Fallon's Findings
Log Info
- Title: Fallon's Findings
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Braelnoir, Cesran, Cryosanthia, Fallon, Merek, Seldan, Iuitl
- Place: A03: Explorer's Club Meeting Room
- Time: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 10:56 PM
- Summary: Fallon encountered something dangerous, and wants to share the details with more experienced adventurers. He meets them in the Explorer's guild, and details his party's encounter with a 'floating magic orb of death'. It killed several miners, seemed capable of coercing people to approach it, and offered them a Pact. Killing them also seemed a part of it. Cesran and the more experienced mages speculated about it's origin and what could be done, while Braelnoir, Cryosanthia and Iuitl remained concerned about its mind control abilities. The blackscale at least, was determined to confront it. Merek was present, ignoring his wanted status, and Fallon was very concerned that something be done soon. Everyone agreed it would be best to get out there, even if they might have other priorities, and the meeting adjourned with several adopting disguises and heading out.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Braelnoir 5'11" 146 Lb Human Female A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver. Cesran 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male A tall dark-skinned man Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Fallon 5'6" 145 Lb Half-Elf Male A short hooded man Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes. Seldan 5'11" 187 Lb Human Male Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol. Iuitl 5'2" 149 Lb Sith-Makar Female Short sith, mottled black scales, tired green eyes -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky! -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
After Fallon reported what was located to the man that hired them, he stared at him for a long time and then told him he had to report it to the Guild of Explorers, because, to quote, 'that sounds ineffably fucked'.
Which is why Fallon repeated it *there*, and is now being asked to repeat it yet again *here*, in front of a number of local notables. In a room.
There are a LOT of eyes staring at him just now.
Fallon didn't mind being sent off to repeat his story, but he didn't really expect... the crowd. Maybe a befuddled magistrate or two. There the ranger stands, squinting at the group and wondering just where he should start. "So, um..." He pauses, to try to get a read on the room. "There's a glowing orb of death in the mountains a short way from here, which may be responsible for the death of a group of miners. I was -told- it could be a fragment of a fallen deity, but I admit I cannot verify that fact. It -can- mentally lure people to it's location, though, and it remains an active threat."
One of the people currently in the room, watching Fallon quietly, is a ginger-blonde man sitting in one of the chairs further away from the fire. Seldan looks unassuming enough, a white shirt and leather trousers beneath a blue robe, stitched with celestial symbols in silver, and with a fairly simple sword of an out-of-fashion style resting on his hip, the ruby on the pommel the only hint at its true value. He doesn't seem inclined to judge, nor to interrupt.
"I see," he says quietly when the explanation is done, his voice carrying a noticeable Myrrish lilt. "Were we to seek a map, think you that you might pinpoint where it is to be found?"
Cesran is sitting at one of the tables with a book open open in front of him. His staff is standing directly behind him watching to proceeding. He's also got out an ink and quill set as he is taking down notes about what Fallon is reporting. His head is bent down as the scratching of quill against parchment fills the air.
Another soul is lazily holding the wall up, feet crossed at the ankles while she chews on a smoked skewer of seasoned rabbit. Beneath her mercurial bangs, Brae's wolflike eyes hold to the man while he lays things out. She takes the death part without a batted eye.
Death isn't rare enough for it to phase her, at this point in her life.
The notion of God bits, though, brings a certain light to her gaze, and so she swallows and breaks her relative silence with, "It doin' any wierd shit ta th'dead, or't leavin'm lay, luv?"
"-Pinpoint-? I don't think I can promise to be that accurate, unless it's a very detailed map," Fallon answers the well-dressed man who speaks up. He wrinkles his nose slightly. "I can probably lead you to the location where we found it, but I confess I'm not particularly looking forward to a reunion. It lured the wizard who was with us." He looks over his shoulder briefly, hoping Nica would suddenly show up and explain this better than he could, but alas. His green eyes drift to Brae. "The corpses I found were burnt to a crisp."
"Perhaps I have misspoken," Seldan spreads a hand apologetically, his words mild. "The area will suffice. You believe it to be luring people closer and then slaying them, in some fashion?"
Cesran continues to write in his book and then pauses once he's done with Fallon's description of the dead. He reaches over into his scroll case and he reaches in to take out a large bundled of rolled up paper. He carefully sets it on the table, "What the general area?" He asks as he starts to leaf through the parchments.
Fallon nods to Seldan. "Then I probably could point to the general area. It's in the hilly woods to the east, near the mountains that separate it from the Desolation." A pause, as he recalls his memory. "It didn't actively pursue us. The wizard was drawn from our camp and we had to chase after her, to stop her from touching it. It was demanding a pact, if I recall correctly. So, suffice to say, anyone who tries to get near it can expect unpleasant mental intrusion -- or worse."
Cesran backs up a few pages and he produces a map of the general area round the city. Easy enough to get or to draw yourself if you are so inclined. He lays it out on the table and it's easy to see there have been some modifications to the map. Blue ink has been drawn over the map, lines that radiate out from Alexandria all across the map. "Don't mind the lines, those are just the ley lines."
Braelnoir nods thoughtfully and considers that over another mouthful of rabbit as the fellas start to refine an area of engagement. She does, however, saunter on over to get a little better angle on the map, with a little upnod of comraderie to the boys in passing, "Bad mojo, there." she notes, glancing again between the fellows, "Mental whammy's gonna be a problem."
Fallon approaches the table and eyes the map Cesran lays out. He arches a brow at all the blue ink strewn across it, but decides against commenting. He simply points to the area he was referring to, where he believed the clearing would be. "Assuming it hasn't moved, it should be around there. It was bright, but I don't know if it was in the area when we first set up camp..."
Cesran hmms and nods, "All right, just give me a moment. I believe I do have a more detail map of that area." He says as he leaves the other map out as he got back into his stack. He pulls out a more detailed map of the area that Fallon pointed to. "Here take a look at this. Perhaps this will give us a better idea of the location of the mine." He sets down the map close to the other one. This map does not have any blue lines running through it.
Fallon blinks owlishly when Cesran produces yet another map. "Huh. Perhaps I -can- pinpoint it's location, afterall." If Cesran has a dozen maps of the area! He peers closer at where at the particular area he previously pointed to. "We didn't find the mine, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was nearby."
Merek walks along and into the place, though he takes the time to wear a hood along his features while the dark attire looks adjusted about him. The man nods to folk while he takes a moment to pull back the hood.
Braelnoir finishes off her skewer as she leans a bit over the map to see what the contours of the land around the suspect site. She looks up as the new footfalls enter the chamber and she smiles fondly to the man with another upnod his way, but she doesn't say anything to disrupt the information exchanges going on. Instead, she busies her hands with a hanky and cleaning her little stick.
"Indeed." Seldan sits up and studies the map, demeanor growing grave. "I had not heard of a shard killing a man, before," he muses.
Cesran gets his book back out to take down notes about the location of this apparent shard, "Yes I would concur that this is the first report that I've heard of the shard by itself killing someone. Although it could be that someone or something is using the shards power to kill, which wouldn't very good either." He hmms, "Although it might not be a shard, it could be something else, we shouldn't discount the possibility that this might not be a shard at all. A fireball could have easily done the damage that Fallon described." He looks to Fallon, "You didn't see this glowing orb of death yourself did you? Did you get any description of it?"
Another slips in, well a pair of others, a white scaled sith'makar and a carnation scaled kobold. They move quietly, keeping low and come up behind Braelnoir. "Catch me up?" Cryo whispers, crouching beside her seat. Lily is in on the silent game, peeking around the armrest and scratching at her aunty's thigh. Some whispering ensues.
Fallon hums and thoughtfully regards the group as a whole. "You're familiar with what it is, then? I think 'orb of death' is an apt moniker, nevertheless." He steps back from the map, in case anyone else wanted to peruse it, then looks back to Cesran. "I saw it from a distance. I didn't look directly at it when we were up close for obvious reasons -- I didn't want to be blinded, nor did I want to meet the same fate as the miners." He frowns slightly. "I suppose some mage could have blasted the miners to death instead, but I would expect the environment to be equally charred if that was the case."
The Silverguard slips out when no one is looking.
Braelnoir glances doorward again as the pair come in and she grins to her sister and niece. She edges back a little bit from the map and pivots to face them a little more fully as she tucks her cleaned skewer behind her ear, whispering, "Another possible shard. Roasted a buncha folks. Sounds like it's urgin folk to it, and tryin' ta make deals." She crouches down and enfolds the little one in her arms and gives a nuzzle against her cheek.
Iuitl enters at some point. She has a raven on her shoulder, which quizzically looks around the room. She pads through to stand near Cryosanthia... and peers down at the kobold with a look of befuddlement amid the verbal exchange. Once she's processed that, she gets the same recap, and strokes her jaw in thought. "... that requires investigation as soon as possible, with or without a Shard involved," while she tries to recall if she's heard of anything similar to that in her studies.
Merek looks to the sith'makar and Lily while he nods, smiling to Cryo. Then his attention looks back to the conversation. The guard hasn't arrived, it's likely he managed to sneak his way in, all the same while he takes a look to people he knows, listening.
Cesran shakes his head, "Not at all, I've seen a Shard and studied it very briefly, but I have not yet had a chance to do any thorough research into one of the shards. It might be doing this on it's own, but the reports I've heard and read say that the shards are just there, they don't possess any will of their own, certainly not to just strike out and kill others. That being said perhaps the miners did something to the shard. You are right though an investigation is warranted sooner rather than later."
<OOC> Iuitl says, "Anything I can roll to, like, recall if that's a -thing- in an arcane sense, or is it beyond her ken?" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "You may roll if you like, Iuitl! Knowledge/Arcana :)" GAME: Iuitl rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (13)+11: 24 GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/arcana: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls knowledge/arcana: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/arcana: (2)+37: 39 GAME: Merek rolls knowledge/arcana: (15)+15: 30
The little kobold waves up at Iuitl and says quietly, "Peace on your Nesst." Her attention lingers on the raven, she likes that kind of bird. <draconic>
Cryosanthia, bobs her head and tailthumps a greeting to Iuitl. This is followed by a long stare at Merek, her neck pulled back so it's straight. She mouthes, 'Merek, you're wanted! What are you doing here?'.
"I've... heard other things. Each shard is a little different, and does have a will and intentions. Mikilos suggested they were capable of protecting themselves." She adds.
Fallon sighs and rubs the back of his neck uncertainly. "It -does- need to be dealt with, but carefully. If you know of any way to ward against the psychic attacks, I suggest we deploy it before we do any investigation in its presence. It's *not* friendly and has a will of its own, of that I'm certain, and I do not suggest directly touching it. If that is unusual for a shard then... it's an unusual shard."
Braelnoir glances up from the kobold to see Iuitl drawing up behind Cryo, she throws a flat, almost suspicious look to the big black bird on the Sith's shoulder, then shakes her head. She scoops up the little carnation Kobold and rises to her full height, "Jus'cuz they ain't done't before doesn't mean they won't start." She adjusts her grip a little, to try and keep her niece away from the more... interesting pouches on her bandolier, "If they're really differn't pieces of Animus, mebbe one's a piece of's will." she nods to the man's addendum and nods, "Or's spite."
Merek looks then to Cryo and notes a few things, his potion belt in addition to the hood which he was wearing, then makes magical little waves with the hand. It seems that the man will imply that he uses magic to keep him from notice. The hood pulled back up, he does listen while he smiles. Then thinks about it. "The one we found required a lot of magic to take. It seems they do have different... Environments."
Iuitl shakes her head slowly. She seems troubled by the exchanged conversation. "I will be among the party to go investigate... if I can acquire a spell that can protect the mind before the expedition."
Cryo simply stares. Alexandrian patrollers are one thing, striding undisguised into an area with experienced adventurers who can be very mercenary. She shakes her head, lets it go. Eclavdran wandered unimpeded, demons still stroll about as far as she's aware. He'll be fine. He's not her problem. She focuses on Lily, hissing, "No.." <draconic>
The kobold is squirming, in a mini-wrestling match with her aunt, trying to get into the bandolier. She isn't seriously stealing, but the merc's gear might be taken out and moved around.
"Halani and Mikilos found a shard in a Dragon's treasure horde, it was defended by wights, and animated the coins into a treasure-amoeba-golem, I guess. They defeated it when Halani grabbed the shard. She ... manifested a lot of Animus' trappings, but still threatened to punch anyone that didn't worship her. Somehow they snapped her out of it. Mikilos didn't say what spells were used. Ones I'm not capable of. This one could ask him and find out."
She rocks her weight from foot to foot, her tail curling slightly. She nods towards Iuitil, "I'm not sure I should go. I've proven easily swayed when it comes to mind games. I'd certainly need that spells also."
Iuitl clicks her tongue as the situation is described. "It was very strange," she mentions, "These shards seem to animate or possess almost anything they touch. It could be that it was struck with a spell of some kind, and ... animated the spell. The fractured will of a god of magic could do many things, as magic can do almost anything." She shrugs once. "I intend to at least get a look at it from, erhm, a safe distance."
Braelnoir is acting more out of establishing her protectiveness of their contents, though most of her lethal loadout's been expended on that score, best to discourage the behaviour before she's loaded for bear. She's not the best wrestler, but she has a certain mass advantage, but the merc draws back from the table so she doesn't jostle something or provide too much disruption. Still, it's probably best she goes through her pouches, later to be sure everything is in the right slot.
Cesran nods, "And one was found in Merkabah, guarded by crystal golems." He shudders at that memory. "The mention of a pact could suggest some form of demonic incursion, which unfortunately is becoming more and more common thanks to Assumit. As for mental protection. There are some spells that I could cast, but I'd have to research them and that would take time." He hmmms, "I wonder if this might have anything to do with the reports that I've heard of something attacking the ley lines. It might or might not be connected."
Fallon listens to the discussion about other shards with interest. He lacks context, but he's piecing some bits together. "I'm willing to lead you to where we found it, but I have neither the knowledge nor power to help anyone much further. We could try to keep travelers from going in that direction while we find the necessary protection." He frowns deeper at the mention of golems and possession. "This one apparently does not have such guardians, at least."
"So far." Cryosanthia adds, "it may reanimate the ones it has killed, or attract something it can't, which remains and becomes another threat. We should move swiftly, there are other Shard-hunters and forces in Alexandria which would be interested."
Her tail slows in its sway, hanging behind her. She mumbles, more to herself, "I'll need an egg-watcher for Lily, Faran hopefully... I really wanted to check on the house first..."
Contributing the conversation again the whitescale adds, "It could be some new magical planar being too, a sentient death orb monster, or... I don't know. But best to bet on what it likely is."
"Downside a'that is, we set up pickets'v any kind, folks're gonna know something's up." the Korite observes as her holy water undergoes it's understated, three pouch migration south. Brae notes, for the extra peace of mind it offers, "Demons had a wild hair about these things'n the past, too. Anything we do's gonna hafta be fast an' either slick or big's hell."
Cesran hmms, "An easier spell might be to polymorph everyone into elementals. They are mindless inherently so mind affecting spells don't affect them. Although I hope it's not a beholder. Those creature are extremely dangerous. My suggestion is that we get close as we safely can, do some scouting, magical and otherwise to find out what it is exactly and then plan from there. If we need to we can always retreat and gather what supplies we need to defeat it."
"Well, yes. I don't believe hiding the fact that something is up is necessarily a good thing, given how dangerous it is. I think the miners would have appreciated a warning," Fallon contends. "Just remember we didn't need to be close for it to lure us. I think just seeing it can enable it to compel you."
"Mind control magic is literally the worst," Merek mentions, while he nods a bit. "As for the Shards, are the ones we collected even safe?" he asks.
"I have just the thing for that!" Cryo says eagerly, and slips a mask out of her haver-sack and puts it on. It's shaped for her reptilian face has no eye-holes, and is covered in ever changing script. She grins and rocks her head from side to side.
"As for whether they're safe, I don't know. You collected them. What precautions did you take after? Griva has them, last I was aware." She remains standing with her strange mask.
Lily meanwhie has found a buckle for the bandolier, and undoes it.
Braelnoir's armour, in itself, mutes her sense of touch, and it really isn't until the buckle scrapes the breastplate, "Wha-hey!" she starts. She wiggles a little and tries to reacquire her fashion accessory while Cryo deals out the skinny.
"In any case, I must go now," Fallon says, as he turns and makes his way for the exit. "Farewell. I'll be at the inn, should anyone need me."
Cesran nods to Fallon, "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Well looks like I have some research to do." He says as he starts to pack up his maps to put them back into the scroll case.
"Come here Lily," Cryosanthia says, crouching and scouping up her youngling with surprising precision considering she's currently blinded. Lily squirms, hissing, arms and legs flailing and her tail bending for some significant leverage, but the Sith'mom holds on.
"Tia Braea." The carnation kobold hisses, reaching for Braelnoir still. <draconic>
"We leave ssoon.." Cryo hisses, then repeats in tradespeak, "We are leaving soon. Be still. Food and bed comes." After she thrums a noise in her throat, which has a small calming effect.
Nodding to the others, Cryo says, "Yes, thanks. Hopefully... hopefully we can do something."
"Alright, I should be about my way, you all take care, I will see what I am able to do to assist people," Merek notes, then he offers a wave to Cryosanthia in addition to Lily. "Nice to see the both of you." The man speaks with Draconic, then he nods to people, a little hug to Brae, then he begins to prepare teleportation.
Braelnoir carefully tries to extricate the belt of plenty from her niece's deathgrip, a certain consternation worthy of comedy on the Korite's face. She gently strokes the little one's head and says, "We can get some food, Little Fang." in low growls and hisses. A look to Cryo, then the others, as Merek goes to leave, she abanddons her previous objective to step in and give hima quick hug, 'You take care now, luv.' <draconic>
Cesran finishes packing up his things and he picks up his staff, "I wish we could meet under better circumstances, but it was good to see all of you. I will see you when we travel to find this glowing orb of death." He goes to head out.
"Here, put on your mask, and your coat." Cryo crouches down and sets Little Fang on the ground. Out comes her pink parka, her small wooden mask. The whitescale swaps the one she's wearing for her larger version, then stands and lifts the carnation scale into a riding position. She touches the peg-features on the mask, and holds, "Okay... think red dragon."
She twists a few features, ending with the nose as the kobold copies her action. A moment later, a red-scaled sith'makar and youngling are in their places, the small one's parka switched from pink to red. Cryosanthia's clothes are stil white, until a second moment of concentration passes and she's wearing a layered red armour.
"We'll be ready when you are." She reaches out and takes Braelnoir's hand, heading for the door. A tailthump for Iuitl in departure.
Braelnoir accepts the hand, waving the other to Cesran and Merek, "Have a good'n, luvs!" she valedicts with a smile, then glances one last time at the map. She focuses her thoughts on her gift from Merek, and suddenly, she is shrouded in furry winterwear of earthy neutrality on the first steps out with the others.
Merek teleports, waving to his friends, then wing feathers will swirl in a little dance along the place, black and golden while they shift to the floor. What mystery.
OOC Convos
<OOC> Iuitl says, "Cesran has that chunky brain meat."
You paged (Whirlpool, Braelnoir) with 'and that's misdirection, as we still have ours.'
You paged (Whirlpool, Braelnoir) with 'and I took 'obscure object' to help hiding it before I noticed that it required touching the thing, so.. I don't know... serveral layers before touching I guess, or obscure the egg-carrier it's in.'
To (Braelnoir, Cryosanthia), Whirlpool pages: Secure for now!
<OOC> Merek says, "How do you pose in both draconic AND regular speech"
<OOC> Cryosanthia is magical!
<OOC> Merek says, "o:"
<OOC> Merek says, "Are you ANSI'ing"
<OOC> Cryosanthia fakes it by abusing ascii codes
<OOC> Merek says, "HA"
<OOC> Merek says, "guessed it"
<OOC> Cesran says, "+help languages"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I could do that but it's a pain and screws up more often than not."
<OOC> Merek says, "Ya but languages only lets you speak one or the other completely in code if you're using quotations."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I figure if you don't know the language, just pretend you can't read it"
<OOC> Merek says, "Ya basically. Though Merek knows 21 languages. Hee"
<OOC> Cesran says, "Nice, I know 24, but have comp lang and tongues permed on me so it covers all the rest."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Iuitl seems to have idled out, Cesran do you want to do an endpose?"
<OOC> Merek says, "i misread that as edgepose and thought you were asking him to be edgy."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Sure give me a moment. I'm always edgy. *flips hair*"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "yes you two can out edge each other"