Lorenzel, Part 2

[Drusia]

A quick layer of illusion over polymorph, and I look fully human. The ears won't stay short for long, but at least this way if anyone can see past my illusion, they'll see the same completely human ears as everyone else.

Not that I expect any human magic users here, but you never know.

So. Troll. That was... unexpected. Lillith's tirade, while rather disturbing, at least proves that she isn't the magically inclined sort of Errant - no homicidal explosions. Still, my earlier assumptions about her stability might be a little optimistic. Not that it matters to the current situation - she still doesn't deserve to die. I'm just not sure she's the new blood I was hoping to graft onto the family tree.

All in all, it's too bad we hadn't finished getting the plan ready. This would've been just the sort of public spectacle that would've made faking Lillith's death approprately memorable. Missed opportunity.

I step over near Argus. "Is she okay?" I ask aloud, brushing my hair back from my now very human looking ears. Figure it might be good to let Rose and Argus know what I did, lest they do anything to try to 'hide' me.

<"Is there anything I can do to help?"> I add to Argus mentally. We missed one opportunity, but this could provide another - telepathy can be jarring at first, so what better time to try than when any overt reactions on Lillith's part will be attributed to her sudden and inexplicable panic attack?

-- Drusia

[Porcelain Fish]

Maduin was nothing less than stunned. First this strange Veracian woman's inexplicable hatred for half-elves had come boiling out of nowhere, followed by a very nearly equal vilification of elves, and then Lillith's uncharacteristic violence, and to top it all off, the appearance of a massive, green-skinned troll that apparently wasn't in the habit of eating people, who, rather than doing anything particularly fearsome or violent, had prudently and promptly relocated the half elven girl.

It understandably took him a moment to recover himself.

Argus looked to have his arms full metaphorically as well as literally, panic in his eyes. Maduin glided up behind Lillith and laid his fingertips lightly on her shoulder.

"Everything will be just fine," Maduin murmured in a soft voice laced with subtle enchantment. "Just relax." It wasn't so much a compulsion as a spell of suggestion, a whisper of magic that would slow the rush of blood and adrenaline, ease the anxious flow of chemicals in the lower rear portions of her brain and nudge her mind back toward balance and calm.

Of course, in certain subjects the effect also caused those under a particularly large degree of mental strain to actually faint. It was therefore a good thing she was already leaning on Argus.

[Drannin]

As Lillith slumped in his arms, Argus sighed and glanced over at Drusia. "She's fine. Just... worked up." <"I think it's alright. She just needs to rest and regain her senses, she's been under a lot of strain lately, you see... I guess it all just came out at once.">

Argus looked up at Maduin. "Thanks. I think she needed that. Now, Is there somewhere we could put her to rest?"

[Graybeard]

Brad was at Lillith's side, clucking and fussing as though over his own child (or, pre-affair, wife). Sister Rose could also tell that Argus and Drusia were having a more private, mind-to-mind conversation to go with what they were saying. That was good; with everyone else occupied with Lillith, that gave her a little time to probe the shopkeeper about her nephew.

What she had to say, though, was all pretty routine, normal stuff. Brother Carter had been a child of the village who was devout and wise beyond his years (of course, all doting aunts think their favorite nephews and nieces are precocious in one way or another, Rose reflected, well aware that she herself fell into that category both as niece and as aunt), well thought of, never got into trouble, and on and on. He'd joined the Orthodox church (now that was a minor surprise; few Orthodox priests became missionaries) and consecrated his life to Luminosita (in other words, Rose thought, he was single his whole life and never really minded it ... in contrast to ...), becoming a village priest in the next small town west before being noticed for his piety by a visiting father of the church and recruited for the mission. Probing revealed that the town to the west was called Salticiel; Rose made a mental note to herself that that might be their next place to visit, since they weren't ready yet for Lillith's fake death.

And then she asked a question that struck a nerve -- her own. "Do you remember who this visitor was who recruited him?" she asked, not really thinking much of it. "Oh, yes, ma'am," Edith replied with pride. "He was the bishop of this whole region, in fact, traveling around to recruit missionaries. He was quite famous and a powerful servant of Our Lord Luminosita. His name was Father Blaise. Alas, I think he's been dead now for several years."

No, he hasn't, Rose thought to herself, trying not to show any reaction. Ranulph says he's up at Emerylon now, doing something that Ranulph definitely doesn't approve of ... and I'm more inclined to trust Ranulph's judgment on such things than this woman's. This might be worth looking into. She made neutral noises as she paused to see how Lillith, Argus and the rest were doing.

[Drusia]

"Thanks. I think she needed that. Now, Is there somewhere we could put her to rest?"

"Here, let me help," I say, kneeling next to Argus and Lillith. I give both of them a gentle, reassuring smile. I don't bother with any mental magic to follow up - it seems as though someone else here beat me to that. I wonder who.

"We'll be okay," I assure Lillith softly. "You'll be okay. We're here to protect you." Sometimes, a kind smile and a reasuring word can be more powerful than the best emotional magic.

-- Drusia

[Sareth]

Sleeping lightly, Lillith murmured something in reply. Though it couldn't be made out, one thing was clear. At the sound of the soft, feminine voice, the girl seemed to relax further into a true sleep.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose's expressive face formed a soft, almost sad smile as she watched the others coax Lillith to sleep. "Please forgive the poor girl," she said to Edith. "She's had a number of terrible shocks in the last few days pertaining to her -- family." She hadn't shown any signs of her half-elf ancestry here, had she? Rose thought not; she certainly hoped not.

After the older woman's own nod and half-smile, Rose returned to her tea, and the matter of the late Brother Carter. "Would there be anyone in Salticiel who'd remember him? His story sounds interesting."

"There might be," said Edith, continuing to sip her own drink. "Brother Carter was one of three young priests who were there at the same time. That seems like a very large number for such a small town, don't you think? But they were inseparable best friends, all afire for Our Lord Luminosita, just at the very beginning of their careers in the church. I guess the bishop thought they could help each other through the beginning of their call. Anyway, one of them remained there as the village priest. I think he's still there; his name was Brother Thaddeus, although he'd probably go by Father now. I remember we called him Tad."

"Perhaps we can look him up," Rose said. "And do you have any idea what happened to the third young priest?"

"Well, the third one really wasn't there for very long," Edith said. "He was from some other little town near here, and he never really fit into Salticiel as well as Carter and Tad did. Truth to tell, I think he was still seeing some girl back in his town, not sure whether he really wanted to be married to the Church and renounce the flesh. He left after a year, maybe less. We never knew where he went; back to his girl, probably, and Luminosita alone knows what became of him from there." She smiled at a memory of the man. "He was quite the character, though. He was short, round, and energetic. Even his few friends always said he looked kind of like a walking egg, which was ironic because his real name was Brother Egbert."

And Rose spilled her tea.

[Graybeard]

OOC: I'm going to be generally out of touch for a few days, back this weekend. Might I suggest doing some more planning for Lillith's fake "death" and then we'll shut this thread down (it's getting to the usual maximum length for one) and start a new one on Salticiel?

[Porcelain Fish]

[OOC: Let's make some corpses!

( . . . one way or the other. MWAHAHAHA AHAHAHA AHAHAHA- *cough* *cough*):/OOC]

[Drusia]

Sleeping lightly, Lillith murmured something in reply. Though it couldn't be made out, one thing was clear. At the sound of the soft, feminine voice, the girl seemed to relax further into a true sleep.

I help Argus carry her back to the wagon. There, we lay her down on a blanket, the softest thing avaliable. I sit down beside her.

"Why don't you look around the town," I ask Argus, gently brushing Lillith's hair, "I'll stay with her, make sure she's okay."

I weave an illusion over her ears, the same one that covers mine, making her look fully human. It wouldn't fool anyone from Tsuiraku who actually took a close look at her, or any other competent magic user for that matter, but it was enough to keep random towns people from noticing her ears as they walked past. I brush her hair away from one of Lillith's ears so that Argus can see what I've done.

<"I'll watch over her,"> I tell him. <"Find out what you can about this crazy religion. And if you have a chance, take Maudin aside and see if he'd be willing to help disguise Lillith after she's been dosed - the other elf will expect illusions, not real makeup."> After all, what elf has ever needed cosmetics?

-- Drusia