Chapter 7: Unconscious Revelations

[Joe]

Jan 4, 2011 20:04:18 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant slowly and gingerly enters the skycoach, as though afraid his foot might crash through the floorboards. Holding the side railing, he makes his way to a seat at the back.

He sits and clamps one hand on the ship's edge and the other searches for another place as solid to attach to. The wood makes it's creaking complaints under the warforged's grips. He sits bent over like a question mark.

Adamant's eye gems dim and he quietly whispers. "Lady, Your servant begs Your protection for himself and his friends. And should this unnatural transport fail, we trust our spirits to Your judgement."

Streko sits next to the Warforged and hears his whispering prayer. He allows himself a brief smile. "Olladra!" he calls out. "Bless us with your good fortune! And should our transport fail, Some of us shall trust our lives to You and Your judgement. The rest of us will look for the softest landing spot available."

He glances over at Adamant. "Never throw all your herbs in one pot. Sprinkle them liberally around to accentuate the flavor."

He turns his head forward, chuckling softly. Then, a quick though of Varna and his mood darkens a bit. "What are you up to, sister?"
____________________________________________________

A real-life thing, Joe, or a Streko-and-Varna thing?

Jeff: Yes.

[Brian]

Condign steps into the skycoach and wedges himself between Kalarian and Belarin. As the others board and the skycoach gets ready to depart, he thinks about his meeting tonight with the mysterious changeling Jix, wondering whether keeping it is a good idea or not. He shrugs. One situation at a time. He'll worry about that after this meeting is finished.

He leans back and closes his eyes. This flight shouldn't take too long.

[Darren]

At one point during the journey, Kal stands up and places his foot on the railing of the coach, leaning on his knee and looking out at the city. As the driver scowls at him, Kal gives the man a wink, but returns to his seat to await their arrival at Skyway.


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Alright, kids. That's probably my last post before leaving for Mouse World.

[Ken]

Belarin thanks Syrdan for paying the fare, although he fidgets a bit after Condign squeezes in next to him. "One of us is eating too many muffins, my friend." Pause. "I think it's you, Kal."

Once this short voyage is underway, he's clearly excited. "This is magnificent," he says with childlike glee. "Condign, open your eyes! It's enough to make me forget that the last time some of us were up this high, we were attacked by a necromancer's warship. Oh, damn, I remembered it. Hmm, in that vein, if not for the constant references to 'recruiting' us, this would be a perfect opportunity for 'Z' to eliminate us. Happy thoughts."

Streko glances over at Adamant. "Never throw all your herbs in one pot. Sprinkle them liberally around to accentuate the flavor."

Belarin considers this and nods approvingly. "Quite right! Let me see what I can do to help..." He closes his eyes, and then smiles slightly. "Oh ravishing Raeshara, whose curves bend like a man's sanity and in whose sensuous lips one could lose himself forever, I know that you have no divine power to protect me as my good friends here can call upon. I ask simply that should the worst happen, our final moment of impact should feel as wonderful and soft as falling upon your, um, pillows."

_________________________
Nicely done, Joe.

[Dave W.]

"Thank you friends," Adamant says to Streko and Belarin, "I am of course grateful for the protection of all the Host." He does not change posture, however nor loosen his clamp-like grip.

"And I, umm," the warforged hesitates, "apologize if I disturb you ride. It's just unnatural for an object this size; or even MY size to not rest on the friendly ground. Being unnatural, it's hard to believe it will remain aloft."

"Truly, if my maker intended me to fly, he would have forged me with wings."

[Joe]

Jan 5, 2011 21:17:16 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"Truly, if my maker intended me to fly, he would have forged me with wings."

Streko pats Adamant on the shoulder. "With friends like you, it's a wonder any dark thoughts can invade my mind. Thank you!! As to having wings, Adamant, I can think of several occasions already where that would have been quite helpful. My only concern in that situation would be that we would no doubt find it difficult at best to get you to stay on the ground. You could, however, fly around with Mattheu and cause havoc that way."

[Jeff]

Adamant makes a simplistic point, Matheu says, suddenly appearing on the rail of the skycoach. The driver starts, then relaxes. vidently seeing a diversity of aerial creatures is part of the job. But he strays into philosophical concepts about which there can be no conclusions. Dragons possess wings, and therefore they can, and were "meant" to fly. But the races of humans and elves, for example, first learned magic from dragons, and magic can be used to fly. Was this also meant to be? Such discussions eventually lead to talk of prophecy. What might happen vs. what will happen.

___________________________

Bear with me guys. I need another day to get my head back off my immediate project.

[Darren]

"Will Matheu bore us to death with a lecture?" Kal grins and raises one hand. "Or won't he?" He raises the other hand, like the trays on a scale, then chuckles.

[Jeff]

Matheu fades from view.

[Brian]

His eyes still closed despite Belarin's ebullience, Condign only half listens to his companions--and Matheu's--bantering. Now that he's more rested, his mind wanders back to something the gnolls had said yesterday. One had said, "Kill elf, devil-man." The other had said, "Wrong devil-man."

The implications were obvious: there was at least one other tiefling about.

He remembers why he was sent into the Five Nations in the first place. He definitely needs to find this other devil-man.

[Ken]

"Oh come back, Matheu," Belarin says. "I wanted to hear more about the early days. Why did dragons teach magic to humans and elves in the first place? Generosity? Desire to create more efficient servitors? Capricious whim? I doubt it's the last one -- I like to delude myself that humans were the first to develop that quality."

[Jeff]

Matheu says no more. You're not even sure if he's still perched on the edge of the coach or following from a short distance.

[Mike]

Syrdan watches as Matheu fades away.

"What a pleasantly odd little fellow," the elf murmurs.

He turns to face Belarin. "Does the pseudodragon do that often? 'Speak' cryptically, and then leave?"

[Ken]

"No, not the cryptic part...," says Belarin, seeming to give the question great consideration. "Usually, the sequence is 'Make wry though often accurate observation, impart nugget of wisdom, receive insult from Kal, ponder whether to sting Kal to death in his sleep, fade away.'"

He shrugs. "I used to toss a fair amount of snide commentary at Matheu myself, but it didn't feel right. So I've stopped dividing my attention and have focused exclusively on Kal." He smiles at Kalarian.

[Dave W.]

Jan 6, 2011 1:05:19 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Adamant makes a simplistic point, Matheu says, suddenly appearing on the rail of the skycoach. The driver starts, then relaxes. vidently seeing a diversity of aerial creatures is part of the job. But he strays into philosophical concepts about which there can be no conclusions. Dragons possess wings, and therefore they can, and were "meant" to fly. But the races of humans and elves, for example, first learned magic from dragons, and magic can be used to fly. Was this also meant to be? Such discussions eventually lead to talk of prophecy. What might happen vs. what will happen.

"Ummm, Thanks Matheu, my point was no doubt simplistic... I am a simple creature after all... but I really was not concerned with the philosophical side of the issue, but rather the mundane side of falling from an unponderable height and smashing to small pieces... really a very simple thought!"

Kal insults Matheu and the little dragon disapears. "And thus Kal's skill at diplomacy at work again," Adamant says quietly.

Louder, the warforged starts again, "But maybe the proper approach is to think about something else a while. Since it seems to be a topic distressing several of the group, may we discuss Varna? Is this a topic we can distract ourselves with? If it is too close to anyone, we can pick another."

___________________________

Bear with me guys. I need another day to get my head back off my immediate project.

Take your time... we'll talk amongst ourselves a while!

[Darren]

"Oh my," Kalarian says like a wilting maiden, "but his sensibilities do seem to be quite fragile." Kal laughs, his voice returning to normal. "I can't help it if the little dragon is too sensitive."

Leaning closer to Adamant, Kal says, "What is it about Varna you would like to discuss?"

[Joe]

The breeze blowing through Streko's thick, black hair calls to mind memories of his childhood, running across the plains, racing down the path toward Sharn, chasing through back alleys and more recent memories of Fairhaven, Passage and, finally, of his other trek through the skies of Eberron. Streko glances around at his friends and wonders, briefly, is this is yet another definition of family he should strongly consider. It does seem, after all, as if he has spent more time with these people than with his mother, father and sister combined. At least, of late. The idea doesn't concern him. It does, in fact, fill him with an odd sense of joy.

"Friends. Family. Are they one and the same?" has asks no one in particular. It is a rhetorical question he poses to Olladra, not expecting an answer. He is pretty sure he already knows that answer.

[Dave W.]

"I suppose that's the question, Kal. Several of you seem concerned either for her well being or about what we're getting involved in because of her. And it seems to me that those with concerns are not expressing them in a useful way. Some whisper concerns to themselves or perhaps the gods. Some have expressed anger or frustration."

"As I've said, I am a simple creature, I would like to hear our collected concerns in the open. I prefer to hear what is on your minds if you can share it"

[Mike]

"I'm concerned with anyone who believes that dealing who are evil - or at least immoral - somehow leads to a greater good," Syrdan says evenly. "Evil corrupts. It always does. And saying 'this is how the world works' doesn't make that philosophy, well, right."

"So I'm more than a little worried about dealing with someone who accepts this." Syrdan closes his eyes, and rubs his temples with his fingers. "And I'm worried about someone who wants to know everything that we do while keeping secrets for herself."

The elf sighs. "I know she is friend to many of you ... and blood." He nods solemnly at Streko. "I take that quite seriously. But I heard you, Kal, back at Olladra's Kitchen, saying that you trust her. I don't. At all."

"Please understand, I don't think Varna would ever mean us ill, or betray us in any way. But some of the more dubious people she deals with, the ones she keeps secret from us when she vanishes, the ones with whom she may share information obtained from us ... they might not be so kind." The elf smiles wryly. "Such is the slippery slope of doing ill to achieve a greater good."

"Once I've found Lerrhana - one way or another - I'll need something more than vague promises from her to remain in Varna's company."

[Jeff]

The skycoach reaches its stopping point—a broad platform at the very top of an unassuming tower—where several other coaches await. Several other citizens and visitors have gathered here, mostly looking like they're waiting for others. The new vessels hovering here are fundamentally the same as the skycoach you've arrived in, but they're gilded by comparison: White-hulled, rimmed with gold paint, and beautifully maintained.

Your driver ushers you out and into the next vessel. A new driver greets you politely, and waits for you to get comfortable before setting off. He is formally dressed in the fine clothing of a nobleman's servant. "Any particular destination, gentlemen?" he asks.

And as the coach drifts up toward Skyway, you're left to resume your conversation. But it'll only take a few minutes to get there.

[Ken]

Belarin nods politely at the new driver as they board. Once the craft is underway, he says to his companions, "Well, yes, I want to trust Varna and believe with all my tainted heart that she would never knowingly place us in danger -- although I still can't believe she didn't warn me about medusas being involved -- yet I'm not sure if she has absolute control in that matter."

He pauses, as though uncertain whether he can -- or should -- say more. Then he continues, "No, I don't believe she's been possessed or anything similar, if that's what any of you thought I was suggesting. But I do believe her life is linked -- darkly -- to something, and that 'something' is keeping her from disclosing everything she knows."

He looks at Streko. "Good Streko, she hasn't mentioned anything to you about where she obtained that dagger of her, has she?"

[Brian]

Condign moves from one skycoach to the other and sits down. He keeps quiet, content to simply listen to his companions. He assumes that his feelings about Varna are well known. Also, Streko is a friend, and Condign does not want to add more tension into the conversation.

[Dave W.]

Adamant moves to the new ship with the same caution he did the first, "Someone really should invent a way of tying passengers to their seats, reducing the chance of being thrown from the thing." Again he takes a seat and clamps on as best as possible.

"I would like to thank you all for being so honest."

"But I think her intent is more noble than you give her credit for. For what good is served by the elder Travvens being harassed?"

"I believe i have a different perspective; and some sense of the difficult path she has to walk. She's a protector in her way. She is protecting her family as best she can. Perhaps if she had different skills she wouldn't need other powers to help with that."

"and so, needing additional strength, who did she have available to ally with? The Watch? Us? Who among us will abandon our ambitions and lifestyles to defend the Inn every bell of every day? No, we are more selfish than Varna."

"I'm also not sure what is to be done about it now. Do you," Adamant glances at all of you, "have an plan?"

[Joe]

Streko is unsre of were they exactly need to go and shrugs at the pilot. "I'm just along for the ride," he says before sitting down.

"Good Streko, she hasn't mentioned anything to you about where she obtained that dagger of her, has she?"

"No, she hasn't. You must remember, Belarin, I've spent more time with you and Kalarian in the past year than I have with my sister in the past twenty. I love her unconditionally and I trust her just the same. For me, that is all that matters, and I will look for threats all the same. After all, who can say that the information she is receiving is accurate? We can only trust ourselves and what we know to be true. The rest we can only hope that the Sovereign Host as a plan."

[Mike]

Syrdan gives Adamant a solemn look. "I never said that the choices Varna has made were easy ones," Syrdan says. "I'm sure they were made with the best - and most sincere - of intentions. And I'm not saying that any of us would've made different choices, were we in her situation."

"But there's a saying, about the road to Khyber being paved with good intentions." The elf shrugs. "Anyway ... I'm not trying to judge, or condemn. But you asked our concerns, Adamant, so I'm voicing mine. I'd rather you know those doubts and concerns, and be honest ... I don't mean to offend, although I'm sure I've done just that. My humblest apologies, for that."

[Dave W.]

"No, no, Syrdan," Adamant replies, "I said I wanted to hear your concerns and I do. How can I be offended by your honesty? I would like to hear everyone's thoughts."

"I suppose I have hope to present a perspective that may be new to you." Adamant glances at each of the group to make it clear he means everyone. "And perhaps to discover something I have not thought of."

[Darren]

"Unfortunately, in many ways I agree with Syrdan," Kal says, after remaining silent for some time. He stares over the railing at the city below them, not turning to look at his friends. "When I said I trust Varna, I did mean it. But she holds back too much information. There are too many secrets. I am sure that everything she does is done for reasons she thinks are good and certainly in aid of her parents and of those she seeks to protect. I'm just not certain that what she does is always in aid of us. Or rather, that it always will be in aid of us." Kal sighs, finally turning to face the others. "I know that it may be beyond her place in the Boromars to be able to tell us anything more, but that's all the more reason that we can't always tell her everything. Sadly, I think her loyalty to them probably exceeds her loyalty to us. So while I trust her sense of honor, I unfortunately cannot fully trust her."

Kal looks down, a moment of sincere sadness in his eyes. He turns his head back to look out at the city again, not wishing to let his companions see him. Most of all, he cannot look at Streko for fear that the halfling will see the deep shame he feels.

[Dave W.]

"I'm sorry to disagree, but trust is only meaningful when there are secrets. If there were no secrets there would be no need to trust Varna."

"We each have secrets; things we simply don't know about each other. Kal, I am told the politics of the Dragonmarked houses are intricate; I would guess there are untold secrets there."

"No, you either trust Varna because of the measure you have taken of her character. Or you don't. The secrets are immaterial."

---------------
What, hasn't Kal seen the latest season of Doctor Who?

[Brian]

Condign opens his eyes and grins. "I trust that this discussion will have no reasonable end." He sits up straighter. "Whether we all trust my lady Varna or not, she is bonded to her brother, and, as such, to us. I will approach the question of her motives with a healthy dose of practical caution." His grin widens. "That is, until I'm given proof of her loyalties. Then this whole conversation will surely be revisited."

[Ken]

"'A healthy dose of practical caution'... I like that," Belarin says. "It certainly sounds better than rampaging paranoia. And yes, it does seem like the most reasonable approach." He smiles. "Despite that flaw, I'll go along with it. Now to happier thoughts...." He leans back and folds his arms behind his head as he looks up.

"There once was a gnoll fighter named Rejdar
Whose lust for riches led him quite far.
Until he decided to mock
Five friends and a warlock
Now his remains can fit in a jar."