Chapter 2: Rites of Passage

[Jeff]

The few everbright lanterns hanging up here on the lower docking level (which is still sixty or more feet above street level) don't quite create enough shadows for Goran to attempt to move discretely to keep Pel and the scholar in view. There is no remaining crowd—when the last airship disembarked, most of the people went with it. The only ones remaining outside of Goran, Streko, Amal, the warforged Mist, and the gnome are two Lyrandar stevedores and the older half-elf artificer. The latter three are going about their business.

However, Goran is able to move out into the central area and find a new location if he wishes to move into the shadows. Despite his armed appearance, he doesn't seem to be drawing undue notice. Perhaps because he, too, is half-elven. For the moment, he takes up a position around the railing of the stairwell, where at least he can see clear out to the north docking platform, where Pel and the scholar have gone. They seem to be in a quiet argument. He can't hear their speech over the whistling of the night wind or the ambient sounds of the tower.

The gnome woman smiles embarrasedly. "I'm sorry, Master Streko. I have forgotten my manners? I'm—"

"Something is amiss," Mist interjects, drawing her scimitar. She looks up.

In that same moment, Goran feels it, too. A disturbing tension in the air. It's familiar. It's....exactly how he felt back in Fairhaven in the tenement complex. An invisible menace. It frustrates him that he cannot see it, but he knows there is danger afoot. He even hears—just barely—a sort of whispering voice coming from nearby, almost lost in the gentle whistle of the night winds.

(Time for a visual....ask if you have any questions about it.)

Down below, Ralsor, Grafth, Kal, and Tangat continue to ascend the spiral stair.

___________________________________
Goran's Spot check = 20
Goran's Listen check = 26

[Darren]

Grabbing hold of the half-elf's wrist, Kalarian stops him. "Just hang on a second, Ralsor," he says, spinning the pilot around. "What in the Hells is going on here? Where are you rushing off to?"

[Jeff]

Ralsor pulls his arm away from Kal. "Excuse me, Lord Kalarian," he says. "You don't need to be so urgent. There is no emergency. I'm just very eager to confirm if this dragonshard is what I suspect it to be. And I'd like to know sooner rather than later." He resumes his walk up.

[Joe]

Streko instinctively reaches back and grabs hold of his sickle, the ever-trusty haversack giving him exactly what he wishes instantly. He prepares to cast a spell, hoping to get a jump on whatever the warforged senses.

"Stand back, my lady. It would seem that I have this propensity for attracting unwanted guests and I would not want you to get hurt. Allow myself and this outstanding warforged to handle anything that may come."

He turns to the warforged. "If I should find myself leaving your company, I would ask that you remain here and protect this fine lady and not allow anyone other than the Captain and his guests to board the ship...that is assuming what you sense isn't already on board."

He shakes his head and grasps his holy symbol. "Olladra, bless me and my friends. Keep us from harm and allow me to aid those in need."

Streko is ready for whatever comes...or at least he is as ready as he can be.

[Jeremy]

Goran hisses at Streko that is going to get Pel, and then walks off briskly, but not so as to attract undue attention, towards her. He will stop somewhat near her and act as if he is confusedly looking for a ship at the docking area, but the moment he gets her attention (and not the scholar) he will motion they all move back toward the stairs in the middle of this area.

Goran is trying to centralize everyone, should something nasty suddenly appear...as seems to be rather normal these days!

[Jeff]

Goran steadily makes his way toward the north dock, attempting to seem nonchalant. Amal, who'd been ordered by Kal to keep an eye on the warforged, briefly meets the ranger's eyes from where he stands. He nods slightly, staying where he is but grasping the hilt of his sword. Goran feels certain that Amal...has his back.

The gnome gasps softly when Streko pulls out his weapon. She wraps her cloak more tightly about him and steps behind him, keeping between halfling and warforged.

___________________________________

Per our recent discussion, we'll pick things up again on Monday.

[Joe]

Streko looks back and forth, attempting to find the source of whatever has disturbed the warforged and...apparently...Goran, as well.

"What is it? What is, as you say, amiss, good warforged?"

[Jeremy]

As Goran passes by Amal he mutters to him.

"Stay here, I'll be back. Be ready for more trouble." he says with a grim smile.

Once he reaches Pel, he will signal that they should all congregate near the middle of the platform. He'll furnish a terse explanation, if pressed, that there is someone there who wishes to speak with her ('him'). Whatever the case, Goran is truly ill at ease and will do whatever is necessary to centralize the group.

Meanwhile, he is doing his best to keep his senses alert as to this growing 'menace' in the air, as it were.

[Darren]

Kalarian's legs seem to keep moving more out of annoyance than a need to get anywhere as he follows the half-elf.

___________
At this point, Jeff, I'm either waiting for you or Josh.

[Jeff]

As Grafth, Kal, Ralsor, and Tangat wind their way up the stairwell, they notice another man a short distance behind. He wears the garments of a tasteful Aundairian noble, but walks with a wood staff studded with gemstones, and he's absently perusing a copy of the Korranberg Chronicle even as he walks. Middle-aged and a bit homely, with graying black hair. In the hand holding the staff is also what appears to be a ticket for transportation—give the location, probably an airship fare.

On the lower docking level above, Goran gets Pel's attention. The blond scholar seems irritated to be interrupted, and gestures dismissively at the commander-that-is-Pel. "Hurry back." The man seems oblivious to Goran's tense posture and urgency, turning away to wait upon the platform.

Pel follows Goran, but gives him a puzzled, almost inpatient look.

The Lyrandar stevedores watch Goran carefully, but don't seem unduly concerned; nor do they seem aware of the menace he has detected. The old half-elven artificer, working near the east dock entrance, looks back into the center of the area nervously, unconfused. Amal is tense, now, however, ready to spring into action.

The warforged, Mist, keeps her steely eyes focused in the direction of the Eldeen ranger. "There is something about. Unseen. I have never felt its like." She swivels her head from the ship to the central waiting area, then at last points down at Streko and the gnome. "Halfling, take her and go aboard the ship. Now." She steps aside to give them room.

[Darren]

Kalarian stops short on the stairs, making as if to adjust one of the many straps on his leg. His posture causes him to block up as much of the stairwell as possible, making it difficult for the Aundairian man to get past him.

[Jeff]

A look of annoyance steals over the nobleman's face as he almost collides with Kal. He stops and looks up at the Deneith heir, eyebrows raised as he waits instead of immediately marching around him. Kal doesn't feel scorn so much as total antipathy from the man. He doesn't even speak.

Ralsor stops and half turns, looking down at the interruption. As he, too, waits, he says to Grafth without looking at him, "Have you ever both waited for and dreaded a day to come?"

[Joe]

Unable to sense anything that is happening, Streko decides to trust the instincts of the Warforged. He grasps the gnomes hand.
"Follow me."

He turns to the Warforged. "I will be back soon, good Warforged. Then, you can tell me your name and we can stand side-by-side to address your concern, head-on, as it were."

He escorts the gnome aboard the Lyrandar ship. Once on deck, he searches for one of the crew. When he finds one, he will ask the crewmember to escort the gnome to her quarters, per Captain Ralsor's orders! Streko will then return to the Warforged's side and try to get more info as quickly as his halfling legs will carry him.

[Darren]

Standing quickly, Kalarian offers a bow to the Aundairian man. "My apologies, good sir," he says, sounding genuine. "I simply did not see you there." Gesturing towards the chronicle in the man's hand, he asks, "Anything interesting in there?"

[Jeff]

The Aundairian nobleman shrugs at Kal, seeming not to care. "Fires and other nonsense in our nation's capital," is all he says. He looks expectantly—and increasingly irritated—at Kal.

Up above, Goran hears a whispering sound on the wind. Almost part of the wind, but less...natural.

Pel steps closer toward him, surreptitiously pointing a finger back toward the scholar she left behind. "He's a wizard," she whispers through nearly clenched teeth in the Emerald Claw commander's voice. "He asked if I had completed some sort of rite." Then she utters the words of a protection spell. Goran has seen it before from other arcane casters, a spell that conjures invisible armor.

"What do you sense?" she whispers loudly to Goran. The gentle, cooing night wind seems to swallow the sound, masking their conversation. "I'm close to learning more from him about our winged enemy..."

_________________________

Pel casts Mage Armor.

[Darren]

Kal adopts the somewhat absent-minded demeanor he's often seen on other nobles. "Oh, yes. Nasty business that. Can you imagine? People in this wonderful city just going around burning down buildings like that? It makes the blood boil, doesn't it?" Looking over at the Aundairian, Kal quickly turns his head up towards the stairs and then back to the man, as if suddenly noticing that he is blocking the path. "Oh, of course. How rude of me. Please," he says, removing himself from the path and sweeping his hand towards the top of the steps, "after you."

[Jeff]

When Streko sets foot on the deck of the Thunderhead, he finds it...empty. There are no crewmen moving about. He doesn't know too much about airships, but some part of him does suspect that it takes fewer people to crew an airship because they're not powered by natural winds, nor pass through water, and have none of the lines and rigging of a sailing vessel. However, they do require a handful of

But even so, it's pretty silent here. Two everbright lanterns sway in the breeze, washing the deck in white light, and Streko can see a faint glow of white light where the elemental is bound between the struts.

Beside him, the gnome looks around in wonderment, as if she's never been on an airship before.

On the stairwell, the Aundairian noble strides past Kal with sharp exhale of breath. Annoyed. He moves past Ralsor and Grafth without remark. Ralsor resumes the walk up, and the lower docking level is near.

[Darren]

Kal offers a wry grin and wink to Ralsor before the half-elf turns away. Shrugging his shoulders, he continues to follow.

___________
Not much else for me to do until we get there, I guess.

[Jeremy]

Goran still doesn't have much of a clue what's going on yet, right?

---

Goran turns to Pel, speaking quietly. He tries to wear a smile while he talks, to allay any unnecessary suspicion from outsiders watching him.

"If you think he can help, go back to him, but I'm trying to get everyone together in case this bad feeling I have turns out to be justified. I...feel...something in the air. I can hear it now, too. Can you hear that? If you go back over there, keep an eye on me, and beware."

Otherwise, Goran can but wait to see what pans out.

[Jeff]

That's right, Jer. Goran knows something's about but just can't locate it.

____________________

Ralsor, Grafth, Kal, and Tangat reach the lower docking level, where everyone else is. They find Goran standing centrally, seeming cautious and alert. They see the commander-that-is-Pel, standing nervously nearby as if in dilemma. Streko is out of sight at the moment, but the warforged Mist still stands before the gangplank of the Thunderhead. Lyrandar Stevedores and the half-elf artificer look on warily.

The Aundairian nobleman strides past them and looks over at the clock mounted on one wall. He grunts audibly with irritation at something.

[Darren]

Looking around at the group in apparent disarray, Kalarian lets out a sigh but shows no other signs of his dismay at finding everyone acting strangely as though danger, once again, is right around the corner. Reach a hand out and placing it on Ralsor's elbow, he says, "Let's get to your ship quickly so you can tell us what's going on."

[Joe]

Sterko wonders at the emptiness of the airship. He turns back to the gnome.

"It seems as if we are alone, which disturbs me greatly. Stay close to me and, at the first sign of trouble, find a place to hide and stay put."

He takes her to the gang-plank and helps her to sit down, out of sight.

Streko then steps down to the warforged and stands next to her.

"Let's try and keep undesireables off the ship, shall we?"

He holds his sickle in one hand and caresses Olladra's holy symbol in the other. "May the Host be at our backs."
_____________________________________________

Okay, Frosty the Snowforged, it's YOUR turn, right?

[Josh]

Ralsor stops and half turns, looking down at the interruption. As he, too, waits, he says to Grafth without looking at him, "Have you ever both waited for and dreaded a day to come?"

"Only once. It is something I would hesitate to feel again."

Grafth seems lost in thought as they climb the stairs, barely noticing Kal's exchange with the Aundarian. As they climb to the top, his senses pick up the tension of those who have been waiting in the tower. Trying not to react to this twinge of anxiety, he strolls over to Amal.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he says in a low voice. "Has anything of import transpired in our absence?"

_____________________
Okay, I'm back.

[Jeff]

Mist gives Streko only a brief look when he walks down the gangplank and stands beside her. "I will guard the ship," she says.

Ralsor makes a straight line for the scimitar-wielding warforged, an expression of puzzlement on his face as he looks at her defensive posture. He takes in Streko as well. "Something is...?"

"Unseen, but present," Mist says. "A danger of some kind, nearby."

He looks to Streko for a translation.

Meanwhile, Amal nods at Grafth. "Only that your ally, Goran, has been spooked by something. It's got me on edge, too. It sounds like wizards' tricks, although I don't sense anything myself. He nods his head almost imperceptible toward the commander-that-is-Pel. His voice goes softer. "He was talking to a newcomer over there on the north dock, but Goran called him back."

Pel looks anxious to return to her conversation with the blond main, who idles impatiently beyond the north archway.

The two half-elf stevedores, almost as one, approach Blademark and the shifter. They have a strange manner about them, almost as if they're expecting the human and shift to bolt suddenly. One of them says, "You should go downstairs, sirs. Unless you have a ticket to board that ship?" The other follows it up with, "All non-passengers must go below now."

Past them, the Aundairian nobleman walks purposefully toward the north dock. In passing, he gives the commander-that-is-Pel a smile. "Raumok, come this way. We really need to talk."

The gnome woman who Streko had helped to hide below the railing on the airship steps atop the gangplank now. "Master Streko!" she says, drawing the attention of Ralsor and Kal, too. Ralsor looks annoyed to see someone aboard his ship that he didn't give permission to. "There are illusions afoot! She waves her hand in the direction of the central waiting area. "Those men aren't what they look like!" There is an edge of nervousness in her voice.

Refresh your page!

On the map:
No = Aundairian nobleman
Sc = Scholar
ar = half-elf artificer
st = stevedores
Am = Amal

[Darren]

Kalarian is annoyed. "Ralsor," he says, his eyes narrowing at the half-elf, "do you know that man?" He points subtly towards the Aundairian noble. "What in the hells is going on here?" Not quite taking a defensive stance, Kalarian turns slightly towards where Amal is standing and tightens his grip on his sharrash.

[Jeremy]

Goran looks at Pel.

"Maybe you'd better go back to your friend over there. Just keep an eye out...and keep an eye on us."

He looks back and forth to see if he can get any sort of feeling about the idea of illusory people on the dock here. He walks over to Amal and Grafth, and speaks quietly.

"We should move soon, these fellas are giving us heat about staying here. But I think something's going on, I wish I could put my finger on it but I can't. Something is brewing and I think it's about to blow."

He hesitates, looking back into the misty night around the huge ship.

"I'm open for suggestions."

[Jeff]

"I don't..." Ralsor turns to look at the man Kal indicates. "..know any more than you do. I don't know that man. Haven't you said trouble's been following you lately?"

[Darren]

"Hm," Kalarian grumbles. "Good point. I'll be right back," he says, lifting his halfling weapon and walking towards Grafth and Amal.

Once he reaches the Blademark, Kal whispers, "Stay here. Keep and eye on Pel." He moves closer to Grafth. "Come with me. Let's see what Ralsor has going on. Goran and Amal can keep an eye on Pel." He raises his voice slightly to speak with the stevedores. "We have business with Captain Ralsor here. This is my man," he says, indicating Amal, "and he will wait for us to finish. I assure he will be no trouble, and we will all be away shortly." Kalarian then turns and returns to Ralsor, hoping there will be no further trouble, but knowing that trouble is likely to begin.

[Josh]

Grafth merely nods to the stevedore and follows Kal. "There's something going on—I don't like it. I feel as if our enemy may have the upper hand already."

[Joe]

Streko turns to the warforged. "Your assistance in protecting this ship is greatly appreciated, friend. I will do my best to assist you in that regard. Please stay close here and, as a personal favor to myself and House Jorasco, please keep the ship docked until I ascertain the cause of everyone's distress."

Streko calls out in Halfling to Tangat. He pats the massive dog and continues speaking in his native tongue. "It's good to see you again, my friend. And once more, I need your help."

He points at the stevedore on his right and the artificer across the way. "If you would be so kind...investigate those two. Guard and defend only. I promise a treat to you once this situation is resolved. Most importantly, BE CAREFUL!"

Streko goes to Kalarian as soon as Tangat has moved off. "Our first step is to identify the illusions my dear gnome friend has been so graciously helpful in pointing out to us. Tangat is taking the right side, including the stevedore and artificer. Just sniffing, as it were. I shall remain at the entryway here to the airship. My warforged friend behind us is guarding the ship and ensuring it doesn't depart without us. At least, I hope she is. She? Olladra be praised! I can't get passed the gender neutrality of some of these beings."

Remembering what is happening, he smiles at Kal and blushes. "Sorry. I'm a bit...edgy...considering the circumstances." He looks out past the ledge. "Edgy indeed!"

He glances down at his hand. It is still holding tightly to his sickle and the knuckles are white.

"May the Sovereign Host guide us and Olladra favor us with her divine luck. Yet again!" he whispers.