiil?
03:48:35: <Goatwright> Wait. Shepard rubs his beard a bit, confused.
03:49:00: <Goatwright> "[I'm sorry?]"
03:49:15: <Goatwright> The look of confusion should clearly register on his face.
03:51:08: <Hippocratesi> It's there, Garret. Not a lot, but it's there.
03:51:18: <Rainglove> There's silence for several seconds before the voice responds. "[If you seek after power without understanding the consequences, you are a fool.]"
03:53:18: <Goatwright> "[There has been no proof of planar disruption through the acquiring of crystals.]" He frowns. "[If you know of this but aren't doing anything to stop it, how can you insult my position as a druid?]"
03:53:32: <Benedict> ~Little bit. We'll have to keep him in line.~ Garret then turns to the voice talking in whatever language druids speak. Is that voice evil?
03:53:42: <Gara> ~Alright.~
03:54:30: <Rainglove> There's no evil on the other side of the wall, no
03:55:02: <Goatwright> Shepard actually starts to get a little mad, as the inflection on his shouting at the group shows. "[You resolve to merely lecture about the dire consequences to random passerbys instead of taking action, and you think I don't deserve the powers I hold?]"
03:55:05: <Benedict> ~Fireman has no evil on him. Anyone else?~
03:55:18: <Goatwright> "[Why would you not take action? Why would you not preach this in the open?]"
03:55:29: <Gara> ~No, I don't think so, thank you.~
03:55:32: <Goatwright> He shouts at the wall. "WHAT THE FUCK?"
03:56:11: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt glances at Shepard. He starts to reach for his bow. "What's wrong, Shepard?"
04:03:38: <Rainglove> There's another sigh, and the wall of fire drops. On the other side, standing around a campfire and facing your group, you see three people. One that appears to be human, as well as a pair of grippli. One of the grippli speaks, and you recognize the voice that was speaking druidic earlier. "We're here. We're not doing nothing. There are only three of us."
04:06:20: <Goatwright> Shepard starts approaching the group, full on lecturing. "Not that I wish ill-will upon us, but you'd let us just go? Not even a warning of what we're doing? You know this information, and you know what we're doing - you know what /I/ am - and you were just going to let us walk?"
04:08:43: <Rainglove> The not-quite-human pulls a greatsword and holds it in front of himself, staring at Shepard. One of the Grippli looks at him, concerned, while the other continues speaking. "You would remove a unique, powerful source of magic from a plane, knowing that there is one and only one per plane, and not anticipate consequences?"
04:09:25: <Benedict> Garret moves to stand beside Shepard, his own greatsword in front of him. Best guard.
04:09:59: <Gara> Eelis takes a prepared action at the humanish guy to mind thrust him.
04:10:09: <Gara> If he moves towards the group.
04:10:26: <Rainglove> batman appreciates your bolding of text
04:10:29: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt readies his bow, pulling an arrow out of his quiver.
04:11:11: <Goatwright> Shepard stops approaching. "No. You don't get to put this back on me. Your willing inaction is just as wrong as my unknowing. I did everything I could to research planes and the crystals before I came here."
04:11:55: <Goatwright> "I made an effort to inform myself, and there was no knowledge ready on the consequences it brought. You're now telling me you knew what these did, and you chose not to publish this. You chose not to spread the word among the adventurers of Hanice."
04:14:13: <Rainglove> "We tried." The second Grippli, silent until now, laughs bitterly. "Nobody cared. Why would they? You just want power. So we do what we can to help, to delay, but it's not enough."
04:14:32: <Benedict> Garret takes his eyes off the human to look up to Shepard. "What are ye even talking about?"
04:15:01: <Hippocratesi> "What's going on here?"
04:17:59: <Goatwright> actually
04:18:08: <Goatwright> Can I roll Sense Motive?
04:18:14: <Rainglove> If you want to.
04:18:35: <dicebot> Goatwright rolled d20+4 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{20}
04:18:35: <Goatwright> -r d20+4
04:20:39: <Rainglove> You get that the Grippli who just spoke seems incredibly angry about all this, but he's not talking about it. The druid you've been talking to seems more disappointed than anything, but completely honest.
04:20:57: <Rainglove> The human-ish guy you can't read.
04:21:20: <Gara> -roll d20+7 Can Eelis?
04:21:20: <dicebot> Gara rolled d20+7 Can Eelis? --> [ 1d20=17 ]{24}
04:21:41: <Goatwright> "This group here has informed me that the taking of a crystal destroys a plane." Shepard spits at the ground. "What you do is not enough." He points at the druid. "You are a druid. Our entire philosophy is the preaching and protection of what so little choose to care about. We are not taught to turn tail."
04:21:51: <Goatwright> "You should have stopped us as soon as we told you."
04:23:15: <Goatwright> "You should have stayed in Hanice and preached until someone heard."
04:24:07: <Benedict> "How does he know that?" Garret raises his brows. "If he was in a plane that was getting destroyed, he wouldn't be here right now, would he? So how does he knows. How does he know, but ye don't? Sounds like bullshit to me."
04:25:19: <Rainglove> The druid shakes his head. "We have talked and talked and talked. You can't check this kind of thing, we have no way to back up what we say. Nothing stopped." He switches to Garret. "The plane lives, barely. The essence of the thing is gone. It's... horrible."
04:25:48: <Gara> "Beyond all that." Beat. "Why should we believe you?"
04:26:05: <Gara> "Do you have evidence to substanuate this?"
04:27:06: <Rainglove> "Memories, but nothing more. If you can't read ours yourself, he can show you." The druid nods to the other Grippli.
04:27:46: <Gara> She looks at the Grippli. "Alright, I'm open to that."
04:30:39: <Rainglove> "Anybody else interested in this?" The quieter Grippli is talking.
04:31:26: <Goatwright> Shepard simply nodes, fuming.
04:31:28: <Goatwright> nods*
04:34:03: <Rainglove> The Grippli approaches the two of them, apparently completely unafraid. He puts a hand on Eelis and Shepard's arms and casts. Eelis and Shepard, you feel yourselves tip forward into darkness. From everyone else's point of view, they're still just standing there.
04:34:18: <Benedict> "Nothing fah me? Alright."
04:34:25: <Benedict> "Better that way."
04:34:49: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt keeps his bow aimed at the human-ish guy.
04:35:25: <Rainglove> The not-quite human nods at Bert, grinning broadly, and relaxes his grip on his sword.
04:37:28: <Rainglove> Eelis and Shepard, you both crash into the deck of a ship, stuck in the body of a Grippli, frantically pulling at rigging lines as the sea roars around you. You hear a yell from somewhere, faint over the roar of the waves, that the rift is closing. Lightning cracks into the ocean beside the boat, everything suddenly cast in stark black and white.
04:37:40: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt sneers and lowers his bow, slightly.
04:38:07: <Benedict> Garret ain't lowering his fancy flaming sword for nothing.
04:39:22: <Rainglove> The Grippli you're occupying blinks away the burn on his retinas and turns to look at a distant island. You can see a purple fog on the shore of the island that you recognize as the rift, swirling more violently than normal, throwing purple sparks off into the air. As the Grippli turns, a gust of wind pulls at the rigging, throwing him forward onto the deck.
04:41:07: <Rainglove> You have a very sudden feeling of being cut off from something, that feeling when you try to walk onto a step that isn't there. The wind dies abruptly, the ship slowing, the rocking from the waves dying. The Grippli pulls himself to his feet, staggering, and you can see that the rift is gone.
04:43:25: <Rainglove> A thick, grey fog is quickly rolling out, away from where the rift was. In a matter of seconds it's completely covered the ship, and the grippli can only see a few feet in front of himself. You feel him try to draw power for a spell to burn away the fog, but that feeling of having missed a step intensifies, and nothing happens.
04:44:49: <Rainglove> Everything is completely and eerily silent. You both tip back into your bodies, the normal, day-to-day sounds of the forest suddenly very loud in compared to the absolute silence of the end of that memory.
04:45:31: <Goatwright> Shepard remains angry and confused. "How did you get home?"
04:45:35: <Goatwright> "How do you keep returning home?"
04:47:13: <Rainglove> The druid speaks again. "We'd anticipated getting lost. Left an anchor with someone back in Hanice, asked them to pull us back if we didn't make it." He holds up his hand, and you notice his ring finger is missing from the second joint up. "Took a month of getting nagged by family."
04:47:39: <Rainglove> *Before he pulled us back
04:48:40: <Goatwright> "Why haven't you told the inhabitants here yet?"
04:48:56: <Goatwright> "You're a druid. Surely you could have located them as quickly as I did."
04:50:24: <Rainglove> "They panic. They kill people coming in from our plane, they try to kill us, they don't believe us, they form cults... none of it's productive. We help who we can."
04:53:04: <Hippocratesi> "How are you so sure if you don't try?"
04:53:27: <Rainglove> "This isn't the first plane we've done this on."
04:53:34: <Goatwright> Shepard seems very overwhelmed by all of this. He loses himself in thought, staring down at the ground.
04:54:19: <Rainglove> "We have tried, and it never ends well."
04:57:48: <Benedict> "So... wait, ye want to make sure no one claims a crystal, and crystals are very powerful, correct? Couldn't ye... use it ta trick tha groups in here that someone claimed it and have some fake... whatever fucking happens when a portal is closing appear?"
04:58:09: <Benedict> "I mean, that seems obvious. Lots of power in them."
05:00:32: <Rainglove> "We can't claim every crystal on every plane. Even if we could, I don't know if we could close the Rift. We just move who we can off this plane, that's all we can do."
05:02:41: <Benedict> "Gotta be something. Maybe even move it over some lava."
05:06:19: <Rainglove> "We'd have to hold off an entire plane. We can't do that."
05:07:51: <Benedict> "Well, there has to be something! Or do ye just have so much free time that ye can go around, say how bad one group is fah wanting a crystal, and then do JACK SHIT."
05:08:01: <Hippocratesi> "Then what do we do? Was all of this just a waste of our god damned time?! I didn't come here to just give up and walk away."
05:11:35: <Rainglove> "We're trying to save individuals. Move them off the plane. It's efficient, and it doesn't get us killed." He shrugs at Bert. "Your choice what you do here."
05:12:14: <Benedict> "Has yer plan ever worked before? Has it? Have yer convinced enough people ta go away and save a plane?"
05:12:14: <Goatwright> "You cannot send an entire plane to another."
05:12:30: <Goatwright> "There simply isn't enough space."
05:13:49: <Goatwright> "One wouldn't be able to travel an entire plane in time to evacuate it to another. Such a small percentage of a plane's population..."
05:13:59: <Goatwright> wouldn't even be able*
05:14:09: <Rainglove> "We can't move the entire plane, and we're not trying to. We're moving individuals, people who'll go. We're trying to figure out a way to make sure the rift never opens onto their plane, but... we're at a loss. It's a shitty situation."
05:14:43: <Benedict> "Then why can't ye juss try ta get ta a crystal first and do my idea?"
05:16:13: <Hippocratesi> "Why don't we just get the crystal and do as we have planned before?"
05:16:19: <Rainglove> "Because if we fail to get the crystal, we haven't saved anyone and the entire plane dies."
05:16:43: <Goatwright> "Because I won't be responsible for destroying a plane."
05:16:54: <Goatwright> Shepard looks to Bert.
05:17:05: <Hippocratesi> "Nobody will care. You heard what they said."
05:17:21: <Goatwright> "I'll care."
05:17:26: <Gara> "If we don't you know someone else is going to."
05:17:50: <Gara> "Someone who doesn't care, won't remember, and will use it to slaughter plane after plane."
05:18:18: <Goatwright> "Perhaps the crystal can be the solution itself, then."
05:20:31: <Goatwright> "Have you ever considered using a crystal to create a new plane for the previous inhabitants of the last?"
05:22:52: <Rainglove> "But then the rift might eventually open into those planes and we'd have to move them again, and creating planes takes a very, very long time."
05:23:10: <Rainglove> "We're trying to do what we can. It's inefficient, slow, and I wish there was a better way."
05:23:28: <Hippocratesi> "Whatever we do, no one really wins. What's the point?"
05:23:52: <Benedict> "<This is just peachy... The church won't love this.>" Garret complains in Dwarven.
05:23:56: <Goatwright> "Then have you tried using a crystal to simply close the plane? A willing sacrifice?"
05:24:04: <Goatwright> the rift*
05:24:43: <Rainglove> "If we had a crystal, I would."
05:29:48: <Benedict> "I think... we're gonna need to talk. The whole group. Maybe I have to talk to <The Shaper> as well."
05:29:58: <Goatwright> "I'll also have to talk to my god."
05:30:12: <Gara> The godless heretic doesn't say anything.
05:31:40: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt simply frowns.
05:33:41: <Goatwright> "I think we'll be going now."
05:34:21: <Rainglove> The Grippli nods. "If you do figure something out... We'd love for something a little less futile. We won't be here, but we'll be around."
05:34:58: <Benedict> "Yeah yeah. Keep in touch. Ye try ta kill us, we'll kill ye harder." Garret waves the party of three off as he turns. "Now, I need to find a skull..."
05:35:19: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt glances at the human-looking fellow before walking off back to camp.
05:36:10: <Gara> Elis goes.
05:37:59: <Goatwright> At some point they all arrive at the camp.
05:38:54: <Rainglove> YER BACK
05:41:11: <Goatwright> Before Shepard can resolve to talk to everybody about the new developments, he decides he needs to talk to his god, first. He separates Soban from Chumani and finds a good place to sit down and prep him for possession.
05:43:37: <Benedict> Garret, however, cannot talk to his god just yet. "Bert, ye got a moment? I need to kill something fah its skull. I wear plate and... really, I just couldn't hunt a stag alone."
05:43:59: <Hippocratesi> "Sure."
05:44:54: <Benedict> "Eelis, ye make sure Shepard doesn't do anything stupid. Bert... where would we find a stag?"
05:46:01: <Hippocratesi> "In the forest."
05:46:27: <Benedict> "Lead tha way."
05:46:55: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt walks back into the dark forest, looking for giant ass stags.
05:47:05: <Rainglove> rrrrroll survival
05:47:28: <dicebot> Hippocratesi rolled d20+9 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}
05:47:28: <Hippocratesi> -r d20+9
05:47:38: <Hippocratesi> ahyahya
05:48:17: <Benedict> Garret is following, like a useless puppy.
05:49:02: <Rainglove> You locate a bigass deer after a bit of looking. It's chewing on the side of a tree.
05:49:14: <Goatwright> Shepard splashes some powdered bone and paints on his goat's face, then does the same to his face and pulls his hat over his face.
05:49:32: <Goatwright> He then starts going through some chants and waits for the possession to take his little goat pal.
05:50:03: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt aims at the retarded deer.
05:50:27: <Hippocratesi> -r d20+8
05:50:28: <dicebot> Hippocratesi rolled d20+8 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{13}
05:50:42: <Hippocratesi> IT WASN'T EVEN MOVING
05:51:16: <Rainglove> rrrrrroll damage, bert
05:51:42: <dicebot> Hippocratesi rolled d8+3 --> [ 1d8=8 ]{11}
05:51:42: <Hippocratesi> -r d8+3
05:54:40: <Rainglove> You kill it with one arrow you pro.
05:55:06: <Rainglove> The deer drops, stone-cold dead.
05:55:22: <Hippocratesi> Bertholdt watches the cunt nigger deer die. "There you go. What are you doing with it anyway?"
05:56:19: <Benedict> "I need its skull, and ye needed a treat for yer pet. We both win." Garret takes his time to get over to that fucking bitch-ass deer, raising up his greatsword to slice that fucker's head right off. Strength check, right?
05:57:00: <Rainglove> If you take a full-round action, you just do it.
05:57:32: <Benedict> Garret will just do it then, like in the commercials.
06:02:33: <Goatwright> Does Garret then go prepare the skull for mystical hoodoo?
06:04:06: <Benedict> Garret takes the skull back to camp and finds his own nice little corner of worship. Once again, he removes a gauntlet and cuts his hand, letting the blood drip on the skull and awaiting a response.
06:19:41: <Rainglove> Garret, you get a sort of feeling of anticipation, like something's waiting for you to talk. Shepard, your goat blinks and stares at you.
06:23:07: <Goatwright> Shepard continues his chanting. Goddammit, Glasbok, now's not the time to be a busy dick.
06:24:02: <Benedict> Garret coughs, sitting down and trying to think of the right words to say. "<What... those frog things were saying. Is it true? About what happens ta a plane when ye take a crystal?>"
06:24:26: <Rainglove> The goat blinks again, then speaks in druidic. "[You wanted something or are you just gonna keep chanting?]"
06:25:54: <Goatwright> "[Oh. I'm sorry. It's hard to tell when something's happened with the hat over my face.]"
06:26:20: <Rainglove> "[Damned silly if you ask me. Just talk, it works.]"
06:26:43: <Rainglove> "[Anyway, what'd you want?]"
06:27:05: <Rainglove> Garret, you get a sense of... affirmation? Not a happy feeling.
06:28:09: <Goatwright> "[I've been informed that the removal of a crystal from a plane effectively destroys it. Is this true
06:28:11: <Goatwright> ?]
06:29:33: <Benedict> "<A little warning about this would have helped me. Or telling the damn worshiper what happens to this world! I wasted my time here!>" Garret shouts at the skull, then holds his hands together. "<I'm sorry. I should not have shifted blame.>"
06:32:52: <Rainglove> "[Well, I wouldn't call it destruction. The thing's still there, just a lot of stuff wrong with it. I'm working on a solution.]"
06:34:52: <Rainglove> Garret, you get a sense of rising anger, then it suddenly cools itself. You get a sense of... helplessness? Of being unable to act, even though you want to.
06:35:29: <Goatwright> "[With all due respect, don't you think you should have told me about this? As a druid, I can't possibly go through with this without a solution.]"
06:36:43: <Benedict> "<Is there no solution that works for everyone? I can't go home without a crystal. The church won't accept that. I can't just... destroy a world and countless lives, either. Please! Did my... did my idea to those frogs have any... could it work?>"
06:37:22: <Rainglove> "[Well, if I find a solution, it's not a problem. You getting ahold of a crystal is important, possibly central to my finding that solution.]"
06:39:48: <Rainglove> Garret, you still get that feeling of being unable to act, but it's mixed with uncertainty. As if you could do something, but of tremendous consequences if you fail.
06:40:27: <Goatwright> "[But if it doesn't work, then we're condemning this plane.]"
06:41:23: <Rainglove> "[The plane was condemned as soon as the Rift opened onto it.]"
06:41:35: <Rainglove> "[I hope to undo that.]"
06:41:36: <Benedict> "<Not a solution at all, then. Has to be something. There's nothing you, personally, could do?>
06:43:39: <Goatwright> Shepard makes a bit of a face. "[I wish you weren't so blunt about it, my lord. But I trust in your ability.]"
06:45:24: <Rainglove> Garret, you get the feeling of searching, and a faint impression of the people you've been travelling with. That feeling of helplessness is still there, but less focused on you and more on the skull.
06:47:26: <Rainglove> "[It's generally a bad situation. Honestly wish that blasted rift hadn't been opened in the first place, but you work with what you've got, and I've got you.]"
06:47:34: <Benedict> "<Them? What could they do. They're as powerless as me. Bert keeps stepping over the line each day, Batharl is only good for fighting, Shepard has his goats, and Eelis is...>" He stops, looking behind him for the Elan. "<Well, you probably know. What can they do? What could we do?>"
06:49:57: <Goatwright> Shepard supposed that's the best sort-of compliment he'll be getting today, so he takes it. "[Do you have any idea what opened it in the first place?]"
06:52:26: <Rainglove> There's that sense of helplessness again, Garret, still focused on the skull and on the connection between you and whatever you're talking to. Something shifts inside your head, and you get a sense of strange warmth from back in the direction of the camp. A sort of comforting feeling, like that's what you need to be doing.
06:53:19: <Rainglove> "[Yeah, but that's not really important. If we figure out how to fix all this, I'll talk to you about it. There'll be time then. Right now, there's a lot going on. People aren't happy.]"
06:54:40: <Benedict> "<What...? I should talk to them? Have them talk to you?>"
06:58:29: <Goatwright> "[Alright. I have another question, which ties into my concerns regarding future challenges with the crystal we're attempting to procure. Do you know why so few groups are coming through the rift?]"
06:59:24: <Rainglove> You get a faint feeling of negativity, Garret, and the feeling shifts. It's more a feeling that that's where you belong. Where the Shaper wants you to be.
07:02:04: <Benedict> "<That... does not answer the question. How do I please the church and keep this world safe? If you expect me to stay with the group till I die, that's...>" Garret trails off, mumbling.
07:03:15: <Rainglove> The feeling of the Shaper being there withdraws, seeming almost thoughtful. Then it returns, shifted slightly. You get the impression of that camp being at the center of things. Something large.
07:05:23: <Benedict> Garret sighs. "<Very well. Could I at least ask that you contact me if you know a solution for this world? Finding and decapitating animals is hard work.>" Garret stands, bows, and walks off back to the main camp.
07:07:50: <Rainglove> "[We're cutting people off. Just dropping them when they get through. Anyone you see on your end has a god going for them. That half-orc you came through with? We missed him the first time, we didn't get him until a few days later, dropped him in a tiny port town.]" The goat chuckles, which is /really/ goddamn weird.
07:14:41: <Goatwright> Garret might see Shepard talking to a goat which is, at the moment, chuckling. "[I was wondering where he had gone.]" He lifts the hat up off his face for a few seconds to scratch at his beard. "[Does this mean the other groups are being led astray by corrupt gods?]"
07:15:28: <Goatwright> "[And what of the other three with us? I don't believe they worship.]"
07:16:17: <Rainglove> "[Enh, we're all trying to lead you generally in the right direction. We've got a lot to balance, it's not easy. Some of these guys, they'll make you jump through hoops to do anything.]" The goat rolls its eyes. "[You don't have to worship anyone to have someone going for you. You represent some kind of ideal whether you like it or not. Even the fetchling.]"
07:16:46: <Benedict> Garret small fit of depression is temporarily forgotten as he comes across a chuckling goat. "<Weird fucking things...>" Garret mumbles in Dwarven, finding a nice spot to lay down, sighing.
07:19:02: <Goatwright> "[Right, of course. What are your thoughts on them, by the way?]"
07:19:36: <Rainglove> "[Who, the others in your group?]" Garret, this goat is speaking Dwarven, holy shit.
07:20:03: <Goatwright> "[Yes.]"
07:20:09: <Gara> Eelis comes into attention.
07:20:31: <Benedict> Garret lifts his head and just stares at the goat. Holy shit.
07:21:20: <Gara> Where is everyone?
07:21:52: <Benedict> Garret is back at the camp!
07:21:52: <Goatwright> Shepard is at the camp, sitting cross-legged in front of his goat with is covered in white powder and face paint. Shepard's hat is pulled completely over his head.
07:21:56: <Goatwright> Also the goat is talking.
07:22:25: <Rainglove> Holy shit. Eelis, this goat is speaking whatever you speak natively you multicultural thing you. Holy shit. "[They're alright enough. We can't interfere directly, but we can pick who we want to represent us, and everyone you see's been picked by someone. Big things are happening right now.]"
07:25:17: <Benedict> "<Stop speaking my language. You're freaking me out.>"
07:25:45: <Goatwright> "[What's happening? You didn't stop the other parties that went through the rift the many other times. You never even let me know you were involved in this, and now I'm getting the impression you've bred me up to this point. So why now of all times?]"
07:30:39: <Rainglove> The goat gives Garret a 'Fuck you' look, then turns back to Shepard and proceeds to scream dwarven obscenities at him. Shepard, "[This place is... significant. None of us can tell you why. We need representatives, and they need to be the best we have. For me, that's you. For the Shaper, it's the paladin. You all have significance.]"
07:31:20: <Gara> "[Significance of what sort?]" She just picks a language.
07:34:33: <Rainglove> The goat eyes her. "[I'm uh, not really supposed to talk to you, but alright. And I can't tell you, I've said that. You're at the center of a lot of what is and will happen, to a lot more than just your plane. What that is exactly, I can't say.]"
07:34:42: <Rainglove> Garret, you continue to hear very very loud dwarven curses.
07:35:15: <Goatwright> "[I'm sorry they're both talking to you.]"
07:35:43: <Benedict> Garret plugs his ears. Fuck you, goat.
07:35:45: <Gara> She switches languages for shits and giggles.
07:35:46: <Rainglove> "[Enh, I'm a talking goat right now. Kind of draw attention to myself.]"
07:36:17: <Goatwright> "[I'm also quite flattered I'm your best representative.]" Shepard smiles a bit from under his hat.
07:36:21: <Gara> "[So we're important, very important, and have gods behind us, but beyond that you can't tell us anything? Okay.]"
07:38:13: <Rainglove> "[Do you need more than that? Try not to fuck up, we've got a lot riding on you.]" It looks distinctly unimpressed at Eelis, then turns back to Shepard. "[Not a whole lot of people following the crazy goatman. You're an alright group, we'll see how it goes.]"
07:38:56: <Gara> "[No, no, just making sure I'm on the same page.]"
07:40:12: <Goatwright> "[Speaking of which, I was hoping you might be able to offer a little assistance, but before we get into that, what are your thoughts on Pahana?]" Shepard looks over at the blue female goat.
07:41:57: <Rainglove> "[It's not much of a page, but there are some people who don't really want us saying much. Yours, specifically.]" It nods at Eelis. "[As for Pahana... She's not really one of mine anymore. I approve of testing boundaries, though.]"
07:42:37: <Gara> "[And what are my people? I /think/ I know, but, well, assumptions.]"
07:43:21: <Rainglove> "[Not the immortals who raised you. However much you and they might like to think they're gods, they're not.]"
07:43:24: <Benedict> "Make that goat shut up, already!"
07:43:39: <Rainglove> "[As for who specifically, they'll have to tell you themselves.]"
07:43:43: <Gara> "[Hmmmmmm. Interesting.]"
07:43:48: <Gara> "[Thank you.]"
07:43:55: <Rainglove> The goat gives Garret another 'fuck you' look, then stops screaming.
07:45:31: <Goatwright> Shepard nods at the approval. "[I suppose that sort of answers my question, then. I was hoping you could offer some assistance with the upcoming battle involving the juvenile dragon. One idea I had was to potentially aide Pahana in her magic, even though she isn't quite interested in aiding in combat.]"
07:45:32: <Benedict> Garret sighs, taking his fingers out of his ears.
07:48:44: <Rainglove> The goat nods towards Garret, speaking in Dwarven. "[Your God's a pretty cool guy. Wishes he could help more. Hopefully he'll work it out.]" It turns back to Shepard. "[Honestly, I don't know. It's up to her.]"
07:52:39: <Goatwright> "[I can call her over, she can decide for herself.]" He turns to look at the resting Chumani and Pahana. "[Pahana, come here, please.]"
07:53:11: <Benedict> "<What? You two friends up there?>" Garret lifts his head, then collapses. "<Is he going to contact me when he finds a solution? Getting skulls is hard work.>"
07:57:15: <Rainglove> "[Yeah, he'll probably figure out a way. He's got to rules lawyer everything he does, poor guy. He's pretty good at sorting things out, though.]" Pahana blinks at Shepard, then stands and heads over to him.
08:00:05: <Goatwright> Shepard gives Pahana some affectionate petting. "[Pahana, this is the Glasbok. He's my patron deity, and he's currently occupying the body of Soban. I understand you're uninterested in getting involved with religion, but Glasbok represents the species of animal you currently are: goats. He's also capable of potentially aiding you in your magic.]"
08:01:43: <Rainglove> "[... Okay.]" Soban may or may not be eyeing that hot crystal goat ass. It's hard to tell. "[So what do you want?]"
08:03:28: <Goatwright> "I was hoping you'd be willing to let Glasbok teach you a spell or two.]"
08:11:08: <Benedict> "<Rules? Why would there be rules for trying to save an entire plane or just to talk to a follower? Makes no sense.>"
08:14:31: <Rainglove> The goat nods to Garret. "[I agree, but that's how it works. He'll do what he can.]"
08:14:52: <Rainglove> Pahana shrugs. "[Seems like it's worth a shot.]"
08:15:40: <Goatwright> "[Actually, why is it like that? And why aren't you bound by the same rules?]"
08:17:14: <Rainglove> "[I'm a goat god. He at least partially helped create some of the races, and he helped make a few of the more important planes. He's a big guy, people don't want him doing whatever he wants.]"
08:19:02: <Benedict> "<He made some of the planes? Which ones? Is our side of the Rift count as a plane?>"
08:19:10: <Benedict> Does our*
08:22:00: <Rainglove> "[Yeah, he made a pretty good sized chunk of that one. Took his time on some of the landscapes, made the place look gorgeous. I'm pretty proud of how my little slice turned out, but his stuff... whew.]"
08:26:42: <Benedict> "<But what about other planes? How would I know I was in one of his planes?>"
08:28:17: <Goatwright> "[Your little slice?]"
08:34:00: <Rainglove> "[You wouldn't. He had a hand in most of them, odds are you've stepped in at least one spot he built himself on your home plane. And yeah.]" It nods to Shepard. "[I put together a nifty little section where a rift field meets a nice, thick forest. Forest is still there, despite the explosions.]"
08:35:00: <Benedict> "<Titan's Fall?>"
08:35:58: <Rainglove> "[That the place the dwarves live?]"
08:36:15: <Goatwright> Shepard makes a mental note of that description. "[Anyways, my lord, shall we move our attentions back to Pahana?]"
08:36:42: <Benedict> "<That's our city.>"
08:37:43: <Rainglove> "[Yeah, he made that place. Pretty nice view. And uh, I'm not sure what you want me to do with her.]"
08:40:22: <Goatwright> "[Can you teach her any spells?]"
08:42:44: <Rainglove> "[Uh, maybe. I don't really know.]"
08:43:49: <Goatwright> "[I would appreciate you trying. If you can't, and if it's not too much, any other form of assistance would mean a lot to me.]"
08:48:45: <Rainglove> "[Honestly I probably shouldn't have been here for as long as I have. Ah well.]" The goat circles Pahana. "[Uh, I don't know if I can do anything here. She's not got my kind of magic.]"
08:50:44: <Goatwright> Ah, yes, the infamous line between arcane and divine magic. Shepard knows it all too well. "[I wish there were a way to make that less complicated.]" Shepard sighs.
08:51:46: <Benedict> "Keep asking it questions, Shepard. I'm sleeping." With that, Garret tries to pass out.
08:57:14: <Rainglove> "[It's a hell of a distinction. There are some gods who use arcane magic, for some reason. Don't know why.]"
08:58:23: <Goatwright> "[Is there anything else you can do?]"
08:59:56: <Rainglove> "[Well, I'm a god. Just ask and we'll see.]"