Skydiving off the Shoulders of Giants

[Dracos]

Sep 15 19:17:00 <Kotono>   The trip down the mountain is peaceful. Time passes and near the base of the mountain the requisite needs happen. Night has coming ot Ysgard, and with it tiredness and the need for most of you to rest before going further - unless you wish to push on, that is. You're currently on a sharp path heading downwards, maybe another half hour to an hour from the bottom of the mountain and to less rocky ground.
Sep 15 19:17:05 <Kotono>   bottom of the mountain and to less rocky ground.
Sep 15 19:18:58 <Knight>   "How much further is it to the portal?" asks Knight, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder. "It is troublesome to think that should we rest, tomorrow may bring with it enemies reborn."
Sep 15 19:18:58 <Eva>   Jeremiah looks more than a bit the worse for wear for the trip, stumbling a bit over the last hour as he pushed himself to keep up with the surprisingly durable party, in his own opinion.  "Perhaps we could call a rest soon?"
Sep 15 19:19:48 <Adail>   "Personally I suggest we press on just a bit." Adail looks down the trail as best he can from his small vantage point, "This is a bad place to sleep, but a better one might show soon."
Sep 15 19:19:50 <Eva>   "I believe we halve another half day's journey at best.  Possibly a full day's hike."
Sep 15 19:19:51 <Kotono>   Nikkolai is silent, lost in his own thoughts and nodding at the right times.
Sep 15 19:20:27 *   Adail shrugs at the Knight, "Ysgard's nights have thier own preditors as well, I'm sure."
Sep 15 19:20:59 <Knight>   "There are no enemies behind us, and resting on the mountain, although uncomfortable, will give us a good vantage point to spot anything that approaches," counters Knight. "We should take the advantage of height if we are to camp."
Sep 15 19:21:00 <Mari>   "We can't make it to the portal in a straight hike--at least, not in any condition to fight off enemies once we get there. I say we press on long enough to find a place to rest, then do so."
Sep 15 19:21:32 <Adail>   "Though on the subject of those," he adds, "being a Guardinal I do not require sleep and will volunteer to watch the night through so the rest of you may sleep."
Sep 15 19:22:02 <Adail>   As Knight counters, he pauses, "Hmm. Also a point. I'm fine either way, as I'll be awake watching. What do the rest of you think?"
Sep 15 19:22:29 <Mari>   "Well enough, I'd trust a mouse to watch over me more than most of my kind."
Sep 15 19:24:27 <Eva>   "A guardinal?  From Elysium?"  Jeremiah nodded.  "A propheteous sign, yes..." He slumped down by a tree, rubbing his legs slightly to alleviate their suffering.
Sep 15 19:26:09 *   Adail twitches his nose a bit, "A Musteval to be exact, as none of you seem overly familiar with the Guardinals. We're rather comparable to Lantern Archons and Coure Eladrins if you have any more experience with them."
Sep 15 19:27:02 <Kotono>   The sun continues to set, darkness settling in as the party chats over options.
Sep 15 19:28:10 <Adail>   "If we're going to move on we should do it soon. So what's it to be, camp here or further down?" He looks at Mari and Eva.
Sep 15 19:28:50 <Eva>   "I recall a legend or three about a set of heroes known as Talisid and the Five Companions.  Here, please.  I do not believe my legs will bear me any further."  Jeremiah smiled tiredly.
Sep 15 19:28:58 <Knight>   Seeing no disagreement, Knight dismounts from her horse, and begins to clear away small rocks and dirt in order to make a passable place to rest. She doesn't tether her steed to anything- if indeed there is anything present with which to do so- and begins the rather arduous process of removing her armour, dumping it- along with the rest of her arsenal- by the roadside.
Sep 15 19:29:16 <Kotono>   OOC: Do any of you have ranks in survival or knowledge: nature or anything like that?
Sep 15 19:29:28 <Knight>   OOC: pfft no.
Sep 15 19:29:33 <Adail>   OOC: Survival +10
Sep 15 19:29:48 <Kotono>   OOC: Go ahead and make a survival check, Adail?
Sep 15 19:29:50 <Mari>   "We move, at least long enough to find a place I can stretch out and sleep. If I'm to sleep out in the snow, I'd like to not be cramped, at least."
Sep 15 19:30:08 <Adail>   roll 1d20+10 survival
Sep 15 19:30:09 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+10 survival and gets 11." [1d20=1]
Sep 15 19:30:41 <Eva>   "It is exhausted to even glance at you pulling all of that off.  It amazes me a bit how anyone manages to walk and fight in such gear," Jeremiah noted unabashedly.
Sep 15 19:32:21 *   Adail nods to the young preist, "Indeed. They are the leaders of our people...insomuch as we have leaders at all, that is. More like our protectors and guides."
Sep 15 19:32:35 <Knight>   "It amazes me that some choose to fight without it," responds Knight, glancing ruefully at the pile of metal. "Risking your life in battle is no small matter."
Sep 15 19:33:02 <Kotono>   Nikkolai lies down and falls asleep immediately.
Sep 15 19:33:24 <Mari>   "The trick is to not be where the enemy's blade is," Mari says lightly. "I prefer to be several leagues away whenever possible."
Sep 15 19:34:14 <Eva>   "Every step one risks ones life.  For it is not like battle comes aware, like tea time.  By the grace of Cuthbert, I live on another day," He smiled wanely.
Sep 15 19:35:23 <Adail>   "For most who brave the melee, armor is a nessesity." He smiles a bit, "As it's not exactly something my folk are made to wear, I've trained in unarmed combat so as to not need it to protect myself."
Sep 15 19:36:15 <Mari>   "That accounts for Jeremiah. I wonder what power spared the rest of us," Mari says idly as she finds a place to sleep for the night. Someplace with a back to a wall, and as level as can be found on this mountain trail.
Sep 15 19:38:43 <Eva>   "Luck, fate, one never knows where hope may turn to, but we still we carry on, our footsteps one after another," He turned over on his side, drifting off asleepp.
Sep 15 19:39:21 *   Adail finds a decent perch where he can keep an eye on things easily and settles in to watch the night away.
Sep 15 19:39:40 <Knight>   "Very true. Luck and fate account for much of our lives," allows Knight, dusting herself off. Under the armour is a sensible, padded outfit, clad to a solid and stocky frame. Her face has a ruddy complexion, with only a faint red on her cheeks; the signs of a day's exertion. "
Sep 15 19:40:41 <Kotono>   Thus, sleep comes to the party. The night leaves Adail alone on watch. At some time past midnight, he spots someone approaching. He wears a noble's clothes and rich fur cape, walking with an ornate, diamond tipped straight cane. He wears rich boots dyed a blue as intense as the noon sky in Ysgard. His gray hair is short and well kept, cut and brushed back. His face is lost in shadows, indistinct and only hinted at. He walks towards the party,
Sep 15 19:40:46 <Kotono>   His face is lost in shadows, indistinct and only hinted at. He walks towards the party, with a mere nod at Adail.
Sep 15 19:42:26 *   Adail hops off his perch and approaches the stranger, "Hold where you are, sir. I would like a better look at you before you come too close to our camp here, I'm sure you understand."
Sep 15 19:44:01 *   Merc (~k@c-98-196-68-69.hsd1.tx.comcast.net) has joined #dunes
Sep 15 19:44:03 <Kotono>   "I come in peace." The man says with a rich, stirring voice, that draws the nobility out of each and every syllable he speaks. He replies in flawless Celestial, approaching closer. His face is utterly shadowed and indistinct, even with Adail's darkvision. "Walk with me, good guardianal."
Sep 15 19:45:58 *   Adail blinks a bit at the shadows even his eyes will not pierce, but nods and falls in beside the man, "Then in peace you are well met."
Sep 15 19:48:12 <Kotono>   He walks on, towards the sleeping party, sparing each of them a glance. His eyes linger on Mari, as he turns his pace towards her. "Most of your kind are not quite so warlike as to frequent Ysgard. But you have the look of a warrior, the proud bearing in your shoulders and the confidence that goes with it."
Sep 15 19:50:48 <Adail>   "It is true that my kind are not born to strength. But neither are we weak." Adail shrugs a bit, "I simply wish to see how much I'm really capable of, I suppose." He keeps a careful eye on the stranger as he approaches Mari. His instincts tell him to trust the man, but Adail isn't the type to trust blindly.
Sep 15 19:52:25 <Kotono>   The man kneels next to Mari, taking her hand into his. Adail gets a glimpse of something metallic, pressed into her palm before he gently closes her hand around it and puts it to her chest. He then rises, "May Ysgard hone you into a well oiled blade." His gaze then turns upwards, "To see what lies beyond the mountain tops. Such a fancy is unbecoming of an older man, don't you think?" Nonetheless, he contines to walk along, upwards.
Sep 15 19:52:32 <Kotono>   of an older man, don't you think?" Nonetheless, he contines to walk along, upwards.
Sep 15 19:55:20 *   Adail shrugs, "Why should age be a barrier to curiosity and excitement? I can't imagine one's thirst for new experiences wanes as the years roll on." He continues walking with the man a bit further, though he won't stray out of range of the party he's supposed to be watching.
Sep 15 19:56:17 <Kotono>   He walks along and up, laughing with all his heart. "Foolish of me to pose such a simple question to you. The wisdom of the guardinals comes as freely as the headwaters of the mountain rivers above. A good night to you, celestial."
Sep 15 19:57:23 <Adail>   Having always been one to find laughter infectious, Adail chuckles a bit as well, "And you, sir."
Sep 15 19:58:16 <Adail>   As soon as the man has moved out of his darkvision range, the musteval hops back down towards the party and pokes Mari awake.
Sep 15 19:58:31 <Kotono>   Mari awakens from her slumber with the feeling of something cool clenched in her hand.
Sep 15 20:00:33 *   Mari is quick to reach for the hilt of a sword, but relaxes when she ascertains that there's nothing dangerous about the situation. Why is she awake, then? ...Ah. "What is it?" she asks the mouse, quietly. "Company?" She blinks, in slight confusion, on noticing the object in her hand. She opens her palm and looks at it.
Sep 15 20:02:05 <Adail>   Adail shakes his head, "A strange old man wandered in and placed something in your hand there. He did not seem malign, so I allowed it. That and I have a feeling I could not have stopped him had I wanted to, nor woken you until he left."
Sep 15 20:02:26 <Kotono>   In her palm rests a bracelet. It is composed of soft silk string, strung with little beads of silver, carved with a single rune on each bead.
Sep 15 20:02:41 <Kotono>   OOC: What languages can you read/write, Mari?
Sep 15 20:02:43 <Adail>   "We spoke but none of you stirred, and you did not even wake when he opened your hand, afterall."
Sep 15 20:03:01 <Mari>   OOC: Common/celestial/abyssal/draconic/auran.
Sep 15 20:03:26 <Adail>   OOC: Celestial/Ignan for the mouse who is also peering at the little gift~
Sep 15 20:03:47 <Kotono>   Neither of you can identify the runes offhand. They look like language but it's unfamiliar to you.
Sep 15 20:04:38 <Mari>   Pretty enough, for all that jewelry's been only a means of earning a meal for much of Mari's life. "...Do you think it might be cursed?" she wonders, apparently unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the idea of someone giving something to her unprovoked.
Sep 15 20:06:59 *   Adail shakes his head, "I don't know. And...I honestly doubt it. My gut tells me to trust the man, but as you've known me only a single day that may well mean little to you. Perhaps Brother Jerimaiah or Nikkolai could take a look at it in the morning?"
Sep 15 20:08:03 <Mari>   "Perhaps," she says, skepticism apparent in her voice. She places the bracelet in a pocket for now, not eager to don any gifts from strangers until she knows more of their nature or origin.
Sep 15 20:10:11 <Kotono>   Sleep comes back to Mari. The rest of the evening is without incdient, the dawn coming. Slowly the party wakens, another day on them...OOC: Ball ins your courts.
Sep 15 20:11:22 *   Mari greets the sunrise with complaints, stretching and wincing as consciousness inflicts itself upon her once again. "Why do the healing powers of Ysgard not extend to cramped legs, I ask you?"
Sep 15 20:11:45 <Kotono>   Nikkolai eats beef jerky and stares out at the sunrise without comment.
Sep 15 20:11:47 <Eva>   Jeremiah seems slow to wake, his priest hat having slipped off revealingly long soft blue hair with eleven ears slipping through as he lay against the side of the tree, having tossed and turned quite a lot in his sleep.
Sep 15 20:11:50 <Knight>   Getting herself and her horse dressed and ready to continue is a time-consuming process- so Knight woke up early, and is halfway finished before the remainder of the party has pulled themselves together.
Sep 15 20:12:43 <Adail>   "Likely the will of Kord. Muscle cramps build character and such."
Sep 15 20:12:51 >Mari<   be conveniently observant, high spot check :)
Sep 15 20:13:27 <Eva>   OOC: *elven for the typo friendly
Sep 15 20:13:39 <Adail>   For his part, once others started to wake, Adail began his daily ritual of excersizes and katas, though he seemed perfectly capable of carrying on a conversation while doing them.
Sep 15 20:14:21 <Mari>   "If suffering truly builds character, I am content to be a blank slate. Ah, there's an elf in our midst?"
Sep 15 20:14:25 <Knight>   "Jeremiah is quite fetching without the hat," remarks Knight, eyeing the still-sleeping priest.
Sep 15 20:15:41 *   Adail chuckles, "An elven constitution would certainly explain yesterday's fatigue."
Sep 15 20:16:17 <Eva>   "Is it morning already?"  Jeremiah groaned slightly as 'he' sat up, seeming somewhat different in figure than the others remembered particularly against the tunic, patting down soft legs as he worked the tiredness from them.  "Sorry, I'm not used to such rushed mountain hikes.  I prefer to take my time usually."
Sep 15 20:18:04 *   Kuki has quit (Ping timeout)
Sep 15 20:20:18 <Mari>   "It is morning. Would that I were spending it in a warm bed somewhere. No offense to present company, of course...Say--" She addresses the group now, "--while we're making small talk, would any of you happen to recognize the letters on this bracelet I came across?"
Sep 15 20:20:45 <Knight>   "Better tired than dead," remarks Knight, munching away on a raw carrot. "We shan't need to rush the rest of the way, however." She peers curiously at the bracelet once Mari brings it up, but shakes her head a moment later.
Sep 15 20:21:26 <Eva>   Jeremiah stood up, a bit shorter actually as he leaned over and looked across it to see if he recognized it.
Sep 15 20:22:15 <Kotono>   OOC: Make a bardic knowledge check, Eva? Also what knowledges do ou have?
Sep 15 20:22:43 <Eva>   roll 1d20+10 bardic knowledge.  So knowledgy!
Sep 15 20:22:45 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+10 bardic knowledge. So knowledgy! and gets 28." [1d20=18]
Sep 15 20:23:12 <Mari>   Mari takes a good long look at Jeremiah. "Weren't you taller yesterday?" she asks, apparently not deigning to comment on any other changes just yet.
Sep 15 20:27:23 <Eva>   He reached up, patting his head and then brushing his hands over his face, wiping off quite natural seeming makeup.  "I guess I was a bit sloppy this morning.  Oh well, it was a new sunrise anyway."  Her voice had changed in an instant, quite akin to a nightingale's song now, as Mari got a good look at 'Jeremiah' as she pulled out a pair of contacts from her eyes.  A gorgeous face having surprisingly been hidden under the makeup, impossible
Sep 15 20:27:23 <Eva>    to mistake for such softness for the older man she'd seemed.
Sep 15 20:28:54 *   Adail flips to his feet after the last pushup and twitches an ear, "An impressive vocal range."
Sep 15 20:29:42 <Eva>   "Years of practice," The unnamed 'priest' winked shaking her hair out a little.
Sep 15 20:29:59 <Mari>   It's obvious Mari isn't entirely comfortable with someone who can so easily change their features. "You could give a girl a bad surprise with that act," she observes.
Sep 15 20:30:19 <Knight>   Knight's eyes widen in shock and alarm, and a hand drifts towards the sword on her belt. "What madness is this?" she asks, with slight fear. "You are not who you were!"
Sep 15 20:30:50 <Adail>   "IF I may be so bold, what name shall we call you by this day, miss?"
Sep 15 20:33:03 *   Adail holds his palm open towards the Knight, "At ease, please. A woman traveling alone taking the guise of a man is nothing I have not heard of before, lady Knight. Though I'll admit to having never met a mortal with quite the skill at it as 'Jeremiah' here.?
Sep 15 20:33:32 <Adail>   OOC: " not ?
Sep 15 20:35:39 <Eva>   "Normally, one does not watch the actors after the curtain closes," The elvish woman smiled.  "And if the curtain does not close, what professional would shed their costume?  You may call me Eva Silvertongue, my dear Musteval.  Actor, Dancer, Singer, Musician, and Playwright," She swooped in a bow, smiling.  "A bard by any name, though I did not expect my trope to meet their end there, it was about time for me to be moving on anyway.  The p
Sep 15 20:35:39 <Eva>   lanes are a dangerous place to sing a song, and with a new face each day, who knows who wrote what?  I mean no harm by it, Knight."
Sep 15 20:37:03 *   Kuki (~corwin@bzq-79-180-115-238.red.bezeqint.net) has joined #dunes
Sep 15 20:37:23 <Eva>   "It as a pleasure true though to meet you all.  I did mean what I said, traveling companions make the road safer."  Her silver eyes were honest as she met Knight's bewildered gaze.
Sep 15 20:37:49 <Mari>   "But how do we know this is the real 'you?'" Mari asks. She's busy thinking of the many ways such a talent could be abused; this makes her wary of the practitioner.
Sep 15 20:37:51 <Knight>   "Is that really who you are?" demands Knight, clenching her other fist. "So, you take on names that are not yours, and lie to the world about your nature?"
Sep 15 20:41:32 <Adail>   "How do any of us know that any of the others are who they say they are? And more, what does it truely matter? Actions, not words, are what will determine a person's worth in the end. Especially in this place."
Sep 15 20:41:36 <Eva>   "You could say you do not.  As one raised on the stage, it is the world I know, and who can say what is the real me?  But if ever the celestial lords were to ask my true name, given first before any others, It would be Eva Silvertongue, Daughter of Archamis and student of Taliesin.  I admit, I do indeed do such things, Knight, they are not crimes, but  you may see differently.  We stand of course upon a stage, and an actor may play many rol
Sep 15 20:41:36 <Eva>   es before the sun sets on thier life, say you any differently?"
Sep 15 20:43:24 <Eva>   "Well said, Adail." She nodded to the Musteval.
Sep 15 20:43:53 <Mari>   "A pity we lack celestial lords to prove this." She considers this statement for a moment, thinking of yesterday's encounter at the gate. "Or perhaps it's not."
Sep 15 20:45:20 <Eva>   "I could do a while as well, without crossing the gaze of celestial agents quick to blame and quicker to draw a blade," She nodded.  "If you wish to part here, I will bear no malice. Though I thought I would make my way with you a while.  There are...interesting stories here."
Sep 15 20:46:31 <Eva>   Eva headed over, gathering her hat and bag from the ground, and digging through it for a fresh day's clothing.
Sep 15 20:47:00 *   Adail eyes Eva with an amused look, "I beg your pardon?"
Sep 15 20:48:37 <Knight>   "Names are important. They are not to be bandied about or changed at whim," replies Knight, abruptly turning about and seeking to mount her steed. "A person who changes their name and being is saying that who they were is meaningless. That's what I believe." She exhales, and canters to the head of the party. "If Eva is your true self, then I will call you by that at all times."
Sep 15 20:48:42 <Mari>   "No...No, I'd not part ways just yet. We stood together once, and there's a sore lack of other companions to be found on this mountain." This doesn't make Mari happy about Eva, of course--but if you tell someone that you're going to be watching them for anything suspicious, well, that would defeat the point.
Sep 15 20:48:52 <Adail>   "Do Guardinals somehow fail to count as celestials in your view of the planes? Or is it just Mustevals?" A half smile never leaves his face, even as he asks the questions in an 'offronted' tone.
Sep 15 20:49:40 <Kotono>   Nikkolai stands and prepares to follow without comment.
Sep 15 20:50:58 <Eva>   "Of all the stories I know of the Guardinals, none tell of warrior musteval, nor their journey to rise above their station,"  She glanced back at him.  "And if my eyes fool me not, Knight there is no mere knight, for her words and actions show her to be something of a more primal sort."  She blinked at Adail's question.  "Apologies, but why Celestial, you do not strike me as a divine agent.  But who may know where inspiration lies?"  She sl
Sep 15 20:50:58 <Eva>   ipped behind a tree a moment, stepping out dressed in leather jerkins, a broad-shaped hat once more atop her head as long blonde hair rained down her back, looking strangely suited for the seafaring trade if any.
Sep 15 20:52:35 <Eva>   "That bracelet by the way...I've seen its like before.  It was many years ago, of course, on a different plane," Eva mused, her attention returning to it.
Sep 15 20:52:43 <Mari>   "When I think of a celestial lord, the first picture coming to mind isn't one of your stature, Adail," Mari says, standing and moving to set out behind Knight. "Don't take it as a slight. Actually, it's more of a compliment."
Sep 15 20:53:02 <Mari>   "Oh yes?" Mari says to Eva.
Sep 15 20:53:26 *   Adail chuckles, "Ah, but 'divine agent' is not what you said. And by my very nature as a Musteval, I am a celestial agent. Two different things afterall. Perhaps not so different to most mortals, but very much so to us. Gods such as Hextor and Boccob are still Divine, afterall, but by no means Celestial."
Sep 15 20:54:54 *   Mari can only shrug at that. "I don't make it my business to know that of the gods, except to stay out of their way," she says to Adail.
Sep 15 20:55:36 <Knight>   "What is the role of a celestial agent?" asks Knight, seizing upon an alternate path of conversation.
Sep 15 20:56:20 <Adail>   "A good question. It's most simple answer is to nurture Good in the world and in mortals where it can be found, and to work against the doings of Evil."
Sep 15 20:56:21 <Eva>   "I shall take heed with my language," Eva said in a surprisingly light-hearted manner, leaving doubt she would guard her tongue well at all.  "Yes, there's a talented jeweler upon the earthen plane that uses that style of engraving.  It's not a common one you see, and some will come from quite far away to see of his wares.  His name, if any carry names," She poked teasingly with a glance to Knight, "is Grendir Abraham."
Sep 15 20:56:56 <Adail>   He shrugs, "Things can get far more complicated then that, of course. But as I have no specific assignments at the moment, that's really enough to understand my own purpose."
Sep 15 20:57:35 <Mari>   "'Grendir Abraham,'" Mari repeats, testing the name out and committing it to memory. "The runes, do you know what they say?"
Sep 15 20:58:19 *   Knight glances away in a huff.
Sep 15 21:01:18 <Eva>   "No,no,no... a story cannot start like that," Eva pouted at the Musteval's turn of the phrase.  "It wouldn't possibly reach an exciting conclusion if bereft of a personal will to drive it.  And alas, I do not...  But perhaps a gaze through a different set of eyes," Her eyes were blue now Mari noticed as she slipped forward, a slight hum leaving her lips as she sang a soft melody, looking over the bracelet with Detect Magic.
Sep 15 21:02:45 <Eva>   "No, not of that sort," She sounded almost disappointed.  "But I'm certain if we traveled toward the earth plane, you could ask the man himself and he would know."
Sep 15 21:05:09 <Mari>   "Hmm." Mari isn't sure whether she's disappointed or relieved. Strangely, it makes even less sense for a mysterious stranger to give her something that *doesn't* carry a perilous enchantment. Well, it's a curiosity, and worth hanging on to just for that.
Sep 15 21:06:09 <Knight>   "I must travel to every plane there is," states Knight. "The Astral, the Earth, they are as good as any for now."
Sep 15 21:06:39 <Eva>   "That...is a remarkably interesting trip, whyso, if I may ask, Knight?" Eva's curiosity was peaked.
Sep 15 21:07:10 <Knight>   "
Sep 15 21:08:30 <Knight>   "I'm searching for my family," replies Knight, glancing over her shoulder. "But they are scattered far and wide, and I have no clues. But, I would know if they're in the same world as I." She grimaces. "One is in Ysgard, but I'm not strong enough to survive here for a thorough search. That much is clear."
Sep 15 21:09:45 <Eva>   "Ah, a cruel fate, I see," Eva's joyful smile faltered a bit.  "If you are willing to journey far enough, you will be rewarded, one way or another," She said with calm certainty.  "But the sun is rising and time waits for no man.  Shall we go?"
Sep 15 21:10:09 <Eva>   Eva walked along, patting Knight's horse gently with a hand as she moved to the path they'd chosen last night.
Sep 15 21:10:28 *   Adail eyes Knight oddly a moment but doesn't ask any questions. Rather he nods and shoulders his tiny pack, ready to hit the road again.
Sep 15 21:11:35 <Kotono>   Reaching the bottom of the mountains, you find plains below are short lived. The ground is hilly and rocky, steadily hard work to cross. Noon comes and goes, a brief rest for food. About an hour after, you crest a hill and see something ahead. Past a few more, lower lying hills, a tall mountain looms ahead. Coming down from it is a massive waterfall, spilling into a large lake.
Sep 15 21:13:07 <Mari>   "Another mountain. Spectacular." To Eva: "Does our course take us up its slopse?"
Sep 15 21:14:52 <Knight>   Water- the natural enemy of the armoured soldier!
Sep 15 21:15:05 *   Adail breathes in deeply as he stops to take in the waterfall, "Breathtaking. For all that my talent lies more with it's opposite element, I've always found waterfalls awe inspiring."
Sep 15 21:16:21 <Eva>   "You can meld the earth?" Eva wondered.  "No, we shall not have to climb another mountain today.  We make for the waterfall, and at the base, between the raging water that crashes from above, there is a sparkle that if you chase will lead you from this place forthwence."
Sep 15 21:17:05 *   Knight looks rather dubious at the prospect, and rides a bit closer to the lake to see if there's a path one could take without immersing themselves in the depths.
Sep 15 21:18:43 *   Adail shakes his head and clenches his paws into fists, causing flames to spring up around his paws, "Not earth, miss Eva. I've a bit of an odd knack for fire."
Sep 15 21:18:55 <Kotono>   As the party advances down the hill and ahead, cresting the next, they get a better view of the lake. Standing besides it, having not been there before, are two gigantic humans! They are as tall as redwood trees, dressed in gorgeous finery and awe inspiring. Each wears sylised armor that shows off the body as much as it shields it. One is clean faced and red haired, the other is bearded and white haired, yet young.  Gesturing out at the lake w
Sep 15 21:18:59 <Kotono>   One is clean faced and red haired, the other is bearded and white haired, yet young.  Gesturing out at the lake with a wide sweep of his hand, the white haired one booms, "Crassus, I declare that this lake is an eyesore!" Let our hammers fall onto it's base and send it roaring to the depths of rock and earth below!"
Sep 15 21:20:07 <Mari>   "I've always felt at home in a roaring gale," Mari starts. "Can't say why that is--" Then she cuts off, being taken by the spectacle before them.
Sep 15 21:20:12 <Eva>   "With flaming fists the small mouse rose, from a plane of battle his story goes," Eva hummed along as they traveled.  Her eyes widened at their arrival, Titans?  Or lesser gods perhaps.
Sep 15 21:21:09 <Kotono>   Nikkolai walks and stops at the right time, looking upppp at the giants before you.
Sep 15 21:21:23 <Adail>   "Where in heaven's name did THEY come from?" The musteval seems rather startled himself.
Sep 15 21:21:48 <Kotono>   "Gracchus, you are mistaken! Look at the majestic fall of the water!" The red haired one swings a massive arm, splashing great gales of water about - but not at the party - as he cuts off the flow for a moment. "It is a monument in it's own right!"
Sep 15 21:22:37 <Mari>   "Maybe we should ask Crassus to beat some sense into that other bloke." She looks around. "Who wants to ask him?"
Sep 15 21:23:29 <Kotono>   "But it must change! A momument forever is merely dusty boredom!" The white haired one, Gracchus, bellow. He hefts a massive hammer on his shoulder, larger than Knight and her horse lined top to bottom together. "A chasm spilling into the dark embrace of the earth would be a new, fresh monument!"
Sep 15 21:23:30 <Adail>   "I dont' think we should promote violence of any form around these fellows. But perhaps chiming in on the side of not destroying the lake may be wise."
Sep 15 21:24:30 <Knight>   Knight blanches at the appearance of the two enormous figures, and then twists her head to look at Mari. "Are their actions of consequence?" she asks, peering up. "If they destroy the portal... yes. Well, then," she murmurs, snapping her horse into motion and trotting forward. "Ho there, titans!" she calls, in a voice that would be loud in any other company.
Sep 15 21:25:43 *   Eva follows, amazed somewhat at Knight's bravado, but considering perhaps that a careful tone might be necessary to ensure that a hammer did not strike them.  It wasn't every day you encountered a hammer bigger than yourself after all.
Sep 15 21:25:55 <Kotono>   The pair turns, blotting out the sun and sending Knight into darkness as they look to her. "Ho there, human!" Crassus calls in a voice that shakes Ysgard to it's pillars, "A bold and brave human comes forth! What motivates you to come into our presence? Do youw ish to bask in our majesty?"
Sep 15 21:26:15 *   Adail skitters up alongside the Knight as well, though doesn't say anything for now.
Sep 15 21:26:53 *   Mari trails after Knight and Eva, at something approximating a safe distance (although really, the only truly safe distance away from the likes of these two would be on another plane).
Sep 15 21:28:59 <Knight>   Knight can't see! "We... wish to go into the waterfall!" she declares, after a moment. "If only for a short while, before it gives way to something new!"
Sep 15 21:35:49 <Kotono>   "Whatever for," Gracchus peers down, Is there something to this waterfall beyond mere water?"
Sep 15 21:36:23 <Knight>   "There is... a portal to another world!" declares Knight, nodding.
Sep 15 21:37:28 <Kotono>   "Ah! Of course!" WIth a knowing nod, Crassus slams a fist into his palm, enough to make a thunderclap and a gale wind rock all around you. "Where is it you wish to go?"
Sep 15 21:38:30 *   Mari carefully refrains from covering her ears (looking weak in front of these creatures is in no way a good idea!) She also restrains herself from shouting ANYWHERE.
Sep 15 21:38:44 <Eva>   Eva blinked, for folks about to smash a mountain to bits, they were surprisingly reasonable.
Sep 15 21:38:50 <Knight>   Knight reins in her steed, struggling not to keep it from bolting and to keep herself from bolting. "It will take us to the Astral Plane, I am told, but our true destination is the Plane of Earth!"
Sep 15 21:38:53 <Kotono>   OOC: Make a fort save, all of you?
Sep 15 21:38:58 <Knight>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 15 21:38:59 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+10 and gets 15." [1d20=5]
Sep 15 21:39:22 <Adail>   roll 1d20+14 fort save
Sep 15 21:39:22 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+14 fort save and gets 30." [1d20=16]
Sep 15 21:39:40 <Kotono>   roll 1d20+7 nikkolai
Sep 15 21:39:41 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+7 nikkolai and gets 12." [1d20=5]
Sep 15 21:40:06 <Mari>   roll 1d20+7
Sep 15 21:40:06 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+7 and gets 24." [1d20=17]
Sep 15 21:40:09 <Eva>   roll 1d20+4
Sep 15 21:40:10 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+4 and gets 20." [1d20=16]
Sep 15 21:40:50 <Kotono>   Nikkolai goes dazed at that massive force, but the others hold their own. "The Plane of Earth?" The titantic being asks, "I like you, human, you have courage! I can open a gate for you right to it!"
Sep 15 21:42:37 <Knight>   "I would be... most grateful for your help!" declares Knight, saluting the massive humanoid. "We would be indebted!"
Sep 15 21:42:48 <Kotono>   OOC: Make a diplo check, +2 bonus?
Sep 15 21:42:58 <Eva>   OOC: Can we aid? :)
Sep 15 21:43:07 <Mari>   OOC: PLEASE?
Sep 15 21:43:09 <Knight>   roll 1d20+5 DIPLORAT
Sep 15 21:43:10 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+5 DIPLORAT and gets 12." [1d20=7]
Sep 15 21:43:32 <Kotono>   OOC: Okay, you can roll aid another.
Sep 15 21:44:30 <Eva>   roll 1d20+16 autosuccess
Sep 15 21:44:31 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+16 autosuccess and gets 28." [1d20=12]
Sep 15 21:44:33 <Eva>   OOC: +2
Sep 15 21:44:52 *   Mari sketches a respectful bow in thanks. It pays to be nice to people who can crush you like a bug, after all. "We are grateful for your assistance, great warrior of Ysgard."
Sep 15 21:45:00 <Mari>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 15 21:45:00 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+10 and gets 17." [1d20=7]
Sep 15 21:45:27 <Eva>   "A good deed, indeed, great one." Eva smiled.
Sep 15 21:46:01 *   Adail places a fist to his chest in salute, "You have the thanks of Elysium as well."
Sep 15 21:46:06 <Adail>   roll 1d20+1 aid
Sep 15 21:46:07 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+1 aid and gets 9." [1d20=8]
Sep 15 21:47:56 <Kotono>   At that, a giant arched gateway appears before the party! IT towers over them, shimmering airy white and light blue! "Step through, to adventure!" The titanic creatures call. "Go forth here to adventure and glory!"
Sep 15 21:48:38 *   Knight canters through the gate without a moment's hesitation!
Sep 15 21:49:04 <Mari>   Mari doesn't have to be told twice, and hustles through the portal without wasting another moment.
Sep 15 21:49:09 *   Adail skitters through after the Knight.
Sep 15 21:49:12 *   Eva does a courtly bow to them and steps through with ease and grace.
Sep 15 21:49:34 <Kotono>   Woosh! Gusts of pure, clean air blow past the party! For a moment they are everywhere and nowhere and then...(More)
Sep 15 21:54:26 <Kotono>   You float. Around you is infininte blue sky. It is clear without being lit by the sun, endless banks of puffy white clouds floating about. You are all falling in an endless, beautiful sky!
Sep 15 21:55:52 <Knight>   Knight lets out a startled scream, and no doubt manages to fall off her horse as they start to tumble straight down!
Sep 15 21:56:04 <Kotono>   Nikkolai screams as he falls and falls and falls!
Sep 15 21:56:58 *   Adail does not scream, but snatches out to grab the nearest comrade and hang on so as to not risk getting seperated from everyone.
Sep 15 21:57:22 *   Mari feels her stomach lurch up into her throat as she plummets downwards (as much as "down" means anything right now). If this was a joke, she's noooooot laughing.
Sep 15 21:59:59 <Eva>   Eva's eyes widen a bit as she finds herself in freefall, twisting with an atheletic twirl to face downward and see what was below her.  If nothing else, a fall to her death would be a fantastic view, if a much shorter story than she hoped.
Sep 15 22:00:23 <Kotono>   OOC: Any of you can make KP here.
Sep 15 22:00:25 <Mari>   roll 1d20+9 assuming we can roll now
Sep 15 22:00:26 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+9 assuming we can roll now and gets 18." [1d20=9]
Sep 15 22:00:44 <Kotono>   The party continues to plummet in an endless, perfect freefall! No ground is seen racing up at you, only plunging through countless cloudbanks.
Sep 15 22:00:50 <Adail>   roll 1d20+7 K:P
Sep 15 22:00:50 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+7 K:P and gets 18." [1d20=11]
Sep 15 22:01:17 <Mari>   roll 1d20+8
Sep 15 22:01:17 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+8 and gets 11." [1d20=3]
Sep 15 22:01:31 <Eva>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 15 22:01:32 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+10 and gets 23." [1d20=13]
Sep 15 22:02:13 *   Adail shouts out, "Focus! This has to be the Plane of Air, anyone can fly here, just focus your mind!"
Sep 15 22:02:25 <Kotono>   roll 1d20+8 Nikkobot
Sep 15 22:02:26 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 Nikkobot and gets 23." [1d20=15]
Sep 15 22:02:31 <Kotono>   roll 1d20-2
Sep 15 22:02:32 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20-2 and gets 17." [1d20=19]
Sep 15 22:02:33 <Adail>   roll 1d20+3 modified wis check
Sep 15 22:02:34 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+3 modified wis check and gets 7." [1d20=4]
Sep 15 22:03:19 <Eva>   Looking below at the endless sky, Eva pulled slowly out of her freefall, nodding to Adail's words.  "My eyes agree with yours.  A happy thought will fly us by the second star and onward till morning."
Sep 15 22:03:31 <Eva>   roll 1d20+0 take ten?
Sep 15 22:03:33 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+0 take ten? and gets 7." [1d20=7]
Sep 15 22:03:38 <Kotono>   OOC: Eva, kindly let me adjudicate what happens before you assume?
Sep 15 22:03:50 <Eva>   OOC: Sorry.
Sep 15 22:04:07 <Kotono>   OOC: No big, just sayin'.
Sep 15 22:04:20 <Knight>   "Hah?!" Certainly, plummeting towards an infinite emptiness has little appeal. If just wishing was good enough to stall her movement, then it's what she was doing already.
Sep 15 22:04:32 <Knight>   roll 1d20-5
Sep 15 22:04:32 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20-5 and gets 2." [1d20=7]
Sep 15 22:05:17 <Kotono>   Mari is able to stop and start flying about, mastering the terrain instantly! Adail and and Nikkolai are able to do a slightly lesser version! However, Eva and Knight and her horse continue to plummet down like stones into an infinite empty sky blue well!
Sep 15 22:06:03 <Eva>   Eva glances as the others rise far above her.  Well, this was as hard as she recalled.
Sep 15 22:06:50 <Adail>   Adail tries to angle himself to keep following his falling comrades, "Concentrate! Close your eyes if it helps!"
Sep 15 22:07:02 <Eva>   roll 1d20+0
Sep 15 22:07:03 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+0 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
Sep 15 22:07:21 <Kotono>   Eva is able to arrest her fall after a few hundred feet more, staying in sight of the others, starting to fly about!
Sep 15 22:07:45 <Mari>   Uh oh. Maybe Mari can do something for those two if she catches up with them? She drops down after Knight, curiously not at all bothered by rushing through the air at high speed, once past the initial shock.
Sep 15 22:07:54 *   Adail then uses his Speak to Animals ability to call for the horse to try to move towards his voice.
Sep 15 22:08:07 *   Eva focuses on climbing up toward the others, spotting Mari as she rushed by in a bit of surprise.
Sep 15 22:08:21 <Knight>   This is hardly what Knight is used to, and she does as suggested, all-too-willing to hope that if she closes her eyes, she can suddenly gain the ability to ambulate through the wind.
Sep 15 22:08:38 <Kotono>   OOC: Go ahead and check again Knight, -4 this time.
Sep 15 22:08:52 <Knight>   roll 1d20+4
Sep 15 22:08:53 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+4 and gets 19." [1d20=15]
Sep 15 22:08:54 <Knight>   OOC: *-4
Sep 15 22:09:00 <Knight>   OOC: 11! I'd take that.
Sep 15 22:09:14 <Kotono>   This time Knight is able to stop! She begins to hover and float, as her horse continuest o plummet for her, plunging down far!
Sep 15 22:09:51 <Knight>   "My horse!" she cries, in panic, and soon attempts to plunge after it again!
Sep 15 22:10:03 <Adail>   OOC: Can I make some kind of check to get the horse to understand what it needs to do? I can speak to it, at least.
Sep 15 22:10:19 <Knight>   OOC: Can I get there and make a handle animal check? >_>
Sep 15 22:10:37 <Kotono>   OOC: You can try a handle animal check, Knight. Knight's closer so let me resolve her first, Adail.
Sep 15 22:10:41 *   Mari also races after the horse! Knight made good use of the beast in combat, so it'd be a shame to lose it.
Sep 15 22:11:27 <Knight>   When she manages to reach the beast's reins, she puts together some idea out of instinct with a flash of inspiration, and attempts to pull it up with a shout!
Sep 15 22:11:29 <Knight>   roll 1d20+11
Sep 15 22:11:29 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+11 and gets 13." [1d20=2]
Sep 15 22:11:38 <Kotono>   roll 1d20-5
Sep 15 22:11:38 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20-5 and gets 15." [1d20=20]
Sep 15 22:12:14 <Kotono>   Somehow, a miracle unto itself, the horse seems to understand! It arrests it's fall, slowing and floating by Knight! It looks about, letitng loose a disturbing whinny as it drifts here and there!
Sep 15 22:14:34 <Knight>   Knight finds it much more comfortable to have her trusted companion under her control once again- and she's sure the horse does, too. She gets back on the saddle, and gently, gently coaxes the horse to act as if there's ground under it's feet. As long as it thinks it can move ahead, then it should be able to. Perhaps a blindfold would help it concentrate...
Sep 15 22:15:28 <Kotono>   The horse flies along, getting the hang of it, as the rest of the party is above.
Sep 15 22:15:28 *   Mari slows and then reverses course to rejoin the group in general, seeing the immediate problem solved. "This is why any lady planeswalker should wear long pants, not dresses." Then, as an afterthought: "So, uh," she looks around at the endless sky surrounding them, "...where to?"
Sep 15 22:15:34 *   Adail flies in closer to the Knight and places one paw on the saddle to steady himself as he gets near enough, "Well, that was interesting. Bloody titans, making a game of us."
Sep 15 22:16:32 <Eva>   "Probably not...Don't perceive malice where it could be something simpler.  And a journey of all the planes is not short," She considered, looking around.
Sep 15 22:17:13 <Knight>   "I should have expected this. Nobody simply helps another without gain for themselves," replies Knight, grimacing. "To gods and titans, those such as us are sport."
Sep 15 22:17:18 <Eva>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 15 22:17:20 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+10 and gets 30." [1d20=20]
Sep 15 22:17:59 <Knight>   She cranes her neck up, and grunts. "That way. One of my family is upwards. I must go!" she declares, attempting to tilt her horse about; realigning it so that 'up', to it, becomes 'forward'.
Sep 15 22:19:01 *   Mari nods to Knight. "when I ascend to godhood, remind me to go back to Ysgard and kick Crassus in the rear. Wait--hey, where are you going?" After a moment's consideration, Mari decides to just follow Knight. Does she have other planes? No.
Sep 15 22:19:44 <Mari>   OOC: *plans
Sep 15 22:19:57 <Adail>   "Oh, I doubt it was malice. Simply their idea of fun." Adail shakes his head, "And I promise you, lady Knight, that is not true at all. I only hope I can prove that to you before we part ways."
Sep 15 22:20:25 <Adail>   As he has a hand on the saddle, Adail is cheerfully pulled along with the Knight's change of direction.
Sep 15 22:21:33 <Eva>   "Just pick a direction.  Up is as good as any.   If we head any given way long enough, we'll find something," Eva floated alongside the knight, humming a sylvan travel song to ease the journey.
Sep 15 22:21:33 <Kotono>   OOC: Moving along? How much in thew ay of provisions do you guys have?
Sep 15 22:21:57 <Mari>   OOC: Provisions? Vas is das? >.>
Sep 15 22:22:11 <Knight>   OOC: Uh I never wrote it down. I was in Ysgard, where foraging is as easy as dirt, so likely only a few days
Sep 15 22:22:25 <Knight>   OOC: Feeding my horse is more of a concern since there's nowhere to graze
Sep 15 22:22:37 <Knight>   OOC: Dammit, I'm going to plan this excursions more thoroughly from now on >_>
Sep 15 22:22:46 <Adail>   OOC: A lack of a need to eat. But he prolly has a couple chunks of hard cheese and some crackers in his bag somewhere. Not enough to make a meal for any of his freinds, though.
Sep 15 22:23:09 <Kotono>   OOC: I'll assume two days of food/water. It's not a problem for Adail, but for the others it is. Let's see how it goes.
Sep 15 22:23:13 <Kotono>   roll 1d100
Sep 15 22:23:13 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 98." [1d100=98]
Sep 15 22:23:51 <Kotono>   roll 1d100 SUBTABLE
Sep 15 22:23:51 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 SUBTABLE and gets 70." [1d100=70]
Sep 15 22:24:00 <Kotono>   roll 1d100 SUBTABLE 2 OH SHIT
Sep 15 22:24:00 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 SUBTABLE 2 OH SHIT and gets 38." [1d100=38]
Sep 15 22:24:24 <Kotono>   roll 1d8
Sep 15 22:24:25 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d8 and gets 5." [1d8=5]
Sep 15 22:27:26 <Kotono>   About half a day or so of travel passes. It's rather hard to tell, being no sign of day or night. A pearly radiance is everywhere, shedding it's own beautiful light. You pass through cloudbank after cloudbank, rising and rising and rising. But winds bring clouds at once, darker clouds! Clouds laced with ice and sleet, spinning all about you! The air temperature drops, becoming cold and visibility dropping.
Sep 15 22:27:30 <Kotono>   The air temperature drops, becoming cold and visibility dropping.
Sep 15 22:29:23 <Knight>   Knight plunges ahead, undaunted- for now- by cold and frost.
Sep 15 22:29:34 *   Eva slips on an extra layer, not nearly as insensitive to the freezing winds.
Sep 15 22:30:10 *   Mari is conflicted: the notion that flying is actually quite enjoyable wars with the frustration of there being nothing much to look at. It's an imperfect world, but aren't they all? This one looks to get much more imperfect soon, though. Mari stays right behind Knight, not wanting to lose her in the storm--if the other woman might be headed towards a safe harbor, Mari wants to be with her.
Sep 15 22:30:32 <Adail>   Adail does not seem bothered by it himself in the least, though he does seem concerned for everyone else.
Sep 15 22:30:41 <Kotono>   OOC: All of you make spot checks at -4?
Sep 15 22:30:50 <Knight>   roll 1d20-3
Sep 15 22:30:50 <Adail>   1d20+1 spot
Sep 15 22:30:50 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20-3 and gets 17." [1d20=20]
Sep 15 22:30:51 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+1 spot and gets 13." [1d20=12]
Sep 15 22:30:54 <Mari>   roll 1d20+6
Sep 15 22:30:55 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+6 and gets 20." [1d20=14]
Sep 15 22:31:01 <Eva>   roll 1d20+5
Sep 15 22:31:02 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+5 and gets 17." [1d20=12]
Sep 15 22:31:39 <Kotono>   Ahead, as the party flies, they see something. Several shadowy figures perhaps thirty feet ahead in the sleet storm. They're tiny things, dancing in the air as ice flies all about them.
Sep 15 22:33:51 <Mari>   roll 1d20+9 what the bugger are they?
Sep 15 22:33:52 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+9 what the bugger are they? and gets 18." [1d20=9]
Sep 15 22:35:54 <Eva>   roll 1d20+10 same question :)
Sep 15 22:35:56 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Eva rolls 1d20+10 same question :) and gets 15." [1d20=5]
Sep 15 22:36:21 <Mari>   "Ice mephits," Mari announces to the group as they cruise along. "Watch for missiles." She's ready to draw her swords and attack any of them that draw close, but she won't start a fight if they look like they're going to leave the group alone.
Sep 15 22:36:57 *   Adail nods and prepares to fire some missiles of his own back at any who harrass them.