The Southern Continent (part 2)

[Alberich]

Udo strongly suspected that few if any of these books were going to end up on his shelf as curiosities, or even at the magic used bookseller's as loot. Most likely this Ralkin stuff was so poisonous he'd have to satisfy himself with toasting marshmallows on the bonfire. And maybe not that - marshmallows toasted on a bonfire from burning Ralkin books might do something disturbing.

Alleece idly joined Tamina in the search for anything maplike or interesting, though like the other kobold she had to rely on the humans and the elf to interpret any of the writing. Flipping through one of the volumes, the illustrations made her stick her tongue out and wince. As the search continued, she started to snigger at something the book brought to mind.

<"Hey, Tamina!">

<"What?">

Alleece was having trouble containing herself. <"When you and the blonde one were holding me down before...the whole time...">

<"Well, what?">

<"He had a raging shuba!"> The younger kobold fell in a fit of giggles.

[Graybeard]

Khoo had absolutely no idea what was going on here. [OOC: Neither does his player.] However, his Translation spell was still active ... and it left him with a very clear idea of what a shuba was.

The complexion of a Tsuirakuan islander was not immune to a deep flush.

[Alberich]

Seeing the confused expression on Khoo's face, and misinterpreting the blush entirely, Udo undertook to explain the situation with him. Whether his powers of clarifyin' explicification were up to the task was a separate question.

"You know we're after these mind-controlling Ralkin shitbags, right? Well, they took over this old elf temple here with the nekkid-girl frescoes and turned it into mind-controlling Ralkin shitbag HQ. But Tamina drove 'em out a few weeks ago" -- he hooked his fingers into claws and made an expressive shredding gesture -- "wwwhhhhfff!!! Because that's what she does! Isnt' she great? But some of 'em got away. And apparently they never came back here and cleaned up. That's why this place has so much of their stuff in it.

"What these books here tell us is that they were using this secret room for their own private mind-controlling Ralkin shitbag library. And we've been learning about their mind-controlling shitbag magic. They've got those dammyass stones that we found the paper on in the other room. They put 'em in one of their servants and he regenerates. They've also got this altar and this needle-knife thingy you see in the picture. They use it to control the minds of their followers like it says here. If we can figure out where this altar is, we can find out where they are and kick their ass. Also blow the thing up! So they can't ever do their mind-controlling Ralkin shitbag shit again! And kick their ass, and kill 'em, and then kick their ass some more, and then pick their pockets! Like what we did in the other room, only more so!" He said it with lots of enthusiasm which he hoped to find mirrored in the newer adventurer's face. Khoo had proven himself cool under fire, or at least cool enough to get off spells under pressure. "So anyway, that's the kind of stuff we're looking for now. Clues to where they have it!"

What Udo didn't explain was exactly how any information or magic in this room was actually going to help them locate the altar, or even pinpoint the continent the altar was on. He did not know the significance of the magic crystal on the table, or that Drusia had seen its twin on Eli.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC Just waiting for Dru to put in./OOC

[Drusia]

OOC: Sorry all - see the explanation in the other thread.
Also, hopefully no one will mind if I insert one small event a few minutes back in the thread./OOC

A few minutes passed before Drusia came to; the kobold smiled

I awaken to no pain. That's good. I think. I open my eyes to make sure. Tamina is leaning over me, looking concerned. Ah, right, she's a healer. She smiles at me. I sit up and kiss her.

She's surprised, but not, I think, displeased. And the kiss is chaste enough - time enough for unchaste ones later.

"Thank you for saving my life," I tell her.

She helps me stand.

Tamina gave the ok to Udo to use the Ralkin's key. The highwayman inserted the object into the fresco and wisely took a few steps backward after he turned it.
It was a chamber fit for the leader of any respectable religious organisation. It wore a chandelier, bookcases with volumes bound in leather and gold leaf, the desk beyond, framed by faded paintings was an ornamental table decorated by papers, open books and the dim glint of something crystal on a chain.
"Yeah..." Tamina said quietly. "Answers'll be in there."

I let the others lead, eyeing the crystal wairly. I would tell them not to touch it, but everyone seems clear on that point.

The information on the altar and the knife is disturbing. That sounds rather like what Eli was describing during a few of his rants. Although - how would one scratch all of the elves? Unless they're planning on finding another method of delivery? That's even more disturbing.

Also... is it possible that I've just learned how they turned Eli into an Errant? He could believe he was being rational. What an awful thought.

"Gotta be a map or something." She muttered, frustration leaking into her voice. "Diary... list of directions?"

Tamina's over by the desk. "Careful of the crystal," I warn, although she's already making efforts to avoid it, "My friend who was 'converted' wore one like it. I don't know how dangerous it is." Although cutting it off of him didn't help. I really do wonder if he was scratched by someone in the days before - or shortly after - he got his.

-- Drusia

[Alberich]

Udo paused at that last information. "D'you think the crystal might have some kind of link to the altar, like it helps to channel control juice into your friend? Maybe we could trace it - find the altar like that." That would be quite beyond his own thaumic skills even if it was possible. But at least he could throw it out there.

[OOC: Udo didn't see the kiss and so didn't react to it or try to compete with it. Which is probably just as well.]

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina broke into a sunny smile at Udo's suggestion, she stood up from a smashed box in the corner of the room she'd scurried over to after it had caught her eye (which had turned out to contain nothing more interesting than a stack of blank paper) and made her way, tentatively, back to the crystal.

"Leli could look at it." She declared. "She knows more 'bout Ralkin magic than anyone else. You.. umm... know what it does Dru?" The kobold had a shy smile on her lips as she asked the elf her question.

"Well, it doesn't look like there's anything else here to discover." Alleece interjected, pulling strands of torn carpet from her claws, acquired when the investigation had gotten particularly trying. "Would have too easy for Fucilious... Aleron... whoever to have left a map with a 'we are here' and a big arrow pointing."

[Drusia]

made her way, tentatively, back to the crystal.
"Leli could look at it." She declared. "She knows more 'bout Ralkin magic than anyone else. You.. umm... know what it does Dru?" The kobold had a shy smile on her lips as she asked the elf her question.

I peer at the crystal, but it just looks like a cheesy - and slightly magical - necklace to me. "Rose said something about it augmenting magic. And that it had adictive properties that contributed to Eli going mad." I add that last bit just in case anyone is tempted to give it a try. I don't want any more of my allies or friends turning on me. "If you plan to take it anywhere, I suggest handling it with care. I pick up a non-magical box that has had it's contents emptied and searched and use the tip of my dagger to pick up the crystal necklace and place it gently in the box. Then I put the lid on.

"Well, it doesn't look like there's anything else here to discover." Alleece interjected, pulling strands of torn carpet from her claws, acquired when the investigation had gotten particularly trying. "Would have too easy for Fucilious... Aleron... whoever to have left a map with a 'we are here' and a big arrow pointing."

I smile wryly. "Sadly, no," I agree.

I turn to Udo and Waiter-kun. "So," I ask, "Which one of you would like to carry the box with the possibly dangerous magical knick-knack that may or may not attempt to invade your mind?" I am not letting Tamina take it. The last thing I need is the Ralkin trying to turn here against me. And I'm sure as shit not keeping it on me. Yikes.

-- Drusia

[Alberich]

"I'll haul it," said Udo hastily. No doubt this was because of his nobility of spirit, and not because he was worried about who would appear to have the bigger coojahs...

"Say, has one of you got one of those pocket dimension thingies? We could scoop these books and stuff in there, get some help in the village to figure out what we can keep and what needs burning. I don't want to leave anything here, so after we stomp out the Ralkin, some dumbass finds this stuff and starts it all over again."

Not for nothing had he supplemented his education with Return of the Ruby Snake Cult - an autographed copy with the bonus story too!

[Graybeard]

"Which one of you would like to carry the box with the possibly dangerous magical knick-knack that may or may not attempt to invade your mind?"

Khoo, who had been feeling somewhat like a fifth wheel, brightened. "This, I can do." With a command word, he popped open his Pocket Dimension, just about the same time that Udo had the same idea. "Hmmm... may need to create a little space in here. This is a fairly advanced model, with more extra-dimensional space than many. My advisor sprung for the fancy one so that we could haul the glider prototype around. Still, it won't hold everything. Hang on a minute."

With a mental tendril of magic, he started to extract things from the Pocket Dimension. There were several tools for working on the glider that wouldn't be necessary here; he could surely invent some imaginative fib in case Professor Takatsuka wondered what had become of them. He also kept a whole pile of undergraduate textbooks in it that could be dispensed with. Most of their content was on Crystal-net now, and even though there was no net access here in the Southern Continent, he didn't expect to need them anyway. He continued rummaging through the magical space, throwing out stuff he'd accumulated over the years ...

... Until his rummaging produced a pair of women's panties.

"Uh, pretend you didn't see that, okay?" he said, hastily stuffing the item of clothing back where it had come from.