Goriel and Beyond, Part 5

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina's brow furrowed at the barrage of questions from the 'elfy-lady'. She umm-ed and ahh-ed, trying to get her thoughts in order.

"Lots a' questions." She declared. "Ahh... right, tell you what I know." She took a deep breath and began.

"Leli, m' tribe leader, said Ralkin arrived in southern continent when she was a gah." She held out a hand at waist height, indicating the meaning of the word. "...'bout twenty years 'go. Went all over, looked for old ruins, elven mostly. Found the old magics, practiced by some... uhh... bad old elves? No, not sure they were bad, but got... ex-I-led?"

"Exiled?"

"Yeah! But new Ralkin didn't do bad things til 'bout five years 'go. Was group of 'bout dozen first time they attacked the killikah and the humans. Used the summons, tried to conquer Southern continent. Didn't work, made them retreat." She grinned sets of pointy teeth at the memory. "Last month came back. Used an arty-fact to make a plague, magic plague, turned killikah and humans into monsters, controlled them, killed lots of people... some were my friends."

Tamina grimaced, partly in anger, partly in sorrow.

"Ralkin magic 'bout control. Sometimes monsters, sometimes make monsters, sometimes slaves. Dunno 'bout Aleron, but Leli said leader always been the same, called 'Foo-silly-us' but that's a... umm... name for job? Only seen him once face-face." She oscillated a finger between herself and the elf. "Others were human, but he had same ears as the bad blonde man, the elf-human. Thought Foo-silly-us was only one left, but blonde-man used the same magic, n' a' think there might be one more."

Tamina gave Drusia a breif description of Gabriel, the ex-militiaman who'd appeared near the end of the battle against the Ralkin, and his actions in trying to stop her and Jaime from destroying the crystal and ending the plague the Ralkin had unleashed.

"Thought he was dead, Jaime shot him in the head. But seen him onna poster in Lorrel after. Think Foo-silly-us did something to him... re-jenny-ration magic?" The kobold was too focused on recalling details to notice the surprise which crossed the older woman's face at that nugget of information. "If Ralkin still going, must be after control, conquering all the peoples, ruling all the places. Maybe they start with the killikah lands, or maybe somewhere nearby." The worry which crossed the humanoid's face at the mention of 'the killikah lands' was easy to see.

OOC If anyone cares, Leli's name is pronounced 'Lel-ly', Lee-li sounded too much like that one-eyed gal from futurama... and Eli for that matter. /OOC

[Drusia]

Exiled Elves? I didn't know that was a thing. Then again, I avoid that awful underground city as much as possible... is that how they punish criminals? Or is this something older? And, more importantly... is one of these Exiles behind the Ralkin?

Things changes five years ago. Hm. Nothing significant that I can think of took place five years ago. Aleron left long before that. Of course, it might have taken him some time to encounter this group. Or... the five years could be coincidence. No way to tell.

They attempted conquest with... one dozen people? That seems low. Still, the fewer there are, the better. Using a magical artifact to create a disease... that's dirty fighting there. Dark. Some sort of necromancy? Or, no... arg, I need a magic expert for this sort of thing. Sort it out later.

An interesting observation about Ralkin magic being controlling. Summons, diseases... mind control as well? Is that what they did to Eli? She doesn't know the name Aleron, but she knows another - Foo-silly-us. Hm. Fusilius? Fusiris? Forsilus? She says it's a title, but... hmm. I'd have to sit down and think of elven words that might match her clear mispronounciation. Assuming that, like Ralkin, Foo-silly-us is an elven word. Maybe Tim heard Eli mention the title? I'll ask him in a bit. Whatever his title, this Foo-silly-us might well be Aleron... he's apparently the only other half-elf in the group besides Eli.

I'm surprised when she says that Foo-silly-us might be the only member left, before Eli. Eli gave the impression of a massive organization, not... a lone leader attempting to recruit new minions. I wonder if Eli even knows.

Tamina describes the man I killed in Goriel. I'm about to tell her that I finished him off when she says:

"Thought he was dead, Jaime shot him in the head. But seen him onna poster in Lorrel after. Think Foo-silly-us did something to him... re-jenny-ration magic? If Ralkin still going, must be after control, conquering all the peoples, ruling all the places. Maybe they start with the killikah lands, or maybe somewhere nearby."

Regeneration magic? Is such a thing even possible?! Absent gods, if it is... that's something worth killing for. I'd planned to destroy these Ralkin and everything they created, but... maybe I should try to take what they have. I can burn the rest - summons, really?, how tacky - but something like that...

Then again, power like that doesn't come without a price. Still... it might be worth it. Imagine the possibilities for hiding half-elves. If Lillith could regenerate from fatal wounds, she wouldn't need to worry about peregins - she could let them 'kill' her and then recover later, as this man apparently did after I fought him. I should have finished him off. Oh well, I couldn't have known.

And Tamina doesn't know where they are. Well, at least I know more about their strength. So three - Eli, regen-man, and Foo-silly-us, who I'm thinking is Aleron. Two of them learned to fight in Snamish - I know their moves, or at least the roots of their styles. The other I've defeated before. Next time, I'll make it stick.

I turn to Tamina. "It seems to me that finding them should be our first priority. Well, after I help Rose collect the body of the man Jamie killed. Would you consider helping me? It seems these Ralkin are an old enemy of your people, and I would like nothing better than to eliminate them perminantly."

-- Drusia

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose looked over to where Drusia and Tamina were having a quiet conversation, catching sight of the kobold nodding her head vigorously. Well, that was something she'd never expected to see. In any case, they seemed to be getting along, and arriving at an arrangement of some kind ... and that meant it was time to get going. She, Argus, Tim, Drusia, Tamina, Therese and even Harker would all have their roles to play. But as for the others ... She paused to think. And she had an idea.

Brad and Lillith were ensconced in their own tent, loving long eons of love in each other's arms, which seemed perfectly reasonable under the circumstances. Desiree and Anfisa seemed to be doing the same thing. They should all be safe enough here, Rose reckoned. They'd done a good enough job with concealment to avoid scrutiny by at least two Gorielian parties, and these four could be counted on to be fairly quiet (not to mention the effects of both the Damping spell they'd be left with and Luminosita's Chariot to avoid magical detection). That left just one other thing ...

"We're going to have to mobilize soon and do as Tim suggests," she told Udo, choking back the discomfort she felt in dealing with this man. "I have a very important job for you. Can you guard this camp, and those two tents full of nervous love birds, until we get back? I don't think they're going to be very helpful where we're going, and most of 'em will just be scared out of their wits." A wry grin. "Possibly correctly so. If you can make sure no harm comes to them while we're gone, that will be very helpful. I don't expect us to be gone long, if I understand that strange girl's boasts correctly -- although you might have a better sense of whether she's to be taken seriously than I do."

[Alberich]

"We're going to have to mobilize soon and do as Tim suggests. I have a very important job for you.

So, Veracian crazy god-bitch had a job for him? Who the fuck did she think she was?

Well, he wasn't surprised. He'd only gotten a "B" in Mage-Priest War History, but that was because his test answers included facts he'd learned by reading The Adventures of Captain Kenji Takamura, which of course was meticulously researched, even if those facts hadn't made it into the textbook...in the ensuing years he'd spent many hours looking up alternative histories to confirm the Adventures version...

But anyway, the point was, the arrogance of those Veracian nuts was well established. Yeah, she was sugarcoating it, but "I have a job for you..." means "I tell you what to do." Specially when talking to that "weird" Tsuirakuan that she "didn't know what to do with" - as if she had any business doing anything with him.

"I don't expect us to be gone long, if I understand that strange girl's boasts correctly -- although you might have a better sense of whether she's to be taken seriously than I do."

Okay, second question first.

"Yep, damn seriously," he said. "'specially anything to do with shooting. 's what she lives for. Give her time to line up a clean shot, and - that's it. That head had a hole in the right place, and like like your buddy over there said" - he indicated Tim - "she probably took his purse and his jewels as well." Heh heh! Did she get it? He didn't care.

"Now about this business of 'having a job for me.' I'm not of your faith, sister, and I'm not in the market for a tract. And we're not in your country. You want to hire me, we can talk. If I like the job, you'll get plenty of adventurer for your money." Careful measurement of his abdomen would confirm that last statement. And then he surprised himself with what he said next --

"But not today. Jamie said they were maybe chasing her and had a wizard with 'em. You see that kobold over there? If she's going up against a bunch of crazy guys with a wizard even Jamie ran from, then I'm going with her. And Mr. Wacky Wizard isn't getting at her 'less he goes through me. And neither is anyone else."

And I don't care a fuck in the weave what you think about it - he left that unspoken.

[Jack Rothwell]

"It seems to me that finding them should be our first priority. Well, after I help Rose collect the body of the man Jamie killed. Would you consider helping me? It seems these Ralkin are an old enemy of your people, and I would like nothing better than to eliminate them permanently."

Tamina managed a smile at the elf-lady, and nodded.

"Yeah, thank you. Gonna need the help. Got to be stopped before they do more bad things."

[Graybeard]

Well, that clarifies things rather succinctly, doesn't it? Sister Rose thought, her disapproval of this untidy Tsuirakuan growing by the moment. "Very well, then," she began. "I suppose --"

Therese, who'd been watching in silence, interrupted. "That is unfortunate," she said, in her usual calm voice. Really, several things about this exchange had been unfortunate. This Veracian officer-nun was curiously innocent of the ways of the world, and obviously knew nothing about the things that would reach certain strata of the social structure that would be unaffected by duty, chivalry, and military structure. Things like bribery, for instance.

"We were prepared," she continued, "to offer you certain considerations in appreciation of your distress at being separated from your kobold friend for this brief period of time." She extracted from her traveling kit the "art work" she'd tried to use earlier to bribe the sentry at the Chepilesky compound, and let a corner of the wrapper slip so that Udo (and Rose) could have no doubt as to what the rest of it looked like. "But if you are not going to be separated from your friend, then there will be no such distress, and therefore no need for any such considerations. But as you wish." She started to put the parcel away, as Rose looked at her speculatively.

[Alberich]

Ooo! Porn! - Udo grinned at this red-haired dude. Now there was someone that knew how to talk! And of course it was important from a tactical point of view that someone guard the baggage train and occupy a tactical position to the rear and...

But his usual mode of thinking was being short-circuited here. Self-awareness and introspection weren't Udo's strong suits, not as a rule. But even he could see how this scene would play out. Tamina would bounce up all happy and ready for the expedition. And she'd look at him with those big lovely glow-in-the-dark kobold eyes and say...."Oo-doh not going?"

And then she'd get droopy and sad again and he would turn bright red, go weak at the knees, and melt like a big ol' blob of butter on a hot bun be inspired by his noble heroic nature to stand by her side! No, it was not for him to hesitate! The fact that he had, in fact, been hesitating did not register in his conscious thoughts.

"I like the way you think, buddy," he said, "But no."

Tim raised a couple of eyebrows in an unspoken question to Rose while subtly pointing a finger at himself. If she was really after a rear guard, of course he'd be willing to play that role -- though she might prefer to have his healing skills nearby in the event of violence. On the other hand, this Tsuirakuan clown would probably "guard" the girls in the tents by peeking in the flaps to "make sure they were okay." (Unless Therese gave him that - ugh! - "reward" early in which case he'd spend his time with that.)

If she was actually just getting the irritating infidel out of the way, then it was better for him not to say anything. So he didn't say anything.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina turned to Rose's group, flapping her hand in a brief wave to Udo, before yelling loudly enough for the whole camp to hear.

"Hey Rosey! We... ahh... going soon? Got to things to do! Peoples to save!"

OOC I know the group's splitting momentarily, but will they be moving to a more civilized location before that happens? One with an appropriate crossroads to split up at? Or a warp gate maybe?/OOC

[Drusia]

"Yeah, thank you. Gonna need the help. Got to be stopped before they do more bad things."

"Yes, they do," I agree.

Tamina turned to Rose's group, flapping her hand in a brief wave to Udo, before yelling loudly enough for the whole camp to hear.
"Hey Rosey! We... ahh... going soon? Got to things to do! Peoples to save!"

I grin. "Yeah, Rosey." Oh, I'm gonna have to remember that one. It's adorable.

-- Drusia

[Drannin]

Argus forcibly kept a straight face at Rose's new nickname. Oh, Harker was going to have a field day with that one.