Start of #Odal buffer: Mon Mar 15 20:14:38 2010 [18:09:08] * When last we left our heroes, they had escaped Mechanus, Xan having stayed behind to allow their escape. Eve directed their portal to the temple of Shepard W'nven, where the kobold priest had been deep in meditation. [18:12:17] * As the party pours through the portal, W'nven looks up in suprise, clearly taken off guard by a portal being projected into a place where portals typically do not go. [18:12:20] [Session start] [18:12:42] * Eilenia steps through confidently. "I certianly hope Anyss saw that." [18:13:30] * Eve_Kasnora can be seen on the other side of the portal, praying, and keeping it open for everyone to step through. [18:15:50] * Paera stumbles through the portal, gasping for breath. [18:16:52] * Tarpaulin rolls through the portal. On the other side, ranks of modrons are starting to open the door to the Source [18:17:06] Eve, through the portal. [18:17:36] * Eve_Kasnora looks back at the barred door, for a moment too long. [18:18:11] * Eve_Kasnora looks back as the portal begins to shut and curses as she leaps through. [18:18:22] "Xan." [18:23:00] * Paera (dlarmour@wnpgmb1302w-ad01-30-87.dynamic.mts.net) Quit (Quit: Client Exited) [18:23:03] * Eve_Kasnora takes a moment as she stares at the space where the portal just was. Then she turns to the kobold priest. "Sherpard W'nven. Please be forgiving the intrusion." [18:23:31] Hello, sir. How are things? [18:26:28] We meant to come here to ask for help about some metalworks, though we were waylaid.... there was a dwarf with us. DId he make it here safely? [18:26:54] "Dwarf?" [18:27:53] * The kobold begins gathering himself and pats down his robes. "Uh.. yeah. Yeah. He made it through. What in the nine hells happened to all of you? It looks like you had the worse part of that portal trip." [18:29:24] * Paera (dlarmour@wnpgmb1302w-ad01-30-87.dynamic.mts.net) has joined #Odal [18:29:58] The opposite, actually. Above, not below. [18:30:56] "We were being taken to inside big clock." [18:31:39] To Mechanus, Eve. [18:32:02] "Lots of clock-like creatures and kobolds tried to pass judgement on us, but one of kobolds was being bandit leader that is in charge of brigands keeping trade roads around Odal's Fen from being safe." [18:32:31] "I was having words with him, which was making big-inside clock stop working." [18:32:44] "Right, Mechanicus." [18:34:00] Dammit! They...Xan... [18:34:47] * Eve_Kasnora sighs. [18:34:57] "He.. he was left behind." [18:36:07] * The W'nven cocks his head, confused. "The gith? Why? How?" [18:38:02] He was brought in for some crimes he committed, then an enemy of ours appeared. Some harsh words and arrows were exchanged. [18:38:33] "And clock stopped working..." [18:38:47] Oh, it iddn't stop. It was merely strained. [18:38:50] "But... Xan... Xan was changing!" [18:38:54] We'd notice if it stopped. [18:39:13] "He.. he was getting better... now... now I am not even knowing what happened to him." [18:39:53] Oh, we know that he hasn't been banished, at least. I saw to that. [18:40:07] The worst option is off the table. [18:40:37] "Unless straining big-clock-mechanicus is being punishable by banishment." [18:40:50] Oh, that was us, not him. [18:41:06] There were witnesses too. [18:41:23] They...didn't seem...to really care...that much...about that sort of thing. [18:42:02] The broken modrons are recycled anyway. [18:43:53] * W'nven nods along, not fully following the details of the adventure. He reaches up and puts a clawed hand on Eve's forearm. "Kasnora, I'm sorry you lost the gith. But you're a big damn hero! I'd bet you that you'll be able to break him out of there before either of you kick it." [18:46:02] Perhaps you shoudl compose a poem in his honor. [18:46:08] .. [18:46:19] * Eilenia doesn't suggest that sarcastically, by the way. [18:46:20] I am liking W'nven's idea better. [18:46:33] * Eve_Kasnora nods. "Thank you Shepard." [18:46:46] Fair enough. Your language isn't suited for it anyway. [18:47:02] * Eve_Kasnora turns to Elena. "How soon can you be opening portal to Mecha-clock-inus?" [18:47:23] Not any time soon. [18:47:39] "How long, then?" [18:48:30] I was only able to open the portal between planes because I had access to so much power there. I assure you, tremendous amounts of it were wasted in inefficiency. [18:49:39] I could no more open a rift between the planes than you could cleave a boulder in two. [18:49:45] We simply aren't skilled enough. Yet. [18:51:00] * Eve_Kasnora frowns. [18:51:09] But... [18:51:43] "Show me a boulder. I will start hacking. Will you be opening portal to clock-world by time I am being finished?" [18:51:58] With one blow? [18:52:27] "No, which is being my point. You work toward it. Little by little." [18:52:46] "The enormity of task is being no excuse not to get started." [18:56:27] Then perhaps I'll lock myself in a tower and study arcane texts for decades, delegating enormous tasks like taking care of the unsightly artifact to whatever sword-carrying passers-by appear. [18:58:02] Then what do you want us to do? Wait until they decide they want to put us on trial again and hope we win this time and Xan's still...still...intact?! [18:58:49] Eye is being my problem! [18:59:30] * Eve_Kasnora sighs and sags just a bit. "Is it really going to be taking decades?" [19:00:58] * "The gith wasn't really intact the last time. And, well, cross-planar portals are difficult without some kind of godly force. Getting them to where you want to go, instead of a circle? Even worse. I've opened a few portals in my day." [19:01:32] * "Not that it's impossible, just... damned hard." [19:01:50] The ruins of my people still lie all over the Feywild. We live in those shattered halls and columns, their likeness never having been constructed again because the knowledge was lost, Eve. [19:02:13] In other words, not since the spider-traitor was on OUR side. [19:02:47] ... [19:02:48] This knowledge, thankfully, is still with us. But not in my hands. [19:03:28] * Eve_Kasnora looks at Elena and briefly wonders how she got on the subject of lost knowledge and spiders, then just rolls her eyes and passes it off as another Elena-ism. [19:06:36] If it helps, I promise I'll ask my teacher about this the next time we see him. [19:07:16] * Eve_Kasnora nods. [19:08:04] * Eilenia looks back to the kobold. "So, sir, how have things been here?" [19:10:00] I heard things were strange, yes? [19:10:34] * W'nven shrugs. "Picking back up. It's not like it was before the gnolls came, and it might not be again. But we've got traders coming and going, a whole armload of dwarves eager to rebuild, the kobolds are starting to come out of the shadows. I've got to say, I've seen worse." [19:11:17] "I am happy to hear that... sort of." [19:13:52] * He opens his mouth, in what you can only assume is the equivalent of a smile from a creature without lips. "I'm just an old son of a bitch. You might as well get out there and see it, don't take my word for it. And, well, I guess it might be a little weird, seeing outsiders around here. Not to mention we've got Aiulen orcish emissaries, and not everyone's happy about that." [19:15:08] * Eve_Kasnora nods. "Perhaps I should be going to see them..." [19:16:24] * He tips his head. "Don't cause trouble. People might not be happy about them, but it's a damn sight better than the last time we had orcs in the city." [19:16:40] Of course. [19:19:11] Shall we? [19:20:38] * Eve_Kasnora begins to nod and then shakes her head. "No, we need to.. stay focused. We are coming here to build sea apparatus." [19:22:09] Right, that thing. [19:22:43] Another thing my teacher has gone through considerable effort to assist us with. [19:24:39] Could you lead us to someone we might be able to ask for metalworks projects? [19:28:29] * He shakes his head. "I have to continue my meditations, but here's the good thing about dwarven city planning:" He takes a piece of blank parchment from a rack on the wall, draws a wide circle, and then a series of smaller circles inside of it, along with lines, like spokes on a wheel. He draws a line from one of the smaller circles, along a spoke, and then and upwards pointing arrow, and then another line, along the edge of the circle. [19:28:58] * "From what I heard, it's being handled at the harbor runesmith's. Just head along that way, and you'll get there no problem." [19:29:32] * Eilenia nods. "Thank you, sir." [19:30:07] * Eilenia looks to the others [19:31:58] * Eilenia heads along to the runesmith's, assuming everyone's okay with it and no one has anyhting else to say [19:32:19] * Eve_Kasnora looks at the map and makes a vocal gesture of appreciation. [19:32:38] "Yes, let us be going. Thank you again Shepard W'vren." [19:34:32] * He makes a gesture of blessing, and nods, returning to his meditations. And so you head into Horbek's Glory for the second time. The city seems to have come to life since last you left, but it still feels lonely. The sound of stone being cut rings through the ward, and the cries of merchants ring out from below. Groups of dwarves and kobolds stay clustered together, only rarely not trying to avoid each other. [19:36:42] * Eilenia walks along, observing and noting the changes here. She seems pleased with the results. [19:36:53] * A few members of other races can be seen here and there, most often scholars or traders bearing the livery of Harborhead, though some outsiders seem to have found their way to the city in the intervening time. On the great stairs up on the inside walls of the mountain, a few groups of workers chat amiably, repairing the loose stonework on the steps, or repainting the bas reliefs that had become damaged during the gnollish invasion. [19:39:12] * Finally, you make your way to the harbor entrance. Compared to how you found it before, the harbor is bustling with activity. Dockside merchants and businesses have candles in the window, dwarven ladies of negotiable affection hang their red banners from the windows of inns, and carts full of goods are being moved off and onto ships. Following the map, which becomes much more intricate, you find your way to a large chamber, housing the smith [19:39:16] * Eilenia smiles warmly. How weird. [19:39:21] * Paera looks around. "It's good to see that something we've done has made a difference." [19:39:58] "It is beginning to look like proper warf." [19:40:24] "Though I cannot be saying that all aspects of returning life are being for the best...." [19:40:29] * Eilenia glances at the dwarven ladies and raises an eye. [19:41:33] * One of them catches Eilenia's glance, but notices that the group consists of three women and a walking cube and decides that trick's too weird for her. [19:42:56] * Paera looks curiously at Eve. "What do you mean?" [19:43:58] * The runesmithy is a massive chamber dug out of the side of the mountain. A series of sluice-gates let in cold water from the inland sea, while another supplies magma from deep under the mountain to heat the forges. A pair of dwarves with close-cropped beards are working at beating brass into shape, while a third, dressed in a robe and weilding an adamant-tipped pick, cuts runes into the side of finished metal plates. [19:44:26] * Deeper into the forge, other dwarves work on more mundane, but presumably just as important, runework projects. [19:46:17] * Eve_Kasnora looks to Paera, and then to the scarlet dwarven ladies. [19:46:41] "Or is Erathis okay with such things? I suppose it is being part of civilization...." [19:48:11] I doubt there are many gods who frown on that. I understand the hierodules of Pelor are well-attended where you can find them. [19:48:25] ... [19:48:30] The what? [19:48:59] * Paera does a doubletake and looks at the women Eve is looking at. "Er..." [19:49:45] * The dwarf cutting runes into the plates looks up from his work to utter, "Temple 'ores." and then resumes beruning the brass. [19:49:55] A specialized priestess of the harvest. Ritually, the earth is dampened, and seed planted, bringing Pelor's blessings upon them both. [19:51:56] * Paera might be blushing furiously right now but she's always so red it's hard to tell. [19:54:24] * Eve_Kasnora stares at Elena. [19:54:31] "Why are you knowing such things?" [19:54:32] Of course, there's no guarantee of the attendant's sincerity, but intended or no, I suppose gods bestow their blessings. [19:55:17] I read. A lot. Books, all day, every day, including treatises on every god worth talking about. [19:55:44] Including variations on worship. [19:58:56] Knowing that probably comes in handy when you try to set that teacher of yours up- [19:59:06] I'm sure you're familiar with multiple interpretations of Bahamut. [19:59:32] * Paera suddenly covers her mouth, eyes widening. [19:59:38] "A few, yes. Some believe he is *actually* platinum-scaled dragon. Weird, no?" [19:59:56] Oh, yes. [20:07:41] And we found a unique interpretation of Erathis not long ago. [20:09:31] I understand that your church is relatively orthodox, Paera? [20:10:36] * Eve_Kasnora is now known as NovaSeaker [20:11:53] * Paera blinks, looking relieved that nobody seemed to have been listening to what she'd said. "Well, basically, I guess. It's not like I've met many other worshippers of Erathis." [20:12:15] Except for the modrons. [20:13:24] [Session End] End of #Odal buffer Mon Mar 15 20:14:38 2010