Chapter 17: Deep Reflections

[Jeff]

The fire-spirit looks frustrated somehow. "This tongue is...harsh," she says and then her words devolve into the Ingan tongue of the plane of fire.

The dragon cocks his head. "I can help. If you please, I would speak with the human alone and aid in translation. He will be right along." Alazphraxilark makes a shooing gesture at the rest of you, Adamant included. 

[Elvis]

This is new.

Thul feels weird.

Like being back in school.

He shuffles his feet unconsciously and feels foolish doing it.

[Dave W.]

Adamant nods, just as he reaches the door he makes one last statement, "You much choose for yourselves now. Thank you mighty Alazphraxilark for your patience."

He heads out.

[Brian]

Melethos throws Thul a cautioning glance, then follows Adamant out of the room.

[Jeff]

Those exiting the keep see the azers' floating chain of platforms leading like giant steps down toward the Dragonfly. One azer stands at the top, overseeing things. 

[Elvis]

As the others head out, he turns back to the dragon and the flamegirl, and waits for someone to start.

[Darren]

Kal simply shrugs. "Try not to get eaten," he says to Thul as he exits the chamber.

[Joe]

"Syndra should be left here. We've seen what fire-born spirits are capable of. Some of us have been burned by them, in fact. Alas, we leave our fate, once again, up to another. I am ready to leave when everyone else is. We should hurry."
________________________________________________________

Streko will follow the others back to the ship when they go, otherwise, he remains near Adamant.

[Dave B.]

Shorak steps out of the doorway to allow everyone to exit the chamber and leans against the wall outside the dragon's room, waiting for Thul make his choice and join them. "Oh, to sleep for a week." Shorak says with a sigh.

[Jeff]

When Melethos joins the others at the front of the keep, he sees the azer there and thinks that it may be Melgann, the one azer who gave a name and spoke for the others. To the tiefling's eye, it's hard to tell one from another, but the way this one looks at him purposefully tells him that he wishes to speak. He is holding something in his hand in place of a shield.

Meanwhile, Sem is the last to leave the Needle chamber, with only Thul inside with Syndra and the dragon. When Sem sees Shorak lingering just outside the door against the wall, he shakes his head and says quietly. "Don't try him, Shorak. He can hear and smell you out here."

Inside, the brass dragon remains very still as if still waiting. But he says, "Human, pick up the hammer and touch it to the stone." He indicates the Needle.

[Elvis]

Thul looks at the hammer then to the flamegirl. Then back to the dragon.

He limps over to the hammer and lifts. The weight is just right. The metal, warm.

While Thul's preference is an axe, he is equally comfortable with a warhammer.

Holding it up, he turns towards the needle. And pauses.

"Tell me." He says to the flamegirl, "What do you want? What gives you purpose?"

[Brian]

Seeing Melgann staring at him, Melethos approaches the azer. “Do you wish to speak to me?” he asks the fiery dwarf creature.

[Dave W.]

Nov 14, 2019 20:15:30 GMT -4 Joe said:

"Syndra should be left here. We've seen what fire-born spirits are capable of. Some of us have been burned by them, in fact. Alas, we leave our fate, once again, up to another. I am ready to leave when everyone else is. We should hurry."

"I had thought she wanted to stay. She is willful but so is Thul. If it becomes necessary I will take her back. But she is not what I had thought, she surprises me." Adamant tries for a cheerful note, but it is tinged with concern, "Have faith, my friend."

"Before we leave, we must free Histra. And I have one more promise to keep as well. Belarin?" Adamant turns to the Fey warlock, "do you have control over Histra's undead? If I told you I promised we would leave behind the female drow, could you bring her here and...umm, un-animate.. her?"

[Ken]

Belarin considers and says, "I can bring her here, but ... it's Histra's magic, not mine. I doubt I can sever the connection -- but I'll do my best, Adamant."

He looks back to the "Needle room" and says, "I personally don't care if Thul and Syndra get married or not, I just want the nuptials over with as soon as possible. Histra could be near death, for all we know."

[Darren]

Kal places a hand on Belarin's shoulder as he looks at Melethos and begins moving that way. "I hear you, brother. The sooner we are gone, the better."

Coming up beside Melethos, Kal looks on at the azer before them. "What's going on?" he asks.

[Jeff]

"Hammer to stone," Alazphraxilark says to Thul. "Maintain contact or she will not be able to speak with you the way she wishes."

The dragon glares at the door for a moment, then with a sudden snap of his wings, the large door to the chamber slams shut. The lock is broken still (form Kal's forced entry when Alaq had commanded the Needle), but it still shuts.

Elvis, private thread for what follows.

On the stone porch, the azer holds out his hands where Mel and Kal can see. He appears to be holding a pair of sculpted bronze...torches? There's a conspicuous hollow carved into the rods at one end—and both men, martially minded, quickly see that it's meant to a weapon. If the bronze was wooden, then these would be the hafts of a hand axe, but they appear to be missing their blades.

Then the azer touches one of the bronze hafts to his flaming beard and fire takes immediate shape within the hollow and then bursts forth in the shape of an axe-blade. He does the same with the other device and it, too, becomes a fiery hand-axe. "Small gifts...for...labor," he says in Common, his hesitation showing his lack of mastery for it. "Is little to us. Not...living elementals. Tools."

He holds out both weapons to Melethos and Kal.

---

If you accept them, the azer-axes are, once ignited, essentially +1 handaxes that deal fire damage entirely, not slashing damage at all. They must be ignited by fire (a tinderbox will do), but then they'll hold the flame indefinitely until extinguished by normal means. No attunement needed. They're more like tools to the azers.

[Dave B.]

Shorak nods at Sem. "Sorry, force of habit. I was really just resting." he says and pushes himself away from the wall. Slowly and somewhat painfully, Shorak makes his way to the keeps entrance and the rest of his friends. "So very tired." he mutters. He carefully lowers himself at the top of the steps, siiting and waiting for Thul to finish with the dragon.

[Brian]

Melethos glances at Kal, then back to the azer. He reaches out and accepts one of the axes.

“Thank you,” he says, offering a slight bow.

[Darren]

Kal accepts the gift with a nod, holding it somewhat cautiously and looking for a way to extinguish it so be can stow it long enough to give it to Thul or Adamant, where it might be of better use.

[Jeff]

Kal thinks the azer smiles slightly when he tries to extinguish it. It's no immediately obvious how to do it.

Meanwhile, Thul emerges from the Needle chamber, looks around, and heads towards ice-bridge and cave area. Shorak and the rest on the porch do notice him. He has the Hammer of Syndra in hand.

When Thul walks past the air-fountain, the xorn rises into view by the broken wall off the keep facing the bridge. It murmurs to him and raises its three-fingered three hands. Thul can see what he's looking for; it's still up there, suspended in place. The slaadi haven't noticed it yet or taken any interest in his absence.

[Elvis]

Thul returns the gesture.

He looks back over his shoulder to make sure no one is around, then quietly he says, "Thank you." 

He takes out a heavy pouch that jingles with coins. He opens the string and walks up to the xornthing, giving it the coins.

When it takes it, Thul taps his chest, "I need to" then points to the top of the ice bridge and the cave entrance, "go there." Then he points at the xornthing, then back to himself. It turns into a confusing display of flapping hand gestures which he hopes the xornthing will somehow understand.

--- 

Deduct all of Thul's coins.

[Jeff]

The xorn accepts the pouch, opens it, reaches a couple of fingers inside as if to test it briefly, and then upends the entire thing over its open maw.

When it finishes, the xorn babbles something in its language, then steps down into the stone, disappearing into the solid mass as easily as a dryad into her tree.

Now Thul knows he must wait for a few minutes.

[Darren]

Kal taps the toe of his boot impatiently, glancing back towards the chamber door. "Do you suppose he's dead? Should we leave without him?" Kal shrugs. "I guess we'll give him a few more minutes..."

[Brian]

Melethos give Kal an odd look, as if his friend had suddenly gone blind, then hurries after Thul.

“Captain, what’s going on? Where are you headed?”

[Ken]

"Looks like he's made a friend," says Belarin.

[Dave W.]

Adamant watches Thul run off with Syndra, "I didn't do that." he says quietly.

He puts a hand on Belarin's shoulder, "I want you to know, I am also deeply worried about Histra. I didn't mean to imply anything just then, I would rather rescue her now... or after Thul has regained his senses... I just can't leave here without dealing with the drow undead. I made a promise."

[Dave B.]

Shorak watches Melethos go after Thul and looks up at Kal and the rest. "Do we go after them?" Shorak asks with little enthusiasm.

[Ken]

Nov 18, 2019 17:58:39 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant watches Thul run off with Syndra, "I didn't do that." he says quietly.

"Well, you and a fire elemental... let's face it, it never would've worked," says Belarin, still watching Thul from a distance. "You should settle down with a nice air elemental, or maybe a sylph. I can set you up."

Nov 18, 2019 17:58:39 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"I want you to know, I am also deeply worried about Histra. I didn't mean to imply anything just then, I would rather rescue her now... or after Thul has regained his senses... I just can't leave here without dealing with the drow undead. I made a promise."

Belarin pats Adamant's massive forearm reassuringly. "I know, I know. Thanks, though. We'll get her back."

[Elvis]

Thul turns his head when he hears the Redman come up behind him.

"I'm just getting something I left behind." he says, "It'll only take me a few minutes and I'll meet you on the ship."

[Jeff]

Nov 19, 2019 10:26:29 GMT -4 Ken said:

Nov 18, 2019 17:58:39 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant watches Thul run off with Syndra, "I didn't do that." he says quietly.

"Well, you and a fire elemental... let's face it, it never would've worked," says Belarin, still watching Thul from a distance. "You should settle down with a nice air elemental, or maybe a sylph. I can set you up."

Sem snickers at this, which then turns into a real laugh. "Thank you, Belarin. I needed that. When we get Histra back, I'll get you laughing again, fair? From my conversations with Alazphraxilark, I did get the distinct impression that we're better off asking Kurra to meddle with those braziers outside the manifest zone. Kythri can muck things up for the novice brazier-user....assuming you're not an efreeti."