Start of #Odal buffer: Mon Jul 13 21:58:07 2009 [17:56:04] * When last we left our heroes, Eilenia had put Eve to sleep because, let's face it, Eve was fuckin' crazy. We resume our adventure already in progress. [17:56:09] [Session start] [17:57:05] * Eilenia waits around for Eve to come back around, apologizing to the party's gracious host. She spends the time resting and getting a heard start on her teacher's new assignments. [17:59:44] * Eve_Kasnora is out like a light. [18:01:40] * Paera sighs. "We should probably get some rest. There's no sense in all of us being exhausted when Eve wakes up." [18:03:04] Oh, certainly. I've never challenged a Ghaele before. How fascinating. [18:03:22] * The scribe nods. "Take your time. If Ghaele Coldheart knows you're here, you're going to need it." [18:04:03] * Eve_Kasnora snores softly as she sleeps on the hard floor next to the barricaded door. [18:05:21] * If everyone's in agreement, the group takes an extended rest, awakening... six? eight? hours later. [18:06:14] * Eilenia spends the time resting as described above, and asks about Ghaele Coldheart's allies and abilities. [18:09:47] * Not everybody in the library is in agreement, but it seems as though he walks freely between worlds, and has a cadre of worldly traitors that aid him in his hunt. He can control snow and ice, cloud the minds of mortals, transmute men into beasts, read minds, is a demon disguise, is a fairy, can smell fear, can hear human heartbeats, and kill with a stare. [18:10:00] * Xan mutters something to Eve. [18:10:11] * These are only the most reasonable rumors. [18:11:43] * Eilenia puts Eve somewhre comfortable to rest over the time of the rest. And places her in a few uncomfortable places out of curiosity. [18:12:47] * Eve_Kasnora rubs a horrible crick in her neck, after waking up in an emptied bookshelf. [18:13:28] * Eve_Kasnora nods evenly to Xan at his muttered comment. [18:14:56] * Paera sleeps as best she can, between being worried about the Ghaele and how mad Eve must be at her. [18:20:39] * Eve_Kasnora gives Paera a friendly "Morning!" and a smile when she sees her. Apparently she's forgotten her hysterics or written them off as a strange dream. [18:21:00] M-morning! [18:21:04] * Paera smiles nervously. [18:21:05] "I feel as if I should inform you that this Ghale is my last employer." [18:21:07] Good morning, Eve. [18:21:11] "I am wondering... how was I getting in bookshelf?" [18:21:28] "It is seeming like... such odd place to be falling asleep." [18:21:50] * Eve_Kasnora turns to Xan and blinks for a moment. [18:22:09] "Oh yes. The Ghaele. I will have a word with him shortly." [18:22:24] "Just as soon as we are all ready for a fight." [18:22:35] * Paera stares. "Seriously?" [18:22:44] * Xan nods. [18:22:44] * Eve_Kasnora rummages through her backpack ready to prepare breakfast. [18:23:11] * Eilenia frowns. [18:23:22] "Unfortunately, contractual obligations leave me unable to combat this individual unless he poses a threat to me directly." [18:23:44] "However, I will gladly assist the lot of you in reaching him, if reaching him proves rough." [18:23:51] I am not sure how you got there, Eve. I'm sure it has something to do with Bahamut's will. [18:26:57] * Eve_Kasnora eyes Elena for a moment, but then just shakes her head and smiles. "I am doubting that." [18:27:35] "I do have to say though that had I known this individual's lack of regard for sentient life that I would not have worked for him had I known his intent." [18:29:25] "So you are usually more discerning with your contracts." [18:29:36] * Eve_Kasnora says it more as a passive-aggressive statement, than a question. [18:30:34] "If I'm aware that certain issues conflict with my outlook on life, then yes. I would not say that I have *morals*, as you would call them, but I do have standards. I firmly believe that taking another life is a serious matter." [18:30:37] * Eve_Kasnora clears an area of stone floor to set up a small hot plate heated with her oil lantern. [18:30:46] "In other words, hunting for sport is not acceptable." [18:31:05] "Then we are in agreement." [18:31:19] "I plan on having him choose me as his next quarry." [18:31:37] "Interesting." [18:31:40] "We have all been doing amazing things since I have been meeting you." [18:31:57] "You know, Eve, you could always *hire* me." [18:32:11] "I am hoping that our accomplishments will make us seem like worthy prey. But I will be taking most of credit, so he is targetting me." [18:32:12] "That would void my prior contract rule." [18:32:14] Oh, oh, or we could form our own hunting party. [18:32:18] * Eve_Kasnora GLARES at Xan. [18:32:33] "I could *not*." [18:32:38] That doesn't sound like a ba... [18:32:47] * Paera trails off at Eve's reaction. [18:32:50] * Eve_Kasnora stops in her preparations and just continues to glare at Xan. [18:33:06] "Are you certain? I would charge you..one copper." [18:33:12] * Eve_Kasnora stands up. [18:33:47] "If you continue to insult my honor, I will have to react, Xan." [18:33:52] "You've got laws and codes that you have to honor, Eve, do you not? I do as well." [18:34:26] "I am merely informing you of how I can get out of my contractual obligations to not harm this individual." [18:34:34] "I have *morals* Xan, and they are important to me. To suggest that I'd hire *moral filth* such as you is an insult strait to my core." [18:34:44] "Are we clear?" [18:34:52] Maybe someone else could hire you. I'm sure someone here wants him taken care of. [18:35:27] "I'm unclear, Eve, as to why you need to insult me and consider me filth, but still have the desire to redeem me." [18:35:47] "I am a knight of the Platinum Dragon. I do not hire murderers." [18:36:05] "The Church of Bahamut has hired me on several occasions." [18:36:08] "I told you that if you accepted another contract, I would take you down." [18:36:18] Eve, it's a technicality! [18:36:22] "I am not part of the Church." [18:36:27] "It is NOT a technicality!" [18:36:35] "Technicalities disregarded, we are at an impasse." [18:36:42] "He is hiring his services as a heartless killer!" [18:38:54] "Let it be known that I understand your codes and respect your decision. However, perhaps you would do me the same courtesy and possibly pay some heed to the fact that I am making an active and honest attempt to "better" myself. If "kindly" folk such as yourself decide to meet these attempts with harsh words, I am afraid that I would not be happy with doing the "right" thing if it is consistent." [18:39:21] "Also, considering present circumstances, I would greatly appreciate it if you lowered your voice." [18:39:30] "I did not consider insulting you on a moral basis an insult, since you are self-professed to have none." [18:40:02] "Are you not the lowest of the low, morally? You are without morals." [18:40:15] "Touche. However, I do live by and honor a code." [18:40:42] "That code is meaningless to me without morals and ethics to guide it." [18:41:13] "I will not honor your code or acknowledge it, for it is your code that you live by currently that you must abandon to truly better yourself. Killing for the sake of profit... " [18:41:17] * Eve_Kasnora shakes her head. [18:42:00] "And I warned you that I would react to your insults. You did not cease." [18:44:30] "I did not insult you." [18:44:55] * Eve_Kasnora steps closer. [18:45:06] "I suggested a loophole in my contractual obligations that would allow me to aid you, and thereby what you would consider a good cause." [18:45:42] "You suggested I hire a cold-blooded murderer." [18:46:00] "To kill a cold-blooded mass murderer." [18:46:50] "For what reason are you looking for a loophole? To maintain credibility in your field? To make sure other morally bankrupt individuals with too much money will be able to trust their contracts with you?" [18:47:28] "What is this code of yours? What is it's purpose?" [18:47:38] "And if you intend on killing him yourself, as you have many of the foes before you, then how am I any more cold-blooded than you? I have methods, rules, and guidelines, and because I am good at it, it just so happens that I do it for profit." [18:47:59] "That! That is why we differ!" [18:48:03] "I do not kill for MY benefit!" [18:48:20] "You kill for whatever cause arrests your passions." [18:48:29] "Under the pretense of it being morally correct." [18:48:45] "There is no pretense. It is being the truth." [18:48:46] It's saving lives. [18:49:14] "How do you know you've not slain men with families just trying to get by?" [18:49:28] "The world does not consist of simply good and evil, black and white." [18:49:47] "They have made the wrong choice. They put the good of their own over the good of all. They make others suffer so their lot will survive." [18:49:51] "To say that your sword has never cut into the grey is a rather large and impossible-to-prove claim to make." [18:50:01] "Are you a god, Eve?" [18:50:35] Can we agree that in this case, there's little ambiguity? [18:50:59] "I am under the assumption that you are not. Be that the case, then what gives you the personal right to determine what "the good of all" is?" [18:53:02] * Eve_Kasnora grabs at Xan's collar and pulls him up to her face-to-face. "DO NOT PREACH TO ME! I know what is the good of all because from my perspective it is clear who is doing evil. I do not care what their reasons are. If you do evil unto others, I will STOP YOU. It is being. very. simple." [18:53:31] * Eve_Kasnora lowers her voice to a whisper. "And if you ever question my faith again, we will be crossing more than words." [18:53:35] "I'm not the one preaching, Eve." [18:53:37] * Eve_Kasnora lets him go and walks away. [18:54:03] * Xan doesn't break his cold, black gaze. [18:54:53] You two have been travelling for a month together, just the two of you, and you're STILL unable to work this out? Right now, there's someone out there hunting PEOPLE, and you're having a moral debate?! [18:55:27] Can you argue your beliefs once we've stopped him from killing anyone else? [18:55:27] * Eve_Kasnora packs her uneaten breakfast, after cooling off her hotplate with some water. [18:55:34] * Xan calmly straightens his collar. He puts his hood back low over his face. "Well then. That was meaningless and unproductive." He looks to the rest of the group. "In spite of my assurances that I wish the lot of you no personal harm, Eve still distrusts me after discovering my profession." [18:55:45] "Which is likely why she has not slept." [18:56:29] * Eve_Kasnora stands up. "You may not mean me harm, but who is being responsible when you are running off with the Eye and letting it cause untold misfortune and harm among others?" [18:57:08] "I have informed you that my symbiotes would not allow me to take or utilize the Eye, and that it no longer calls to me." [18:57:24] "You informed me of that *yesterday*." [18:57:32] "Wait, symbiotes?" [18:57:38] * Eve_Kasnora looks up and tilts her head sideways. [18:57:40] "And thankfully, you were allowed to sleep." [18:57:46] "What are you meaning, symbiotes?" [18:57:58] "You would consider them my weapons." [18:59:22] "Then the voices I hear whenever I touch you." [18:59:27] "Indeed." [18:59:52] * Eve_Kasnora closes her pack and shoulders it as she rises. [19:00:01] "They hold greater potential in them than the promise of the discarded eye of a worldly deity." [19:00:05] "Do you even have arms, under there?" [19:00:11] "No." [19:00:43] * Eve_Kasnora shakes her head. It seems all the spit and vigor she has for Xan has already been spent. Instead there's just palpable pity. [19:01:12] "Are we all being ready? I am needing to speak to the Ghaele." [19:01:41] "If you are finished with your moral badgering." [19:02:51] I'm very much ready. [19:03:10] * Paera sighs. [19:03:26] "The only reasons I have not slain you already is because you have saved my life on multiple occasions and we made a deal that I do not intend to marr my honor breaking." [19:03:50] "I would not normally suffer a cold-blooded killer such as yourself to live." [19:04:03] "Speaking of which, let us be going." [19:04:10] "I have a great appreciation for your confidence, Eve, as well as the passion in which you carry out your duties." [19:04:22] "One might even say that I *like* you." [19:04:44] "That is an entirely one-sided feeling this morning, Xan." [19:05:04] * Eve_Kasnora secures her belongings and heads through the building toward the front door. [19:05:29] "Perhaps she should recognize that I am making an honest attempt to gain the morality that I lack, solely because of her and the rest of you." [19:05:36] "Shall we?" [19:05:41] Certainly [19:06:28] "Then do not be so proud about how moral-less you are. I am not inclined to think you are improving, or trying to, when you do." [19:06:59] "I never claimed to be proud of it." [19:07:10] * Xan follows after Eve. [19:08:25] "You are giving that impression." [19:09:03] * It's still early, and the scribes in the library are only beginning to stir. The elf from yesterday, crouching next to the great stone door, starts awake as you approach, and seems to recognize your intent. S/he begins checking the windows on either side of the door, and when the group reaches the door unbolts it and cracks it open nervously. "Thank you so much! Good luck out there!" [19:09:07] "Pride is also something I do not feel that I have." [19:10:09] * S/he pauses briefly. "Oh! And if you make it, and you find the House of Ablutions, ask for J'rai. He's one of the researchers from back before the world broke, he might know something." [19:10:28] * Eilenia nods. [19:10:41] "Thank you." [19:10:54] "Please, be having some doze eggs for breakfast." [19:10:56] Yeah, if. [19:11:08] * Eve_Kasnora digs in her pack for her uncooked breakfast and hands it over. [19:11:20] (dove*) [19:14:45] * "Uh... Thanks!" The scribe takes the eggs, and makes a brief 'in-or-out' motion, clearly not comfortable with holding the door open [19:15:07] * Eve_Kasnora heads out. [19:15:32] "Why would you wish that scribe nausea?" [19:16:13] * Eilenia heads out [19:18:06] "They are not being fertilized. They are fit for human consumption." [19:18:35] "I'm aware of that, but eating twelve eggs isn't exactly polite on the stomach." [19:20:24] Oh, maybe he'll share them. [19:21:43] "It is not?" [19:21:54] * Eve_Kasnora wonders. [19:22:34] * Once the group is out, you can hear deadbolts being set and then a low chanting from behind the thick metal doors. Outside the library, the sun is rising over Ivorgard, the trees in the botanical park casting long shadows down the boulevard that leads to it. [19:23:26] "Not for someone of an average physical build, no." [19:23:44] * Eve_Kasnora shrugs, then looks out over the boulevard and strides to the center. [19:24:17] * Eve_Kasnora pauses momentarily to look back. "Be remembering, I am taking the credit to be targetted. I am not wishing to dishonor your deeds." [19:24:33] * Xan looks around. "I have to admit, there's something peaceful about seeing nature and civilization merged in such a state." [19:25:22] "Let it be known that I will not allow this individual to hire me for my services again." [19:25:24] * Paera looks around as well. "It's pretty eerie to me." [19:25:30] * Eve_Kasnora continues into the street. [19:25:46] Oh, it reminds me of home. [19:25:48] * Eve_Kasnora stands in the middle of the street and looks around. [19:26:01] * Eve_Kasnora puts her hands on her hips and inhales deeply. [19:26:42] "I'm unsure that shouting loudly is going to work, Eve." [19:26:51] * Eve_Kasnora begins shouting. "GHAELE COLDHEART OR THOSE AMONG HIS COURT! HEAR ME! MY NAME IS EVE KASNORA OF TSAVAROGOROV!" [19:27:03] * Eve_Kasnora turns back to Xan and shrugs, speaking normally. "Have to start somewhere." [19:27:12] * Eve_Kasnora faces back down the boulevard and inhales again. [19:27:25] * Xan buries his face in his palm. [19:27:56] * The arch to the west, that faces the boulevard, is crumbing, while the southern and northern arches are still intact. To the north, the buildings are wrapped in fey creepers, the vines digging between the blocks of masonry, while to the south, the stones seem to be falling apart without assistance. In the distance, you can hear the howling of strange animals. [19:28:01] "I HAVE COME A FAR WAY AND BESTED MANY FOES! I HAVE FREED THE PEOPLES OF HARBORHEAD, THE INNER SEA REFUGE ARMADA, AND HORBEK'S GLORY OF THEIR OPPRESSORS!" [19:29:16] "Are we staying here to do battle then?" [19:29:53] "I HAVE SLAIN FOULSPAWN FROM BEYOND! I FELLED A VECNITE CULT IN A SINGLE NIGHT! AND I WILL ADD YOUR HEAD TO MY TROPHY CASE UNLESS YOU HUNT ME DOWN FIRST!" [19:30:33] * Xan starts looking for a spot to set up that provides him a decent vantage point and hiding place. [19:30:35] * Eve_Kasnora walks back to the grop. [19:31:01] "I am hoping one of his fey is having heard that." [19:31:10] * Paera just stares at Eve. "Well, let's hope he's either really arrogant or really dumb." [19:31:16] Ooh, a trophy case? [19:31:30] I have but one trophy. [19:31:51] "It is mostly all true, besides be taking all credit, of course being." [19:31:57] "Eve, do you intend on doing battle here?" [19:32:25] "The strange animals? They were not intent on attacking before..." [19:32:55] "In any case, if the fey are watching, they can watch us slay these animals, and hopefully we will be giving them a good show." [19:33:36] "So you're going to kill off animals then? [19:34:20] * Paera mutters "Here we go again..." [19:35:00] "Perhaps instead we should seek out the source of the fey intrusion. A portal of some sort must have opened." [19:36:00] He explained it to us earlier, I believe. I don't know if a portal would help. [19:36:12] Oh, I have an idea. [19:36:18] * Eilenia thinks. [19:36:45] * Eilenia frowns, then takes a deep breath. [19:37:32] "What is it?" [19:38:11] "The animals were being dead already." [19:38:29] * Eilenia shouts out loud, in a cruel and debased form of elven. [19:39:29] * Eilenia frowns. "I hope I should never speak in that manner again." [19:40:20] "What did you say?" [19:40:26] * In the distance, you hear a great horn sound. It's a low, chilling sound, but exhilerating. [19:40:30] * Xan grunts. "I'm going to get into a more advantageous position." [19:40:36] It was not what was said, but how it was said. [19:40:42] * Eve_Kasnora immediately draws her weapons. [19:41:00] "Let us hope that you are not being hunted now." [19:41:01] * Eilenia pulls out her orb. [19:43:37] * Paera swallows nervously and waits, looking in the direction of the horn. She appears to already be muttering a prayer. [19:44:18] * Xan moves into a nearby building, emerging on its roof. [19:44:33] * Xan signals the group, then makes himself hidden, [19:51:30] * Eilenia stands by Eve. "He's going to be angry." [19:56:09] * Charles changes topic to '[Stalker 2]: 30 [Screecher]: 26 [Xan]: 25 [Paera]: 22 [Eve, Stalker 1]: 19 [Myrmidons 1-4]: 15 [Eilenia]: 11, [Myrmidons 5-8]: 10' [20:02:23] * As the team prepares, the horn blows again, and a compliement of strange humanoids, hunched, carrying spears and with their jaws distended into bizarre mandibles, slams through the pavement, knocking flagstones aside, as a misshapen reptillian creature rushes around the corner. It screams, its voice at the edge of hearing, and Paera reels [20:02:35] [Xan's turn] [20:06:52] * Xan rushes to the corner of the building, eyeing the shrieker. He tosses his cloak aside, aiming his palm calmly at the creature. He fires an expecially long, delicate shard at it, which drills into the hide of the screecher. [20:07:01] [Paera's turn] [20:08:15] This is the first wave, here to wound us. [20:13:27] [Eve's turn] [20:15:16] * Paera nods to Elena, and murmurs a prayer, frying one of the monsters to a crisp. [20:17:46] * Eve_Kasnora runs up behind Paera, leaping past her shoulder to slice at two of the mandibled-freaks, cutting one down with her grandfather's sword. [20:18:40] 1d20+10 [20:20:11] * As Eve rushes in, a catlike man-thing boils from the shadows being cast by the trees near the library, swiping at Eve's back with diamond-sharp claws, and drawing blood [20:23:09] * The myrmidons break out of formation, the one Eve had challenged stabbing at her, its spear skidding off her armor, while the other advances and jabs at Paera, nicking her [20:23:48] [Eilenia's turn] [20:27:49] * Eilenia raises her orb and unleashes a blast of thunder that blows right past the spear-weilding humanoids and leaves them unharmed. [20:28:15] * Eilenia starts to back away from the formerly invisible creature. [20:29:59] * As Eilenia begins to back away, the myrmidons behind her press forward and cut off her retreat, four spears thrust at her seriously hampering her ability to evade [20:31:19] * A stalker forms out of Xan's shadow and takes a swipe over his head, falling off-balance [20:32:03] * The screecher darts inside one of the insulae, slamming the door open with its shoulder as it bolts for the stairs [20:32:09] [Xan's turn] [20:41:30] [Paera's turn] [20:41:53] * Xan swipes out twice at the suddenly-formed shadow, catching air with his suddenly bladed arms. He moves to the south. [20:43:57] * Paera closes her eyes and chants a prayer. Cracks of light spread out across the ground from her position. [20:45:16] [Eve's turn] [20:49:33] * The Stalker slashes at Eve again, catching her, as a Myrmidon withers away in the holy light [20:49:38] [Eilenia's turn] [20:49:50] * Charles changes topic to '[Stalker 2]: 30 [Screecher]: 26 [Xan]: 25 [Paera]: 22 [Eve, Stalker 1]: 19 [Eilenia]: 11, [Myrmidons 5-8]: 10' [20:51:16] * Eve_Kasnora slashes at two of the creatures, stabbing one and missing the other before it dissolves into radiance anyway. She turns to the other and shouts "BAHAMUT's WILL IS THAT I BE YOUR LAST OPPONENT!" [20:52:02] * As two Myrmidons are dashed apart by Eilenia's thunderwave, the third begins withdrawing towards the botanical gardens [20:52:04] * Eilenia speaks fey words of power, and thrusts her hand forward. There's a booming burst of thunder, blowing two of the twisted spearmen away from her. [20:55:44] * Eilenia strikes out at the Myrmidon with her longsword, but is a bit too slow [20:56:41] * The screecher emerges from the roof of the insula, and screams at Xan, its voice shaking the buildings they stand on [20:56:58] * But not doing much else. [20:57:03] [Xan's turn] [21:00:50] * Xan glances to the screecher, stepping back from the attacking shadow, breaking off the liquid silver blades before him and flinging them like short-range throwing daggers into the shadow. [21:01:40] [Paera's turn] [21:02:43] * Paera continues to pray quietly. The cracks around her blaze brightly. [21:06:26] [Eve's turn] [21:09:36] [Eilenia's turn] [21:10:36] * Eve_Kasnora is bolstered by the healing energy and launches into a flurry of distracting attacks [21:11:52] * Eilenia backs away from the warped creature by her, but stays within the boundaries of Paera's aura. She turns around and swipes at the air with her hand, magical fey daggers materializing in place as she does so, then she points. They all fly at the creature by Xan, buzzing about and swiping at it [21:13:00] * The screecher continues wailing to no avail [21:13:19] * Xan holds his palm to the creature as it steps to him, touching his hand to its chest. Its back explodes in a gory mess, and it crumples to the ground. [21:13:48] [Paera's turn] [21:15:44] * Paera backs away slightly, continuing her prayer as the ground pulses with light. [21:16:51] [Xan's turn] [21:19:37] * Xan turns to the Screecher. "Quiet down." He fires two hammerlike bolts at the creature, one sending it reeling, the other pressing its torso so hard that it knocks it free of its limbs. [21:20:01] [Eve's turn] [21:22:20] * After Eve's strike, the creature deteriorates into the shadows, and you hear it begin to sprint away [21:24:29] * It manages to put its shoulder against Eve's killing strike and runs, a trail of blood behind it. In the distance, you see the myrmidon disappear through the north arch of the botanical garden [21:25:10] * Eve_Kasnora looks the others over. [21:25:21] * Xan steps to the edge of the roof. He hops over to another and searches the bodies for anything of use before rejoining the group. [21:25:23] "Catch breath, then we are going, yes?" [21:25:45] Do we have time for that? [21:25:53] "Indeed. I do not wish for our quarry to survive." [21:26:29] [Session end] End of #Odal buffer Mon Jul 13 21:58:07 2009