Sidequest 2: Githyanki Panki

[Ebiris]

The Githyanki are fairly rare on the Prime Material, yes, but not unknown - they appear more frequently and openly than certain demons or celestials, but don't have as big an effect on events, generally.

Basically, anyone who can appreciate the craftsmanship enough to pay a proper price for their gear is also someone who knows what they're in for.

It's possible you could find a rich idiot to sell them to, or a collector who doesn't care about the danger, or even a merchant who specialises in such risky merchandise. Doing so might be an adventure in itself, though!

[Ebiris]

[15:09] <Usagi> After their epic battle with the Githyanki, the party along with the rescued villagers return to Gondrick's Hollow in order to rest for a bit prior to resuming their journey to Silverymoon. The villagers are only to happy to provide what hospitality they can to their saviours, providing a welcome respite from days of camping on the road.
[15:09] <Usagi> And so, the next day, everyone gathers round as Amonet casts her spell to decipher the strange scroll held by the Githyanki leader...
[15:13] * Varul settles into a chair, waiting idly for Amomet to do her work.
[15:13] <Amonet> "Please, say it isn't so, friend!" Amonet implores Alveria, having translated the scroll for everyone's benefit. "You are not a common thief, right?"
[15:13] <Alveria> "There's nothing common about me!"
[15:13] <Alveria> "..wait."
[15:13] <Alveria> "..."
[15:14] <Amonet> "Please deny the thief part!"
[15:14] <Alveria> "..."
[15:14] <Usagi> "Thief?" Linda pokes her head into the sitting room, "I thought you people were treasure hunters or something like that?"
[15:15] <Amonet> "We are most firmly on the side of justice!" Amonet insists to Linda.
[15:15] <Alveria> "I am not a thief! Nor am I common! Nor am I an infidel!" snarls Alveria, snatching the piece of paper.
[15:16] * Amonet blinks. "Well, you might well be an infidel, though Horus-Re does not strike people down for that. But I'm very happy you are not a thief!"
[15:16] <Alveria> "Justice, shmustice, this is plain stupid," she continues. "...Kossuth help me," she mutters, flopping onto a chair. "Shut up."
[15:16] <Varul> "Then it's just random vagaries of fate that they have your sketch, information and the like, and were hunting us down," Varul drawls out evenly, unmoved by Alveria's wrath. "Either you did or they think you did for some reason or another."
[15:18] <Alveria> "Yeah, well, I don't think they'll listen when I tell them they're wrong," she mutters. "Light save me, I've never seen a Githyanki before yesterday!"
[15:18] * Amonet looks hurt, and does indeed quiet down, observing the scroll.
[15:18] <Gourash> "What's a Lich Queen?" Gourash wondered.
[15:18] <Varul> "Doesn't mean that you have to have seen one to take something important from 'em. 'sides, they're ruthless bastards from the looks of everything we saw here. Can you think of anything that could be that?" Varul goes on, a glimpse, "Ain't that some kind of mage?"
[15:18] <Usagi> It's made of fairly ordinary paper, strange runic letters that Amonet alone can read thanks to her magic, and a rather fetching picture of Alveria on the reverse. There's some sort of seal below the signature at the bottom as well, though not one she recognises.
[15:20] <Alveria> "Haha! Some kind of mage! THE Lich-Queen of the Githyanki is an undead wizard of... truly awesome might," mutters Alveria. "She lords over the entire race, consuming the souls of those who grow close to her in power. For centuries, she has done things, and they follow her every whim..."
[15:21] <Varul> "So great. There's some godlike wizard girl pissed at you?" Varul takes a moment to exhale, a near sigh. "Anyway, any idea at all what she'd want from you or why?"
[15:22] <Alveria> "Ruthless isn't the word. It's a few levels worse than that. If they're really after me..." she whispers, suddenly feeling cold, and hugging herself tightly. "How the fu-" Suddenly, she goes silent, a look of utmost horror passing over her face.
[15:22] <Alveria> " infidel!" snarls Alveria, snatching the piece of paper.
[15:22] <Alveria> [01:15] * Amonet blinks. "Well, you might well be an infidel, thou
[15:22] <Varul> "Bingo?" Varul leans forward, looking interested now. His lips curl upward slightly, "Got something?"
[15:23] <Alveria> "It wasn't my FAULT!" she screams, lurching out her seat and running out the room.
[15:23] <Usagi> "Ah..." Linda just watches things in open confusion. "Will she be okay?"
[15:24] * Gourash blinks.
[15:24] <Varul> "...women." Varul mutters in supreme distaste, getting up and following. "No clue, but I'm not going to travel with someone wanted by those Gith things without at least knowing all there is to know about it."
[15:24] <Amonet> "She does not wish to talk about this, it seems," Amonet says sadly.
[15:25] <Gourash> "'greed...  No profit in pissing off kinds or queens or whatnot," Gourash not appreciating the intricities but considering anyway.
[15:28] * Gourash shrugs. "So what are we going to do with this stuff?"
[15:29] <Amonet> "Nothing," Amonet says simply. "This must be the wish of Horus-Re, and now that I am comfident friend Alveria is no lowly thief, I have no problem aiding her with this misunderstanding."
[15:29] <Usagi> "I bet it's worth a fortune!" Linda nods eagerly, eyeing one of the ornate greatswords piled up in the corner of the room. "Way more than anything those Gnolls had."
[15:30] <Gourash> "Yeah, it's noticible though.  Sometimes folks don't want to buy that kind of stuff."
[15:33] <Usagi> "Cursed?" the ranger asks, shrinking back from the pile of loot.
[15:34] <Amonet> "In a way," Amonet allows. "They are known to have ways to hunt down their equipment and kill those in possession of it."
[15:34] <Gourash> "Naw, more...  fancy legions sometimes come after their stuff."
[15:36] <Usagi> "Oh..." Linda nods understandingly. "Sounds a lot like those Dark Elves... What are you going to do with it, then? I guess selling it would just put someone else in danger."
[15:37] <Gourash> "Someone will buy it," Gourash nodded. "Just got to wait a bit."
[15:42] * Gourash leans back, eying his remaining companions.
[15:44] <Usagi> Linda just looks slightly out of sorts, uneasily eyeing the previously appealing pile of loot in the corner. After a moment of silence, she addresses Amonet, "You know, you don't look much older than me," she observes of the Aasimar. "How'd you get into the wandering adventurer stuff?"
[15:46] <Amonet> "Oh, I must become stronger and gather allies before my eventual bid for the throne!" Amonet tells her proudly, before her face falls. "I fear that day is still very, very far away...."
[15:47] * Gourash snorts, amused.
[15:47] <Usagi> "Throne?" Linda sits down between Gourash and Amonet, studying the latter. "Are you royalty?"
[15:49] <Amonet> "From very far away," Amonet responds with a nod.
[15:50] <Usagi> "Somewhere down South, I take it?" the teenage ranger asks.
[15:51] * Gourash grunts. "You think they'll be there when you get back?"
[15:52] <Amonet> "We are the direct descendents of Horus-Re's avatar!" Amonet says with great pride. "Of course our line shall not perish!"
[15:54] <Gourash> "Sure gal, sure," Gourash leaned back, letting her go on.
-------
[15:27] * Alveria leans against the side of a building near the outskirts of town, holding her head in one hand and visibly shaking. "Didn't ask for it... didn't ask for it..." she mutters, again and again.
[15:28] <Varul> Varul follows, pace long and ground covering as he catches up. Ignoring the other people he approaches, ears listening. "Hey," he calls, any annoyance buried into a netural facade for now.
[15:28] <Usagi> No villagers are especially close, and those in sight don't seem inclined to bother the heroes of their small town this early in the morning.
[15:29] * Alveria whirls around, plastering herself up against the wall. "I swear it wasn't my fault! They wouldn't let me leave afterwards, but I did anyway, because it wasn't fair!"
[15:31] <Varul> '...women.' Varul sighs again, almost wishing he was limp wristed and pansy. Almost. "I see. 'course it wasn't fair. Usually isn't." Laconically Varul positions himself at Alveria's side, also hopefully in grabbing range if she sprints off again. No need to be THAT active before lunch if he can help it, dammit. "That we're talkin' about this means it happened, though. Gotta cope with it, just like how you gotta cope with an arrow in the gu
[15:32] <Alveria> Gotta cope with it, just like how you gotta cope with an arrow in the gu-
[15:32] <Varul> just like how you gotta cope with an arrow in the gut."
[15:35] * Alveria winces at the words. "Doesn't stop it being any less bullshit," she mutters. "Madmen and madwomen cope with their own insanity by declaring themselves sane, and the world to be the opposite," she adds. "Githyanki, after me? I never needed more proof. Yeah, I'm dandy."
[15:38] <Varul> "Sure." Varul agrees blandly, withholding any hint of how he feels personally. He crosses his arms, "So what happened? What pissed off those yellow skinned bastards so much that they want you? Oh, and somehow...you're wild, you're annoying and you might be a bit dislodged, but you don't seem quite insane."
[15:41] <Alveria> "Yeah? A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh no, I'm more insane than anyone! Just 'cos I realise it doesn't make it go away." Alveria snorts. "Don't know why they want me. But you know I'm supposed to be in an asylum, or some goddamn tower, and not out here in the world?" She calms down a bit, looking thoughtful. "Yes, the elves of evermeet didn't want to set forth such an unflattering representative. If you must know... there was a ritual of
[15:42] <Alveria> "Don't know the details. Couldn't understand at the time. Something to do with Limbo. Went wrong... someTHING escaped, something that found me," she continues, clutching at her face again. "It's! In! My! Head! It! Will! Not! Go! Away!"
[15:42] <Alveria>  of some kind." (More.)
[15:42] <Alveria> "And it's the best and worst thing that ever happened to me."
[15:45] <Varul> Varul measures Alveria, listening to her spill. "In that case, we know what we need to look into at Silverymoon. DUnno much about magic, but I do know that what goes in can come back out. Oh, and if you have that Lich Queen inside of you, I'm gonna hurt you."T he last is said with a ever so slight smile. "But yeah, that sounds like possession or whatever you folks call it."
[15:47] <Alveria> "That's the simple way of putting it..." she mutters. "Yeah. Silverymoon. Githyanki can't scry on me there. Can't hold onto their gear, they'll trace it. They love their idiot swords more than they love their wives."
[15:49] <Varul> "Then we'll stash it somewhere and get it later. At worst, it rots in a hole until the next age. Either works for me." Varul shrugs lightly. "C'mon, you need to tell the others. It's not right if you're going to have us along and not inform us that you're posssess and the Gith have a death wish for you."
[15:49] <Varul> *possessed.
[15:50] <Alveria> "Would YOU tell people you're possessed?" says Alveria, suddenly. "Hi, guys! Please take me in your little adventuring group! By the way, I'm possessed by the very essence of insantity, so I might accidentally blow you all up. But I'm really good, honest!"
[15:51] * Alveria just shakes her head. "I even made myself forget."
[15:52] * Alveria does pick herself up properly, though, and beings slowly slouching her way back towards where everyone else is.
[15:52] <Varul> "We've kept with you so far." Varul shrugs again, unmoved. "...and damn it, it's not right to leave you in this state. Lady Amonet would say the same thing in some flowery way, too."
[15:52] <Varul> 'Why her? Did I piss of Lathander?' Varul sighs mentally, wishing he could thump his morality a few dozen times. Oh well.
-------
[15:54] * Alveria flops back in the door, immediately marching over to her bag. "Silvermoon, we're going there."
[15:55] <Gourash> "Hmph," Gourash took a minute to eye the following Varul.
[15:56] <Amonet> "Friend Alveria, you are better!" Amonet exclaims. "Did you and Sir Varul have a pleasant chat?"
[15:56] <Alveria> "Or.. well, I'll be honest, dammit. Yeah, Githyanki are after me, but I didn't know all along or anything," she continues, packing together her things. "They want.. um, something that I didn't steal, but can't just give back."
[15:56] <Varul> Varul is rather expressionless, going back to his seat and looking to Alveria.
[15:57] <Usagi> "What are they after?" Linda asks, getting up. "It must be something big from the way that letter sounded!"
[15:58] <Alveria> "It's not a material item," mutters Alveria. "They want something in my head. To get it, they'd probably need to cut it open."
[15:58] <Gourash> "Eh.." Gourash doesn't look pleased with the turn of the events, but grunts in brief understanding.
[16:00] <C> "That is horrible!" Amonet cries out in dismay. "We shall not let them cut your head open and mess with your brains!"
[16:01] <Varul> "Yeah, zombies gave it a hack at us awhile back. Didn't take then, either," Varul murmurs. "The idea is to go to Silverymoon and see if we can find help there."
[16:02] <Gourash> "Well, if that's where we're going, that's where we're going," Gourash got up.
[16:04] * Alveria shoulders her lightweight bag, containing only a few essentials and her spellbook. "Yes. Going. Haha.. we'd better bury their stuff somewhere or get rid of it, I don't want to risk it pointing a finger back to where I am or anything. Probably be real hard to find a buyer, too."
[16:05] <Gourash> "Mmm..." Gourash looks more displeased at that. "Awful little take for the risk..."
[16:05] <Amonet> "Yes, we should not leave it at the village where these people can be hurt!" Amonet agrees.
[16:06] <Usagi> "Yeah, especially after we went to all the trouble of saving everyone!" Linda nods emphatically.
[16:06] <Varul> "Still have the bastard sword," Varul nods in agreement as well. "Still - we can come back for it later once things die down. 'least in theory, or until we find a good way to unload it."
[16:07] <Alveria> "Say, Linda. You know a good place where we could hide some stuff?" asks Alveria, curiously. "A ways away from the village?"
[16:07] <Alveria> "Some cave that nobody uses, or a deep hole, or something like that?"
[16:08] <Usagi> "Hmm?" Linda looks thoughtful a moment, before lighting up, "Yeah! There's these old mines about a day's journey away - on the same way towards Silverymoon anyway. They were filled with Kobolds until like last year when these adventurers cleaned them out - I heard they were really deep, though."
[16:10] <Alveria> "How's that sound, guys? I dunno if this will ever really be 'cleaned up', but you never know..."
[16:11] <Varul> "Works," Varul grunts, getting up as well.
[16:11] <Usagi> "I can come with you at least that far to show the way," Linda offers, going to grab her ratty old bow and chain shirt.
[16:15] <Alveria> "Ok! Let's go!" says Alveria, sounding cheerful again, all of a sudden. "And geez, we've really got to think about this whole fighting thing better. Gourash is charging in a good hundred feet ahead of Amonet and Varul, and I'm off in the clouds... geez, maybe that leader thing wouldn't be a bad idea, after all.."
[16:16] <Varul> "If we can find one. Gourash is Gourash and you're not really up to it yet." Varul continues on as they go, "Are any of us suited to it?"
[16:17] * Gourash grunts.
[16:17] <Alveria> "Hah, I so have great plans! I'm always completely aware of where everyone is," replies Alveria, nodding. "Can't aim fireballs to miss you by inches without being like that!"
[16:19] <Varul> "...right." Varul shakes his head at that, "What about Lady Amonet?"
[16:20] * Gourash laughs rudely.
[16:21] <Alveria> "I dunno, but she'd be better than someone whose approach to battle is to stop thinking, I guess," reflects Alveria.
[16:22] <Amonet> "As loath as I am to descend to this level, I must agree," she says, giving Gourash an icy stare.
[16:22] <Varul> "Mmmm." Varul glances sidelong at Gourash, but moves away. "Aramas...well..." A glance at the quiet mage, but little is said. "Hey, everyone needs someone to go occupy the spearhead."
[16:25] <Alveria> "Yeah, but it's no good if they hit one person, and then get hit back ten times," replies Alveria, frowning.
[16:25] <Alveria> "If he was a more defensive sort, I guess, but the way we're going, we've really gotta make sure everyone goes down before they can hit back."
[16:25] * Gourash raises an eyebrow. "Yes, princess..." He laughed again. "It's not my fault you all are so slow."
[16:26] <Amonet> "Cautious is the word your dictionary might be lacking, I believe," she returns.
[16:26] <Alveria> "CAUTIOUS! That's right, if we're cautious about when we utilize our heedleses, crazy, do-or-die offensives, perhaps we'll have more sucess!"
[16:26] <Gourash> "Standing I think was yours?" Gourash remindered her.
[16:27] <Amonet> "I was struck down while coming to your aid," she says with a frown. "Do pardon my temporary leave of senses. It shall not happen again, I feel."
[16:29] * Gourash snorts. "This sounds like a bunch of drunken young whelps boasting over which was least incompetent." Gourash turns to head out. "Grunt when something actually worth saying is in your empty head."
[16:29] * Gourash departs the hut.
[16:30] <Varul> Varul shakes his head and sighs, but adds nothing. Oh well, baby steps?
[16:30] <Amonet> "I shall leave the grunting to you, my friend," she says with another frown, before looking at Alveria and Varul. "So, then. I take it I am not the only one who believes more can be achieved from not merely charging in each time?"
[16:31] <Alveria> "Oh, no, charging in is the very core of our strategy, it seems," notes Alveria. "It's all about timing, though."
[16:31] <Alveria> "We need to time the charge so that everyone evil dies at the end of it. It's quite hard, but I'm sure it's doable!"
[16:31] * Amonet nods slowly. "Such a skill is worth learning, yes."
[16:34] <Alveria> "It's pretty situational, but I think the best bet is to get as many bad guys in one spot as possible," reflects Alveria. "See, then I can fireball them, and then you can do the whole charging in thing."
[16:35] <Usagi> "It's hard to defend yourself after you've been blown up," Linda chimes in supportively.
[16:35] <Alveria> "That fort back there? I bet if we'd all crowded around the little gap, they'd have come there to stop us. If they hadn't, then you'd take them apart one at a time; if they do, I blow them up, and then you take them apart in one big swing!"
[16:36] <Amonet> "Working side by side, and not separated, surrounded by our evil enemies, does sounds most agreeable," Amonet voices.
[16:37] <Alveria> "Yeah. If you're all split up, too, I can't do as much myself," adds Alveria. "It's a bit limited, but most of what I've got hits a wide area, not just one target or someting at a time..."
[16:37] <Amonet> "And we could also draw off their attentions, while you could cloak yourself with magic, and come from the other direction to free the hostages!" she suggests next. "Then, we shall be free to fight in earnest without worrying about their safety!"
[16:39] <Varul> "Beats bleeding," Varul chimes in with his own agreement.
[16:40] <Alveria> "Hmm. Obviously things change by what we're facing- if we're up against someone else with big spells, then we may want to be spread out further," reflects Alveria. "I guess it's hard to say."

[Corwin]

Guys, I want to sacrifice one of the Gith things we can't sell (probably the shield or one of the breastplates) to awaken the spirits of my shield, so that they might provide me fire resistance +10.  >_>

Anyway, I'd like to propose that if we do find any buyers for that stuff, return to take it to them and still find it hidden away safely, I'd just pay for it normally at that time. Thoughts?

[Anastasia]

Works for me in both cases.

[Carthrat]

No problem here.

[Dracos]

Just jot it down.

We should resolve the items still in possession and which are sold soon (boots of levitation).

Dracos

[Dracos]

Finally added the gold.
Bought 4 cure moderate potions for a total of 600, so that's 150 to go to each of the other party members?

anyhow... should be  good to go.