Dungeon Master Forum

VI... OH. They were elemental runes weren't they? He'd seen the VI rune on the alter and he thought it symbolised Water. But OH? He looked up the waterfall. OH was neither Earth or Fire. Air perhaps. He could ask the others but didn't want to appear ignorant. Well, not ignorant all of the time at least.

Haynuus moved closer to the cleric, perhaps practically talking over the murafu. "If that's Aurek, we should try to rope him in." He thought for a moment and his lassoing skills were basic but workable. "Or maybe we should just ask for him back, Westian?..." He repeated that last statement to Ameena, in case she didn't hear the first time.

VI and OH. VI was water of course, OH was...familiar.

Seeing what he hoped was Aurek suspended above, the question brought back memories of an action taken by the paladin some time ago. Glass smashing - that had stuck in Westian's head, glass being quite a rare commodity down here.

Not knowing if anyone could hear him, he replied to the strange words. "He did not know what he was doing, none of us did."

Westian's attention focused on Haynuus as he spoke, and he nodded in reply. We need to get him down. If it really is Aurek. He pulled a length of rope from his backpack and offered it to the half-orc. As for asking for him back...it was worth a shot.

"Please return him to us. He is a servant of the High Lord Corellon Larethian, here to do his work and to help the Grey Lord."

OOC - "Cotermination"? That's a new one...or is it a typo?
Oh, and I would imagine Ameena would be taking the lead so she could keep a nose out for scent trails and stuff - as long as the ledge isn't too narrow (which I'm guessing it isn't up as far as the narrow bit you mentioned), she can just duck behind someone's legs (or they can just step over her) if something nasty pops up in front of her.

BIC - As the group draws nearer the waterfall and sees what it is that seems to be causing the light (or at least, some of it), Ameena stands on her hind legs and stares in amazement at the sparkling, glittering, and more importantly sunlit sight. Now this, she knows, is something no murafu will ever have seen before - assuming she ever meets one of her own kind again, she will be sure to tell them of this - the way the water seems to dance in the light, falling is it does, oddly, up toward the distant sky. This she stares at almost hungrily - there it is. There's the outside world. It's been so long - she's been down here in this dark place all this time, yet up there, she sees, the rest of the world is still up there. Well, the sky is, anyway.
She wonders whether she'd be able to climb all the way up there, and what she'd find if she made it to the top - would it be possible to just climb out onto level ground, or would she find herself halfway up one of those massive rocky hills which themselves seem to almost touch the sky, and with no way to easily get down apart from simply jumping? Then again, maybe touching the sky might be something worth doing - she wonders how high up it is. After all, there must be some kind of surface which has that blue colour, mustn't there? But then, she supposes, it must be so very high up - the sun, the moon, the stars, and the clouds all live up there after all. She wonders what it's like up there, and how high it's possible to go. Maybe some flying creature knows - a dragon, maybe. They're the greatest flyers she's ever heard of, at least, so maybe one of them might know...
But from where she is now, that sky is so far away. And she feels, somehow, like a vague memory, that there is something very important she has to do, or at least, to help bring about, in order for the sky to even be there when she finally steps properly beneath it once again.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the waterfall - its sound, she realises, has changed, somehow - suddenly it sounds more like...well, like a voice. But its words she is somewhat unsure of, at least for a moment. Then she recalls that "Vi" is something Westian mentions a lot - it's the word he says when he's making his healing potions. She doesnt' quite catch the rest of what the voice says - it sounds like it's been surprised by something...though the way it says the word "Oh" makes it sound more like the ending to a question, and she vaguely recalls hearing the word used in relation to magic as well.
As she ponders this, still looking up at both the waterfall and the distant sky, she becomes aware that Haynuus has spoken to her. Still somewhat dazzled by the vast interestingness of both the waterfall and the sky, she finds herself brimming with so many things she could say that she isn't sure which to go with.
"I wonder what makes it fall upward like that..." she comments, though she hasn't turned to see whether Haynuus is listening.

OOC - Aha, so the water contains the power of Vi and Oh, therefore Water + Air = Anti-Gravity Water, I'm guessing .

Should have been 'coterminous existence', I was in a hurry this morning!I will edit that later. Falkor learned the 'OH' rune, I will say that he took time during the lull before Soorec got back to mention it to Westian, so Westian should know the rune too. That was something I said should ahppen as you guys rested at the time, I think.

The start of the narrow ledge is still quite far away, and Aurek is still quite high up. You'd need to roll double 20s on a combined dex / strength check for me to consider letting you hit that. If you can get closer and want to do it, it might become slightly less harsh (still tough though!)


There was a significant pause after Westian had spoken. Perhaps the waterfall had not heard him?

Your friend said he knew what he was doing, when he tried to summon us. He broke out gifts to the Grey Lord to invoke our aid. It seems contrary to the purpose, but the denizens of the material plane have always been contrary with our gifts.

- they play so well though -

The last utterance was odd. As the 'voice' spoke to the group, it felt like a chorus instead of a single voice. The second utterance was lighter, freer, and felt like a sub-section fo the choir had drifted free to speak on its own. It was disconcerting to say the least, the top of the list of disconcerting things.

You walked here now with purpose, continued the voice, You entered this place and killed those we gift life before.

- our children who dance on our wings -

You both say you serve the Great Lord Corellon Larethian yet you wear the shells of one who would be His enemy. You both say you are here to help the Grey Lord, and yet the Grey Lord is absent and beyond help here. Your words are contrary, as we expect from those of the material plane. We would respect your existance though, and your emissary's speech to us, and allow you to explain further. Westian, be careful, these are powerful Air and Water elementals.

The last few words quivered with an odd intonation, and then there was a blast of moving air that almost lifted the champions off their feet, and the water of the lake seemed to boil, and there was a pressure and noise in everyone's ears. It built up to the point where the champions thought they could pass out, and then sudden;y there was a stillness.

We are amused, said the voice returning quickly. Your emissary thinks we need his translations. We only check our words and yours as a courtesy in this stressful time. We will talk with you directly now. Your emissary has done enough. We will return him to you, or let him speak with us once more, once you have answered our reasonable questions.

- make the answers interesting, it grows so dull these days -


There was a pregnant pause, as apparently the champions were expected to speak - even defend themselves - from the forces of nature around them. Apparently powerful forces of nature.


That's an interesting thought about anti-gravity water, but the answer is that this place is a powerful meeting of Air (represented by the chimney allowing airt into the mountain) and Water (the lake). The water in the lake, and allowing the water to to rise, was indeed a conjoined mass of water elementals. The elementals can push the water where they darn well like, especially if they have the blessing of at least Air

Our of interest, you might like to know that the small cascade was feeding the rat room, and the huge waterfull is actually feeding (as it goes upwards) all the higher water access points

Anyway, back to speaking ot elementals that could crush you utterly...

Haynuus nods in agreement to Westian's shouting over the noise of the inverse falling water.

It was an amazing sight, yet to the half-orc a simple well or spring had magical properties. "That's magic that is" was as best he could explain it to Ameena.

"What are your questions?" the half-orc shouted to the noises in his head. By doing so he realised that he was agreeing to this game that these magical things are playing on them.

He wondered if this emissary was the second, quieter voice in his head. Who or what could it be? Knowing that may help Westian in his quest. "Do you hear them?" he asked Ameena, assuming a positive answer. "Let's hope Westian can answer their questions." and he gave her a knowing wink. He was always a little weary with the unknown, doubly so when they were obviously so powerful.

OOC - Westian can talk in the language of the Elements anyway?

OOC - Errrm, is "chrechenod" suppoed to be "crescendo"? Because, you know, sound doesn't reach a crescendo since a crescendo is the rising up toward the climax, not the climax itself .

BIC - Ameena watches the waterfall's movements as the voices continue to speak. She finds herself in agreement with them over the fact that Westian wears the armour of the soul-stealing human soldiers, but still greatly lacking in knowledge of Aurek's identity and purpose she doesn't really consider about his allegiance at this time.
What she realises, plain as anything, is that here are the forces of nature itself, the intelligence behind Air and Water, those things upon which all creatures depend so strongly. So she was right, then - in a way, the water is alive. Yet somehow, now that she knows this, it doesn't seem quite as scary as it did moments before - somehow, she feels more comfortable dealing with this than with anything she's encountered so far. How many rivers has she crossed? How many lakes and ponds has she drunk from, or splashed about in for fun? And how often has she simplys at and sniffed the air, enjoying the act of mentally sorting through the vast array of scents there are to be found there? To a murafu, things like Water and Air, whilst not normally considered to be sentient (or even intelligent) in any way, are nevertheless certainly considered not just important, but vital to the course of life.
Ameena finds herself, despite being down here in this mostly-horrifying underground place, suddenly, at last, surrounded by the incredibly familiar. She looks around her in a sort of overjoyed awe at being able to add even further to her stock of information which she hopes to share with her fellow murafu (or, indeed, anyone who will listen) in future.
As these thoughts pass through her mind, her natural curiosity, which has till now been more or less forcibly suppressed in favour of preserving her life, suddenly decides to burst free, revealing itself in a torrent of words.
"That looks beautiful!" proclaims Ameena to the watefall, moving forward and pointing up at it. "I love the way you shine like that - it's like you're dancing. I suppose you make enough noise that it's like creating your own music, is it? What's it like being water that can think and talk? And air, too? That must be...strange. I all air and water alive like you, or just what's in this cave? Imagine being air...being able to be everywhere at once, to carry the birds and things as they fly...and water, I suppose, being able to travel about the way you do and be home to all the fish. What would happen if I drank you? Would my insides start talking?"
She has by now dropped to all-fours and is trotting backwards and forwards along the ledge, chattering excitedly as she looks up and around at both the water (of the lake and of the fall) and the air.
"And am I breathing you now, Air? Is that your name? I mean, do you want me to call you Air, or something else? And what about you, Water? Or are you lots of people? I mean...things...air and watery...things. Because you seem to have lots of voices. Wow...lots of you, all together like that, all the time? That must be fun - murafu are like that too, you know. Being together is good. I've never met anything that could speak which wasn't obviously...well, alive. I mean, I've never really thought of air and water as being alive before. But I'll change my mind now, of course. I hope I've never accidentally done anything to make them angry - would you know if I had? I've splashed around in water before, and of course drunk plenty of it. I suppose you're not going to just kill us, are you? I mean, if you wanted to, you would have by now, wouldn't you? But there were those undead creatures that came out of you..."
This last comment is aimed at the water, and Ameena pauses to stick her nose over the edge and peer into the depths.
"Or is that what you meant when you mentioned things you'd gifted life? Umm...well, we've met undead things before, and they're just...well, the bodies of dead people which magic has made walk around again and...do things. So that Aurek's alive, then? Isn't he one of the soldiers? I mean...I thought he was - he's human and he's wearing their armour. But then, Westian's wearing it too..."
As she mentions this, she glances up and around at Westian, eyeing his armour with a slight wariness. Then she turns back toward the water.
"They put souls in there, you know..." she adds.

"Perhaps he thought he knew what he was doing, but he did not fully understand it. He did require your aid, but the results are...unexpected." Westian was completely unaware of the psychology of these creatures, so he kept his answers factual. He did not know if these creatures possessed an ego, if they felt common emotions, and so he avoided any artifice or equivocation. Already they had indicated that they did not like inconsistencies, it would be best to be direct and honest.

He removed his helmet. "This shell is just that - a shell. It was taken from someone who served our enemies." In an effort to make things more interesting, as requested by one of the troupe, he added: "There is great danger in this mountain, powerful mages, soldiers, undead creatures...anyone passing through needs to be well defended. And the skin of us lesser mortals is weak compared to the strength of your elemental forms, we need protection" he added, unable to resist a smattering of flattery.

"But the armour does not indicate any change of allegiance, simply it is a form of protection. As for fighting, we simply defended ourselves from attack. We would have been happier to pass through in peace, that is the truth I swear by Lord Larethian."

Westian then stood quietly for a while as Ameena spoke at full speed to the waterfall. Even if he had wanted to get a word in it would have been difficult. As she mentioned souls in the armour Westian got a bit fidgety, suddenly less comfortable in his attire. This was not the first time someone had mentioned souls and the armour in the same sentence. He would have to examine it later. Any problems would be most inconvenient, it had surely saved his life many times.

Haynuus stood there silently. The whole armour thing bothered him. Usually orcs just picked up bits of metal and hammered it together to form protection... Or pick it up off those who they've murdered. This armour DID get into his head though. He removed the bits with skulls on, and was glad to not have all of it on him. And now the elementals were accusing them of being who they weren't.

He tried to listen to Ameena but the effects of velocity and noise of the waterfall made it difficult, he got the general idea though. She was right, he realised that they were talking to perhaps a group of individuals who were at one in their thought. Most strange, but why not.

As for answering their questions... Go go go Westian. He really wanted Aurek back, and would feel less vulnerable with him in their group.

It was then he couldn't contain himself. "Oh yeah. And where IS the Grey Lord at the moment?"

"That sounds like a dweller of the material plane," said the combined voice when Westian explained their actions. Westian was confident he was on the right track with his thoughts on the spirits and their psychology. Care was certainly needed. "Are you really so fragile you need a shell so distasteful? Are you such scavengers you must steal the protection of others. Are you land dwellers nothing but hermit crabs?"

- perhaps they are still babes, perhaps they will grow up when they finally break free of their shells -

Ameena apparently interrupted the choir as it was about to continue further. The smaller choir seemed to react at first to Ameena's words.

- it knows us and appreciates us who would have thought of such a thing as was spawned by the earth. If only it had wings it could join us hgih above the dull, static ground -

The wind picked up, rushing around Ameena as if to lifther up off the ground.

However, then the heavier choir interrupted when asked about speaking air and water. "Are you dwellers of the material plane the flesh and shells you wear? Or are you more than that? We are not of your plane, and we are more than the element we live in and serve. We wear your material elements here like a shell when we come here, it is not us and we do not need it. Were you to be on our plane, the matter would be different. However, we do find it pleasureable to aid those who use our mediums for exploration and life on this plane. We certainly do not begrudge those who use our elements, Life is the key. Life is all that matters. Life begets life. Reproduction, assimilation, co-existance, dependancy. As long as life feeds on or boosts life, it is beautiful." The voice then took another turn. ""The shells you wear, and the impliments you wield, offend us. Life ends life, with no life spared in its place nor life created. You may say those implements are for defense, but they have a history of unecessary death"

- they have such a hatred for lack of life, though we too find it so dull and stagnat and boring - explained the smaller choir.

Ameena could see little tendrils of the water she was near dance for her and gusts of air playing around her as she spoke, all happy. However, when she spoke of the undead, the water exploded with rage and Ameena was soaked and blasted back towards the wall. For a moment, the waterfall itself stopped, and the huge weight of water suddenly toppled back down towards the lake. The sheer voume of water exploded in a powerful wave, and only an invisible force seemed to hold back the tidal wave that would have washed the companions from the floor and into the unknown depths.

- you should not have mentioned that, they get so boring and angry when you mention that - warned the small choir.


"DO NOT MENTION THOSE FOUL ABOMINATIONS, NOR THEIR MISTRESS!" roared the combined voice of the water elementals in their head and bodies. The tidal wave was still being help up by an invisible air barrier, a solid wall of seething, boiling water. Half-formed faces seemed to be shown with teeth baring and angry eyes all along the surfave. "WE DID NOT SPAWM THOSE TORTURED CREATURES, ONCE CONSIGNED TO REST IN OUR ARMS! THEY WERE TORN FROM US! TORN BY AN ABOMINATION THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CREEP AND STEP THROUGH THE PLANES. SHE STEALS THAT WHICH WE WAS RIGHTFULLY TAKEN FROM WATER'S ENEMY, UNTIL THE WATER BECOMES NOTHING BUT A PALE IMITION OF EARTH. SHE DEALS IN DEATH AS HER TRADE." The water fell, and the still air - air in which it was becoming increasngly harder to breath - started moving again. There was an ominous silence, and then the waterfall began to crawl up the chimney again in fits and starts, until it was as it had been before.

"We despise the Demoness whose name we will not foul our mouths with, even using the speech of the material. You have our leave to end the existance of all who serve her, for their can be no greater preservation of life than opposing the demon's moves."


There was a long pause. Haynuus filled in the silence with his question. Everyone could feel the oppressive atmosphere thicken. It became more humid, gathered around the half-orc.

"You ask us a question? Your race is the definition of Earth and Fire combined. Your have the passions without thought of Fire, you have the consuming nature of Fire, assimilating everything in your greed and leaving nothing but ash."

- Oh, but fire makes such pretty shapes, and can fly so fast and free. And its offerings can reach our noses. We love to play with it so -

The main part of the choir that was water seemed disgusted with the affiliation, but carried on ignoring this. "Earth does not mind if things die nor what they leave behind, for it can build itself upon and nourush itself upon anything. All earth cares that something endures. It does not care what endured. To your credit, your race exemmplify ther stubborn and strong nature of earth at least."

- no, earth is dull! Stagnant! Slow or dead! Its race excemplifies that! Slow! Buried in the ground so deep we cannot touch it, and hating the light we let all see! -

It seemed to be water's turn to be amused by Air's distaste. However, it went back to addressing Haynuus. "Your race took from the earth, your race made its pact with fire, and your race created the shells your friends wear, and the weapons your friends carry. Distastful things."

For a moment Haynuus did not understand what the elementals meant. However, then a set of memories - and thoughts that had not connected - started to move around in his brain to make one giant thought. It had been a slow process, like treacle sliding down a shallow slope. Still, eventually, it had reached its destination.

Why did Haynuus know the SAR rune? Why was it such a superstitious warning of evil? Chaos had used the rune himself, apparently, as a mark on his warriors and himself. But Haynuus had never taken part in the attocities of Lord Chaos. He and his orc tribe had stayed in the mines, and mined (well, forced goblins to mine), and forged crude items. However, then the memory of the crates came to Haynuus's mind. Crates with the SAR rune burned on them. Armour and swords and axes as black as night were put in those crates, yet as soon as the SAR mark was upon those crates, it was dangerous to go near them. Every young orc knew not to check them out. Every young orc knew not to go near them now, especially not when the collection was due and disturbing creatures came to take the creates away....

The crates had the SAR mark. The crates were not again touched by Orcs, and were collected. Chaos used the SAR mark. These blackskull soldiers had once severed Chaos.

Oh.

Haynuus realised very slowly, that he had helped create the armour and weapons the soldiers had worn. It was not really something that had occurred to Haynuus before. In some small way, he had been a cog in the war machine of Chaos, and the minerals he had forced the golbins to remove from the mountain had, through a twisting and turning road, been used to hurt people. Had been used to hurt the party today, when the soldiers had attacked them.

Oh.

The elementals seemed to note Haynuus was lost in his own thoughts, and turned back to the rest - Westian especially - to answer the question of the Grey Lord's disappearance.

"Where is the Grey Lord? We know not. He has left before, but not since the Splitting has it felt like this. The ones like those who would wear the black shells have not been allowed to walk these halls without harrassment. If the Grey Lord is gone, then the pacts he has made are over. This mountain is the natural coterminatious existence of Earth and Fire. Only by the Grey Lord's will was this chimney and the lake allowed. If he has gone, if those who serve Fire and Earth at its basest levels - and those who serve the demoness - are allowed sway, we shall leave this place. We will not again see out children driven mad by the Dark Lord if he returns, nor an abomination just as foul."

The elementals then seemed to focus on Westian again. "Larethian was courtious and respectful, and powerful when he strode our home planes. He did not need the emblems of his enemies to make him strong. If you wish our aid, I would suggest you remove weapons whose purpose is expressly for death. I would suggest you remove your shells if you wish us to treat you as anything other than lowly sadncrawlers or the unborn. Your emissary seems to be arguing against removing the shells and leaving the weapons, but it also seems that he will abide by your desicion." The elementals continued to concentrate on Westian as they said it.

There was an expectant pause.

Sorry, not as good as I wanted it, but that'll have to do! Just to make it clear, you might have some bargaining room (roll some diplomacy) to keep the clubs (after all, they are natural and blunt), and perhaps even the rusty armour of Haynuus. The snake staff, as Ameena mantioned, is a very benign item and unobjectionable. Ameena is probably in good enough standing where she could attempt to argue about her knives. It will be a much dodgier prostect to argue for the falchion or any other bladed weapons. Certainly, the black armour and black swords would be a deal breaker. However, the sword is a better weapon, and of course Aurek and Westian would indeed be dead were it not for the camouflage and sheer AC protection of the armour. There is no right and wrong choice here, you won't get cooler armour in return for making the 'right' choice, I'm just giving you a choice (cause choices are good). The elemntals don't seem to be about to kill you, but they would certainly probably terminate speaking to you if you didn't comply.

Or maybe they would attack you, you don't know

Anyway, will try and edit the update, but apologies for anything unclear/badly written. Good luck, next update on Tuesday I guess!

Westian wordlessly dropped his helm to the ground with a clatter. He then began to undo the straps on the black armour, telling himself that it was for the best. Luckily he had his blue tunic and pants tucked away in his back-pack, otherwise he would have ended up running around in his undergarments like some penniless, bed-wetting lunatic; an unpleasant thought indeed. (I am going to assume that I kept those clothes, for the sake of modesty and to keep this thread PG-13!)

"The shell is not necessary, I have the protection of Lord Larethian." He dropped the sword too. If it was not from the soldiers he would have argued to keep it - long swords were one of Corellon Larethian's favoured weapons - but as it was he let it go. He held the snake staff in his hands, and suddenly felt more of a priest and less a warrior - a not-unpleasant transition. One of Westian's talents was an ability to rationalise his actions, and it almost felt as though dropping the armour was his own personal choice.

"I will not argue with you, you will find that we share the ability of VI and OH to change course when reason demands it" he responded in polite tones to both sets of voices.

I don't have the club anymore, I threw it at the leeches and did not recover it.

OOC - I would have figured that Westy probably kept his clothing on, rather than in his backpack - you don't put plate armour on without some kind of covering to pad it out, after all .

BIC - Ameena listens intently to the elemental forces as they speak to her, cowering in fear at the huge wave as it rears above the group, but recovering somewhat as the voices then calm down somewhat. She has gathered that the louder, deeper voices are those of Water, while the lighter, fainter voices are those of Air. She feels a little guilty at her misunderstanding over the undead, but now feels confident that she won't make a similar mistake again - it seems, after all, as if neither Air nor Water have any great objection to her other comments, observations, or questions.
She sits in silence for a few moments to allow Westian to speak some words, and looks up at him in a sort of relieved happiness as he finally removes the horrible black armour. She wonders what they can do with it, but decides that if either Air or Water want to destroy it, they'll be perfectly capable of doing so. She regards Westian as he stands there in his blue clothing, holding the staff he has already told her is some kind of symbol of Life, and feels happy for him.
Then she returns her attention to the elements.
"I'm sorry I didn't realise what you were talking about." she says, referring to her slip regarding the undead. "We don't like creatures like that either - it seems wrong to make someone's body walk around after their spirit has left."
A new thought occurs to her, and she sits up and tilts her head to one side briefly.
"I wonder if spirits of living creatures become like you when their bodies die. Would you know? That must be fun...I mean, I like to sit and feel the wind blowing my fur, or to have it bring scents to me or send my own scent to other murafu so that they can find me...but to actually be the wind...I wonder what it's like to feel so...free. Well, I suppose I'll find out one day, anyway, if that's really what happens when we die..."
She wonders about the apparent dislike these elements have for Fire and Earth, but at the same time realises that those elements are the opposites of these ones - Earth is the opposite of Air, enclosed and restricting, yet forming the physical shape of every creature, every plant, in contrast to Air's floating freedom as it enters those creatures and becomes the breath of life every animal takes. Then Fire, so strong and fierce, burning with heat, with a kind of hungry destruction in its very being, yet at the same time it is the fiery heart of Life itself, the warmth of so many creatures and of that which determines the life cycles of all - the Sun. Meanwhile Water, its opposite, flows more gently, is cool and can quench Fire even as Fire burns it up, while it coexists with Fire in the heart of every creature, as they drink of it and it becomes part of them, though Water itself can have a rage as great as Fire, manifesting itself in the relentless torrents of a raging storm.
Yes, indeed, Ameena knows that no life can exist without the co-operation and coixistence of all these elements, yet she decides not to mention this - it would seem, perhaps, that the elements themselves do not wish to acknowledge this equality. At least, not these aspects of the two elements, and/or not at this time...
Instead, she decides to pursue a slightly different subject, at least for now, and brings up another subject mentioned by the elements.
"You mentioned you'd leave if the Grey Lord is gone." she says. "Well, he isn't. I mean, we've met him. But something happened. Westian said it had something to do with...time changing, but I don't understand that. But what I remember is that we met him - there were some other people there too, I think. That other human mage...Theron, I think. And something happened. Something very bad. The Grey Lord did something...we all got separated, but as you can see we've found each other again. And...I think we have another chance. Maybe...maybe the Grey Lord undid whatever we did wrong, but it's made him disappear again. I don't know. But there is something I do know."
She looks intently up at the waterfall, it being somewhat easier to focus her gaze on than the invisibility of Air - nevertheless, she is addressing every aspect of the elements which is present within the cave.
"There is something that needs to be done." she says, with certainty. "I don't know what it is, though. You say you want to leave, so that you can get away from here and from all the bad things that will happen, and go out into the rest of the world and be free. But if the bad things happen here, they'll end up happening everywhere. There won't be a rest of the world. Well, there will, but it won't be a very nice place. None of us will be free."
She gives a single, definite nod at the end of this little speech, as though to punctuate what she's just said - she isn't quite sure how, but she knows that what she's just said is right.
"I'm not asking you to help us." she goes on. "I just thought I'd let you know. Something's happened...or maybe, something will happen, to the Grey Lord. I remember him as being different colours - he's called the Grey Lord, and I remember that he did wear grey. But whenever I think that, I get confused and think that maybe he wore black. And the same thing happens with his eyes - I remember them as blue, but then I remember them as being red as well. Maybe they were both at the same time, somehow, or maybe they changed. I just remember...something...someone...unpleasant..."
Despite having started off so confidently, the end of this sentence trails off into a sort of confused mumble, and Ameena sinks down into a crouch, her gaze lowered as she absentmindedly rubs her right foreleg and tries to remember exactly what it was she was trying to say. If only she could remember exactly what it was that happened in that room, with the Grey Lord, and Theron, and herself and her friends, and whoever else was present...whenever that was...

Haynuus had felt remorse before with regards to his actions with the goblins, now he felt remorse once more for what his goblins were actually doing. He had never thought before that his tiny being, his pathetic gang of goblins, were contributing to the rise of choas once more. It made him unsheathe his falchion and let it clatter to the floor. Next came off the breastplate and any other black armour that he had acquired (poleyn). It all fell to the floor like his lost innocence. He had to be a little more careful of his actions now, as he had just learnt that he was not as insignificant as he had imagined!

"I do not carry either the guilt nor the lack of remorse of the orcs" was all Haynuus muttered.

Ameena had started chattering to which he ignored, then suddenly tuned in as she mentioned the Grey Dude. It was a good track, as the elementals may well understand just how important it was to unfuck[*] things up again.

[*] An orcish expression, but is falling out of common use as orcs don't actually fix stuff after they break them anyway.[/size]

The wind suddenly howled and whipped up around everyone. It reached a fever pitch, and the slowly the volume diminished until there was silence. It perhaps took the party a moment to realise that the silence extended to everything else. The air was diffusing sound, and the waterfall and other sounds were now gone. The ringing in their ears and vibrations in their bodies had faded.

Somewhere in the chaos of the wind's passage, Aurek had been diposited onto the ground. He gave a nod to the group, then looked around at the sight of the waterfall and the cavern. Perhaps not happily, he too divested himself of his black armour, revealign the simple clothing of his order underneath. It was with even greater reluctance he dropped the sword, but he followed the lead of Westian.

A small cascade broke off from the waterfall, and water trickled towards the group. It shifted and sputtered along, and then slowly rose on itself in a column. The column widened, and took on characteristics of a person. In a moment, the figure was formed - humanoid in shape, but rippling and blue. It stepped confidently forward, and walked through the invisible barrier against sound that had been set up.

The figure walked forwards, stopping at Aurek, Westian and then Haynuus in turn. Its form altered to match that of each person as it stood infront of them. It did not bend down to look at Ameena, though it did seem to effortlessly avoid standing on both her and her tail as it moved around.

Finally, it stood infront of Westian again. A vague dip in its face appeared where the mouth would be, and it moved while strange sounds emerged. Aurek seemed to take a moment to realise that he was, once again, being made to translate to the group. "The elemental says it is surprised by this showing from us," he said haltingly, "and asks that we understand what a priveledge it is for one of the material plane to hear the true speech of the water plane." Aurek then seemed to consider something, and listened. "There's an echo of the Air Elementals speaking too, they seem to be sayign the same thing, but in their own language. It's confusing, and I do not know more than basic speech."

The water elemental turned its head for a moment to regard Aurek. Aurek met the elemental's look, but had the good grace to say no more. The water elemental turned back, and started speaking again for Aurek to translate.

"We should apparently change course," said Aurek. There was another set of comments shot over the the elementals shoulder. "Oh, the elemental was agreeing with your statement on being able to change course, and complimenting us. Well, complimenting us as much as he seems to be able to." There was another exchange. "But he is also suggesting we actually change our direction of travel."

The elemental turned to Westian, his words becoming deeper and more resonant. They sounded epic. "The elemental is slowing his speech for my benefit," said Aurek unhappily, making a face behind the thing's back. The wind whipped a little, and a tinkling set of words could be heard. Aurek smiled a little. The water elemental seemed to ignore it and continued. "The elemental says the staff you bear shows the co-existance of worlds, the solidity of nature yet the flexibility of water. The life earth can bring when nourished by the pure materials of life not the remnants of death. He says that, if you think upon it in those terms, you might find a powerful defense against creatures perverted from true nature. And you might find an ability to empathise with and pacify those of nature. The staff can even allow those who embody water and earth combined to access the healing waters within themselves."


The wind, meanwhile, was whipping up a little bit as Haynuus muttered to himself. The wind then moved and dashed around Haynuus's head, flicking his ears and remindign him that the circlet he worse was still there. The wind them moved off, causing ripping on the surface of the water elemental. The elemental turned to face Haynuus again, and strod forward, growing in size once more to be the silouette of the half-orc. The water elemental picked up the falchion Haynuus had discarded, and then again had the surface of his head - aroudn the ears - disturbed by the movement of water.

The was a quick movement, and the water elemental shattered the blade of the flachion on the ground. It held the hilt and guard in its hand still, absently twisting the remnants of the blade as it stepped backwards. As it did so, the wind whirls and gusted and then compressed into a small space. It was hard to tell, but there appeared to be a second figure standing to one side.

"Wise words..and strong...words...and...and...many...words..." said Aurek, listening to the light notes in the air that was the speech of the air elemental, and looking to Westian, Haynuus and then Ameena in turn.

The water elemental then said something. Aurek paused. "The water elemental asks us to state, exactly, the nature of what we are doing here. Why we think we are helping the Grey Lord. Where we are going. What we wish to do. What aid we wish from them. I told them already when the caputured me, they might be looking for us li-"

Aurek was stopped from further commentery as the wind picked up and howled, and a wet rain splashed everyone's faces. Aurek was quiet, as the scene settled again. The water elemental infront, still in Haynuus's form, and the air elemental to the side betwwen the group and Aurek barely visible, both seemed to regard the group looking for an answer.

Ameena's comments when the group goes quite seem to fill the heavy air. As Ameena continued to speak, it was as if the words couldn't escape, and were trapped in the bubble of air to crowd the place.

Aurek shifted as he heard the lighter strains of the air elementals again. "The air elemental says the...child of nature?...provides more questions than she answers, I'm sorry Ameena," said Aurek. "They still want to hear what the rest of us say our mission is. And they want you to explain your comments about the world getting worse. And Lord Chaos."



Right, and lengthy update (hopefully denoting that I'm caught up and back on track) done! Sorry for the delay in resuming normal service Right, a few things:

a) Snake staff - technically, the water elemental has defined the heal, calm and brandish functions for Westian, although narratively and mechanically they may act a little differently. Anyone can try to use the staff, although only Westian and Ameena may well understand the concepts enough to use the staff correctly intuitively. I'll double check the heal effect as I've defined it already (I believe it only grants 1hp restoration per spell slot used up, hence is nowhere near as good as any of the spells, but can do in a pinch especially for non-priests). In all other cases, there will be a skill check for calming/intimidating creatures (and undead) that will will have at least a +2 bonus on it. So yes, in Westian's hands pretty powerful considering his intimidating of undead is amplified anyway.

b) Ameena's recollections. Ameena can certainly start recollecting a little more of the bad memories, and try to force them out. Make a will save though, to find out how bad the mental backlash will be to tryign to access them.

c) You seem to have won over the elementals, however as you might spot it's not over yet. This is your chance to score some major aid. At the very least, unless you mess it up you might get an alternate route. Feel free to roll some dice if you wish, or simply ask some direct questions or ask for some direct aid. I'll be guided by your rolls and RP here!


Umm, there was more stuff, but my brain is still a little fried. Anyway, hope this is an enjoyable little encounter. The idea is, of course, to now set you on a collision course with the priest, while giving you some nice and nasty personal character beats along the way. Let's see how it goes, shall we!

OOC - I'll make that Will save to find out whether/how much Ameena's brain gets smegged, but I'll at least make a brief IC post with regard to a certain word-pairing that the elementals just decided to mention . As for anything else, I'll await the results of my save to see what other info I can have Ameena provide . Will save = 5 (2+3)...bleh, lol .

BIC - Ameena sits more upright at hearing herself described as a "child of nature". The murafu never bestow titles upon themselves (or, for that matter, anyone else), and this one just sounds so...noble. She's sure the elements are making her sound somehow greater than she really is. What are murafu, after all, but simple explorers of the world, and food for more creatures than species such as humans have probably ever heard of, let alone seen?
But here, here she somehow feels comfortable, speaking with the very forces that give, support, and yet can take life from every living thing. In some ways, she supposes, they are life, at least to some extent.
As the elements (via Aurek) ask her to explain in further detail, she is about to attempt to oblige, when something they mention causes a vivid image to appear in her mind and her right foreleg to feel as though it's about to explode with pain, though it shows no visible difference in appearance.
As the elements finish speaking, Ameena rather abruptly collapses to the ground, curling into a tight ball, giving little whimpering squeaks of fright, scrunching her eyes shut, and clutching at her right foreleg with her left forepaw.

OOC - Zomg, you broke my murafu...again! :O
I'll assume that the effects of the Will save (or lack, thereof ) will kick in after the immediate effects of what the elementals said have worn off a bit.

Westian smiled when Aurek appeared "Good to have you back, I thought we had lost you! Larethian has smiled on us, brother" He clasped him around the shoulders and gave a brief hug.

He then listened intently as the paladin translated from elemental. "We are honoured that you have appeared to us. I truly wish I could speak your tongue as well as my brother, but just hearing the words is more than most mortals can hope for. I wish to assure you that we are here with good intentions. We serve Lord Larethian." Observing that Ameena seemed to be becoming close to the elementals he added "And, as you can see from our child of nature, we respect the balance of our environs." He gently moved the snake staff back and forward, subtly drawing people's eyes to it, hoping that would subconsciously support the point he was making.

"I was sent by an order of Lord Larethian to explore what had happened here, and to make sure that all was well with the Grey Lord. Sir Aurek was sent with me, and we also brought Haynuus here. The little one we encountered on our journey to the mountain."

"To be honest we do not know exactly what has happened here. We can just tell from the soldiers' presence and the other hideous abominations we have encountered that something bad has happened. We have heard reports about the presence of Lord Chaos. If they turn out to be true, that would be most unwelcome. Our goal is to restore balance" he said, in a deliberate reference to the stories of the heroes who ha defeated Chaos in the past.

"In addition I am searching for a member of my order, a dwarf by the name of Deephold. We believe he is being held by an elven priest, and we need to free him."

Diplomacy was 13 + 13 = 26.

Haynuus raised an eyebrow at the paladin and simply said "I should have jumped into the black water for you... Seemed like you had more fun than me."

But he wanted to answer the elementals as best he could. He always considered himself a simple orc... human, whatever. "I'm here to follow Westian, and to hell if necessary. I may be paid by coin one day, that is true but I take particular pleasure in destroying the undead and I know our cleric here has all of our best intentions at his heart." The wiggle of his eyebrows at the elemental could mean a thousand things, say a thousand words, but to be honest Haynuus just wondered if the elemental that took his form could wiggle back. It would make a most amusing large ale tale if it did.

"I admit, I am confused and cannot remember from where I have come or know where I will go." He then crouched down to shift through the shards of his falchion with his fingers on the ground. "But we have good intentions yet restoring order in this shattered domain will require both brute force and intelligence." He looked up to those before him, "We are a well balanced party and each of us almost represent the elementals are we not?"

"Chaos does not swell here," said the water elemental directly to the surprise of all. His voice sounded powerful, like a large wave. "That his dark warriors walk this place is unacceptable."

The discussion of both the air and water elementals, and the discussion with the group, was disrupted as Ameena shrank into herself. This provoked more discussion, and then the air elemental walked forwards, speaking words in his language.

"He said something about distraction," said Aurek, confused and not sure what to do about Ameena.

The air elemental bent down beside Ameena, clearly not sure what was wrong with the murafu. He made a gesture, and at first nothing seemed to happen. And then, slowly but surely, tiny winged creatures came from the darkness to slowly waft around her. Small butteryflies of achingly beautiful colours and patterns span around, slowly shimmering in the waterfall's light.

Lol, I didn't mean to have Ameena that affected, just her brain was going to feel bad. Hopefully this is enough of a distraction, and she doens't start going on about winged predators and running away!

Other air elementals still seemed to be drifting on the air around the water elemental. The water elemental listened to them, and Haynuus, and then addressed Haynuus.

"You speak of balance. All of you share qualities that one of our groups admire. And all of you share qualities that one of our groups are uncomfortable with." The water elemental points to Haynuus's circlet, and the ring on Westian's finger. "The low king was an admirable dweller of the material plane, and one of balance. That he was twisted under Chaos was part of the madness that all felt in this place. If you have his items, he rose once more, and was delivered to a peace even the Grey Lord was not prepared to give him."

There was a long pause. "If you wish to fight the forces that would harness death and twist it to mockery of life, that is admirable. If you suspect Chaos will return, and can prevent it, then that is worthy."

The water elemental gestures, but it is the air elementals that move, surroundign the broken sword still held, and the ring and circlet. In a terrifying moment there is a swirl of powerful air whipping around each item. The brass ornamentation have their tarnish removed, and centuries of wear and patina disappear to show the simple and beautiful items beneath.

"For the cleric, speed of action," says the water elemental. "the ring will allow you lead this group with swiftness and decisiveness."

"For the half-orc, speed of thought," says the elemental, "the crown will provide balance to you, warrior. The wisdom of the low king and his advisors in your head." The water elemental then returns the half-orc's broken falchion. "The cleric already has a powerful weapon of nature. If you fight the foes of life, then this blade may be suitable to deal with their lethagic yet toughened forms. Whether you raise it against others is up to your own conscience, such as you profess it."

There is a movements above the hilt of the blade, and it is clear that there is a ghostly blade of air when the real blade had once been.


Sorry, running out of time. Might update again at lunch, at the very least to say what the goodies do (and to see if Ameena is ok now). Basically, I'm about to set up Westian and Aurek to go one way, and Ameena and Haynuus to go the other. It's a sensible course anyway, but also makes for a fun set up while OB is away, and Aurek is an NPC. Don't worry, I'd plan to have you guys back together in a few weeks at worst.

OOC - Ooooh, did Haynuus just get a free Vorpal Blade?
As for Ameena's reaction, well, I thought that at the mention of...the thing that got mentioned, that might be enough to trigger a bit of a flashback...and I got a crap Will save anyway .

BIC - Ameena senses something close by, and glances up to see lights. Lots of little, pretty lights. Are they lights? Through the fearful mental haze of the flashback she's just suffered, she manages to work out that Air is making them - she can barely make out the figure crouched near her. Well, she supposes, the figure isn't really crouching, since being made of air, it doesn't need to actually touch the ground, and probably isn't but just looks like it.
She finds herself somewhat distracted by the pretty dancing things, and looks up at them.
"Ooooh..." she says quietly, whiskers twitching as she slowly uncurls herself into a crouching position and tentatively reaches out a paw to try and touch one. They look rather like the insects which murafu call such names as petal-dancers, or flower-spirits, named so because of the way they flit around flowers with their brightly-coloured wings. Though murafu will quite happily eat insects, these they usually prefer to simply watch than crunch up and consume.
Then she shakes her head briefly and attempts to focus on the almost-translucent figure in front of her.
"Umm...sorry." she says, referring to her sudden panic. "I didn't mean to just...I mean...when I heard that name, it just...I remembered an...image."
She shudders as she feels herself automatically trying to think about it again, and pushes it away.
"It was that...person...creature." she goes on. "He...he's not very nice..."
She realises her words are woefully understating what she really means, but somehow she finds she doesn't much want to talk about it, something almost unheard of in a murafu - doing so just makes her feel scared again, and for some reason makes her right foreleg hurt. She half-remembers why that is, but doesn't want to look back on it now so pushes the thought away once again.
Instead, she points at the pretty, fluttery things.
"Those are beautiful." she says, to change the subject and lighten her mood. "Pretty flower-dancers. That must be fun, to be one of those..."
Then she notices what the others are doing.
"Oh!" she exclaims, remembering the comments on weapons. "I'm sorry! You'll be wanting me to leave this behind, then..."
She pulls out her knife and looks at it.
"Murafu don't like to hurt people." she says. "I've used it on undead, though, and on those creatures which were...well, the ones that just attack, and don't seem to be able to think - they don't even seem to feel pain. They just attack us, and we have to defend ourselves."
Thinking back, she realises just how much fighting she must have done since she's been down here. It just seems...wrong, somehow, that she's had to resort to violence so often, despite the circumstances.
"I've used it to do things which didn't hurt people, too." she adds. "But...I don't like weapons, really. I can still bite things, anyway...though some of the things we've been meeting I wouldn't even want to touch..."
She places the knife on the floor and notices that, in her previous distraction, the elements appear to have given gifts to Haynuus and Westian.
"Ooooh..." she says, looking up at her friends. "You've got...ooh, didn't I have a magic ring once? I thought about it before, when I was trying to sneak past those soldiers after we were all split up - I remembered I might have had a ring that I used to...do something...maybe hide myself, so I could get past things safely. But I suppose I must have lost it somewhere...though I think we all had things before the Grey Lord did that...whatever he did...and now we've lost them."
She now addresses the elements.
"You're really kind." she says. "I mean, I've met kind creatures before, just...not since I've been down here. I mean...apart from my friends. Thank you for being so...well, for not trying to kill us and all that, really. I wish we could stay and talk about things, but I suppose we'll have to be going soon..."
A thought occurs to her, and she peers down into the pool of water.
"I suppose I can't take some of you to drink, can I..." she ponders aloud. "I don't think you'd like to have some of you stuck inside me. Maybe I can find some other water somewhere else. You know, water which isn't...umm....alive."

The wind whipped around Ameena for a moment longer making odd noises as the butterflies danced. "The elementals say something about Chaos causing a madness in everyone," said Aurek, distracted. He was trying to decipher the speech of the elementals, and of course recover from the strangeness of his charge hugging him.

Th water and air elementals meanwhile seemed to be conferring. The water elemental asked for two empty flasks, which were reluctantly handed over. With compicated gestures and words that Aurek could not understand, the flasks were somehow blessed.

"The gifts given to the Grey Lord are returned once more," said the water elemental to Aurek. "We understand your usage of the previous items. We would advice you to keep better care of them."

Aurek asked their purpose, but this seemed to anger the water elemental a little. "Gifts are valuable in and of themselves for the thought behind them, are they not? Do they have to possess a greater purpose?" The air elemental seems to giggle at this, and his form broke apart for a moment as he whirled around. With reluctance he reformed.

"You wish to find your friend, and discover the evil that lurks in this place?" said the elemental. "You were walking in the wrong direction, in a way. And yet I think it best if some of you keep walking it. The elven priest will feel those of you loyal to Larethian before you ever see your dwarven friend. The way you were walking was towards the Trolins. They settled here, with the Grey Lord's tolerance, after the Madness had ceased. They are of Fire and Earth in ways that neither of our kinds can respect nor feel comfortable with. Still, they seem to hate the black-shelled interlopers. "

The water elemental regarded the two religious members of the party. "Cleric, paladin, you seem to have a gift for words and conviction in using them. You might seek to walk the path to the Trolins. The elven priest and his minions would not disturb you in that domain, and the elven priest would certainly be drawn to seeking you reasons ". Each time the elemental said 'elven priest', his mouth was obviously becoming fouler just refering to the elf. "While you distract the priest so, I am sure the murafu and half-orc would fair better on the path we can show to the heart of the dungeons, that the elf has claimed as his own."

The water elemental looked across at the half-orc, occasionally glancing at the murafu. "If the body that fell into the life-waters here are any indication, I do not believe you would be as well suited to going towards the Trolins. In this case, you need to take the gifts revealed to you and walk your own path, on behalf of the cleric. It is perhaps best for your less robust companion if she were not forced into the domain of those who would see her as food as soon as speak with her."

The air elemental had apparently grown bored of the discussion, and had moved back towards Ameena. "We do not kill those who are interesting, or those who appreciate the world and skip through it as we do," said the air elemental. "To answer a question you posed, we do not see those of you who die. They do not dance with us once they are freed of their earth-like bodies. They may well carry on, protected by the High Lords elsewhere, but we never see them again. And so we would never harm life that enjoys life, or is entertaining."

The air spirit appears to nod appreciatively as Ameena casts aside her weapon, and offers her a 'flower-dancer' to sit on her shoulder to comfort her. "Do not move too swiftly, nor too violently, and it will surely stay with you for a little while."

There was then more noise in the air. The air elemental seemed to listen for a few moments, and then asked Ameena if she possessed a pouch. "One of my lesser kin would like to travel with you, for a while. He does not speak much, and does not speak your tongue. I told him that the affairs of those who touch the earth is ultimately boring, but he seems excited. Would you carry him, as long as he is interested?"[/i]

The water elemental seems to overheard Ameena's last questions as she asks after the water. "You may drink, the water will be pure as any you have tasted. All of you may drink, and fill your waterskins." The water elemental then gestured to the water, and said some loud words. There was a mass of moving water, and then tendrils of living water deposited some dead fish casually on the ground. It was an odd reminder that, as much as the elementals cherished life, they cherished it as a concept, and were happy enough to be ruthless as long as the circle of life was not broken nor abused.

"Eat your fill, and take the rest so it is not wasted. You may eat behind the waterfall, and prepare yourselves. After that, I would advise you part as I have suggested."

Everyone remember Aurek has his air and water elements flasks back. It's entirely up to you if you tip them out when the elementals backs are turned to use them for potions again :p And note Westian was not killed nor had his arms ripped off. I can do this...I really can...

Anyway, the air elemental will puff up a pouch, squirm a little, but be otherwise a curious bundle of curiosity. The butterfly will sit on Ameena's shoulder.

Westian will be given one last item from the water elemental, but I'll just post that for his attention at that time.

Oh, and the food you guys will be given will let you eat/drink, and have full provisions for another meal. I think the provisions you guys had would have needed to be finished in Soorec's room, aside for some small amount of water in the skins (Ameena's finished her own flask). So good timing there!

Anyway, Ameena/Ian - it's time to decide if the group splits, or if the group stays together. Either way, the preferable route is to probably go beyond the waterfall into the route the elementals will indicate to fast-track to the priest's lair. It just depends if all four of you go, or if only the two active players go!

I feel like I have forgotten something - poke me to remind me what it is if you have spotted it

OOC - Fine with the group splitting, as the others are on a hiatus!

Haynuus shouted that famous phrase from a long lost orcish philosopher, "So long! And thanks for all the fish!" He picked up his share of the food first, and quickly shoved it in his backpack with a couple of screamer slices that had started to pong. Then he filled his bota while simultaneously gargling the rest as it splashed about his face. He wasn't so sure about the 'sword' though. It was so light to pick up, fascinating to look at. Stare at it for hours he could. He'd have to practice chopping a few fish heads off later to try it out... Those were the best bits so long as you didn't cook them. Next was the circlet on his head. Was it 'appropriate'? Surely it was a thing for a learned and great leader, although to be honest... There were a lot of idiot kings around that needed one of these he realised.

"We should retreat to behind the waterfall then. There we can fully rest, eat and then you guys tell me what to hit next." He glanced over to Ameena. While the half-orc got the damage dealing goods, she appeared to have obtained all of the cool toys. "You'll have to be clever to know when they will come in handy, hmmm?" And then added "So we're to avoid the trolins... Good."

He looked back to their magical companions and finally added. "Thanks for the help guys, although I'll have to chat with the earth elementals to try for a set of armour, huh?"

OOC - Rofl Haynuus...is he part-dolphin, now?
What does the butterfly-critter look like? Does it look exactly like a butterfly, and does it have a physical, tangible body? And what colour(s) is it? And I'm guessing the mini-Air-elemental thingy going inside the pouch just resembles a puff of air and has no real visibility/tangibility apart from inflating the pouch it's in?

BIC - Ameena listens as Water seems to suggest that the group splits up, with Westian and Aurek going one way, and herself and Haynuus going another. She isn't sure about that idea, being the social creature that she is, and is wondering whether to voice an objection when the element of Air turns its attention to her.
As the petal-dancer lands on her shoulder, she perks up in delight and cranes her head around to look at it.
"Oh! Thank you!" she exclaims gleefully to Air. "I'll try to be careful."
Then she addresses the little petal-dancer on her shoulder.
"Hello." she says politely. "You're very pretty..."
She doesn't get much chance to add anything else as Air then continues to speak, asking her for one of her pouches and telling her about a piece of itself that wishes to accompany her. Eagerly, she complies, and soon has a pouch oddly bulging with what seems to be a small amount of living air.
She then, just as eagerly, moves over to the water's edge and starts to lap at it, having been given permission to do so by Water. She also refills her small water flask. She is slightly startled at the rather abrupt arrival of a heap of dead fish, but decides it's probably safe to eat. She feels absolutely famished, and, despite the normal rattish tendency to only briefly nibble at an unfamiliar food, picks up a fish in both paws and ravenously munches at it, taking care not to dislodge her new, winged companion as she does so. As she eats, she keeps casting appreciative glances up at the elements, hoping that this will do for thanks until she's done eating.

A simple green and yellow like this: http://www.csiro.au/news/features/Birdw ... le_big.jpg. And yes, the air elemental is invisible.

Without armour, and with the help of the water elementals providing a water bridge, the party were able to negotiate the ledge to the waterfall easily. The air elementals' noise reduction had gone, and so the party sat with the roar of the waterfall and the sight of it from the back.

A small cavern was behind it, small particles of something impregnated in the walls so there was a sparkle as the water reflected through.

Westian was, perhaps, not convinced at first about splitting the party, but the water elemental had a quiet word to the cleric. He was given something, and seemed to relcutantly agree to go back towatds the Trolins.

"We will not move too far from this area," said the water elemental, "for this is not our domain. The elementals of air are not focused enough to walk with you, although one will point the way to the priest's domain."

A barely visible figure moved into the chamber, and hovered close to a section of the back wall. There was a whisper of light words, and then actual light was formed. The air elemental's shape was defined by a light glow that cast light around. There was a crack in the back of the wall, large enough and wide enough to allow Haynuus to move through without bending down.

The water elemental said something in its booming language, and stepped back into the waterfall to dissolve. "He said goodbye, I think," said Aurek. "And I guess we must say goodbye as well. Should we try to meet back here?" he asked. He said something in the light language of the air elementals, and the glowing figure of the elemental bowed. "The elemental says we can use this place to meet, and rest with our dwarf friend if we need to. Umm...though he advises us not to be too boring, nor violent, and not to take the water elementals' kindness for granted when we come back."


If you guys have any last words, now would be the time. Otherwise, let's get this show back on the road!

Despite being slightly distracted in admiration of the pretty sparkliness of the walls of this new little cave, Ameena can't help but feel somewhat apprehensive about the group splitting up again, especially so soon after she's managed to find them again. She feels as though the group has just been steadily shrinking since then, what with Farel and Ardur's departure, and Falkor's disappearance. She wonders what's happened to them, whether they're alright, and whether, if she parts from Westian and the mysterious Aurek now, she'll ever see them again, too.
She looks up as the elements depart, and, standing briefly upright, gives a little bow.
"Thank you so much for everything!" she calls out, though Water has by now already disappeared. She supposes the element can still hear her, though.
Then she crouches down again on her hind legs and looks around somewhat disconsolately. She doesn't expect there's much she can do to prevent the group from splitting up, since they all seem so ready to do so. It's not that she minds travelling with only Haynuus, of course, but simply that there will be so few of them now - just herself and the half-orc. If something should happen to one of them, what will the other do? And how will the others, those not there, know about it? Likewise the other way round - if something should happen to Westian or Aurek, she and Haynuus will have no way of knowing, or, most likely, of doing anything about it.
And they're heading toward the region controlled chiefly by the unnamed priest, who can apparently get inside people's heads so easily. Ameena thinks of her own recent experience in that regard and instinctively shrinks down a little further, eyes downcast. How can they evade the power of someone who can reach this far to affect them when they don't even know what he looks like? What are they going to do about him, anyway? Will someone try to kill him? Ameena hopes not. She knows they're heading to his realm to look for some friend of Westian's, but she is torn between wanting to help with that, and wanting simply to run as far, and as quickly, as she can in the opposite direction.

Haynuus is pretty oblivious to his surroundings and the retreating elementals as he finally tucks into his food. He is pretty exhausted and indicates that they should rest and recharge here a while. Hopefully Westian can get them all back to full strength, himself included! "I have two new empty pots for you fill." states the half-orc with his mouth fill. Without Westian, they are going to need all the help they can get.

He feels safe here, as if the elementals themselves are protecting them. He eats some more, digests, rests. After a while he asks. "So do we have a plan? I think splitting up weakens the party as a whole, yet facilitates... Ugh" (sometimes the half-orc's use of clever words makes his stomach churn) "... if it helps our end goal then so be it."

"We need to rest though first." He lays his tired head on the cold stone floor, which as he's still standing up, means that his backside is pointing into the air. "I suddenly have this weekend feeling about me..."

Ameena reagrds Haynuus with a slightly amused expression - she doesn't really understand half the things he says, yet somehow she knows what he means. She quickly sobers, however, as her thoughts return to the pending split of the group.
"I suppose I don't need to say what I think about us splitting up..." she says quietly, certain that her friends know her well enough by now to have gathered that keeping together as a group is as innate in a murafu as gnawing, or finding things by sniffing for them.
Nevertheless, on seeing Haynuus seems eager to get some rest, she realises she's really rather tired as well, and can't entirely remember how long it's been since the last time she slept. Since she's sitting quite near to Haynuus, she chooses him to curl up against and does so, her cloak around her. She quickly checks to make sure her little winged petal-creature hasn't been scared off, but then quickly falls asleep.

Hey guys, remember that extended rest you had in Soorec's room about 20 minutes ago? That was some fun times!

Anyway, a small break sounds reasonable, while Westian heals you lot then gets some potions done, but that's including the eating time, etc. Ameena's going to get a 20 minute nap at best.


Westian has a troubled look on his face as Ameena mentioned splitting up, but seems adament. There is a vague mention of Aurek switching to accompany the other two, but the paladin was against it on principal. Perhaps he also wished to pick up some weapons again, at least a club.

Healing was distributed as needed, and then Westian created as many powerful potions as he could.

The general - very tenuous - position was that Westian and Aurek would move quickly to explore the crack where the Trolins were apparently located, looking to establish contact with with the king. They probably wouldn't go through with it, but it appeared if they were vocal enough they might draw the gaze of the elven priest.

Meanwhile, the route the air elementals were to indicate to Ameena and Haynuus should be short enough to allow a back door of sorts to the priest's lair. Or, at least where he kept prisoners.

It seemd prudent that the two groups should come back to the waterfall as soon as they felt they must, or if their task was completed. If Ameena and Haynuus came back successfully, and did not find Aurek and Westian waiting, they could launch a rescue. Similarly, if Westian and Aurek came back to find no Haynuus and Ameena, then the followers of Larethian could go onwards themselves.

While everyone may have wondered over the fate of Falkor, there was not much that could be done safe to attempt to describe the halfling to the easily distracted air elementals, and mention him to the now apparently uninterested waters of the waterfall.

There was a concern that Westian and Aurek were of course going back to where Soorec's grak-graks might find them. Who knew how those monsters, and their master, would react to the group splitting up, and the group having separated i nthe first place. Similarly, Haynuus and Ameena might find themselves pressed by undead without the divine protection the paladin and cleric could give them.

Still, Haynuus was the strongest of the group by far, and Ameena the sneakiest. Together, the unlikely team should be able to use guile and force where needed. If they could rescue Deephold and Deephold's own paladin bodyguard, then they would possess all the divine protection they needed until they could reunite with Aurek and Westian once more.

There was no talk, for now, of the greater issue of discovering what was happening with the Grey Lord. Now that the matter of rescuing Deephold had become real, it seemed best to focus on this smaller task. Deephold's knowledge could well provide answers anyway.

Haynuus was still getting used to the Circlet on his head, that whispered odd words that made him bite his tongue on occasion or required a further moment of basic mental images to fully understand. The word the circlet was whispering to him, a word thjat Westian echoed, was providence. Guided by the hand of the High Lords, especially Corelloen, their enterprise could not fail. Larethian had alreayd defeated the influences of the elven priest upon the minds of the group once. That was all the assurance everyone should need.

With his heightened intelligence, Haynuus was perhaps free to wonder about providence. After all, the circlet that was whispering such words had been a circlet that belonged to a king who, in the end, had been twisted by Chaos and turned into a dreadful violent creature. Perhaps the High Lords were not as all powerful as Westian was saying.

Haynuus put his head back on the ground, and waited for his swirly stomach to die down again.

Hope no one minds the summary. Seems about where everything would end up So the basic plan is that Haynuus and Ameena begrudgingly go off to fast track the priest, and bad stuff happens right away. Meanwhile, Westian and Aurek will go the other way, I fill in OB on some minor details for his character, and about a week later once OB is back, bad thigns will start happening to his character too.

In deference to this split of the party being a little bit metagame-y in origin (though it would have been an offered option if OB had still been here) I'll will make it a much easier narrative point to have you guys able to get back to each other if you want to

Someone (me if no one else will) needs to count up the flasks available (remember, you can sneakily empty the water and air flasks if you really want) and decide on the split. Ameena and Haynuus would probably get one flask with ON VI each. You'll need to decide how many empty flasks Westian takes, and what else Haynuus and Ameena get. Remember to restore your hit points back up to full, btw.

If you two get a chance to say anything final you or your characters want to do, I can move you guys on next update.

Have a good weekend guys!