Czlaplon Quest

[ToranaVameha]

I'll nod. "Yeah. Let's go there, and we'll try to explain everything." And...I'll lead the way. "You know...sometimes I wish I knew more about magic and things like you spellcasters do...but other times I really don't think I want to know."

[arcomniflash]

I'll nod and fall in behind the party if we're moving to the inn so that I can keep an eye on Mekhitar. Not that I could do anything about it if he tried anything, but I might at least get a chance to warn people in the off-chance that he does.

- Isaac

[TarlimanJoppos]

Gudrun hmfts. "You are a Beastmaster. You are expected to understand the natural order. I am a Nethermancer. I am expected to understand the astral plane, the Horrors, the underlying questions of life and death and that which is beyond. I must rely upon you for guidance in the natural world. You must rely on me for guidance in the spiritual world. This is the way of things. A basic knowledge of the spiritual world would be useful to you as a Lightbearer, but too much knowledge of it would only distract you from your own Discipline." Her voice is flat, emotionless, a recitation of facts that she cannot change and has no feelings about.

Mekhitar flirts a little bit with passersby, tickles a baby under the chin, drops a coin in a beggar's cup, but doesn't do anything you wouldn't expect from a Troubadour on the way to the inn. However, isaac, 50 LPs for thinking to maintain vigilance.

You arrive at your inn. Gudrun doesn't bother with niceties. She goes up to the bar and plunks down a gold coin. "Room. Bath. Now." The barkeep flinches, and quickly retrieves a key for her. He shouts into the kitchen for hot water. Gudrun has not waited for him to confirm that her orders are being followed. She takes the key and walks off to the stairway, pausing only long enough to tell the lot of you, "Get a private room. I will join you when I have bathed. It will not take long. I am a vegetarian and drink only water." And then she goes off up the stairs.

"Well!" says Mekhitar, hands on his hips. "Someone woke up on the bossy side of the bed this morning!"

Shaliko shrugs. "She is efficient," he says. "Barkeep. Private room." He puts two gold coins on the bar. "Chilled water, fruit juices. No beer or wine. We need our heads clear."

[ToranaVameha]

Hm. She...might be a handful. Oh well...I'm going to stay with the ice flyers while waiting for Gudrun, with some of my jerky for them and Andine to snack on. Not for all that long...and then I'll go join everyone at the private room. "We'll probably want another elemental for privacy again...And then I think you'll have to explain again, Mekhitar. Don't be brief...As much detail as you have would be good."

[arcomniflash]

Once we're in the private room, I'll find somewhere to sit down and quietly watch Mekhitar while waiting for Gudrun. I'll fold my arms and lean back. This should be good, hopefully Gudrun will be able to shed a little more light on it. I'll glance at Shaliko to make sure he's also paying attention to the dead man. It might seem overly paranoid....but not to me. I'll take some water and sip it slowly.

- Isaac

[TarlimanJoppos]

"Always happy to tell a good story," chirps Mekhitar. Once in the private room, he fiddles a bit with the tuning on his lute, then returns your stare, Isaac. If you keep looking at me like that," he coos, "people are going to think you're the jealous type."

For what it's worth, Shaliko is paying attention, but then he's Vorst, and you've come to understand that Vorst pay attention to =everything=, on the idea that you don't know what might suddenly grow teeth. Garsevan just looks bored with this all, and makes a face every time he sips his drink. Kolbeinn is trying to keep up as best he can, but his Throalic is still sketchy.

Gudrun is back downstairs in less than half a candlemark, and probably would have been back sooner, but the maids took half that time carrying the hot water upstairs. She's still in the black leather armor, but it's been cleaned up, and she's traded her mountain boots for sandals. She nods once to you, Torana, then heads into the private room. Once everyone is inside, Kolbeinn conjures an elemental, Gudrun conjures a spirit, and the two of them give Torana a nod to let you know that security has been established.

[ToranaVameha]

"Alright...Can we get another spirit as a running translator for Kolbeinn? I think that would be easiest right now. And then...Let's hear it again, Mekhitar. Gudrun and Garsevan haven't heard any of it yet, so...What happened in Death's Realm?"

[arcomniflash]

I'll just sit quietly and listen, I'm sure there will be time for questions at the end - though I will frown a little at Mekhitar's comments. It seems like Torana has the matter well in hand, and she has more experience with this sort of thing anyway. So let's see if we can learn anything.

- Isaac

[TarlimanJoppos]

Gudrun waves a hand peremptorily. "You need to work with him on his Throalic," she tells Torana, with a tip of her head toward Kolbeinn.

Mekhitar sighs. "Well, I suppose the short version would be more appropriate, given the audience." He cocks an eyebrow at Gudrun, who does not respond. At all. Mekhitar seems a little put out at that. "So anyway," he says, speaking more to Torana than Gudrun, "when the Horror Cloud exploded over Vivane, it cracked the barrier between here and Death's Realm."

"More complex than that," Gudrun interjects. "Three states of reality now overlap in Vivane - the realm of the living, the realm of the dead, and the realm of undeath, for lack of a more precise term. A third state that, while corrupt, is not directly the result of Horror action, has come into being."

"Are you telling this story or am I?" Mekhitar asks, a bit exasperated.

"You are telling a story. I am stating facts." Gudrun is not impressed.

Mekhitar rolls his eyes dramatically. "No respect for my Discipline, none at all. So as I was saying, a crack opened up, and there was a very lot of traffic for a bit there. Some of the undead made it into Death's Realm and were released from the misery of their Horror-prolonged existence. Some of the dead fought their way out of Death's Realm, past the border guards and the Name-givers of Vivane and the things let loose from the Horror Cloud. Some people were dragged one direction or the other."

"And the Horrors fed well on all sides," Gudrun interrupts again.

"Let me know if I'm boring you," snaps Mekhitar. Gudrun just shrugs. Mekhitar gives her a venomous scowl, then picks up his narrative once more. "And so I took advantage of the confusion and slipped out the back." He forestalls Gudrun with a raised hand. "I'm a Troubadour, not a Warrior or a Nethermancer. Slipping out the back during the fight is something I learned at First Circle. A little misdirection, a little moving from cover point to cover point, and always knowing where the kitchen window leads to. And so out I went, and out of Vivane, as fast as my little feet could carry me. A few gigs at the cheap dives along the river, and I had enough coin for better clothes and a proper instrument, and passage this direction. Where I figured I'd run into somebody from the Vanguard or the Bearers eventually. You all do have such strong ties to House V'strimon. It was just a matter of putting myself into your path." He pauses, then raises an eyebrow at Gudrun. "And your critique?"

Gudrun again ignores the jibe. Her Resist Taunt Rank must be maxed out. "You already thought about the time scale?" she asks the party in general.

[ToranaVameha]

"Yes, but it doesn't make much sense to me. The whole mess with the Horror Cloud happened even before I joined the Bearers, and we didn't meet Mekhitar for the /first/ time until after I was with the Vanguard. He said that time doesn't work the same way there, but...it still just seems weird."