Stone Man Pass

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

Sister Rose thought about that for a minute. "You'll get used to them soon enough, they're good, strong horses," she said, and returned to thought speech. <"Well, we certainly don't mess around with time magic. So if it's not us ... and it's not Tsuiraku ... who is it? I think we'd better keep Kim with us until she's comfortable enough for us to ask some questions. We're not there yet, and I don't think we're going to be soon.">

She let Argus drive for a minute; the road was approaching the mountains, and there were some difficult turns to negotiated as it combed the ends of the foothills coming down from the ridge line to the valley. She might want to take the reins before the road got steep as it headed for the pass, but there was time for that. First, another mind-conversation was needed.

"Kim and Lillith seem to be enjoying their, ah, treatments," she observed to Drusia, and again switched to telepathy. <"So what's your take on where the time magic is coming from, and what do we do about it -- other than try to be somewhere else?">
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: Where did everybody go? Just to keep things moving:]

Brad finished his task, set down the brush with the care one might normally afford a religious artifact.

"I felt ... like I was combing the hair of an angel," he breathed.

Of course, from his point of view, that's basically what he was doing.
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Sareth
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Sareth »

Lillith gave Brad a half playful half serious swat on the knee. "Don't exaggerate." She smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you for combing my hair." She carefully pulled the strands to cover her ears again, then settled in. "Where are we staying tonight? Will there be a lot of people?" She subtly glanced over to the girl, then gave Sister Rose a significant look.
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Drusia
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drusia »

"Kim and Lillith seem to be enjoying their, ah, treatments," she observed to Drusia, and again switched to telepathy. <"So what's your take on where the time magic is coming from, and what do we do about it -- other than try to be somewhere else?">

I shrug. <"So far as I know, time magic comes from the same place as any other magic - skill and training. Someone taught our young refugee a skill, and she had enough talent to make use of it. If you're asking who trained her, then that answer is easier - the Einsigerum."> Or a member of the current incarnation of the Einsigerum, anyway. Who knows if it was legit. Hell, maybe that's why they murdered her town - to keep their secrets secret. Or maybe not. The flame-factor could indicate other agressors.

<"I don't really have any suggestions about the other part,"> I add. <"Unless she's particularly macabre, I don't think this is some sort of ruse to set us up for Einsigerum murder. That being the case..."> I shrug again. <"Using time magic wasn't particularly forbidden; it was mostly just considered idiotic. No better way to smear yourself across a room than by screwing up one of those spells. That's probably why the Virador taught it to humans - they considered them expendible."> I don't bother to hide the bitterness in my mind. Fucking smug bastards, thinking their lives meant more than anyone else's, just because they live for fucking ever. ... just because we live for fucking ever.

<"So,"> I contiune, reclaiming my composure, <"I say live and let live. If she wants to make 'time' her nubile bitch, she can be my guest, so long as she doesn't also want to stick pointy objects into me or anyone I like. And so long as she doesn't begrudge me bending 'space' over my knee every once in an while and giving it a good spanking."> I keep my expression neutral, but I watch for signs of Rose blushing. She's so cute when she's flustered. And speaking of S&M, that was a particularly tortured metaphore I just used there, comparing time magic and teleportaion magic. I really wish I hadn't spent the better part of last night expecting Zeb to try to kill me - I hardly ever get to play with my toys anymore....

-- Drusia
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

Now why is Drusia looking at me like that? Sister Rose wondered (in her own way, she still had a bit of innocence to her), then decided she didn't really want to know. <"Back to you in a minute. I'm not good enough at this yet to carry on two conversations at once,"> she mind-spoke, then turned back to Lillith. "I don't really know. According to the map, there's really nothing more between here and the pass. We'll probably have to spend tonight on the road, having lost that time because of the storm. I'm a little embarrassed about that; I really should have expected mountain thunderstorms, it's getting to be the season for them. Anyway, Maduin's tent-gadget should still allow us a comfortable night." She smiled at the Tsuirakuan, quite sincerely; she'd had plenty of nights on the road in lumpy sleeping bags, interrupted by having to stand watch, and that tent looked awfully good under the circumstances.

The quick smile at Maduin had an ulterior motive, however; the Empathy spell was still up, and she wanted to sense what Kim, now well immersed in the manicure (would that be practical for someone who lived in the wilds? Rose doubted it, but that was a thought for another time), was thinking of the prospect of spending the night with this strange crowd. Surprisingly, the answer was mainly one of indifference -- tinged with regret. You mean to tell me she misses the place where we first sensed her? Rose thought, baffled at first, but then the explanation dawned: that was home, to the extent that the girl had one.

Now that was a sad thought.

Back to Drusia; the exchange with Lillith had provided enough cover that she could go straight to mind-speech. <"I think she'll stay with us, at least for now. And I think she's even less menacing by nature than Lillith is, if such a thing is possible. Now with that said, what was that elven weapon doing in the middle of the burnt-out ruin that she calls home? And what's this about the Viradior teaching humans time magic?">
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Porcelain Fish
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Porcelain Fish »

Maduin finished filing the last of Kim's fingernails into a perfectly smooth, rounded curve, and paused to admire his work. Her fingers were rough, but that could be fixed too, and he quickly applied a dollop of lightly cinnamon-scented lotion, giving her hands a brief minute-long massage as he worked it into the skin.

"Would you like salmon pink, crystal blue, or golden caramel for the polish?" he asked Kim as he finished with her fingers. "Or if you like, I think I have a pale sepia."
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Drannin
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drannin »

Argus chuckled quietly. Maduin's antics never ceased to amuse. He had to admit, the young man had charm... thought being Fayna's friend did bias Argus' opinion of him.

The sky was still overcast, but storms were no longer threatening. There were even some birds chirping. It was peaceful... Argus was intent on savoring it. Chaos seemed to follow this merry crew... or they ran into it on a regular basis. Either way some quiet time to think was always welcome.

It retrospect, Argus was likely very wrong about Haniko Goto being involved back there. He was embarrassed, and hoped the diplomatic tiff would die down in time. The twin bogeymen of Haniko Goto and chronomancy had been enough to send him into a tailspin.

Well... now what? Things were slowly getting better between him and Lillith, and at least he could carry on a conversation with Drusia now... He sort of missed Miguel. Hopefully everything was going well the the man.

Hopefully they wouldn't run into anything they couldn't handle wherever they were going.

More immediately, hopefully whatever the hells Harker had been spending so much time carving wouldn't turn out to be too vulgar.
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Graybeard
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Graybeard »

Brad was enjoying the peace and quiet too; his life had been comfortably settled before he... had had to hit the road, and the upset of the last couple of weeks had been wearing on him, despite what looked like the happy ending. "I always like the smell of the earth after a thunderstorm," he sighed to Lillith. "Makes me want to stop time and go on like this forever ... with you."

Sister Rose rolled her eyes, hoping her cousin wouldn't see it; the man was so head over heels in love that all he seemed able to do was moon over Lillith and utter banalities. Well, was that really so bad? I was in love like that once ... check that, I still am. She clamped down hard on that thought and took her own deep breath, getting the loamy aroma of a rain-soaked land. A hint of that, and you know why the Orthodox people refer to the rain as Luminosita's Tears.

Drusia seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts, so Rose looked around again. Even the girl seemed somehow more tranquil, less fearful; Maduin's ministrations, or the benign effects of the storm? Maybe, by the time we get to camp, she'll be calmed down enough to talk to us about the terrifying, or at least unsettling, Zeb -- hey, what's that?

A solitary rider was approaching from the north, overtaking the wagon at a speed not quite up to that of a horse at full gallop, but still faster than the wagon by a wide margin.

So much for the nice, calm mood, Rose thought.
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Drusia
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Drusia »

<"I think she'll stay with us, at least for now. And I think she's even less menacing by nature than Lillith is, if such a thing is possible. Now with that said, what was that elven weapon doing in the middle of the burnt-out ruin that she calls home? And what's this about the Viradior teaching humans time magic?">

I've always wondered why it was that humans forgot so quickly about their place in elven society. Were the memories really that painful? Or was it the fact that we ditched them so cruely? To hear them talk about it now, at least those who still have it in their recorded histories, we were some sort of awful slave masters. Now, not to say some of us weren't jerks, but on the average day humans were more likely to suffer due to being ignored in favor of half-elves rather than anything malicious. Then again, maybe I'm biased.

<"The Einsigerum was the human branch of the Viradior,"> I repeat. <"Hence, when humans were first recruied into the group, they were trained by existing Viradior members. And, because, according to certain individuals at the time, humans were less capable and more expendible than humans, it was decided that they should be taught time magic to help even the gap. At least, that's how I heard it. They were supposed to be counter-assassination specialist, I gather, but wound up being more suited to assassinations, which suddenly had a much greater demand once the war got started. Then, when things got really bad, and elves and humans parted ways, we sort of lost track of the Einsigerum, what with them being stealthy ninjas and all."> I shrug.

I glance up at the sound of horses. And, lest Lillith freak out again, I only put my hand on my blade, rather than drawing. Let's see who we've got for company.

-- Drusia
Porcelain Fish
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Re: Stone Man Pass

Post by Porcelain Fish »

"The perspicacious whims of fate, it seems do often make me late. And so on tired horse I ride, on beastly bearer of burdens mild . . . Luminosita's beard, blast it all, what rhymes with perspicacious?!"

His floppy hat was arrayed with enough colorful feathers to account for several birds much less one, a bronze monocle over one eye as he cantered past the wagon, kicking up dust, his yellow and black cape trailing behind him. His pantaloons were russet, not quite matching his bright yellow jerkin, and he held himelf almost stiffly in the saddle, one hand on the reins, the other gesticulating at nothing.

Maduin blinked, glancing after him, and then shook his head, about to return to the slightly less bizarre matter of deciding whether Kim would look better in green or perhaps a soft bronze, when the rider abruptly pulled up, his animal whinnying in protest and sidestepping as he yanked its head around, dancing for a moment before he scolded it into a trot back in the direction of the wagon.

"I'm having a bit of a poetic difficulty in the discharge of my eloquent elocutions," he said loudly as he approached, waving one hand. "Do any of you perchance have a word on the tongue that rhymes with that dratted, bebothered tongue-wrangling "perspicacious" by some small grace of fate?"
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