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Post by Gelquie on Jul 24, 2019 16:49:27 GMT -5
Session 14, Part 1Part 1, because Part 2... was written by someone else! To whom I'm most thankful! ^^ That will come in time. So I rearranged some things from the second part of part 1 to be in the first for the sake of staying topical to each subject. Don't worry; it shouldn't affect any timelines! Massive thanks to Thorn for edits and her contributions, and to Celestial for helping me fill in the gaps to many places I had trouble with! If you gave helper edits as well, thank you! I didn't tag you because I don't know who you are; please make yourself known to me so I can tag you for credit! We Brought Murderers and Drunken Halflings!Amani, Anthony, and Tally are returning to turn in the group of people who attacked Tally. The rest are with Meallan as he restarts the ritual. The other half of the party is returning to Zaihar with the prisoners tied up. Formerly-Circet-Elf is leading, and they woke up the last one in line so they can walk. The rest are still unconscious, being dragged along.
Along the way, prisoner-party sees a trenchcoat on the ground under a tree. It's... snoring? Amani does an arcana check, which proves unnecessary, because...
The moment they touch the trenchcoat, it lets out muffled grumbles. Amani is taken aback. "Can't a drunk get some sleep around here?!" Amani: "You're a trenchcoat?" Trenchcoat: "What's- what? what? It's too early! It's too bright... What? Who's a trenchcoat! You're a trenchcoat! What?" Am: "Uhh... Are you okay?" "I'm hungover. Hungry at least…" "How do you get hungover? You're a trenchcoat?" The trenchcoat opens up and a face pops out. "Who- what? What? I'm a halfling! What are you talking about?" Am: "O-oh, oh! I-I'm so sorry." Ant: "Lies, he's a mimic. Let's bash him." (Am: "A-anthony, no…")
Halfling: "I'm hungry! Do you have any food?" Am: "Uhh... Do we have any trail rations?" "My partner's still sleeping." Cue poking and rustling within the trenchcoat. Poke poke poke. Cue us all losing it as we realize that we're talking to... two halflings in a trenchcoat. Ant: "I got a jug of wine." Am: "No-" (Lost in cross-talk, Ant: "Not actual poisoned wine.") Halfling: "You would be my new best friend!" Am: "Uh, you're already hung over, maybe... not?" Ant: "Hey, hair of the dog is the best cure, I should know!" Halfling: "I-I like this person! You're my favorite person of this group! Who are you people?" Ant: "My name is Anthony. ("Hi!") I-I'm from, Ohio." Am: "I don't know where it is either." "That sounds like a magical far-away place. Okay, go on." Am: "I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Amani. I'm a sorcerer." "Sounds good. Pleasure to meet you ("It is!"), I guess." Tally pokes the formerly-Circlet Elf with them. "Would you care to introduce yourself?" CE: "Um... Not particularly, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice here. My name is... Brelian. That is definitely my name, yup!" T: "Alright. Hello." Am: "Right. Uh. He tried to commit murder, so we're turning him in." Tally: "Murder of me. (Am: "Yes!") Hi, I'm Tally." Halfling: "Hi! We're two halflings in a trenchcoat. Plus our dog. We are grumpy halflings and hung over. The top halfling is asleep right now. He's still sleeping it off."
Back at the ritual, Meallan is busy. Khamet's half-paying attention. It's kind of boring to watch after a while, after all. Sometimes he pulls out his journal to write observations. Sometimes he tries to engage in conversation with Basil.
Meallan: "Pay attention." Khamet: "Yeah, I am paying attention." Basil: "Khamet, I missed everything! What are we paying attention too?" Khamet: "Uh, he wants us to pay attention to his little ritual? He is resummoning his sable to the form of a hawk. But really, that's what he wants you to think? Really, he's just pooping. This is how firbolgs-" Basil: "Ooohh!...We could just leave." K: "You know, we could just leave, it would be hilarious!" M: *Through gritted teeth.* "No, you can't just leaaave! Also, I'm not pooping." B: "I don't know who to believe!" K: "Meallan lives in the forest, and he does things very au naturale! So he's going to transform his pets into some sort of bird sort of thing! And I kind of want to know what it is!"
Amani offers the halflings some of their trail rations. Halfling: *Unintelligible mumbling* "Thank you so much, I'm starving!" Am: "Uh, you're welcome? Sorry for waking you. I really thought you were an enchanted trenchcoat." Halfling: "My partner's still asleep up there." Am: "Oh... up there?" The trenchcoat staggers to its feet. It's about 6 feet tall. There's a face at the top, still sleeping. At the bottom, there's a tail poking out; their dog. Anthony tries snapping his fingers in front of the sleeping face. Halfling: "When they're asleep, they don't wake up. Just gotta wait for the hangover to burn off. They'll be up eventually."
Am: "Um, we're going back to town anyway. Do you need an escort?" Halfling: "Sure, sounds nice, thanks. Maybe we can find some food and some booze and stuff. Something." The halflings have not been to this city before, so it's an exciting new opportunity for these drunk halflings! Halfling: "...You guys need someone who can stab things? We can stab things.” T: "Please don't. But it's nice to know you have the option!" Halfling: "Not gonna stab you, you guys seem cool, I guess. But if you need something stabbed, or if someone needs something stabbed, like for money or whatever, we're there." Am: "Uhh, we do have plenty of magic at our disposal, but we appreciate the offer!" Halfling: "Okay, that's cool." Ant: "I could always use help bashing stuff!" T: "Or people!" She looks pointedly at the prisoners. Ant: "Oof." Am: "Right." Ant: "I can't help if people want to kill me 'cause I'm pretty!" Amani gives Anthony a Look.
The group (and the halflings) returns to Ur Zaihar and waves down a guard at the entrance gate. As they approach, the guards look rather oddly at this strange mixture of people, including a sleeping face in a trenchcoat. Tally asks if they've seen the evil elves leaving the city. Guard: "Yeah, we know those guys. What about them?" T: "Oh, you know them! What do you know about them? Who are these people, actually?" Guard: "Well, okay, let me rephrase that. I have seen these people. I couldn't name them for you." T: "You've seen them around?" Guard: "Well, I've seen them go out of the city and go back into the city, and I saw that one in the market once." T: "Okay, did you see any of them go back into the city, like just a few minutes ago?" Ant: "Maybe my friend, Mister Silver Piece, will offer up some information!" But it's very awkward in the way that Nat 1s are, but Tally manages to salvage the situation and help him. Guard: "I do really really like money." The other three guards are jealous that the one guard gets money. Guard: "Well, I haven't seen these four, since they left the city earlier in the day. What do you want to ask?" Ant: "Do you know where they were staying in the city, by any chance?" Guard: "They looked pretty trash. Probably the..." They give a rough neighborhood. Incidentally, the same place Basil tried to trade stolen goods, not that the others know that. Ant: "Okay! Well thanks for your help." Tally: "Did you see them around, mostly during the day, or mostly at night?" Guard: "Mm... both? Mostly day. I don't know! I mean…" T: "It's alright, you tried." Guard: "No, I mean like, there are a lot of people in the city, I don't remember all of them. I only remember that one unconscious one over there because she's really pretty…" Amani sighs. Guard: "Oh, don't you sigh at me!" Am: "I'm sorry, it's just you're the second person to let a murderer go because of a pretty face." Guard: "Well, I didn't know she was a murderer!" Am: "...Well, now you know, I-I guess that- sorry, I should... Okay, that's fair." Other guard: "Wait, these guys murdered someone?" Am: "Yeah, they tried to kill her," they point to Tally "basically because she's a drow. Do you know anything about that?" Other guard: "Okay, that does put perspective on things. You should probably go talk to the lords about that." Am: "Alright. Um, okay." T: "We'll have to go fast, then." Am: "Agreed." The second guard comes with them to help explain the situation.
The matter is deemed important enough to bring to the lords, and given how this matter how cropped up before, the lords are able to gather to express their disapproval at these people. Tally uses her acrobatics to leap across the room and shield Izzy from being seen by anti-drow criminals! Thankfully, the other three are busy trying not to go unconscious again, and Brelian is too impressed by the acrobatics to see why the acrobatics are necessary. Parkour Power!
Tally explains the situation, and adds that she's quite concerned about where else they might be in town, how many houses they might have, any evidence they might be destroying at the moment while they relocate…
Lu'hais clasps her hands. "Yes, that is absolutely a concern. Unfortunately, since we don't know exactly know who's involved in this, we can't say how many houses they have access to. There are a couple of others we've had our eye on. So, they absolutely tried to kill you?" Tally: "I felt rather in danger of uh... imminent... murder, yes!" Amani: "Yeah, she was going to die if... Well, Tally could've escaped, but it was still the intent." T: "It would've been ten against one, if I hadn't stuck with people I could trust." LH: "You're very fortunate to have such kind friends around."
Murai approaches the prisoners, switches to Elvish (from the previous Common), basically berating them for doing this and thus getting them in so much trouble, but politely.
Tally talks to Brelian. "I'm trying to remember what you introduced yourself as. It was... Brelian, right? You know my name, as course." Brelian: "...Yes. ...Yes, I know your name." T: "...Which is?" Brelian: "Uh, Tally? Tal... Tal something?" T: "Who told you so?" Brelian: "One of your friends called you Tally." Am: "Y-yeah, we did mention your name a lot." T: "Would you care to remind us who you're working for?" Brelian: "Uh... okay, I was absolutely working for, you saw the one with the brooch? Yes, absolutely, I was working for her." T: "Broach? I saw no brooch! What is this broach you speak of?" Brelian: "Oh, it was a very pretty brooch. Um, nevermind, there was no brooch! There was a person who I am absolutely definitely working for, yes." Brelian gives the name of Brooch-Elf: Hazari
Halfling: "Who are these people, why do we have them tied up??" Ant: "Oh, these guys tried to get a little attempted murder going, so we bashed them a bit." Halfling: "Okay, fair, fair." Anthony tries to sneakily take a sip from his jug of wine and pass it to the halflings. It's kinda wibbly, but no one's paying attention to them. Tally does notice, but she really doesn't care right now. Anthony and the halfling fist-bumps.
T: "Anyway, Brelian!" Brelian:"Yes?" T: "You attempted something so foolish as to gang up on an ambassador, right in full view that way. Surely you must've been quite afraid of what would happen if you didn't?" Am: "They're racist, they're not very smart. Brelian: "We already had this discussion." T: "No we haven't!" Brelian: "I was talking to your friend who called me racist, which I really take offense at." Am: "You tried to kill Tally because she is a drow, how is that not racist?!" Brelian: "Well... shut up!" Am: "Typical…"
T: "I would've done the same thing in your place. But what did she threaten you with? What did they threaten you with?" Brelian: "I don't know why I'm talking to you." Tally tries to persuade him. They both... do really really badly and give some very shallow "no you!" arguments, but Tally's happens to be slightly better. Just imagine an elementary school playground argument. Brelian: "She didn't threaten me with anything, but I've given you her name, so surely that's all you really need?" T: "Absolutely not?" Brelian: "Although they can work out where she lives…" T: "There's plenty of things you've left out! Didn't you mention some interesting... tools to use?" Brelian goes very pale. "I-I didn't say that? Did I?" Tally: "Oh Brelian. I think that what you are afraid of is what you have heard drow are like in the Underdark, you see? Terrible, ruthless people who will do anything to twist and torment you, and get you into saying everything you know, everything they want to hear from you... And you've probably noticed I am not one of those. I'm doing my best to be nice, and it's quite a lot of effort! I'm telling you, if you don't give me some more information, ironically, I might have to turn into your worst nightmare."
This is in Elvish. Anthony pulls out Google Translate. The halflings ask if this is scary. The other elves don't react.
Brelian is terrified. He agrees that they can ask him anything and he will tell them. T: "What were those people you were going to use as tools?" Brelian: "Uhhh... They were... people... from here. ...It was only two of them, only two of them!" They kidnapped two random guards, one named Rellamis. They planned to trade them for Izzy. T: "Two of them? ...How many drow total have you seen in your life?"
(Halfling: "Is this chick always this scary?" Ant: "Uhh... yeah, uh, not really…" Am: "No, not really…" Ant: "She has her moments!")
Brelian: "I haven't counted." Lu'hais: "Unless you have any further interrogation to do-" Tally: "I mean it! Have you met any other drow, than myself, or my bae, in this city, on the surface?!" Brelian: "Not that I can think of!" Tally: "Alright! Thankyouverymuch!"
The guards take the prisoners away. Anthony: "Are we gonna get paid for this?" Tally: "I'll pay you if they don't, Anthony." Anthony: "Nice! Alright!" Murai: "I will pay you." Amani: "Like I said; racist and stupid. Nothing more." Murai: "It is stupid, isn't it? And now we have such a mess, but I will pay you for your efforts. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
T: "My lord, if you need me to stay out of your city or stay out of your lands to make things simpler for you, I will. I just... I was expecting something much worse than this, but this outcome is so much better. And I will do anything you need to simplify these matters." Murai: "Don't cave to them, Tally. It's fine. We'll deal with them. It's not like most of the city who thinks of you won't understand. It's only this one group... There can't be very many of them." T: "...Alright. I'll be out of your hair anyway."
The party is given 10gp each. (Anthony has bank now!) They now start heading back towards the ritual site.
Anthony stops at a store that has leftover gifts from the Sunset Dragon Festival, and looks for something for Tyzol. He buys a nice necklace of glass beads.
The halflings in a trenchcoat are trading a wine bottle with Anthony back and forth. Top halfling is still asleep. They're doing this openly now that they're away from the looks. They're getting very weird looks. Halfling: "Stop oppressing halfling culture, you jerks!" Am: "Didn't you say you were hung over?" Halfling: "Yes. Hair of the dog. Also really hungry, is there a sandwich shop?" Am: "Uh... I guess I didn't give you many rations... I dunno. Find something along the way."
Amani pulls Tally to the side as they walk. Tally is trying to split her gold between Anthony and Amani. Am: "Oh, u-um, that's alright, Tally, you don't have to. I was paid too. We all were. I already got paid." Tally: "You deserve it." Am: "N-no, honestly, I'm fine, I-I barely buy anything anyway." Anthony: "If Amani doesn't want it, can I have their share?" Tally gives Anthony the gold.
Am: "I-I appreciate the gesture, but I'm really fine, for now. I just want to ask... Are you okay?" T: "Me, okay?" Am: "Yeah. I mean... You were just... People just attempted to kill you because of who you are. H-honestly, I was surprised you were as nice to them as you were. But... I mean... Did they get to you? Because…" Tally laughs nervously. "Amani, I don't think I've ever been okay, never you mind!" Am: "I... I understand if it's too personal. I just want to check in. I mean, that's…" T: "No no, don't worry about angsty things like that, really! I'm being overdramatic!" Am: "They tried to kill you, this isn't overdramatic!" T: "Ahh, a little death never hurt anyone!" Amani is speechless at this for a time. Then… Am: "Tally, they tried. To kill you! I-! ...It's okay if you're not okay." T: "They failed rather embarrassingly! I feel quite sorry for them! ...It's alright, Amani. I've got a beautiful sky, I've got your beautiful eyes to look into, I'm just having a great time, and I'm so happy you're checked one me like this, thank you!"
Am: "Uhh... you're welcome, and uh, thank you... Um. Does this happen often to you?" T: "No!" She seems honest. Am: "Well, I'm glad they don't try to kill you... too often. But it sounds like you still get some trouble." T: "Some trouble?" Am: "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but if... I... I mean, I know it's not a pleasant conversation, and I like to avoid it too. I just want to make sure this isn't getting to you." T: "...I couldn't really tell you what kind of trouble? I mean, I don't really have a way of measuring it…" Am: "N-no, you can't really measure it…" T: "I mean, my standards are really low!" Am: "It must be, considering how nice you were to people who were trying to kill you, I'm still really surprised by that. You don't owe them anything!" T: "Amani, I wasn't nice to them!" Am: "You refused to kill them and you asked them how you can make them feel safer... I mean, maybe later you weren't, but in that moment…" T: "...I wasn't being nice to them, I was being nice to me." Am: "...What do you mean?" T: "Just... doing something I wouldn't hate." Am: ".....I see. Um…" T: "Do you? It's really weird." Am: "Um... I guess I'm just trying to wrap my head around it." T: "It's okay, I haven't wrapped my head around it either, Amani. I'm just really... I'm the stupidest drow you'll ever meet. And most of the time I have no idea what's going on, so... I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything more specific." Am: "Well, you don't have to be very smart to know when someone's trying to kill you. And no matter what you're trying to do for yourself, you don't have to take that kind of... trouble." T: "...So basically... you want the best for me." Am: "I-I guess so." T: "Thank you." Am: "Uh... you're welcome." Amani is rendered speechless. T: "Well, if one day I feel like I'm getting trouble with someone, I'll ask if it's okay to discuss it with you." Am: "Uh... yeah, sure, okay! Um... okay, yeah!" T: *Quietly.* "Okay!"
They get through the gate without much trouble and explain what happened with the prisoners to the guards. A Firbolg-Shaped WedgeBack in the forest, as the ritual finishes, Aytal becomes an amorphous ball of light. As the ritual concludes, Aytal turns into a falcon. Except he's only about 45 cm long instead of a foot. Instead of red just on his thighs, his entire tail is also red.
Basil is quietly jealous that Meallan has a pet that can turn into other pets! Meallan gives Aytal a scratch under the chin, pulls off his shirt and folds it up several times for Aytal to land on it. M: "I want you to go and I want you to find this firbolg, and when you do, stay there and watch them." Meallan sends off Aytal.
Khamet: "Uh, excuse me, I thought you said you were going to look for the firbolg." Meallan: "Yes? I am going to-" K: "Yes, and I want to see the firbolg for myself." M: "Well, when I find them, I will point them out to you. But for now, we need to actually look for him. This is the best way to do it." K: "So, but you didn't tell Aytal to come back. You told him to stay there and watch." M: "Yes, I will know where he is-" K: "So either I can see you, either you recall him right now and tell him to come back to us when he finds him, or, I'm going to stand here and annoy you for the rest of eternity." M: "Khamet... There are some" Basil: "He'll do it!" M: "I believe he will do it. I know very well Basil. Khamet, there are some things I want to check before we go find him, alright?" K: "Like what?" M: "...Firbolg things, you wouldn't understand." K: "No, actually, I think I would understand if you told me." M: "Certain things... specific to my people, which-" K: "Like? I mean, listen, I know that you are racist and think firbolgs are completely alien to people that you see every day, but-" M: "That's not the point!" K: "Okay, then what traditions? I mean, you can't tell me that you care very much about firbolg tradition when you left them because you hated these traditions! So, what's wrong, Meallan?" M: "I want to see what clan he is from and what condition he is in, if he is indeed a he." K: "Ah, so what clan is he from? Why was your clan at war with another clan?" M: "...No, I simply want to know what clan he is." K: "So do firbolgs hate people outside of their clan?" M: "No! We do not. But I-" K: "Then why do you want to check his clan? Are you racist against other firbolg clans?" M: "Khamet, I only want to know before I engage with him so I know what I am dealing with. Alright?" K: "What you're dealing with?" M: "I want to scout things out first before I find out what I am going into." K: "Alright, fine. But we will see this firbolg together." M: "We will!" K: "We will. And if I find him suspiciously dead, uh... you are going to join him." M: "I'm not going to kill him, Khamet." K: "Okay!" Khamet sits. M: "Let me search, and then we'll decide what to do from there." K: "No, no, we are not deciding what to do from there, we are going to see him after you search." M: "...Yes we will. ("Okay!") I am going to send Aytal to find him, and when I find him, I am going to see where he is, and then come back. Does that satisfy you?" K: "...Yes. Aytal will come back. In the meantime, let's do something else? What do you want to do, as friends?" Meallan: "There's nothing I can really do while deaf and blind." K: "Right, um... I don't know. Blind and deaf people can do many things!" M: *Sigh.* "I want to focus on finding him. (K: "Okay!") Basil, can you watch him and make sure he doesn't try to poke me in any strange way?" B: "Um... you're asking me?" M: "Yes, I am. I can't believe I have to, but I am." B: "....Aaaaaalright...!"
Meallan sees through Aytal's eyes, who is flying quite high. (Because falcon.) There is a tall seemingly firbolg-height figure wearing some kind of brown cloak. It seems to be who they're looking for. Aytal flies closer onto a nearby branch and watches them from there, trying to stay mostly hidden. They can only see the upper half of the face because they wear a scarf around the lower half of their job. They can't see ears beneath the hood. But their eyes are cow-like, as with firbolgs. There's something wrong with their skin. Their brown cloak covers most of what they're wearing; might have some leather armor under it, but Aytal can't tell any markings because any potential ones are covered up. Aytal tries to get closer to see what's wrong with their skin. The firbolg does notice him, but it's just a bird. A strange bird, but this doesn't draw suspicion. (Cue Celes getting a private message. And some "ohhh" comments from Celes. Secret stuff?) Now that they're close enough, they see there's two dog-like creatures with this firbolg. They're more like wolf-dogs. Aytal tries to examine their face so Meallan can determine if it's anyone familiar, and rolls well. Cue more private messages! What's up? This simple recapper does not know.
Meallan has the hawk fly away from this firbolg, and then one he's out of sight, Meallan poofs him on his shoulder. Not long afterwards, prisoner-party regroups with ritual party! Huzzah!
The other halfling (halfling 2) is finally awake! 1: "He's finally woken up! It's been like, 15 hours!" 2: "W-w-w-what the hell is going on?" 1: "We met some dudes, th-th- I dunno, they had some prisoners or something." 2: "Yeah, but did they have beer? Did you just wake me up for no beer?!" Halfling 1 points to Anthony. "That dude has wine, he's been sharing it with me for like half the day." 2: "And you didn't wake me up?" 1: "I couldn't wake you up, I've been poking you like every other-" 2: "Dude, what the hell?! ...Gimme the wine! Gimme the wine, and we will-" 1: "I don't have it anymore! I gave it back to him!" 2: "Give me the wine, or somebody. Can. Get. Hurt." Ant: "Uh, we're kinda running low." Am: "Are you okay?" 1: "He's like this every time!" (Cross-talk) "Wh-wha- I've been carrying you for like the past day! L-let's switch! C'mon, c'mon, get-" 2: "You know what-" 1: "I get to talk now!" 2: "I- you know what? Fine!" 1: "Fine!" 2: "If you want to be like-!" Basil: "Oh my god, these are the coolest people I've ever met."
Meallan is speechless, and he turns to Amani and goes: "...wha?" Tally: "I've never seen a centaur do that before!"
The halflings switch, so Halfling 1 is now on top. He turns to Meallan. 1: "Wait, is that the dude we saw in the forest? Looks like the dude we saw in the forest." Halfling 2 pokes his head out of the coat. "Uhh... looks familiar...?" 2: "Looks like the dude we saw." Am: "Wait, wait, wait! There's supposed to be 2 firbolgs in the forest, are you sure that's him?" 2: "I mean, dude’s like 8 feet tall!" 1: "He's like, 7 feet tall! ("Eight!") Eight! He doesn't have the dogs with him, though." 2: "Yyeah-" Am: "Oh!" K: "Dogs?" 2: "Dogs won’t be- I mean, we would kind of know that from experience." 1: “Yeah, yeah, I guess, but-" M: "Would you- Please-!" 1: "Do you have dogs or something?" M: "I do not have dogs."
Am: "Wait! Where did you see this firbolg?" The halflings think audibly for a moment. 1: "It was late. We were like…" 2: "Yesterday!" 1: "Yeah…" 2: "Which yesterday I'm not sure." 1: "I think it was just this... just this yesterday…" Am: "Okay, okay! Where did you see this firbolg?" 1: "Uh, somewhere (M: "Amani-!") in the forest, we were, we were airing our-" M: "Amani! I know about the firbolg. I've-" Am: "You do? You found him?" "I've seen... I've seen…" 2: "Dude had dogs, right? Skinny ones, scraggly-" 1: "Yeah yeah! They... almost went berserk on our dogs!" 2: "Yeah, rude." 1: "We called them off, but. Rude. Yeah."
M: "I've... scouted him, and I found them... And I don't think we should have anything to do with them." K: "Uh... new guy! Uh, new guys…" 2: "I haven't had my beer…" K: "Uh, hello! What's your name?" 1: "I'm Haljas and this is Hallik. Haljas and Hallik Nettlebutt. It used to be Nettlebutte, but someone can't spell their own name on paperwork!" 2 (Hallik): "Yeah, well-"
(1 is Haljas, pronounced "Halis", played by Fraze. 2 is Hallik, played by Huntress.)
K: "Uh, you mentioned this firbolg? This dog attacked you, but he called them off, right?" Haljas: "Yes, yeah. They didn't do much other than just like, bark a lot." K: "Ah, I see! But he didn't attack you or anything?" Haljas: "No, he just like... walked away, whatever. He was minding his own business, we were trying to find a nice tree." Hallik: "Trying to mind our own business.” K: "Ah, I see. Well! Uh, that's very interesting! I'm glad that you are... safe? From this firbolg person (Haljas: "Thanks"), because from my experience, firbolgs are rather stupid." Am: "Khamet..." Meallan goes from looking pale to looking surprised. "Yes, he is very rude, isn't he? And also stupid. Please don't listen to anything that he says." K: "Yeah, no, no, so the only firbolg I met is this guy, and he says stupid things all the time. Did you know he spent an hour of our time so we can watch him poop?" M: "No…" Am: "That's not what happened and you know it." Meallan rubs his eyes. Am: "You're the one who suggested that I couldn't do anything magical in that place! So I kind of question your... analysis." K: "Analysis of him pooping?" Tally uses her elemental attunement magic to sprinkle water at Khamet every time he mentions toilet humor. Like a spray bottle. Haljas: "That's one way to train him!" Hallik: "I approve, I approve!" M: "I was not pooping! I was summoning-" Hallik: "I'm not judging, I don't judge at all! Sometimes you just gotta go." Haljas: "In the woods; whatever." M: "I was summoning my bird." He shows off his falcon…
And Aytal flies into the trenchcoat! Haljas: "Aaaagh! Agh!" Hallik: "What?" Chaos!... and Hallik stabs Aytal! Aytal... poofs. He's gone.
Ant: "Oh... oh no!" Meallan looks shocked. "You... you just killed my familiar…" Hallik: "Maybe he shouldn't climb up peoples' pants, how does that sound?!" Ant: "Does it like... grow back?" M: "I can summon him again…" K: "Yeah, it grows back." Hallik: "Oh, then, no harm done! Put a bandaid on it." M: "In the future, please do not kill my familiars…" Hallik: "In the future, please don't send-" Haljas: "He wasn’t innocent, he flew in our trenchcoat!" Hallik: “I’m sure there’s laws against that.” Meallan closes his eyes and is clearly trying not to do anything to these two halflings, and also knowing Aytal kinda brought this upon himself. Am: "Please don't stab other peoples... birds? Or other peoples' animals? Please?" M: "In the future, if you had just asked me to summon him back, I could do it." Haljas: "Alright alright, sure." Hallik: “Hey, wasn’t your trousers he was running over.” Am: "We don't really have time to do another summoning-" Haljas: “He hasn’t had his beer yet.” Hallik: "Yeah, give me some of that beer!” Haljas: "Just forgive my partner; we apologize." Hallik blows a raspberry. "You apologize?" Haljas: "I apologize!" Meallan pinches his nose. “I have the ingredients, I can summon him back, I can summon him back…”
Tally took a while to figure out that that was Aytal, and looks at Meallan all sorry. M: "It's fine… It's fine, I can summon him back. I was planning to turn him into a sable anyway. I-I'll summon him later. For now, I would rather just... go..."
Basil: "So, what's this about a firbolg that we shouldn't be messing with?" K: "Well, see, I was paid a few days ago to investigate a firbolg in the woods. I thought it was Meallan, but apparently it's not Meallan! So now I have money I didn't earn, so now I have to find this firbolg and see who he is!" M: "Khamet…" B: "You could just... keep the money…" K: "Um... Yes...?" B: "Yeah yeah yeah, nevermind, paladin!" K: "Yeah…"
Am: "Always been... honorable, and he could just... keep the money? Um, why do we have to avoid this firbolg?" K: "Uh, yeah yeah, exactly. If the firbolg is as scary as Meallan thinks he is, then maybe we should check out the firbolg and make sure he doesn't pose a danger to Ur?" M: "They are... not a danger to Ur. They will be fine." K: "Okay! Then I want to meet him!" M: "Why? Don't you hate firbolgs, Khamet?" K: "No, I hate you in specific!" Meallan ears flicker. Am: "But you took that as a general 'all firbolgs are stupid', how is that…" K: "No no, I said this because I need a bigger sample size to draw inferences from!" Am: "But you've only met one firbolg!" K: "Yes, but now-" Am: "Now who's being racist?!" K: "I can meet two firbolgs! So now I can see if my conclusions I drew from Meallan are true or not!" M: "This firbolg has not been talking to anyone; what makes you think that they'll talk to you?" K: "I don't know! I mean, maybe... I can just say 'hey, the guards are pretty spooked about you, you know,' and he'll talk to me!" M: "Can you speak Giant?" K: "Can I speak Giant? No." M: "Then what makes you think that the firbolg will even understand you?" Haljas: "Yeah, we didn't understand when they called their dogs off. It was some weird language." K: Ah, some weird language. Well, hm... I don't know, do you speak Giant?" M: "No" K: "You don't speak Giant" M: "No" K: "Oh, well... wait, wait, wait. If he speaks Giant, why don't YOU speak Giant?" M: "Different clans." K: "Different clans? So what language does your clan speak?" M: "...Elvish." K: "Elvish…"
Insight check rolls from Amani and Khamet. Khamet can tell it's an obvious lie, and that Meallan is incredibly twitchy and nervous. Amani fails.
K: "So, you don't speak elvish?" M: "I do speak elvish." K: "I mean, your clan doesn't speak Elvish as their native language." Am: "He just said he did!" K: "Yes, I know, but he's lying." Am: "Why would he lie about that?" K: "Ah... Amani, he's been acting secretive this entire time. Why wouldn't he lie about things?" Am: "It..." *Huffed sigh.* "Look, not all secrets are bad, okay? And I really don't think he's lying about this! Why would he?" Ant: "I mean..." K: "Um, well, the thing is, I think that some secrets are bad, and I know for a fact that whatever he's keeping is bad!" Am: "I... I, I don't know, I don't think so…" M: "Khamet! Khamet…" Ant: "I mean, I do know that Zone of Truth spell, but it's gonna cost you money!" Am: "Uh... L-let's not…" M: "I would rather not go through that…" K: "No no, what were you going to say to me?" M: "The fact is, I do not want to meet this firbolg. I would rather get away from here as fast as possible. Does that answer your question?" Khamet wants to meet the firbolg still, though.
Amani casts Message at Meallan, whispering a question that only he can hear. (Anthony: "If only they had phones; they could just use What'sApp!") Meallan hesitates, but rubs his left shoulder.
Khamet still wants to see the firbolg! M: "You can go see them, or her, or whatever. I do not want to, and you are going to have to find them yourself." Am: "I think we should... I don't know, I don't think this has... We still have those people attacking those drow, and then we really need to get to Cai. I don't think this is worth worrying about if this firbolg is not going to harm anything." T: "What if they were harmed from something else, and would have to go into hiding?" K: "That's a very good point!" Am: "I mean, they're doing a decent job so far." M: "I will tell you right now. They're not going to harm anyone, nor are they going to be harmed." K: "How do you know that?" M: "I got a very good look." K: "Yeah, so how do you know that from a look? Like, I mean, I can look at you, and you kinda look pretty dumb, so…" Meallan's ears go flat against his head. Amani sighs. K: "So I would guess that you wouldn't survive on your own, but clearly you have, so expectations can be broken!" M: "Well, think about this, Khamet." He points to the halflings. "The dogs got called off, and this firbolg has survived for over a week on their own." K: "Okay. But why would a firbolg be in Eaine? Is he like you?" M: "Perhaps."
Am: "Okay, I don't wanna spend all night arguing about this. We really need to get going somewhere! I... I think we should take care of those people who are attacking the drow, because even if we leave town, they're still... they're still... I think we need to take care of them first if we're going to do anything else. Otherwise, I'd really like to get to Cai!" M: "I agree, let us take care of one problem at a time." B: *Whispering.* "Is this something you stole something from?!" M: "No Basil, I did not steal anything from anyone." He looks kind of offended at the suggestion. B: *Whispering.* "Are you sure?" M: "Yes, I am sure." B: "Okay, just checking!"
K: "Okay, well, if they are like you, if they also came from Varentar, then I would like to talk to them! Because, see, the matter of Malka not being a fey is actually quite concerning to me, and I know that you don't like it, Meallan, and I know you'll probably be angry again, and you'll be like," *Fake Russian accent* "'Oh, my name is Meallan, what are you implying here?'. But if Malka is not a fey, then she might be something else, and that something else is concerning to me! So... I'm going to investigate him! On my own, if need be!"
M: "Why is it any of your business, Khamet?" K: "Why is it any of my business?! Because you are either stupid or lying to me!" Am: "Khamet, enough!" K: "No, no no-!" Am: "No, you're going on too strong!" K: "No, no, Amani, shut up! For the love of any god that currently is with us on Eaine-!" Am: "No-!" K: "Okay, no no no no no-! (M: "It's fine, Amani-") I know you are coddling him, you also know she is not a fey!" Am: *Sighs* "Khamet-!" M: "It's fine-!" K: "He is being coddled-! (Am: "Khamet!") And you're letting him get away with it!" Am: "No, I'm not! Shut up-!" K: "Yes you are!" Meallan grabs Amani by the shoulders. "Let him speak." His ears are flat against his head.
Am: "...You know what? Fine! It's your problem!" Amani shrugs out of Meallan's grasp and storms off, back to Ur Zaihar. M: "Amani, no, wait…" … M: "Look what you've done, Khamet!" K: "Look what I've done to what?" Meallan's already rushing after Amani. K: "...Okay, bye bye!"
The party splits. Khamet and Basil go into the forest. The rest follow after Meallan. (Halflings want to stick with beer dude Anthony!) Tally ceased to acknowledge Khamet's existence long ago and follows the nerds.
Meallan chases after Amani and tries to take their shoulder. Amani shrugs themself out of their grasp and keeps going. So Meallan walks by them.
M: "You didn't have to get so angry on my behalf. I…" Am: "Then why did you tell me to shut up?" M: "Because I wanted to hear what you had to say." Am: "I thought you... I thought you didn't. I was... trying to cover for you, and…" M: "I appreciate it. But Khamet was not going to let it go, and... ...I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to." He looks unsure when he says that, but he seems to mean it. Amani just... still looks dour. M: "Just know that I appreciate what you did. But... Khamet would never have let go, and I just wanted to get it over and done with, whatever stupid thing he wanted to say."
Ant: "God, you guys need to chill more, you guys are just always arguing with each other!" M: "Anthony... " Sigh. "I don't like arguing with Khamet, but he presses every single button I have…" Ant: "So don't rise to it man, it's simple!" Am: "After what he was saying? Meallan's not the only one Khamet gets onto." Ant: "You're just gonna like, give him the reaction that he wants, y'know?" M: "So what am I supposed to do?" Am: "So I'm supposed to lie down and be sad again because he gets onto us? Is that what we're supposed to do?" M: "Not rising to him would be a weakness, and I can't stand being weak." Haljas: "You can always stab him!" M: "I wish I could stab him, but…" Haljas: "What's stopping you? We solve most of our problems with stabbing!" Hallik: "Here here!" Meallan sighs… Haljas: "But it looks like you kinda care about him, so. Might not be good right now." M: "I don't care about him! I-" Am: "I... dooon't? I... I don't…" M: "I... Sometimes he's funny and amusing, and sometimes he's good company and a nice fighter, and maybe he, maybe... He's accursedly handsome and I hate it!" Shocked reactions from all! Meallan instantly regrets his words.
(Am: “I… didn’t know it was like that.” Meallan shakes his head, looking flustered and annoyed. Am: “I mean, I guess he's... aesthetically attractive? Um, I'm no expert, but I would think his personality leaves something to be desired." M: “I agree, but it does not distract from his handsomeness.” T: “Who are you talking about?” M: “...Nothing, Tally. Can we stop talking about this?!” Am: “Um... if you say so? Um, sorry. Um. What about Malka?” M: “I am beholden to her. He is nothing compared to her. He's a candle compared to her forest fire." Am: "Then why the... Nevermind. I don't think I'll get it.")
T: "Hey, Meallan…" M: "Yes?" T: "Do you think I'm weak?" M: "No." T: "Oh. You see, not rising to people is something I've been doing a lot for a pretty long time. And you know, I had the impression that it took up a lot of my strength, so... just consider that." M: "You and I are different. You have other strengths that I do not." Tally goes quiet as they agree to disagree. M: "If you say so. I am... too tired to argue about anything else."
Haljas: *Whispering.* "You're all a bunch of nerds!" They make a comment about wanting beer. M: "Anthony, please give them some booze." Hallik: "Yes, give us some booze!" Ant: "You got it!" Haljas: "Yes! Best friends! Hallik: "See? I can work with that!"
Khamet and Basil search through the woods. They don't immediately find anything. (Part 2 in the next post!)
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Post by Thorn on Jul 24, 2019 18:21:36 GMT -5
Session 14, Part Two (Electric Boogaloo)(thanks Moni for the snappy title!) Wow, what's this? A Thorn recap that isn't just a few sentences of me trying to be funny? =O If anyone wants to add something or make a correction, just let me know and I'll sort it out. ( Huntress Fraze Thanks so much for being our wonderful guests! <3 Smiled so hard transcribing your dialogue. xD) The Nettlebutt(e)s take ZaiharBack to Amani, Tally, Anthony, Meallan and the Nettlebutt(e)s. Amani is still staring at Meallan, confused by his previous Khamet-related comments. Meallan: “Forget I said anything, please, I don’t even know why I said that.” Amani: “Alright, it’s fine, nevermind. I...it’s just...if it were up to me I’d go right back to Cai, but we should probably take care of that problem with that group of elves.” Meallan agrees. The group return to Ur Zaihar in search of aforementioned hostile elves. Meallan is missing the unfortunately vanquished Aytal. </3 Amani still seems a little distant.
Anthony: “Khamet may be abrasive sometimes but he’s got some good advice, y’know.” Amani: “When he’s not being abrasive, so… when is that?” Meallan: “I..maybe for you, but he’s not been anything but rude to me.” Haljas: “Isn’t that how you show you like people? How do you think we [indicating Hallik] survive each other? He’s literally on my shoulders half the time.” Hallik: “Hey I have to carry your fat backside right now, so-” Haljas: “Yeah?” Amani wonders if couples always fight, using Anthony as an example. Anthony points out that his relationship with Tyzol didn’t start off so well. Amani doesn’t remember their parents fighting- well, at least, not like this! Tally and Yzzy haven’t fought in approximately sixty years. Meallan hasn’t fought with his lady and wouldn’t dream of it- he considers them married.
Anthony segues into asking if anyone knows any Draconic but, unfortunately, no luck. He’s hoping to learn a couple of phrases! The Nettlebutt(e)s show off their beautiful border collie McBacon, and Meallan is temporarily distracted petting him, shifting the rest of the party’s attention away from Anthony and his relationship goals…
As the party re-enter Ur Zaihar, Meallan uses his cloak to conceal his firbolg features and they head straight for the relevant neighbourhood, seeking the address Brelian gave. Anthony resumes his search for somebody who can teach him Draconic, but the guards on the gate are of absolutely no use. As they approach the relevant neighbourhood, however, Anthony manages to find someone selling a Draconic phrasebook! Weighted down with gold as he is, the elf tries to rip him off. Shopkeeper: “For the perfectly reasonable price of twenty...twenty five gold?” Anthony: “Twenty-five gold? Can I have a look at the phrasebook first?” Shopkeeper: “Mmmmm...no.”
They do hold it up to show him and describe its virtues. It’s Elvish-Draconic, and they flip through the pages as they talk. As far as Anthony can tell, this is a super legit book! It teaches you to say such useful phrases as “I love you”, “your tail scales are very shiny today” and “please will you go with me to the dance?” Meallan, however, notices that it’s essentially a traveler’s phrasebook designed for people going to make dealings (seductive or otherwise) with horrifying dragons.
Haljas: “This guy saw you were a sucker from 25 feet away.” Hallik: “We can stab ‘em for you if you like?”
The shopkeeper asks them to stop talking about stabbing them, please, as it’s not very civilised. The elf offers to drop the price to a mere 20 gold, but Meallan tries to intimidate them into dropping it even lower. Shopkeeper: “Fine, just fifteen gold and go away.” Anthony: “Sold!”
Don't Panic (panic if you want to)The party- minus Basil and Khamet- continue on to their destination. Meanwhile, Basil and Khamet are making deals of their own...Khamet casts ‘divine sense’ and it shows him somebody lurking nearby. Khamet: “Basil...can you get behind me please? I think I found something.” Basil: “Oh...okay.” Khamet: “Basil, there’s something undead around here. Don’t panic- or panic if you want to- um, but I’m gonna go check it out. You can stay here and keep yourself safe, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Khamet inches left, calling out to try and get the stranger’s attention, alternating between Common and Elvish. With his divine sense he feels the stranger slowly move away from him. Khamet persists.
Mystery Individual (in Elvish): “Won’t hurt.” Khamet: “Don’t worry, see? I won’t hurt you.” Khamet’s holding his shield, but deliberately keeping his hand away from his weapons as he edges closer. “I’m just trying...I just want to talk to you.”
After a few moments, two dogs start growling, but the firbolg says something to them in a language Khamet doesn’t understand and puts their hand on one of the dogs. Mystery Firbolg (Elvish): “Talk.”
Khamet: “Hello! I don’t know, um, if you knew this, but um, there are rumours about you in the city. There are guards, um, who kind of saw you and they just wanted to check if you were doing anything bad or not. Um. I was supposed to come here with my companions- one of them being a firbolg named Meallan.”
The strange firbolg hasn’t reacted, as if she doesn’t understand what he’s saying; but when Khamet says ‘Meallan’, she repeats the name.
Firbolg: “Show...show to me Meallan.” From what Khamet can see of this firbolg, this is definitely the undead he sensed earlier. There’s a scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face but the skin above that is rotting, scarred- definitely not a living firbolg.
Khamet agrees to take this undead firbolg to Meallan, and promises to protect her if Meallan tries anything. Firbolg: “Meallan...is...inside.” Khamet: “He’s inside, um, but people will not like seeing you, you need to be discreet, um, you need to be hidden.” Firbolg: “I understand.”
Khamet tries to convince Basil to retrieve Meallan from Zaihar. Basil: “Uhh, I’m sort of doubting your judgement here...no offence.” Khamet says well, Basil can just return to Zaihar if he wants. He does, instructing Khamet to not get killed as he does so. Firbolg: “Bring Meallan here.”
Khamet agrees to try and convince Meallan to come out into the woods and meet this firbolg. Every time he mentions Meallan the firbolg reacts in a way that implies she’s eager to see him, in a hostile way. She tells Khamet not to say why he is bringing Meallan into the woods and that it’s her, and he agrees, before heading back towards the city to find the others.
Cloak Trenchcoat and DaggerThe rest of the party arrive at their destination. It’s a fairly normal house for the area, more a wattle-and-daub affair than the magically constructed tree-houses seen in other parts of the city. Tally wonders if they have a good excuse for going in.
Meallan: “They tried to kill you, Tally.” Tally: “I’m just worried about being seen as somebody hostile.” Amani: “Do you need a cloak, Tally?” Tally: “A what?” Amani: “A cloak.” Tally: “No I’m quite warm, thank-you.”
Amani clarifies that it’s to stay hidden, but Tally still turns down the offer. Meallan and Amani peep in the window and see a few people in this front room: a few who they fought in the forest, as well as some strangers they don’t recognise. From this angle they can see three guards in a stand-off against the conspirators. There are at least six of the latter, nobody is moving at the moment.
Meallan tries the door. It is unlocked.
Amani (looking at the two halflings): “I know someone who’s very distracting.”
After some further discussion in which various ideas are tossed around, the Nettlebutt(e)s and McBacon enter the building with the promise that Meallan will give them the shiny necklace if they assist the party. Everyone in the room whips around to face the newcomers. Haljas: “I heard there was a bachelor party here??” Hallik claims the trio are there for entertainment purposes. Haljas: “Who brought the booze?” Hallik: “We brought the booze!”
One of the hostile elves- Brooch Elf/Hazari, from the confrontation last session- is on her knees with a knife to a guard’s throat. Everyone, including these two, are staring at the Nettlebutt(e)s. The Nettlebutt(e)s move into the room and immediately somebody moves towards them and tries to push them down.
Anthony inspires the Nettlebutt(e)s by blasting eighties fighting music from his phone, and then readies his shield and tyre iron. Tally looks into the room, recognises the guard Hazari is threatening, and attempts to reach the pair at the back of the room- but there are just too many people in the way! Now two of the conspirators are right in front of her, blocking her path. Tally strikes one of them with her quarterstaff, and they fall to the ground unconscious. The Nettlebutt(e)s are less gentle, striking at the person in their path with an axe and a bitey doggo and killing their target outright; before using their handaxes to badly injure their enemy’s shocked companion.
Meallan hexes Hazari, and then casts frostbite on her. Because of the hex, she is put at a disadvantage, and takes the full force of the spell. Amani steps inside and casts Suggestion on Hazari, telling her to release the hostage, but the spell fails. Hazari: “Leave us alone or I’ll cut his throat.”
As the hostiles attack the party, none of them manage to land a blow. One of them even loses their weapon in the process! Anthony delivers a sick burn powerful enough to inflict psychic damage on Hazari, and then moves into the house. Shield out, tyre iron out, ready to party!
Tally once more tries to reach Hazari and her hostage and, this time, manages to spring past the party's very shaken adversaries. She pounces on Hazari and successfully grapples her, trying to keep her from killing her hostage. Hazari tries but, between the chill from frostbite and the strength of Tally’s grapple, fails to harm them at all.
The Nettlebutt(e)s ask if there’s anyone else they should stab after their current target. Meallan indicates Hazari. McBacon takes down the elf in front of the trio, and the Nettlebutt(e)s turn their sights on Hazari. They make their way to the back of the room, striking her with Hallik’s battleaxe and both of Haljas’ handaxes. Hazari slumps back in Tally’s arms, dead. Meallan immediately claims Hazari's brooch, and then spins to eldritch blast another elf.
Between the sight of their dead allies, some threatening words from Amani, and the half-elf’s spooky silver stare, the remaining conspirators submit. Anthony pulls out his new draconic phrasebook and tells them to, more or less, ‘get owned.’
Guards, to the party: “Stop murdering people!”
Meallan (to Nettlebutt(e)s: “That was a good distraction.” Haljas: “Can we have that shiny now?” The halflings receive their shiny necklace as payment. Yay!
Meanwhile Khamet and Basil have almost caught up to the group. Khamet: “Hey, Basil. Uh, real quick: so you know the thing that we saw earlier?” Basil: “No, whatever could you mean? Yes I do!” Khamet: “Okay, okay, okay. Do not tell Meallan about this.” Basil: “What?” Khamet: “Don’t tell him.” Khamet points out that you don’t get undead from your own people trying to track you down unless you’ve done something really, really bad. He argues that the others like Meallan and could be easily persuaded to help him destroy the other firbolg. Khamet reveals that when he first opened up his senses to determine what Aytal was, he noticed light near Meallan that felt like desecration. Basil agrees that they should be cautious in revealing what they saw to anybody else.
Khamet and Basil enter the building to see several dead and unconscious forms, and other people milling around in confusion. In the midst of it all is, of course, their adventuring party and their newfound halfling friends.
Basil: “Wow. It’s like some kind of messed-up bachelor party.” Nettlebutt(e)s: “That’s what we were saying!” Meallan (to Khamet): “Did you find what you’re looking for?” Khamet: “No, I didn’t find anything.”
Meallan believes Khamet. The Nettlebutt(e)s acknowledge Basil with a little upward nod. Haljas: “Hey, what’s up?” Basil: “Uh, nothing terrifying.” Amani is convinced. Meallan is not.
Amani confirms that the guards will take away the surviving conspirators, and asks if there’s anything else the party should know about the general situation. The guards say that no, there is not, and express disapproval at the party passing a judgement that rightfully belonged to the Lords of Ur. However one of them does, when prompted, reveal that they think everyone involved in the plot against Tally and Yzzy has now been dealt with.
Tally is frozen, still holding the deceased Hazari. She attempts to stabilise her but, as Hazari's former hostage is quick to tell her, “she’s dead.”
Meallan approaches and says: “She was trying to kill this guard.”
Tally doesn’t respond. The guard suggests that Meallan give her some time, but Meallan doesn’t understand why she has reacted so strongly, given that this person tried to kill Tally and others.
Meallan: “I’ll let you be then. It seems like you could use some time.”
Basil, Anthony, and the Nettlebutt(e)s loot the bodies, once the guards have removed the living and left them with the dead. Khamet moves to comfort Tally, but Tally is having none of that. Basil finds a pair of fancy bone dice engraved with symbols instead of numbers. The Nettlebutt(e)s relieve Hazari of her knife, and Anthony finds a pretty bone comb. Meallan has a look around the house and finds some copper and a small amount of charcoal.
The Nettlebutt(e)s say goodbye to the group. Haljas: “We’re gonna...see ourselves out. We can do this again sometime, if we meet you guys again and you need us to stab people.” Hallik: “We are simple folk.” Meallan: “It would be a pleasure but next time, please do not stab my familiar.”
Hallik agrees and Meallan states that, in return, he will try and make sure Aytal doesn’t get into their coat. Haljas (pointing to Anthony): “You. Person! You rock. We should drink some time.” Anthony: “Yeah, I’m definitely down for that. Come to one of my shows, I’ll get you front row seats.”
The Bare MinimumThe Nettlebutt(e)s and McBacon depart in search of sandwiches. Amani takes Khamet aside into another room. Amani: “Khamet, what was that?” Khamet: “What was what?” Amani: “That...what you did earlier. I told you, earlier, that we need to be careful, and what you did back there was the opposite of that. He’s been helping you and you trying to talk me down like that? He wasn’t supposed to know that I know, okay?!” Khamet: “Okay, he wasn’t supposed to know that you know, okay. Listen, this is far beyond your feelings or his feelings for that matter, okay?” Amani: “No it’s not. He’s directly connected to Malka, this has-” Khamet: “And why should I care?” Amani: “Because if you want to help, at the very least, if you want to help him, that’s not...what you did is not going to work.” Khamet: “Oh yeah, and what you did is going to work? Coddling him?” Amani: “L-look, I’ve been talking to him! I- it- this can’t happen immediately, okay?” Khamet: “Okay, this can’t happen immediately. But Amani, you have to understand, he’s hiding things from everyone.” Amani: “Look, I know that, but-” Khamet: “Okay, and you trust him? You trust that he’s not hiding anything, like, terrible?” Amani: “Look, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing terrible. I don’t know the whole story, but I think it… I think it just has to do with Malka- his association with her.”
Khamet: “His association with her- so, let me get this straight. This firbolg who doesn’t like firbolg society- self-hating firbolg- um, decides to make a pact with somebody and you don’t even ask why?” Amani: “I know why, okay?” Khamet: “Why?” Amani: “Well for one thing, he doesn’t hate firbolgs, but.. i-it’s just that...I think he had trouble fitting in. And-” Khamet: “Of course he hasn’t been fitting in.” Amani: “And... do you remember Crezonis? Do you remember him, and how desperate he was, when he was trying to seek help?” Khamet: “Yes seek help away from...yeah. Seek help from what?” Amani: “He was frustrated about what...about what was happening to his homeland, and he wanted to seek help, find anyone, and Arcaito-” Khamet: “And what would Meallan be desperate about? You’re from Varentar, you should know.” Amani: “I don’t know enough about firbolg society, but I do know...if he had trouble fitting in, if you have any sort of trouble and the right person comes to you- or the wrong person in Arcaito or... maybe Meallan’s case- then… wouldn’t you do the same thing?” Khamet: “No.” Amani: “How are you so sure?”
Khamet: “Because I’ve watched someone do the same thing and I didn’t join him.” Amani: “Who? Crezonis?” Khamet: “No. Someone from my homeland.” Amani: “...Okay, so, you’ve seen other people do this. Just because you don’t doesn’t mean others wouldn’t- and some people don’t take the right precautions before going into such an agreement. They don’t find the right… person. But Meallan’s been with Malka for years, you can’t just destroy his reality like that, not with how and...if you go at it like this, he’s just going to resist you more.”
Khamet: “Yes, and...okay. So let’s say he resists me. Um, let’s say, for example, you ingratiate yourself to him so much that he believes all your ingratiations, and he doesn’t believe you when you try to tell him the truth. What then?” Amani: “I’m not ingratiating myself. I mean, I’ve disagreed with him. And just because...like I said, I’m trying to be careful here.” Khamet: “Careful with what? What will happen if you’re not careful?” Amani: “Well he might...leave, and he might...get himself in more danger.” Khamet: “I mean, that’s a concern, yes.” Amani: “Yes. So, I’m trying to avoid that. I don’t want him to feel like- okay, maybe none of us fit into this group but I don’t want him to feel like that even more so. That’s not a feeling I would wish on anyone.” Khamet: “I think he’s fine in that department.” Amani: “I don’t think he is, I mean, not with the way you constantly rag at him.” Khamet: “Well yeah if he would stop doing things that made me rag at him, I would rag at him less.” Amani: “But you’re ragging at him for anything!”
Amani chastises Khamet for how he rags at Meallan, and especially for how he talks about Aytal. They call Khamet a bully. Khamet: “Yeah, that’s kind of the point.” They argue a while longer- Khamet says that he’s rude to Meallan because the latter’s a jerk, while Amani points out that Khamet is too. Khamet: “Yeah, but Iiiii!… don’t have a trail of garbage where I walk!”
Khamet reveals that because of the powers Anhur gives him, he can see things Amani doesn’t, and thus has access to information they don’t. Amani wonders how exactly this works, whether the information is directly given by Anhur and what exactly he can sense. Khamet clarifies that it’s information gleaned through powers he was granted. He reveals to Amani that he can detect undead, fiends, celestials, that sort of thing- and that, while he doesn’t know for sure what Malka may be, he has ‘an inkling of an idea.’ Amani agrees not to tell Meallan what Khamet saw.
Khamet: “In that case...I could see a little ribbon of desecration whenever I open my senses.” Amani: “Desecration? What do you mean by that?” Khamet: “It’s hard to explain. Um. Two golden ribbons always trail him. It- it feels wrong. Almost unholy, in a sense.” Amani: “Unholy?” Khamet: “Yes.” Amani: “But you can’t get any more specific than that? Can you?” Khamet: “I can’t get any more specific than that. But I have other evidence that I’m not sure I can share with you, at the moment. I still need to think about it some more.”
Khamet: “Honestly, I don’t think that Meallan is being pulled in the wrong direction by anything. I don’t think he’s much of a good person at all.” Amani: “I really think you’re not giving him enough credit, I think-” Khamet: “What credit?” Amani: “He’s gone out of his way for us, and...he’s been good to me, and-” Khamet: “Yes, he’s good to his friends.” Amani: “-he’s helped talk me through a lot of things. And he’s helped defend me from you.”
Khamet: “Defend- how have I attacked you?” Amani: “Are you kidding me?!” Khamet: “What, so it’s like he’s helped defend you. You’re acting as if I’ve physically assaulted you or something like that.” Amani: “No, not physically, I...I mean...you rag on me too. You question my magical ability, when there’s no evidence for that? That’s what I mean about you being a bully, and...Meallan stood up for me, and you’re being unreasonable.” Khamet: “So you think he’s a good person because he stood up for you?” Amani: “Yeah.” Khamet: “So you think..oh that’s, that’s the bare minimum- sweetie, that’s the bare minimum.” Amani: “Don’t call me sweetie.” Khamet: “Mmm...okay that’s the bare minimum half-elf, half-human, half...half, I don’t know what else.” Amani: “Yes, I know, half. Move on.” Khamet: “Yeah so I think those are...that’s a really, really low bar.” Amani: “I’m just saying I know him, and I do think there is trouble from Malka, that...that there is something up, but I don’t think even Meallan knows all of it. So I think you need to be patient with him, okay?” Khamet: “I’ll try to be...more patient.” Amani: “Okay. Thank-you.”
Meallan Will Not Be Taking QuestionsWhile all this is going on, back in the main room Anthony is reading from his new phrasebook, struggling to pronounce a specific phrase. He’s practising it over and over, trying to get it right. The moment Khamet was out of sight, Meallan took Basil aside.
Meallan: “So, what happened in the forest? Did you find...the firbolg?” Basil: “...Yeah. We did.” Meallan: “And...what did you find?” Basil: “I think you’ve...probably already got a suspicion.” Meallan: “So you know.” Basil: “What the hell happened here?” Meallan: “You do not want to know what happened, but the fact is that...thank you, does Khamet know?” Basil: “Yeah, and whatever he comes up with for an explanation is probably going to be worse than if you just told us.” Meallan: “I doubt it. What did the firbolg say to you, if anything?” Basil: “I don’t know. I couldn’t understand it.” [Meallan swears in Giant.]
Meallan: “Thank-you for telling me this. I...” Basil: “You’re welcome, but... I didn’t need to see that! That’s creepy as hell.” Meallan: “I’m sure it was.” Basil: “I think we deserve an explanation.” Meallan: “There’s...nothing I can say to you that will be adequate.” He looks panicked.
Basil: “...you’re worried about me judging you?” Meallan: “I’m not worried about you, I’m worried about what’s going to happen and what that thing is.” Basil: “Do we need to kill it?”
There’s a pause.
Meallan: “Yes.” Basil: “I didn’t realise zombies smelled that bad. Look, if we need to kill it, let’s just go kill it.” Meallan: “I don’t know if...just the two of us is not going to be enough, we need to...get out without Khamet noticing us and then go kill it. Thank-you. I owe you a favour.” Basil: “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.” Meallan: “Don’t tell Khamet, you know.” Basil: “Okay.”
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