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1(7:40:36 PM) [GM]: *** Aarn Feyshop - 42 *** (It feels like it's been a year since we last played... Edition)
2(7:41:57 PM) [GM]: *After some freecasted portals allowed us to retrieve the fey furnture, already priced during the transfer and placed in the upstairs, Seiun had a small nervous breakdown about worrying it's too easy to portal into and out of the dungeon, despite the presence of the Door'o'Doom security door. He got over it, at least.
3(7:42:43 PM) ***[Krikrii] points out to him that to target in you need to scry a fey.
4(7:43:12 PM) [GM]: *That calmed him down /quite/ a bit.
5(7:43:52 PM) [Gus]: (or one of us... but we don't need to mention that)
6(7:45:26 PM) [GM]: *After some conveying with Krii about what the best route to reach the 'bottom' of the dungeon is, a route has been selected and planned. There are some convoluted bits, but a route with minimal distance travelled and (hopefully) minimum encounters has been selected. It does, however, mean travelling through those two Succubus Sisters' 'Club Club' - the club where they beat you with clubs, and the longer you stay standing, the better 
7(7:45:27 PM) [GM]: prizes you get. Seiun seems uncomfortable with this but there's really no other way down in a reasonable amount of time.
8(7:45:31 PM) [Krikrii]: *42 Edition edition
9(7:46:12 PM) ***[Ada] also seems uncomfortable with the prospect, though whether it's the 'succubus' part or the 'getting beaten by clubs' part that rankles her the most is a mystery
10(7:47:07 PM) ***[Krikrii] reassures on the way that it is merely injurious, not painful. She also is getting bigger, Scaling up with a glow on the way.
11(7:47:47 PM) [GM]: *Seiun grunts an affirmative to Krii's assertion "Yes. Shreya and I have been down there more than once, when it's appeared at least."
12(7:47:55 PM) [GM]: *He pauses, frowns, sighs
13(7:48:26 PM) [Ada]: I don't like being injured any more than I like being in pain, Krii.
14(7:48:34 PM) [Gus]: Yeaaah, I have no intention of allowing that. Do these other stairs require going through their area, or are there other paths to them nearby? I remember there being several doors in that courtyard.
15(7:48:48 PM) [Leah]: "Why not, Gus?"
16(7:49:06 PM) [Gus]: Why not what?
17(7:49:25 PM) [Izzy]: "Can the club clubbers themselves be clubbed?"
18(7:49:42 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I never asked."
19(7:50:33 PM) [Krikrii] left the room (quit: Ping timeout: 189 seconds).
20(7:50:37 PM) [Leah]: "Allowing 'that'... are you referring to injury, or something else?  I don't think Krii would suggest it if it weren't safe."
21(7:51:48 PM) [Krikrii] [~insignifi@71.15.200.122] entered the room.
22(7:52:48 PM) ***[Ada] sideeyes Leah, but doesn't say anything
23(7:52:49 PM) [Gus]: Oh. That's what I meant, yes. I don't swing that way.
24(7:52:57 PM) [Gus]: You know, she hasn't actually suggested everyone should be a customer. She only said the quickest path goes through there.
25(7:53:29 PM) [Krikrii]: "True. I also want to see their reaction to my new stratagem."
26(7:54:06 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "They don't always insist /everyone/ participate."
27(7:54:21 PM) [Ada]: If any of them tries to hit me, I'm hitting back.
28(7:54:26 PM) [Izzy]: "Why don't we merely claim passage by right of arms? Why play their game? Are they strong?"
29(7:54:37 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "They're very strong."
30(7:54:42 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Also, that's fair, Ada."
31(7:55:47 PM) [GM]: *We reach the courtyard on floor 1. The kittenwarlizard we liberated is sleeping in the middle. There's no sign of the cats that fled south during our battles in here. The only other animate things in eyesight are the two sultry demon ladies, still flanking that set of double doors.
32(7:55:59 PM) [Leah]: * "I could always take the lead."  "I'm very hard to break."
33(7:56:55 PM) [Krikrii]: "I tried it out in the name of science. My satyr shape is fragile. But I suspect it isn't a good scientific trial."
34(7:57:14 PM) [GM]: *The demons giggle as we approach "Oh boy. There sure are a lot of you this time."
35(7:57:50 PM) ***[Ada] is avoiding looking at the demon ladies
36(7:57:55 PM) [GM]: *Leah's headgear is pumping saxophone music into her ears
37(7:58:11 PM) ***[Leah] looks bemused by this
38(7:58:31 PM) ***[Krikrii] remains in back…still scaling up."Did anyone else wish to try their game?"
39(7:59:03 PM) [Krikrii]: "Before I make sport of it in a new way."
40(7:59:18 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "They give away feyitems from the dungeon when you ... uh... participate. ... That said anything they give you is going to be yours. Unless it's so dangerous I have to confiscate it."
41(7:59:31 PM) [GM]: "I'm not about to take away your winnings if you're willing to submit to that kind of treatment."
42(7:59:40 PM) ***[Izzy] steps aside for a minute as the party greets the pseudodemons, to offer the giant friendly feycat some breaded mashed fish balls, with a bit of silver vine. And a few scritches of friendship.
43(8:00:00 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah walks up next to Krii, giving the enlarging life channeler an odd look.  "I guess I can help Krii with it."
44(8:00:28 PM) [GM]: *The giant kitten wakes up, consents to scritches, powerful catnip and food. Izzy has made a new friend.
45(8:00:28 PM) [Shirley]: No thanks.
46(8:00:33 PM) [Gus]: Pass.
47(8:01:07 PM) ***[Krikrii] is now a 1.5m-diameter ball of muscle and growing.
48(8:01:15 PM) [GM]: *The two demons pout "Only two?" "And someone who's already played too." "Ok finnnnnnnnne. Follow us please everyone~"
49(8:01:25 PM) [GM]: *The demons leave Krii's new form uncommented upon
50(8:01:41 PM) ***[Krikrii] uses Lifting to roll forward.
51(8:01:56 PM) ***[Ada] sticks close to Leah. Is a little hunched over, arms crossed. Probably feeling a little self-conscious.
52(8:02:04 PM) ***[Gus] tries not to get rolled up by Krii.
53(8:02:32 PM) [GM]: *The demons step aside from the doors and open them, stepping inside. There's a small foyer with crooked hallways leading left and right. The demons split up, one going down each
54(8:02:48 PM) [GM]: *Seiun, quietly "It doesn't matter which one you follow, they're bot going to the same place
55(8:02:55 PM) ***[Leah] nods along with the music, glancing over to Ada with slight concern
56(8:03:08 PM) ***[Krikrii] follows
57(8:03:16 PM) [Leah]: * Tal sticks right with Krii, taking in the surroundings as they go
58(8:04:28 PM) [GM]: *Another corner turn, and the demon sisters meet face to face, giggle, and turn, and start heading down a narrow spiral staircase. Krii might have trouble fitting
59(8:04:51 PM) ***[Gus] takes the left route, and it doesn't matter.
60(8:05:07 PM) ***[Ada] follows along with the others
61(8:05:19 PM) ***[Krikrii] uses Shaping and squish-flows through.
62(8:05:24 PM) [Gus]: At least there was no negotiation to use the stairs.
63(8:05:25 PM) ***[Shirley] trails along
64(8:05:32 PM) [Leah]: * Tal loses her life-like look as she walks... her skin taking on a harder, metallic sheen.  She's still letting Krii lead the way.
65(8:09:21 PM) [Krikrii]: "Where are we going?"
66(8:09:27 PM) [GM]: *The demons lead us into a pair of matching double runes, each with a spiral staircase on dividing wall between them, one - the one we came down - going up, the other still going down.
67(8:09:50 PM) [GM]: *Demons "Do please stay with us, we can't gaurantee your safety if you go into any of the other rooms" *giggle* "This is our home afterall."
68(8:10:00 PM) [GM]: (runes = rooms)
69(8:10:14 PM) ***[Izzy] follows after the others at a dino-trot, looking around with a keen eye for trickery, and swapping between different suspicious-looking goggles at various times.
70(8:10:17 PM) [GM]: *Demon "The club-club, of course! This is it. A nice place for clubbing."
71(8:10:57 PM) [GM]: *One of them walks over to a feything on the wall and presses a button. We're innundated with mood lighting, a mild colorful light show, and smooth jazz. The same music Leah's hearing in her headphones. That's disorienting.
72(8:11:20 PM) ***[Leah] looks confused at the echo for a moment
73(8:12:49 PM) [GM]: *Demon sisters "All right here's the rules!" "We get our clubs!" "And then we club you!" "The longer you stay standing before you crumple, the better your prizes!" "If the clubs break, you get a grand prize!" 
74(8:13:09 PM) [GM]: *Sisters "And of course, you won't feel any pain during it!" "Oh no, pain would spoil everything. This is all about RAW ENDURANCE"
75(8:13:23 PM) ***[Ada] continues looking vaguely discomfited
76(8:13:32 PM) [GM]: *They pose. Jiggle and giggle.
77(8:13:34 PM) [Izzy]: "This is a very strange club."
78(8:13:58 PM) [GM]: *Sister 1 "What kind of club would you rather it be?" 2 "It's a club for clubs and clubbing!"
79(8:14:09 PM) [GM]: *Seiun rubs his nose, as if he's tired of hearing this
80(8:14:10 PM) [Krikrii]: "Club charm club."
81(8:14:37 PM) [GM]: *Demon "Yes yes. Our clubs are charming. That's why they don't hurt!" "That name was too long though so we changed it. The Club Club sounds better."
82(8:14:47 PM) [Leah]: * "... right."
83(8:15:04 PM) ***[Leah] pulls Ada back towards the back wall of the room
84(8:15:15 PM) ***[Ada] allows herself to be pulled without protest
85(8:15:19 PM) [GM]: *Demons "So who's first?" *The other goes into one of the side rooms, and pulls out a pair of clubs, and tosses one to her sister, who catches it."
86(8:16:15 PM) ***[Krikrii] glows, grows, stops at about 2m, edits exterior to a shell with deep, sharp, thick ridges, calculated to make it likely to break such clubs . "Spiky Meatball is ready." Not actually spiky, just a pun.
87(8:16:22 PM) [Leah]: * Tal looks to Krii, with a shrug.  "Up to you."
88(8:16:57 PM) [Krikrii]: "Me first, then, so I have time to shrink down again."
89(8:17:14 PM) ***[Izzy] fiddles around in his item sack for a minute, and produces a toasted and layered sandwich with a toothpick through it to keep it together. He shows it to the demons.
90(8:17:18 PM) [Leah]: * "That works for me."
91(8:17:32 PM) ***[Leah] leans in to Ada.  "What's wrong?"
92(8:17:37 PM) [GM]: *The demon sisters eye Krii's meatball self and mime rolling up their sleeves, which is hard to do in a sleeveless dress "Oh this is going to be fun." "A challenge!"
93(8:18:18 PM) ***[Ada] shakes her head, "This whole thing just feels so ... sleazy."
94(8:18:38 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "It really does."
95(8:18:57 PM) [GM]: *The demons start attacking Krii's meat-self.
96(8:19:23 PM) ***[Krikrii] laughs at Izzy's sandwich.
97(8:19:42 PM) [GM]: *Almost /immediately/ both clubs break, shattering and showering Krii with a bit of feymagic, harmless.
98(8:19:58 PM) [GM]: *Demoness "Well." "I think we swung too hard." "Siiiiiigh. Rules are rules."
99(8:20:07 PM) [Leah]: "I just think it's wierd, honestly."
100(8:20:13 PM) [GM]: *One of them goes in to get Krii's prize, as well as get more clubs. The other announces "Next!"
101(8:20:26 PM) ***[Krikrii] starts shrinking back down. "Wow, better than I thought."
102(8:20:37 PM) ***[Ada] shrugs, "It just rubs me wrong."
103(8:21:04 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah starts hardening her body.  "Are they going to insist we leave once we're done?"
104(8:21:06 PM) [Krikrii]: "They would get more customers with other implements, honestly."
105(8:21:23 PM) [GM]: *She comes back out with two more clubs and a glass jar under one arm. The jar has a swirling purple vortex inside, discharging occasional lightning bolts. Seiun sees it and his eyes bug out
106(8:21:45 PM) [Krikrii]: *Tendril grabs jar.
107(8:21:58 PM) [GM]: *She hands the jar to Krii with a smile "Since you played along so nice, twice, you get a /extra/ special prize."
108(8:22:14 PM) [GM]: *Seiun breathlessly whispers "Is that what I think it is?"
109(8:22:24 PM) [Gus]: I don't know, what do you think it is?
110(8:22:27 PM) [GM]: *Demoness "We'll tell you if you participate!" *Seiun "... No thanks."
111(8:22:33 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah stares as well.  "... wow.  Okay."
112(8:22:49 PM) [Ada]: What? What is that?
113(8:23:13 PM) [Leah]: "Something that /should/ be impossible."
114(8:23:32 PM) [GM]: *Seiun grumbles to himself, squinting "Stupid fey bullshit..."
115(8:23:35 PM) [Krikrii]: "Jhettic storm in a bottle. Do you mind if I go put this in the back room while Tal gets worked over, that nothing we run into *break* it?"
116(8:23:40 PM) [Gus]: That's literally everything in this dungeon.
117(8:23:49 PM) [Ada]: A /what/ in a bottle?!
118(8:23:53 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Yes. Yes, please do. I can't believe I said I'd let you keep these things."
119(8:24:27 PM) [Gus]: Huh. I know someone who'd be awfully upset that it was so easy to get one of those.
120(8:24:34 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Yes."
121(8:24:34 PM) [Leah]: "... I'm going to see what I can get, if they've got things like that in here, Ada."
122(8:25:08 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah steps up, channeling her integrity.  She's lost any semblance of looking non-metallic.
123(8:25:09 PM) [GM]: *The demonesses "Ok we're gonna go a little bit easier on you, metal lady." "We don't want to break our clubs right away! That's just no fun!" "Even if we do have like, a dozen more in there."
124(8:25:27 PM) ***[Krikrii] departs, glowing-shrinking. {Cursed items are in the mix, too,} she responds as she glorps upstairs.
125(8:25:55 PM) ***[Ada] makes a face, but doesn't try to stop Leah, "Just be careful, all right?"
126(8:26:00 PM) [GM]: *They wind up, they swiiiiiing.....
127(8:26:03 PM) [GM]: *Both clubs snap
128(8:26:09 PM) [GM]: *They look extremely disappointed.
129(8:27:22 PM) [GM]: *They sigh. One goes to turn off the mood lighting, the other goes to get Leah's prize. They look utterly defeated
130(8:27:41 PM) [GM]: "We need to revise these rules, sis" "I agree."
131(8:27:42 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah looks back to the group, and shrugs.
132(8:28:05 PM) ***[Leah] just stands next to Ada, a little speechless
133(8:29:43 PM) [Leah]: "I thought I'd have to focus on self-repair for a bit there."
134(8:30:00 PM) [Izzy]: "..."
135(8:30:01 PM) [Gus]: I see stairs down nice and close. So... are we negotiating to use them, or just going for them when the fun's concluded?
136(8:30:03 PM) [GM]: *The demon comes back out of the back room "Well, here you go miss." *She hands Leah a woolen cap
137(8:30:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glows suspiciously, stepping forward "Can I psychometrize that first, please?"
138(8:30:49 PM) ***[Ada] sideeyes the cap suspiciously
139(8:31:10 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah turns, holding the cap out for Seiun.  "Sure, boss."
140(8:31:26 PM) ***[Izzy] eyes it. How high or low quality is the weave of the yarn?
141(8:32:26 PM) [GM]: *No weave that Izzy can see, it- Oh, the /yarn/'s weave. It's a very nicely knitted wool hat
142(8:32:39 PM) [GM]: *It's fey though, no spellweave
143(8:32:52 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glows, touching it... breathes a sigh of relief
144(8:32:57 PM) [Izzy]: "That's a nice winter cap."
145(8:33:01 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Ok, you can have it Leah."
146(8:33:09 PM) [Leah]: * "What's it do?"
147(8:33:14 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "It keeps you comfortable in warm weather regardless of what else you're wearing."
148(8:33:20 PM) [GM]: *In cold weather, oops
149(8:33:31 PM) [Gus]: What about hot weather?
150(8:33:45 PM) [Leah]: * "Ahh.  Might be nice when we end up in Habruk, then."
151(8:33:51 PM) ***[Leah] manages a small grin at Ada
152(8:33:59 PM) [Izzy]: "Oh, that IS useful. You could climb the Eifalos with just that."
153(8:34:08 PM) ***[Ada] snorts, "Yeah. Wish I'd had that growing up."
154(8:35:21 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah heads back, passing the cap to Leah to be pocketed.
155(8:35:32 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "It doesn't do anything for hot weather, sadly."
156(8:35:36 PM) ***[Leah] looks over to Seiun during this.  "Okay, so where are we going to now?"
157(8:35:42 PM) ***[Izzy] offers the demons the club sandwich to show there's no ill will.
158(8:36:06 PM) [GM]: *Demons "All right, that's everything. Move along now." "Unless one of you wants to try clubbing /us/..." *leaning forward with a flirtatious grin
159(8:36:13 PM) ***[Gus] just asked about the stairs a few minutes ago. We can see them there; the question is, will the demons allow us to use them?
160(8:36:25 PM) [GM]: *The non-flirting demon takes it and eats it. She looks pleased, she thanks Izzy with a full mouth
161(8:36:38 PM) [Gus]: And what prizes do you expect?
162(8:37:07 PM) [GM]: *Demon "Wellll............ maybe we'd have you put something up for ante, so we know ahead of time." "Although to be fair we just think clubbing is fun!"
163(8:37:34 PM) [GM]: *Seiun didn't aknowledge Gus's question because he was engaged with the demons at the time Gus asked it, but he looks reasonably sure we'll be able to take the stairs down when we leave
164(8:38:23 PM) ***[Krikrii] returns. "How's it go--what, all done?"
165(8:38:24 PM) ***[Ada] leans /away/ from the flirting demon.
166(8:38:34 PM) [Gus]: Got it, but, still going to pass.
167(8:38:42 PM) [GM]: *Demon unleans "Aw."
168(8:38:49 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah glances around, at the other exits from the room.  "I guess we should... try looking through these caverns for more fey artifacts at a later time, then?"
169(8:38:53 PM) [GM]: *Demon "Hey it's OK sis, at least we got this sandwich" *She shares
170(8:39:11 PM) [Krikrii]: "Do you recognize the kind of sandwich?"
171(8:39:16 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Yes. Also the sisters did tell us not to go into those rooms. I'm inclined to follow their advice."
172(8:39:31 PM) [GM]: *Demon "No, we don't get out much." "What kind of sandwich is it?"
173(8:39:39 PM) [Krikrii]: "Club sandwich."
174(8:39:54 PM) [GM]: *Both their eyes grow large and twinkly, they look extremely impressed
175(8:40:03 PM) [GM]: "Oooooh!!!"
176(8:40:28 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I ... let's just go."
177(8:40:34 PM) [Shirley]: lead on
178(8:40:35 PM) [GM]: *He heads for the stairs down
179(8:40:59 PM) ***[Ada] follows the boss, not looking back at the succubi
180(8:41:05 PM) ***[Shirley] heads downstairs
181(8:41:11 PM) ***[Izzy] nods sagely to the demons, then follows after Seiun on dinoback.
182(8:41:26 PM) [Krikrii]: "Middle bread is the club. " She heads downstairs.
183(8:41:46 PM) ***[Leah] both follow along
184(8:41:48 PM) ***[Krikrii] has re-dnned clothes that required not being ball-shaped.
185(8:42:54 PM) ***[Gus] keeps up.
186(8:42:56 PM) [GM]: *Demons "Thank you so much for teaching us about club sandwiches!" "We'll never forget you!" "Come again please!"
187(8:43:27 PM) [Gus]: I almost pity them, stuck here with few visitors. Might feel worse if they weren't fey.
188(8:43:38 PM) [GM]: *Down the stairs you go. It's narrow and tight. The spiral opens up wider as you travel halfway down. You come out into a small room that leads directly into an outhouse, after a blind corner.
189(8:44:01 PM) [GM]: *There's an open door to the east in the outhouse, as well as a grate in the floor that leads to a slimy crawlspace, that seems to go outside to the west
190(8:44:16 PM) [GM]: *To the east, outside that open door, is the courtyard we've been trying to avoid, along with all the nasties
191(8:44:39 PM) ***[Krikrii] lifesenses.
192(8:44:53 PM) [Krikrii]: *What is thing to SW, again?
193(8:45:00 PM) [GM]: *Krii can sense a large bird, twitchy in its movements, as if its limbs were under too much tension, as well as three more red frog-things in a canal past the bird.
194(8:45:36 PM) ***[Ada] cranks up her ethereal perception, then sends her bird south, "Fey item in here, boss."
195(8:45:39 PM) [GM]: *The stairs down we want from here are just to the west. ... behind a very thick wall.
196(8:45:56 PM) [Gus]: Still, not interested in getting the shit beat out of me, even if I'm compensated.
197(8:46:03 PM) [GM]: *Seiun nods "I can sense it. It.. ... ... it's in the toilet isn't it."
198(8:47:34 PM) [Ada]: Yep.
199(8:47:42 PM) [GM]: *He sighs and rolls up his sleeve
200(8:48:16 PM) [GM]: *He inches forward, trying to spend as little time visible to the outside through the open door as possible, darting past and hugging the wall close to the door
201(8:48:30 PM) [Krikrii]: *Is there actual sewage in the toilets?
202(8:48:46 PM) [GM]: *Yes
203(8:48:47 PM) ***[Gus] crowds the entrance
204(8:48:52 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah follows behind Seiun, stopping just short of the opening to glance out into the courtyard
205(8:49:23 PM) [GM]: *Leah can see the same grabbyhands monster and 3 metal porcupines that could be seen from the other side of the courtyard
206(8:50:05 PM) [Gus]: So, what's our way forward from here? It looks like this just leads back outside.
207(8:50:35 PM) ***[Ada] sends her bird out into the courtyard, having it fly high to keep an eye on things
208(8:51:15 PM) [GM]: *Ada's bird doesn't yet attract any attention. From her vantage point she can see two more grabbyhands monsters, as well as two of the larger, as-of-yet-encountered /flying/ things that look like the grabbyhands monsters grew up
209(8:51:46 PM) [GM]: *Seiun approaches the toilet, is about to reach inside, retching... before pausing, touching the side of the toilet and glowing
210(8:51:58 PM) [Krikrii]: "I can make that not-shit, you know."
211(8:52:03 PM) ***[Ada] reports what she sees to the others
212(8:52:11 PM) [GM]: *Seiun ".... cursed anklets that can't be removed, and make you feel like every step is burning your feet, like hot sand on a beach."
213(8:52:18 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I'm not fishing that out of the toilet."
214(8:52:43 PM) [GM]: *Seiun eyes the grate in the floor "I'd rather you do something about the slime down there"
215(8:52:43 PM) [Leah]: * "I don't blame you, boss."
216(8:52:45 PM) [Krikrii]: "Perhaps a salamander would find it charming."
217(8:53:04 PM) ***[Krikrii] focuses on the slime under the grate.
218(8:53:24 PM) [GM]: "... A fair point, but I can't remember the last time a salamander stepped in. ... Also most salamanders don't have feet."
219(8:53:34 PM) [Krikrii]: "I can fix that."
220(8:53:40 PM) [GM]: *Seiun shakes his head
221(8:53:51 PM) ***[Leah] looks around... then also down to the grate.  "I... hm."
222(8:53:51 PM) [GM]: *The slime at the bottom is alive, if fey, like everything else down here
223(8:54:20 PM) [GM]: *Krii can sort of subtly 'feel' the fey's intentions by sensing it so closely, similarly to how Leah can intuit the intention of metal feythings she tries to touch
224(8:54:30 PM) [GM]: *The slime wants to be slimy and disgusting
225(8:54:44 PM) [Krikrii]: "You'd be more slimy and disgusting on top of the toilets."
226(8:54:58 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "... I'm sorry Krii, were you talking to me?"
227(8:55:02 PM) [Krikrii]: "No.
228(8:55:22 PM) [GM]: *Krii gets an emotional reply that our group is unlikely to try wriggling through the toilets
229(8:55:45 PM) [Shirley]: What's the hold up?
230(8:56:07 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Either we make a mad dash through the courtyard /anyway/ or we try to crawl through a grate in the floor."
231(8:56:16 PM) [Krikrii]: "Is that a metal grate? We don't want to just go out into this courtyard, it's the same courtyard. And we didn't bring an earth channeler-"
232(8:56:19 PM) [Krikrii]: ---*
233(8:56:34 PM) [GM]: *It is indeed metal but Krii may have just realized something
234(8:56:35 PM) ***[Krikrii] pulls out disintegration caster and shoots the wall over the grate.
235(8:56:42 PM) [GM]: *That also works
236(8:56:57 PM) [Gus]: What about breaking down a wall?
237(8:57:02 PM) [Shirley]: Does no one else bring any misdirection with them?
238(8:57:17 PM) [Izzy]: "Hmm... Tyranna, let's try sneaking." Izzy swaps out into his stealth armor instantly, but has to take a minute to properly kit out Tyranna in sneaky barding.
239(8:57:21 PM) ***[Gus] can't see what Krii is doing from here.
240(8:57:41 PM) [Ada]: I have a misdirection spell prepared, but just the one.
241(8:58:03 PM) [Krikrii]: "Wall is broken down. I left my 'uniform back upstairs.
242(8:58:14 PM) [GM]: *Krii disintegrates a section of the wall rather successfully, enough for us to pass. The noise of the discharge however. . . does not attract the attention of the things outside. Dammit.
243(8:58:35 PM) [GM]: *Seiun shakes his head "We probably could have sent ada's bird through the grate and had Shirley portal us there, too."
244(8:59:04 PM) [Ada]: Honestly, they don't seem to be paying much attention to it, I probably wouldn't have needed to go through the gate.
245(8:59:13 PM) [Shirley]: pro adventurers we are not.
246(8:59:23 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "We're learning, at least."
247(8:59:56 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glances back out at the courtyard of danger, before inching toward Krii's remodelling of the wall. The /angry/ looking vulture stares back at him. Seiun stares at the vulture too.
248(9:00:08 PM) ***[Izzy] proceeds out into the courtyard to properly survey its wildlife as he tries to get past them unnoticed! The Theme of Tara plays to whoever regards Izzy while wearing the headphones.
249(9:01:53 PM) [GM]: *Izzy isn't doing a very good job of sneaking. However, with the bonuses of his stealth gear, it's good enough. Ada can keep track of him and Tyranna if she tries, but these things in the field seem slow, lethargic or distracted
250(9:02:02 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah moves up to the hole right behind Seiun, peeking around.  "Looks like we may have to fight at least one of these things."
251(9:02:12 PM) [GM]: *The metal hedgehogs look like they're arguing amongst themselves over something. They're not speaking any intelligible language
252(9:02:34 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "... I have an affinity with birds, maybe it'll leave us alone if I'm nice."
253(9:02:44 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glows with empathy... and slowly approaches the bird...
254(9:02:55 PM) [GM]: *Oh yeah he gets mauled
255(9:02:55 PM) ***[Krikrii] peeks out.
256(9:03:15 PM) ***[Ada] and Adabird wince
257(9:03:27 PM) [GM]: *The bird's on him like a snapped rubber band and is buffeting him with its wings and clawing at his uniform
258(9:03:36 PM) ***[Gus] waits for news. :)
259(9:03:49 PM) [GM]: *Seiun for his part is trying not to make noise, and just barely succeeds, but it prevents him from fighting back
260(9:03:55 PM) [Izzy]: {Attention! Seiun does not in fact have an affinity for this bird.}
261(9:03:59 PM) [Izzy]: Reinseiun*
262(9:04:16 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird flies down in front of the vulture and casts some light darts at its face -- then darts away!
263(9:04:28 PM) ***[Krikrii] springs on, claws bird, trying to separate them.
264(9:04:40 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird pew pew pew
265(9:04:55 PM) ***[Izzy] hugs the walls, waiting to see if Seiun needs help before turning the corner to try and sneak north.
266(9:05:01 PM) [GM]: *The light darts hit the bird's face, momentarily stunning it, giving Krii an excellent opportunity to tear it off of Seiun, who starts glowing with self-healing
267(9:05:56 PM) [GM]: *The bird does not like Krii's claws. The bird's practically exploding out of the wounds Krii's causing. Not to abuse the rubber band metaphor, but it's like a bird made out of a rubber band ball, and every wound Krii causes is tearing itself open larger from the tension the bird's muscles are under
268(9:07:28 PM) [GM]: *Izzy continues not meeting any resistance
269(9:07:30 PM) ***[Krikrii] pins down bird. "Wonder if you'd like that muscle-relaxant goop."
270(9:07:56 PM) [GM]: *The bird struggles, snapping at Krii with its beak. It's the same size she is
271(9:07:58 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah moves around the fighting, staff held at the ready for the moment the bird frees itself from Krii
272(9:08:26 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird circles back around once it becomes clear the bird's not going to chase it
273(9:09:35 PM) ***[Ada] mutters, "I'd put it in a light cage but it's not big enough
274(9:09:35 PM) [Ada]: "
275(9:09:49 PM) ***[Krikrii] decides mercy is a luxury and continues shredding it, adding Shaping aura to liquefy muscles that don't wind up cut
276(9:09:53 PM) ***[Shirley] casts Sneak on herself and makes a break through the hole in the wall to slip around the bird fight and into the opposite door
277(9:10:16 PM) ***[Izzy] turns the corner and continues on once he's assured the others don't need sudden goblin aid, aiming to peep what's in the nearest door while continuing to remain unmolested by fey wildlife.
278(9:11:17 PM) ***[Gus] observes that the outhouse has not filled up with people, despite so many of them entering it, and concludes there must be another exit. He goes through.
279(9:11:40 PM) [GM]: *Shirley comes face to face with a corridor that looks like some kind of canal or sewer passage. One of the russet horrorfrogs from the ship encounter is staring right at her, but making no moves yet
280(9:12:14 PM) [GM]: *The damn bird is fighting back against Krii valiantly, and the compounding wounds don't seem to be bothering it more than it already was - it's almost as if the wounds are making the bird feel /less/ discomfort, not more.
281(9:12:51 PM) [Shirley]: *It can see through my misdirection?
282(9:13:19 PM) [GM]: *Izzy reaches a window that overlooks some kind of dark ritual room, with a brazzer and 3 pointy shaped alcoves with candles. The 4 flames in the room burn ominously. There's no other obvious entrance to the room
283(9:13:36 PM) [GM]: *Good question. In that case, no, it can't. It's looking through her, at the vulture
284(9:13:55 PM) [GM]: *brazier
285(9:15:25 PM) ***[Krikrii] switches to Converting its uncut muscles into fæces as she continues slicing, dicing, and bouncing back and forth.
286(9:16:19 PM) [GM]: *The bird finally explodes into helplessness. That conversion of the open wounds was a low blow and probably the thing that kept its disabling from being a mercy
287(9:16:46 PM) ***[Leah] shudders at that sight, and moves after Shirley
288(9:17:00 PM) ***[Krikrii] converts the rest of it into grass.
289(9:17:39 PM) [Gus]: Well, that was a weird animal. 
290(9:17:46 PM) [GM]: *Seiun inspects the new holes in his jacket pseudo-morosely as he follows the others. The frog is /definitely/ staring at Metaleah
291(9:18:00 PM) ***[Shirley] moves out of the frogs direct line of sight, or at least so it's not staring through her.
292(9:18:03 PM) ***[Ada] follows the others into the canal room, and sends the bird to keep an eye on Izzy
293(9:18:09 PM) ***[Izzy] examines the window, looking for a way to get in! If there's none obvious, he pulls out his paintbrush and starts using it to aid his freecasting, drawing a circle on the window and aiming to carve it silently.
294(9:18:10 PM) [Krikrii]: {Frogs in the water, three. Weren't the stairs just north here?}
295(9:18:38 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {You tell us, you have the stinkthoughts' map.} (yes)
296(9:18:52 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah stares back.  {Which way are we going?}
297(9:19:09 PM) [Leah]: {Ah, alright.}
298(9:19:09 PM) [GM]: *Shirley finds the stone path on either side of the canal slick and slippery. If she's not careful, she could fall in
299(9:19:17 PM) [Izzy]: {Have found obviously evil room on this side, too. Will be back soon.}
300(9:19:28 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... /Please/ don't get mauled again.}
301(9:19:32 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah sticks with Shirley
302(9:19:44 PM) ***[Ada] keeps up her ethereal perception, on the lookout for fey and fey items
303(9:20:18 PM) ***[Gus] walks into the tunnel. Is ready to beat frogs if they look at us wrong.
304(9:20:30 PM) ***[Shirley] shuffle-walks towards the northern side exit to get away from the canal at least.
305(9:21:11 PM) [GM]: *Shirley makes it effortlessly
306(9:21:27 PM) [GM]: *The frogs look at Gus... and back the hell up
307(9:21:45 PM) ***[Krikrii] walks up to window, pulls out one of her tools, a False Knife, and cuts through glass around edge smoothly
308(9:22:05 PM) [GM]: *It takes Izzy a bit of time, but he soon has a silent hole carved into the glass
309(9:22:16 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah's moving along after Shirley... Leah follows after Gus
310(9:22:18 PM) [Krikrii]: *ahem
311(9:22:37 PM) ***[Ada] in turn follows along behind Leah
312(9:22:53 PM) ***[Izzy] carefully enters, with a keen eye out for fey shenanigans as he investigates!
313(9:22:55 PM) [Ada]: * And Adabird plays lookout for Izzy
314(9:23:20 PM) ***[Krikrii] continues cutting until there's plenty of room for her to get through.
315(9:23:27 PM) [GM]: *Seiun wordlessly watches everyone go the hard way as Krii opens the easy way
316(9:24:38 PM) [Krikrii]: {Window's open.}
317(9:24:47 PM) ***[Gus] is just standing here waiting for Krii to actually say something about where they're supposed to go.
318(9:25:06 PM) [Gus]: {Window? Is it big enough?}
319(9:25:22 PM) [Krikrii]: {Plenty.}
320(9:25:53 PM) ***[Krikrii] repeats the route again for everyone's benefit.
321(9:26:08 PM) [GM]: *Ada can sense quite a few items in the way we're not going. The brazier in the center of Izzy's ominous room is, itself, the fey item of that room.
322(9:26:21 PM) [GM]: *The candles in the pointy alcoves are also fey, but there's no obvious way to remove them from the room
323(9:26:39 PM) [Gus]: {Right... not sure I can remember all that, but I'll give it a shot.}
324(9:26:51 PM) ***[Ada] frowns, "There's a couple items that way," she points north, "But I'm not sure how to get there." She tilts her head, "And a couple more down that way." And she points toward the southeast."
325(9:27:10 PM) [GM]: *Seiun nods "This isn't going to be our only trip. We'll get them later."
326(9:27:21 PM) ***[Leah] turns back, poking Gus and Ada to follow, towards the now-opened glass
327(9:27:23 PM) ***[Gus] returns to the window and whatever.
328(9:27:35 PM) ***[Ada] nods and follows Leah
329(9:27:55 PM) [GM]: *Izzy finds the candle room thick with incense. All the fires in the room are burning unnaturally. He suspects, rightly, their fey nature, as Adabird sensed
330(9:28:04 PM) [Leah]: ** Time to re-establish marching order!
331(9:28:15 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird quietly reports the fey item to Izzy
332(9:28:17 PM) ***[Izzy] checks! Is the brazier itself lit, or filled with anything?
333(9:28:18 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {Izzy, we're heading down to the next level.}
334(9:28:36 PM) [GM]: *The Brazier is both lit and as large as Tyranna. It's probably important.
335(9:28:45 PM) [Izzy]: {Excellent. I'll join you. I have found a fire bucket.}
336(9:28:47 PM) [GM]: *Unlike the candles in the alcoves however, it looks like it could be removed from the room
337(9:29:04 PM) [Krikrii]: {Fire bucket?}
338(9:29:27 PM) [Izzy]: {A bucket for holding a fire.}
339(9:29:40 PM) ***[Shirley] heads down the stairs
340(9:29:54 PM) [Ada]: He means a brazier.
341(9:30:10 PM) [Izzy]: {There are also candles!} Izzy climbs up the walls and double-checks that they can't be moved.
342(9:30:16 PM) [GM]: *Krii can sense quite a few nasty customers downstairs in the route we're going
343(9:30:35 PM) ***[Krikrii] conveys descriptions of nasty customers to others
344(9:30:36 PM) [GM]: *Izzy is absolutely certain the 3 additional alcoves in the room are fixed in place in a permanent fashion
345(9:30:56 PM) [Gus]: By the way, is this the only route down, or are there other options again? ... Or perhaps some that we don't know about? Just checking.
346(9:30:57 PM) [GM]: *Krii senses... 3 large lizards, 5 floating brains with thorns and venom, and 5 slugs.
347(9:31:57 PM) [Izzy]: "Okay. If you know this fey and he's up to no good, now's the time to speak up," Izzy tells his fey items. He then waits a bit, and if there's no odd response from his items, he sets about planning to move the brazier.
348(9:32:35 PM) [GM]: *Izzy doesn't get any discouragement, verbal or otherwise, from his equipment
349(9:32:40 PM) [Krikrii]: {One other, but it has more shamblers.}
350(9:32:44 PM) [GM]: *Seiun lingers, waiting for Izzy
351(9:33:26 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird, "Izzy, we can come back for that, the others are waiting."
352(9:34:19 PM) [Izzy]: {It won't take long. Also, shhh! Don't alert that guy over there.}
353(9:34:57 PM) [Izzy]: {I assure you, I am an expert burglar, I know what I am about.}
354(9:34:57 PM) [GM]: *Seiun sighs {The rest of you move on without me, I'm staying up here in case the worst happens with Izzy. Izzy? Don't touch that before I have a chance to use psychometry on it.}
355(9:35:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun starts trying to figure out how to get over there without using misdirection
356(9:35:22 PM) [Leah]: {Alright, boss.}
357(9:35:39 PM) ***[Ada] sighs, and casts Misdirection on Seiun, "Should be good for about 10 minutes."
358(9:35:57 PM) [Gus]: Great, down two. Three, rather, with that dinosaur.
359(9:35:59 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Oh. ... ... Huh. Well this is a new experience."
360(9:36:06 PM) [GM]: *Seiun tries advancing in the least-flashy way possible
361(9:36:14 PM) [Gus]: Maybe we should just wait for them, despite what Mr S suggested.
362(9:36:16 PM) ***[Izzy] has pulled out a platform with wheels on it and is attempting to get the brazier on board without touching it directly.
363(9:36:34 PM) [GM]: *Seiun sneaks up, and watches Izzy work, simultaneously impressed and perplexed
364(9:36:48 PM) [GM]: *He squeezes through the goblin-sized hole Izzy cut in the glass {I'm almost there.}
365(9:38:14 PM) [Izzy]: {Oh, be careful. That is not a route designed for Reinseiuns.}
366(9:38:21 PM) [GM]: *He crouch-walks forward, and glows, breaking his misdirection. He touches the Brazier...
367(9:38:37 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {I've been in tighter spots}
368(9:38:57 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird keeps an eye on the creatures
369(9:39:00 PM) [GM]: *Seiun hisses in pain over the comms, and then starts glowing, healing his burned hands from when he used psychometry, pretending he didn't just do that
370(9:39:24 PM) [Izzy]: "..." Izzy pretends he didn't see that.
371(9:39:28 PM) [Krikrii]: {Combustion is exothermic.}
372(9:39:36 PM) [GM]: *Seiun appreciates that deeply, thank you Izzy
373(9:39:37 PM) ***[Krikrii] is lifesensing to pay attention.
374(9:40:42 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird also pretends she didn't see it. Actual Ada may have snirked.
375(9:41:21 PM) ***[Gus] displays no intention to continue to move to the next floor and engage the giant encounter waiting for us.
376(9:42:17 PM) [GM]: *Seiun breathes a sigh of relief {The Brazier's not cursed. It's fey, and will always burn. Its fire is inspiring, and has ... many, many beneficial effects. It boosts camraderie of those sitting around it, increases the effectiveness of rousing speeches delivered in front of it, makes food cooked in its flame taste better, /as well as/ making it more nutritious...}
377(9:42:41 PM) [Ada]: {I vote we keep that one.}
378(9:42:45 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {There's more still, but all of it's good.}
379(9:43:03 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... I suppose we could replace the stone oven in the lounge with this...}
380(9:43:08 PM) [Gus]: {If I didn't think fey were cheating before, I would now.}
381(9:43:22 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {There's no way we're moving it without dealing with the shamblers first, however. We're going to have to leave it for now.}
382(9:43:41 PM) [GM]: *Seiun squints at the candles... and glows and touches the alcoves
383(9:43:52 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... Oh. I thought as much.}
384(9:44:08 PM) [Krikrii]: {Is our kitchen even comfortably serving as many as it is?}
385(9:44:24 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {These three other candle sconces however are cursed. They're designed to kill anyone who tries to take the Brazier with unholy conflagration.}
386(9:44:56 PM) [Izzy]: "Come on, we'll use it better than you guys will," Izzy softly admonishes the candles.
387(9:45:07 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird, "Fantastic."
388(9:45:23 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {I think we can take the brazier if we use gertie to seal the candles in stone first.}
389(9:45:41 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {We're going to need more strawberries. Regardless this is going to be an undertaking for another day. Come on Izzy.}
390(9:45:47 PM) [Gus]: {Don't say "use" when telling Gertie about this plan, though.}
391(9:46:03 PM) ***[Izzy] tries bonking the candles with the water bubble shield to see if they can be put out.
392(9:46:12 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... Good point. I'm sorry Gertie, if you're listening. I'm sorry if you're not listening, too.}
393(9:46:31 PM) [Gus]: {I'm sure she would hypothetically know what you meant.}
394(9:46:37 PM) [GM]: *They cannot. They burn with ferocity. The fact that they all burned happily despite being in an airtight room should be a clue that they're unsmotherable
395(9:48:26 PM) ***[Izzy] frowns, and just writes 'izihara' on the wall next to each candle. He leaves the brazier on its platform without taking it with him as he goes.
396(9:50:11 PM) [Leah]: {You know, boss, I could simply seal them in metal if you're concerned about it like that.}
397(9:50:31 PM) [Izzy]: {Metal is weak to fire, more so than rock.}
398(9:50:33 PM) [GM]: *Seiun squeezes back out after Izzy. Both of them make it back to the others...... scratch that. Izzy does. The shamblers spy Seiun's much larger conspicuousness, and begin a very, very slow pursuit. Seiun gives them a slightly worried glance {Everyone down the stairs. Go, go. ... Go.}
399(9:50:47 PM) [Leah]: * Tal goes!
400(9:51:22 PM) [Gus]: {Fine.}
401(9:51:56 PM) ***[Krikrii] proceeds  more happily once she knows Izzy is safe.
402(9:51:58 PM) ***[Gus] finishes his smoke break and proceeds.
403(9:52:06 PM) [Izzy]: "There'll be other treasure," Izzy assures Tyranna, scratching her headfeathers.
404(9:55:04 PM) [GM]: *Down the stiars everyone goes. It's a tight fit, spilling out into a small hallway. Directly ahead is another fey brazier. Living inside of it is a large, on fire, komodo dragon. It skulks, and it seems to be made of living magma.
405(9:55:48 PM) [Krikrii]: {Not-life.}
406(9:56:01 PM) [GM]: *Despite its composition, Krii is able to sense them
407(9:56:24 PM) [Krikrii]: {Mayb e-life.}
408(9:56:26 PM) [GM]: *It's living magma, so ... ... ... .... Well, it's alive, anyway.
409(9:56:28 PM) ***[Ada] whistles low, "Lots of fey items in here."
410(9:56:42 PM) [GM]: *Ada's right, there's an embarassment of fey items in the near vicinity
411(9:56:55 PM) ***[Gus] is embarrassed on the dungeon's behalf.
412(9:57:05 PM) [Shirley]: Oh..well..
413(9:57:18 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah keeps her attention to the side, away from the magma-lizard and towards the other rooms for the moment
414(9:57:35 PM) ***[Gus] watches the dragon briefly and takes stock of their surroundings.
415(9:57:43 PM) [GM]: *Krii can still sense the venomous, tentacled, thorny brains. They seem to be lurking in 5 alcove-like rooms in the direction the lizards are not, waiting to ambush passers-by
416(9:58:02 PM) [GM]: *For now the enormous magma lizard seems content to stay in its brazier
417(9:58:18 PM) [GM]: *It's awfully intimidating, though, and it meanaces from its position. Getting closer might be unwise
418(9:58:31 PM) [Shirley]: Okay, how do we want to handle this
419(9:59:15 PM) [Krikrii]: "Two more magma-lizards in other rooms, but south is dead-end. Five tentacled, venomous brains that lurk in the alcoves to the East…
420(9:59:39 PM) [Gus]: Just what we needed, poisons.
421(9:59:43 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glows, sensing...
422(9:59:45 PM) [Ada]: So we're in for a fight whichever way we go. ... I think I'd prefer the lizards.
423(9:59:54 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Well I certainly feel surrounded."
424(10:00:03 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "And I think we need to go past the brains either way."
425(10:00:05 PM) [Gus]: Walking into a dead end unfortunately won't move us forward.
426(10:00:23 PM) [Ada]: There's three fey items down there, though, and that's what we're here for, right?
427(10:00:48 PM) [Izzy]: "Venom is truly an annoyance, and under normal circumstances I would be wary... but after accidentally lethally poisoning myself, I trust Krikriikrikrii's powers to help us recover after we've dealt with them."
428(10:00:58 PM) [Leah]: "Yeah, at least a big part of it."
429(10:01:30 PM) ***[Krikrii] makes some venom/poison comment.
430(10:02:27 PM) [Ada]: I've got two light cages -- ought to be able to take out a couple of them, depending on where I put them...
431(10:02:34 PM) ***[Ada] sends her bird to have a look at the hallway
432(10:02:36 PM) [Leah]: "But we can get them on the way back, if it's an issue."
433(10:02:44 PM) [Gus]: Normally it is. Our objective this time is to get to lower floors. But that's up to Mr S, and he's not here, so... I can't stop you.
434(10:02:48 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {Maybe Taleah should go first, since she'd be immune to the worst the brains have to offer.}
435(10:02:52 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah steps up to the door to keep an eye on Ada's bird.
436(10:02:58 PM) [GM]: (Seiun is indeed here)
437(10:03:03 PM) [Leah]: * "Of course, boss."
438(10:03:04 PM) [GM]: (he's in the back)
439(10:03:27 PM) [Ada]: Hm. I can block off ... three of them, I think.
440(10:03:36 PM) [Gus]: (oh... scratch that, then. my mistake. i thought he was busy because of the shamblers, and that's why he told everyone to go)
441(10:03:50 PM) [GM]: (hahaha, hell no)
442(10:04:09 PM) ***[Krikrii] senses and scrutinizes how the magma-lizards work, or if it's a mystery
443(10:04:27 PM) [GM]: *About as you'd expect organic flesh to work, only with magma instead of water
444(10:04:36 PM) [GM]: *And rock instead of protein
445(10:05:09 PM) [GM]: *Sadly their temperature is high enough you'd be unable to convert things into this
446(10:05:20 PM) [Ada]: Just let me know when we're ready to move, and I'll cast the spells.
447(10:05:33 PM) [GM]: *Seiun nods slowly...
448(10:05:45 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {Gus, you and I should stay back here just to make sure those fire things don't follow.}
449(10:05:56 PM) [GM]: *He moves forward into position, to help block that hallway
450(10:06:13 PM) [Gus]: {Sure.}
451(10:06:18 PM) [GM]: *He squeezes past Leah and SHirley to do so
452(10:06:20 PM) ***[Ada] gets her axe ready
453(10:06:37 PM) [Gus]: {Flying brains sound pretty soft and unsatisfying to hit anyway.}
454(10:06:39 PM) ***[Krikrii] checks if shamblers are shambling closer
455(10:06:59 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah heads forward and up to the first doorway to peek around
456(10:07:17 PM) [Krikrii]: {I can if you won't.}
457(10:07:28 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird flies into the doorway, and casts her first light cage on the bottom right corner to block off those two brains
458(10:07:30 PM) [GM]: *Krii can sense them above us. They're lingering in the courtyard. They stopped pursuing Seiun once he bravely darted down the stairs and out of sight. They're investigating the grass that used to be the vulture
459(10:07:50 PM) [GM]: *That is to say, our way back up is pretty thoroughly blocked
460(10:08:57 PM) [GM]: *Ada's light cage springs into life, blocking two of the doorways through expert placement
461(10:09:19 PM) ***[Gus] leans on the big shadow caster.
462(10:09:21 PM) [GM]: *Again, the noise doesn't attract any attention. What the heck, numbers, stop rolling so high
463(10:09:41 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird then casts her second Light Cage in the top left corner to block off the brain there
464(10:10:18 PM) [GM]: *That still doesn't get their attention. Some ambush predators these brains are. Do they even have eyes and ears?
465(10:10:30 PM) [Krikrii]: {Shamblers have gotten to our return route.}
466(10:10:46 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {We'll figure out another way back up, if it comes to that.}
467(10:10:48 PM) ***[Ada] nods, "All right, that ought to hold them so we don't get mobbed. Gonna be kind of close quarters, though."
468(10:10:49 PM) ***[Leah] turns the first corner, staff-spear held at the ready while looking into the room on her right
469(10:10:55 PM) [Leah]: (*sorry, Taleah)
470(10:11:18 PM) ***[Leah] scoots up to the side of the room just before the door, caster at the ready.
471(10:11:29 PM) [Gus]: (the brains must have simple, instinctual behavior)
472(10:11:36 PM) [GM]: *Tal walks into view of one of the brains. It's larder than she expected - if these were brains for living creatures, they'd be giant-sized. This thing.... wiggles its tendrils but doesn't attack.
473(10:11:38 PM) [Krikrii]: {There is another stairway up just past these, next to the one down. I have not worked out how to get back from there, though.}
474(10:12:04 PM) [Krikrii]: {I wonder if they only attack things with nervous tissue, and probably things that attack them first.}
475(10:12:18 PM) [Shirley]: {Why are you worrying about the way back?}
476(10:12:19 PM) [GM]: *Krii can sense 4 more brain-things above that particular stairway. Those aren't venomous. They do, however, seem to be on fire.
477(10:12:37 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... Right. Portals.}
478(10:12:51 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {I'm not sure what we'd do without you Shirley.}
479(10:12:53 PM) [Izzy]: {See if the pyrosaurians are intelligent, or can be befriended!}
480(10:13:06 PM) [Shirley]: {Have to learn portals on your own?}
481(10:13:07 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {I've had a bad track record with that so far today.}
482(10:13:21 PM) [Krikrii]: {Too hot.}
483(10:13:23 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {Befriending monsters, I mean.}
484(10:13:41 PM) [Ada]: So ... are we going to move?
485(10:13:53 PM) [Izzy]: {Don't let one bad experience keep you from making friends, Reinseiun.} The tone is scolding, like a schoolteacher.
486(10:13:54 PM) ***[Ada] hefts her axe
487(10:13:55 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {... Has that first brain attacked Taleah yet?}
488(10:14:10 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah stares at it.  {It's... just sitting there, wiggling at me.}
489(10:14:13 PM) [GM]: *Seiun grumbles and says out loud "Hello, my name is Seiun. What's yours?" at the magma lizard
490(10:14:33 PM) [GM]: *Lizard "Hello Seiun. I am Guazemblodorg."
491(10:14:35 PM) [Shirley]: {I do have some new spells I'd love to live test, but if we can get by without starting something that's good too.}
492(10:14:41 PM) [GM]: *Seiun looks so done with this shit
493(10:15:19 PM) ***[Izzy] nods knowingly.
494(10:15:22 PM) [Ada]: All right, one of us might as well try and get by...
495(10:15:44 PM) ***[Ada] glances at Leah, "Have your shiny self watch my back, OK?" And starts into the hallway, her bird poised to blast the other brain if needed
496(10:16:11 PM) [Leah]: "I'm sticking with you, Tal will keep that thing blocked off."
497(10:16:34 PM) [GM]: *The brain wiggling at Tal wiggles /more/ in Leah's direction as she approaches, even though she's not in line of sight yet
498(10:16:46 PM) ***[Ada] holds her axe at the ready as she goes to squeeze by Tal
499(10:17:00 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah simply makes room between her and the light cage behind her for Ada, and then Leah, to move past
500(10:17:13 PM) [GM]: *The brain /LEAPS/ at Tal as soon as Ada is behind her, almost as if it can't even /see/ Taleah.
501(10:17:18 PM) ***[Krikrii] tenses to leap and-
502(10:17:57 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah stabs up at the brain as soon as it lunges forward with the spear, in a motion intended to hold it against the ceiling!
503(10:17:58 PM) [GM]: *Thorny tentacles lash and strike out all around Taleah, trying to reach Ada, but just can't quite because of Tal's positioning
504(10:18:26 PM) [GM]: *Meanwhile, from the room Adabird ducked into to get out of the way, she can see a fey katana in a sword stand against the wall, with the other free brain
505(10:18:29 PM) [Leah]: "Whoa!"
506(10:18:50 PM) ***[Ada] hurriedly squeezes past, dodging tentacles and discouraging any that get close with her manna-harm axe
507(10:19:29 PM) [GM]: *The brain in the room with the sword leaps past under Adabird, and goes straight for Ada now that she's within view, and this time there's no metal woman in the way to block it!
508(10:19:42 PM) [GM]: *Ada has enough time to react
509(10:20:01 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird lets out a L4 Sunburst as soon as that brain starts to move, and Ada swings her axe to intercept, ramping up Vigor
510(10:20:36 PM) ***[Leah] yells back, "They're moving!" to the others before moving around Taleah just enough for an opening with the mana laser on the brain Taleah's holding at bay.
511(10:21:05 PM) [GM]: *The sunburst knocks the brain off balance, despite the fact that the brain has no eyes to see. Ada's axe comes down /truly/ and clefts the brain in twain. It shrieks in pain and its tentacles thrash in every direction! Through some small miracle Ada manages to avoid being scratched by the tentacles' barbs
512(10:21:40 PM) ***[Ada] shouts, "Hah!"
513(10:21:49 PM) ***[Krikrii] just winds up walking forward since she doesn't want to sma^H^H^Hcrush Leah, and slicing at tentacls of Monster A using one arm, using Tendrils to make the other slicey-arm also come to bear.
514(10:23:55 PM) [GM]: *Leah is unused to firing her spells off in such a tightly clustered melee. And she winds up hitting /Ada/ right in the side, sending out a spark of smoke and making Ada fall against the wall from the reflex of the impact. The half-dead brain just barely manages to avoid taking advantage of the situation, and continues flailing on the ground in pain and not attacking Ada
515(10:24:40 PM) [GM]: *Krii slices some tentacles off the other brain, just the ones snaking past Taleah. This doesn't seem to slow the brain down much, which continues snaking more tendrils past, lashing out akwardly past Tal's bodyblocking
516(10:24:43 PM) [Shirley]: What a clusterfuck.
517(10:24:53 PM) ***[Shirley] comments from behind a wall of people trying to fight in a tight hallway
518(10:25:35 PM) [GM]: *Scratch that, instead of hitting Ada, Leah hits Metaleah
519(10:25:53 PM) [GM]: *Who's robust enough it doesn't matter all that much. ~OH WELL~
520(10:26:06 PM) ***[Krikrii] merges her upper arms together, turning them into a large bladed propeller which she begins to spin just past that wall opening.
521(10:26:22 PM) ***[Leah] winces - in tandem - and just gets /out of the way/.  Taleah just... tries to hold onto her spear where she's got it held.
522(10:27:16 PM) ***[Izzy] nods, staying behind and explaining things to the fire lizard with Seiun. "Hello, Guazemblodorg! I am Izdubariritunpangeshtugta. Just a moment, though-- We're a bit busy with your neighbors."
523(10:27:21 PM) [GM]: *Without the friendly fire incident, Ada's still got her axe lodged in the half-dead brain, who is flailing and /not/ yet dead.
524(10:27:43 PM) [GM]: *Guazemblodorg "Oh that's perfectly all right, they're assholes."
525(10:28:49 PM) ***[Ada] fires up her shield caster and slams it into the brain, pulling at her axe to try and dislodge it -- and, if there's time, take another swing at the thing to hopefully finish it off
526(10:30:40 PM) [GM]: *It's messy as hell, and without the shield caster Ada certainly would have gotten poisoned. But she manages to smoosh this brain, and it stops moving.
527(10:31:37 PM) [Ada]: ... Hah! Brawn over brain!
528(10:32:16 PM) ***[Leah] groans, holding the large mana laser caster gingerly, afraid to fire it again
529(10:32:34 PM) [GM]: *The other brain seems to sense the danger of Krii's whirlybuzzing and pulls away, slamming into the far wall from its enthusiasm to get away from Krii's selfweapon
530(10:33:20 PM) ***[Ada] turns back to the others, seeing if help is needed
531(10:33:50 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah frowns and holds up a hand to the brain, letting loose a Mana Burst into it.
532(10:34:35 PM) [GM]: *The brain is careening around wildly, bouncing around in the far corner. The mana burst misses anticlimacticly
533(10:35:58 PM) ***[Krikrii] stays around the corner but moves the blender forward. "Surrender or die." {There may be a splash zone.}
534(10:36:52 PM) [Krikrii]: *is peeking, mind.
535(10:37:23 PM) [Gus]: {A what now?}
536(10:37:40 PM) [Krikrii]: {Applying blender technology to venom-brains.}
537(10:37:50 PM) [Gus]: {Aah}
538(10:37:55 PM) [Krikrii]: {Rather, applying blender technology to valdrex claws to venom-brains.}
539(10:38:33 PM) [Krikrii]: *Absent any apparent act to surrender, it gets Krrisinarted.
540(10:38:50 PM) [Krikrii]: *Kriisinarted.
541(10:39:03 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah simpy retreats, letting Krii handle it.
542(10:39:23 PM) ***[Leah] walks over next to Ada, looking at the axe'd brain with a frustrated expression on her face
543(10:40:38 PM) [GM]: *There is indeed a splash zone. The brain didn't stand a chance as Krii advanced
544(10:40:54 PM) [GM]: *Both non-contained brains are now dead.
545(10:40:58 PM) ***[Ada] has a proud grin on her face, that slips when she sees Leah's expression, "You all right?"
546(10:41:17 PM) [Krikrii]: {Threats neutralized.}
547(10:41:22 PM) [Gus]: Doesn't look like we need to stand here... but then I'd probably get in the way if I joined them cleaning up.
548(10:41:37 PM) ***[Leah] hefts up the mana caster on her shoulder.  "The only things I hit in here was the wall and myself."
549(10:41:40 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "This has been a lovely chat, but we should be moving on." *Lizard "Oh, a shame. I haven't had good conversation in ages. Do come back soon."
550(10:41:52 PM) [Leah]: * On that note, Taleah's fixing her 'clothing'.
551(10:42:27 PM) ***[Ada] winces, "Are you OK?"
552(10:42:32 PM) [GM]: *The other brains are probing the light cages, getting burned and retreating. Unless we move on quickly they're likely to wear the cages out
553(10:42:41 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird flits over to Seiun, "Found a fey sword."
554(10:43:34 PM) ***[Krikrii] senses the venom glands in the remainder and wonders what they do, walking on. "It seems they have some kind of lifesight. If symbolism holds true, probably just perceive nerves."
555(10:43:46 PM) [GM]: *Seiun nods and goes to investigate that, waving goodbye to the lizard
556(10:44:01 PM) [GM]: *He squeezes past the drama "Scuze me. Pardon me. Sorry."
557(10:44:10 PM) [Leah]: "Yeah, I'll be okay, I think."  "Could've been worse - at least it was Tal, not you."
558(10:44:29 PM) ***[Gus] joins them.
559(10:44:34 PM) ***[Ada] nods, "Yeah, easier to fix her up."
560(10:44:38 PM) [Gus]: Are you sure you don't want to take care of the rest of these before the spells wear off?
561(10:44:59 PM) ***[Leah] moves on ahead; Taleah stays in the room, in case one of the cages breaks
562(10:45:16 PM) [Gus]: Or maybe they won't come out if we're not immediately in their line of sight.
563(10:45:31 PM) [Izzy]: "If you want, you can come for tea! We'll have to make things safe for the shop, first," Izzy informs the fire lizard. "You are on fire, after all."
564(10:45:43 PM) [Krikrii]: {would Shirley's 'telepathic fireball' not be perfect for this situation?}
565(10:45:46 PM) [Ada]: *Adabird remains perched on Seiun's shoulder as he investigates the sword
566(10:46:07 PM) ***[Ada] heads up with Leah, still looking proud of her brain damaging antics
567(10:46:12 PM) [GM]: *Lizard "I would like that, Izdubariritunpangeshtugta. I am looking forward to your return."
568(10:46:23 PM) [GM]: *Seiun /SCREAMS/ from the room with the sword
569(10:46:25 PM) ***[Shirley] moves on through
570(10:46:30 PM) [Shirley]: maybe but I don't...?
571(10:46:36 PM) [Shirley]: Boss?
572(10:46:44 PM) [Izzy]: "Oh! Pardon me, then." Izzy heads over quickly!
573(10:46:50 PM) ***[Krikrii] focuses Lifesense on Seiun, stopping the analysis of venom glands.
574(10:46:53 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird falls off in surprise
575(10:47:00 PM) [GM]: *Seiun's kicked himself away from the sword and is pressed against the wall opposite it, almost climbing up the wall with his back from sheer force of will
576(10:47:05 PM) ***[Ada] turns back toward the room, "Boss? You okay?"
577(10:47:07 PM) [GM]: "Whatever you do /don't touch that fucking sword/"
578(10:47:14 PM) [Izzy]: "Evil sword?"
579(10:47:25 PM) [Krikrii]: "A fucking sword would be quite distasteful, yes."
580(10:47:32 PM) [GM]: *He kicks past the wall keeping as far away from it as he can, going directly under Adabird to do so
581(10:47:57 PM) [GM]: "Yes, an evil sword. The 'can't be resheathed without tasting blood and it will settle for yours' kind."
582(10:48:11 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I don't think he can even touch the /scabbard/ safely. It wants /slaughter/"
583(10:48:16 PM) [GM]: (don't think you)
584(10:48:28 PM) [Gus]: That doesn't sound so terrible if you keep a -- oh, are you being poetic when you say blood?
585(10:48:29 PM) [Krikrii]: "And a paper cut from a finger won't suffice?"
586(10:48:41 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "It needs to kill."
587(10:48:50 PM) [Gus]: Specific is good.
588(10:48:51 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I haven't felt anything that evil in a long time."
589(10:48:55 PM) ***[Ada] cusses in the name of Wenthreya
590(10:49:07 PM) [Izzy]: "Oh. Will any blood do, or-- hm. Well, that IS what a sword is for."
591(10:49:12 PM) [Gus]: Not even the world-ending evil in a cake pan?
592(10:49:24 PM) [Krikrii]: "Swords are for killing men, after all."
593(10:49:37 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "The world ending evil in the cake pan is only /slightly/ worse than this thing."
594(10:49:54 PM) [Krikrii]: "Think we could sell it to the pancake restaurant?"
595(10:50:30 PM) [Shirley]: Shame.
596(10:50:31 PM) ***[Leah] grimaces
597(10:50:52 PM) [Krikrii]: "But you don't  what, Shirley?"
598(10:50:55 PM) [Izzy]: "It does sound like it has potential, but it's too strict," Izzy regards the bloodthirsty katana dispassionately. "I suppose we'll be leaving it here, then."
599(10:51:24 PM) [Shirley]: I don't want to set them free if we don't have to.
600(10:52:02 PM) [Krikrii]: "The cages would block it despite the 'telepathic', then?" Krikrii reallllly doesn't know how Shirley's spells work.
601(10:52:09 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah watches the two brains through the light cage closest to the group
602(10:52:29 PM) ***[Krikrii] resumes analyzing the venom of the brains.
603(10:52:35 PM) ***[Ada] shakes her head, "There's a legend about Wenthreya about something like that. That she enchanted an axe and tricked someone into picking it up. Or winning it in a tournament."
604(10:52:48 PM) ***[Gus] moves down the hall a little bit, mana sight active. It's clear we have another fey thing on our left, here.
605(10:52:54 PM) [Izzy]: "I have to applaud a mere sword with as much ambition as a world-ending event, though."
606(10:53:10 PM) [GM]: *Krii is able to reproduce the venom. It's mundane, but potent. Pain-causing, like a platypus. Seems the brains like to eat things that struggle
607(10:53:44 PM) [GM]: *Gus sees the item. It's about the size of a box, and under a storm drain. The dungeon sure likes hiding items down those things.
608(10:53:53 PM) [GM]: *Seiun makes his way out of the deathsword room
609(10:54:10 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird follows Seiun, then heads up ahead to scout
610(10:54:12 PM) [Izzy]: "Do you need a break to recover from being exposed to the sword's spirit, Reinseiun?"
611(10:54:18 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah glances to Seiun as he walks out.  "We good to move on, boss?"
612(10:54:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "No, I'm fine."
613(10:54:33 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Leah, could you do something about this grate? Try not to touch what's inside."
614(10:54:42 PM) [GM]: *He jestures at the grate over the item Gus found
615(10:54:45 PM) [GM]: *gestures
616(10:54:48 PM) [Gus]: That's pretty malicious, but it's not the worst evils I could think of.
617(10:54:54 PM) [Gus]: *worst of
618(10:55:10 PM) [Krikrii]: "they fear me, I'll rearguard. A strong pain toxin, easily reproduced." Upstairs, Vespii adds a copy of the gland to the bamboo stalk she's using for such storage…
619(10:55:26 PM) [Izzy]: "The worst evil is generally something that is the opposite of that sword in mind but doing the same amount of damage, I think."
620(10:55:27 PM) ***[Ada] quieter, "In that story, the man wiped out his entire village, including his family, before a friend of his was able to bring him down."
621(10:55:29 PM) ***[Krikrii] spins her wrists a few times with fingers splayed and rotated.
622(10:55:31 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Gus, I saw myself walking out of the dungeon holding the sword, then unsheathing it and killing Shreya."
623(10:55:54 PM) [Krikrii]: "Are you sure it is not merely a  vision-causing sword?"
624(10:56:03 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Absolutely positive."
625(10:56:06 PM) ***[Shirley] moves down the hall
626(10:56:09 PM) [Shirley]: It's probably for the best
627(10:56:27 PM) [Krikrii]: "I hope we encounter a fey-item-identifying-fey-item as ablative armor for you soon."
628(10:56:47 PM) [GM]: *Seiun sighs "If only."
629(10:56:48 PM) [Gus]: I hear ya.
630(10:57:08 PM) ***[Leah] nods, moving forward to seal up the grate
631(10:57:22 PM) [Izzy]: "Hmm. We can only continue to roll the dice and see if we find one. I don't think there is any method to what these fey do."
632(10:57:27 PM) [Leah]: *unseal
633(10:57:39 PM) [GM]: *Seiun reaches in, glowing, but not quite touching
634(10:58:12 PM) ***[Izzy] writes something in iritu on the wall near the evil sword.
635(10:58:14 PM) [GM]: *He blinks, surprised. He reaches in boldly and pulls out the item. It's a wicker box, flimsy, with a little handle
636(10:58:36 PM) [Ada]: Not a world-ending demon weapon, I presume
637(10:59:16 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah looks back to the group.  "Was there anything else in here with the other brains?"
638(10:59:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Have you heard the legend of Pandora's box? It's old. Predates Yun."
639(10:59:26 PM) [Leah]: * Leah nods.  "I have."
640(10:59:45 PM) ***[Ada] shakes her head
641(10:59:53 PM) [GM]: *Seiun holds it up "This is like the opposite. It can contain - and neutralize - evils placed inside it."
642(11:00:06 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I think we might be able to use this to make some of our more dangerous items sellable."
643(11:00:12 PM) ***[Ada] glances back at the sword room
644(11:00:12 PM) [Krikrii]: "Mistranslation of jar."
645(11:00:15 PM) [Shirley]: Put the sword in it
646(11:00:18 PM) [Gus]: That's... interesting.
647(11:00:21 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "The sword's too big."
648(11:00:26 PM) [Ada]: Oh
649(11:00:37 PM) [Leah]: "... really?  How would it keep them from... being dangerous after being taken out?"
650(11:00:37 PM) [Gus]: So, only evil things that fit in a tiny box.
651(11:00:45 PM) [Krikrii]: "Does its function rely on closing?"
652(11:01:00 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Unfortunately yes, it does."
653(11:01:01 PM) [Shirley]: Well, maybe we can at least clean out some of the storage room with that thing
654(11:01:45 PM) [Krikrii]: "Well, there were some stone caskets near the entrance. Do you think it would be amenable to rehoming?"
655(11:02:45 PM) [Izzy]: "Oh, a useful box for sealing evil."
656(11:02:57 PM) [Leah]: "I wouldn't want to risk that, and ruining its ability, Krii."
657(11:03:05 PM) [Ada]: * Adabird looks around the corner into the next room to the south, "More fey items down there... and some other things."
658(11:03:10 PM) [Izzy]: "...If the evil is luncheon-sized."
659(11:03:24 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah moves on ahead, finally
660(11:03:51 PM) [Krikrii]: "Up those stairs are fire-brains, mind."
661(11:03:58 PM) ***[Krikrii] blinks at pun
662(11:04:39 PM) [Krikrii]: "I forgot to scan nictitating membranes while I was last at the zoo. I suppose I can do that when I take Naica."
663(11:05:03 PM) [Izzy]: "I wonder if those brains and these were friends."
664(11:05:11 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "We'll experiment with the wicker box later. I'd rather not look a gift horse in the mouth and try to put it in something larger. Also, if the cursed item is left in long enough, it stops being cursed."
665(11:05:45 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Something /really/ cursed might take a month or more to uncurse, though."
666(11:05:58 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glances around, shakes his head...
667(11:06:00 PM) [Leah]: "That's a great find for us, then.  We should keep moving..."
668(11:06:20 PM) [GM]: *Krii can't ... sense /anything/ alive below us, it's like there's the sensing barrier the feyshop has
669(11:06:21 PM) [Gus]: We'll have to see what it is actually capable of. Alright.
670(11:06:26 PM) ***[Gus] ploughs forward.
671(11:06:55 PM) ***[Krikrii] tries to recall what the clouds said about level 5 here
672(11:07:14 PM) [GM]: *Seiun follows. Nothing horrible happens to us as we travel toward the stairs down. Once we reach those stairs, to the south is an open room with lots of jugs bristling with fey energy. There's also 5 slugs that meanace at us, but very very slowly. They're of no danger right now.
673(11:07:22 PM) ***[Shirley] moves along
674(11:07:35 PM) [GM]: *The clouds said it was the extent of their knowledge, just that the mistress of the dungeon was below
675(11:07:52 PM) [GM]: *Seiun 'shakes it off' wiggling his hands and feet, still holding the wicker box under one arm
676(11:08:03 PM) [GM]: *seiun "All right.... this /should/ be our goal, right?
677(11:09:25 PM) [Krikrii]: "Yes." She clips down casters and staves and folds her hands. "Yes, let's not wait around for those sloooow slugs to get us." Still lifesensing.
678(11:09:31 PM) ***[Gus] eyes the stairs up.
679(11:09:31 PM) [Gus]: I wonder where these go. Back into the Club?
680(11:10:42 PM) [Krikrii]: "That's two levels up."
681(11:11:02 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "It should go up into the building that was across from the courtyard. The one Izzy and I were flirting with."
682(11:11:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun takes a step forward, and starts going down the wide stairs
683(11:11:31 PM) [Gus]: I see.
684(11:11:44 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah heads down the stairs next to Seiun
685(11:11:51 PM) ***[Shirley] heads down
686(11:11:54 PM) ***[Krikrii] proceeds as stair-taking commences.
687(11:11:59 PM) ***[Ada] heads down alongside Leah
688(11:12:14 PM) ***[Gus] goes down, ready to hit the dungeon master if necessary. (watch out, seiun :v )
689(11:13:41 PM) [GM]: *As soon as Krii is fully within the stairwell, her life sensing turns on. She senses caves filled with more mushroom species than she can count. She detects two courtyards with all manner of things growing in them. Dozens of tanks and cansters. A pit with water filled with isoalted cave life. An aquarium and a much larger canal, both filled with fish. Hundreds of jars filled with samples of living creatures, kept alive, presumably, 
690(11:13:41 PM) [GM]: artificially
691(11:14:12 PM) [Krikrii]: * mushrooms seem cultivated?
692(11:14:43 PM) [GM]: *And two creatures, ambulator and uncontained. One, clearly a fey. A living hat, with an eye in the palm of a hand. And what senses like a girl, 4'11'. Wearing the hat. Her attention shoots up the instant Krii senses her, and both her and the hat vanish from Krii's awareness instantly. Even with misdirection that should not have been possible.
693(11:14:49 PM) [GM]: *Yes, mushrooms seem cultivated
694(11:16:05 PM) [GM]: *Leah's headphones are playing tubular bells music, with mysterious choirs. Much magic. Very spooky.
695(11:16:09 PM) [Krikrii]: {Cultivated mushrooms, many specimens in tanks, and a 1.5m tall witch with a living hamsa hat, who vanished from sense as soon as I perceived them.}
696(11:16:21 PM) ***[Leah] pauses as the music changes... then continues down, curiosity overcoming her
697(11:16:24 PM) [Krikrii]: {Tanks is conjecture. Their ranges of motions seem to exclude bits.}
698(11:16:38 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah speeds up just ever so slightly
699(11:16:50 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {All right. Everyone try to look friendly.} *pause*
700(11:17:02 PM) [Krikrii]: {Already was.}
701(11:17:09 PM) [Ada]: {Don't I always look friendly?} says the orchaeya with the axe
702(11:17:18 PM) [GM]: *We reach the bottom of the stairs. It /immediately/ meets a dead end, with a blind corner behind us. Anyone using sensing to get the geometry of this place can tell its a godsdamned maze
703(11:17:42 PM) [Krikrii]: {Did anyone else try on the robes yet? Also, she seemed to notice as I perceived, if it weren't obvious.}
704(11:17:45 PM) [GM]: *Seiun {Ok how do we get over to where the girl was.}
705(11:17:53 PM) [Gus]: (an immediate dead end? that's not a maze, that's a wall!)
706(11:17:58 PM) [Krikrii]: ^
707(11:18:15 PM) [Izzy]: {Eh?} Izzy puts on a horrifying rictus of a grin as he looks around.
708(11:18:29 PM) [Gus]: Maybe by walking straight into that wall.
709(11:18:40 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "I hope not."
710(11:18:45 PM) ***[Ada] keeps ethereal perception up
711(11:18:49 PM) [Izzy]: "Tyranna, be friendly!" Tyranna now is also grinning.
712(11:19:44 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah turns the corner, continuing around...
713(11:20:09 PM) [Krikrii]: "She was to far east, that is, turning right from stairs."
714(11:20:22 PM) [Krikrii]: "Shall we say hello?"
715(11:20:32 PM) [Krikrii]: *"Hello?"*
716(11:20:44 PM) [Gus]: That's the idea, I think.
717(11:20:45 PM) [GM]: *The first thing of note Taleah finds is a glass pair of doors leading into a courtyard. Through the glass can be seen a veritable jungle, absolutely filled with samples of all kinds of plantlife, especially fruits. There's 3 shacks in the center of the courtyard, one of which is bubbling with steam through several grates nearby
718(11:20:48 PM) ***[Leah] nods quietly.  She looks... somewhat entranced with the music.
719(11:21:12 PM) [Leah]: * "Huh.  She's well-stocked."
720(11:21:29 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "How did you say witchcraft worked, Krii...?"
721(11:21:39 PM) ***[Krikrii] walks around corner and opens door. "This is very well-stocked--
722(11:21:40 PM) [GM]: *He comes up besides Tal and looks out over the jungle of a courtyard
723(11:21:43 PM) ***[Shirley] squeezes down the hall some
724(11:22:04 PM) [Krikrii]: "--the robe conveyed that it is through …
725(11:22:41 PM) [Krikrii]: "generally networked nature-worship, gather of ingredients, cooking in cauldrons.
726(11:23:15 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "... Let's not invade her garden then, and especially not go near her cauldrons. I see that steam."
727(11:23:26 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "We should wait for her here and try to respect her territory best we can."
728(11:23:40 PM) [Leah]: * "Agreed."  * Tal continues around the corner, down more steps
729(11:24:34 PM) [GM]: *Seiun follows Tal hesitantly. A bold, shrill voice echos out "Well-thought! If you went into my garden I just might have taken that as a /threat/."
730(11:24:37 PM) [Gus]: Fair enough.
731(11:24:45 PM) [GM]: *Krii still can't sense anyone
732(11:24:45 PM) [Gus]: (scratch that)
733(11:24:58 PM) [Krikrii]: "She was almost perfectly a hundred yards that way--"
734(11:25:00 PM) [GM]: *THe timbre of Leah's music doesn't change
735(11:26:09 PM) ***[Ada] puts her axe away, and has her bird perch on Leah's shoulder
736(11:26:16 PM) ***[Shirley] waits patiently
737(11:26:19 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah looks up and around as she walks, spinning a small circle as she continues forward.  "You... can hear us?  That's... interesting."
738(11:26:33 PM) ***[Leah] glances over to Ada... and nods in agreement to the axe-sheathing.
739(11:26:58 PM) [GM]: *Voice "This place is as much me as it is my home. I'd die of shame if I /didn't/ have complete control over this place."
740(11:27:05 PM) [GM]: *Voice "Now, introduce yourselves."
741(11:27:19 PM) [Krikrii]: "Perhaps overzealous threat-detection, but sensible."
742(11:27:22 PM) ***[Krikrii] bumps line up
743(11:27:26 PM) [GM]: *Seiun glances around and speaks boldly "My name is Rein Seiun. I've been running the feyshop. These are my employees."
744(11:27:45 PM) [Izzy]: "Oh, so YOU'RE the one who never answers when I talk to the house! I already introduced myself to you, then... but I'm Izdubariritunpangeshtugta."
745(11:28:59 PM) [GM]: *Voice "Huuuuuuh. So you're the scamps that have been causing a ruckus upstairs. What happened to Fred?"
746(11:29:00 PM) [Krikrii]: "Life Archmage Krikrii Krikrii." Bow.
747(11:29:23 PM) ***[Gus] assumes Seiun's intro adequately covers him.
748(11:29:35 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Fred tried to destroy an entire village with cursed items." *Voice "Hrummmmph. More's the pity. Fey never do behave long. Just as well there are some mortals up there."
749(11:30:11 PM) [GM]: *Voice "All right, head down the stairs then hang a right. That's as good as any for a guest room, and I haven't had any for millenia."
750(11:30:21 PM) [GM]: (s/right/left)
751(11:31:09 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah heads down, folloing the directions
752(11:31:48 PM) ***[Gus] does as asked. He internally critiques the layout of the room. He wouldn't build it this way, no.
753(11:32:03 PM) ***[Shirley] follows along
754(11:32:13 PM) ***[Ada] glances at Leah before also following the directions
755(11:32:15 PM) ***[Leah] brings up the rear with Ada
756(11:32:39 PM) ***[Leah] hands the headphones to Ada to listen to for just a moment
757(11:32:54 PM) ***[Ada] listens
758(11:34:13 PM) [Izzy]: "Hey, wait a second. As our host, shouldn't you also introduce yourself, too? We don't just keep calling you Ms. Dungeon Witch."
759(11:34:24 PM) [Izzy]: can't*
760(11:35:22 PM) [GM]: *Once everyone's in the room... Krii can suddenly sense the tiny witch again, as if she was there the whole time. She's dressed casually, in short pantaloons that expose her knees, tall striped stockings, a modest yellow tunic, and a big, black and purple, flowing cape that looks very mismatched with her more colorful and casual clothes beneath. Her face itself, despite her body being that of a child, is cracked more than wrinkled, 
761(11:35:22 PM) [GM]: like mud that's been left to dry in the sun. Her hair is a brilliantly unnatural red, like a setting sun, spilling out over her cape and cowl. And her hat is a monstrous thing, wiggling, alive, with that hand with the eye in the palm in the center of the brim. It wiggles its fingers at you. A lady's hand.
762(11:35:52 PM) [GM]: "That's right, you can't. I am Hellion Laverick. The First Witch."
763(11:36:15 PM) [Izzy]: "Ah, I see. Well met, Hellionlaverick."
764(11:36:26 PM) [GM]: *Leah's music has become a /little/ more ornate, grand, and tense, as befitting an introduction. But it's not /too/ threatening. She hopes.
765(11:36:56 PM) ***[Leah] / Taleah bow in synch, as one
766(11:37:18 PM) [GM]: *Her hair is /long/ and full, and nearly comes down to her ankles, the tips of it slightly longer than her cape
767(11:37:21 PM) ***[Ada] does a small bow in deference to this witch, who seems oddly familiar somehow
768(11:37:22 PM) ***[Krikrii] bows again.
769(11:37:42 PM) [GM]: *She looks pointedly at the people who don't bow, until they do. Looking at you, Rein
770(11:37:55 PM) ***[Shirley] bows after a moment
771(11:38:34 PM) ***[Leah] speak as one, as well.  "Nice to meet you, Miss Laverick."
772(11:39:21 PM) [Krikrii]: "Which forms of address are acceptable?"
773(11:39:22 PM) ***[Gus] doesn't, until everyone else does, he looks at them, and bows. Whatever.
774(11:39:25 PM) [Izzy]: Tyranna sniffs at Izzy, so he continues. "Oh! And this is my friend Tyranna, Hellionlaverick. (Sorry, Tyranna.)"
775(11:39:54 PM) [GM]: *Hellion "Hmmmmmmm."
776(11:40:04 PM) [GM]: *She coldly investigates everyone in turn, settling on Krii
777(11:40:07 PM) ***[Krikrii] is asking because witchcraft arose between valdrex eras, but doesn't voice it.
778(11:41:05 PM) [GM]: "/You/" - it's spoken in a plural, but she still somehow seems to stress that she's talking specifically to Krii, as well - "can call me Helen. Titles are going to become bothersome and I have no patience for it."
779(11:41:21 PM) [GM]: *She approaches Krii and looks up at her, tapping her foot "Valdrex hmm?"
780(11:42:32 PM) ***[Krikrii] is, in fact, settled down and *shorter* than her. "Yes."
781(11:42:50 PM) [Krikrii]: "Do you know of ego-sickness?"
782(11:43:10 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Yes. But I have to say I'm not happy to see you. I thought we'd gotten you all. Clearly we hadn't."
783(11:43:44 PM) [GM]: *She waves her hand and summons a chair from nothing, sitting down in front of everyone like a kindergarten teacher with a book for storytime, only she doesn't have a book
784(11:44:19 PM) [GM]: *Seiun looks this way and that. Not wanting to interrupt after such an inflammatory statement, yet he's clearly wondering if we should remain standing
785(11:45:41 PM) [Izzy]: "I can vouch for Krikriikrikrii. She is girimuchtaggal in body, but not in spirit. She is herself."
786(11:46:22 PM) [GM]: *Helen crosses her legs, one foot bobbing in air, a little sneaker-like booty over just the tip of the stocking, under the ankle
787(11:46:43 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Yes. I can see that. It's still not pleasant to learn we weren't thorough enough."
788(11:46:55 PM) [Leah]: * Taleah, upon seeing the chair, steps in behind Leah and Ada, and sits down against the wall - then solidified against it and reforms her knees into flat sitting spots.
789(11:47:04 PM) [Krikrii]: "Are we guests? May we sit?"
790(11:47:15 PM) ***[Leah] sits down on one of Taleah's knee-seats, motioning Ada to take the other
791(11:47:20 PM) [Izzy]: "By we, do you mean the humans of your time?"
792(11:47:21 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Not going to rise to my bait? ... Hm. I like you. All right, I'm /glad/ we were sloppy."
793(11:47:45 PM) ***[Gus] keeps any thoughts on that to himself.
794(11:47:47 PM) ***[Ada] glances back at the Tal-seat, blinks ... then sits
795(11:47:55 PM) [GM]: *She waves her hands again. With a poof, all manner of sitting implements fill the room. Mostly pillows and stools slightly shorter than her own highbacked chair
796(11:48:43 PM) [GM]: *Helen "I was there when the Yun fell. It wasn't pretty. The Valdrex fought tooth and nail after their puppetry was exposed, and a lot of us, myself included, tried to hunt them all down."
797(11:49:32 PM) [GM]: *Helen "We thought we succeeded, but clearly they were smarter. Probably showed us what we wanted to see, just like before."
798(11:50:32 PM) [GM]: *Helen smirks "I was just a kid though. Barely 16."
799(11:50:42 PM) ***[Gus] looks at a stool but decides that standing is probably best for now.
800(11:50:43 PM) ***[Izzy] collects pillows for Tyranna before plopping down on one himself.
801(11:50:54 PM) [GM]: *Seiun slowly sits down crosslegged on a pillow
802(11:51:00 PM) ***[Ada] semi-casually leans against Leah
803(11:51:59 PM) [Krikrii]: "Perhaps I left out a pertinent detail. Archmage, by Attana's grace."
804(11:52:39 PM) [GM]: *Helen "... Attana? ... Which one is that again? Oh do forgive me it's hard to keep them all straight while I've been holed up here like this."
805(11:53:24 PM) ***[Leah] speaks up from the back.  "She of the Harpies, wind, and freedom."
806(11:53:40 PM) [Krikrii]: "Harpies, winds, freedom. [culture] origin. Yun-equivalent was…"
807(11:53:41 PM) ***[Leah] has adjusted, letting her pendant / holy symbol sit visibly on her chest
808(11:55:37 PM) [GM]: *Helen "It doesn't matter what we called her. I'm not sure this translation spell I have going would even make me make the right sounds."
809(11:56:12 PM) [GM]: *Helen "That said, that is /very/ interesting. She is a bitter archenemy to your Chentri. As juxtaposed as you can get."
810(11:56:36 PM) [GM]: *Helen "And now she's gotten me and my babies involved in whatever plot she has brewing in you. Very interesting."
811(11:56:53 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Do any of the rest of you follow 'Attana'? Or whatever your culture's equivalent is."
812(11:57:44 PM) [Leah]: "... I do, of a sort.  Nea, she of stories, adventure, and similarly of freedom."
813(11:58:37 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Mmmm that's a bad sign."
814(11:58:44 PM) [GM]: *Seiun "Why do you say that?"
815(11:58:56 PM) [Ada]: ... Your babies?
816(11:58:58 PM) [Izzy]: "I follow the four gods of the Iritu," Izzy shrugs. "Haut, Sailduama, Meizisar, and Shaigim."
817(11:59:12 PM) [GM]: *Helen "Because it makes her involvement all the more blatant. We're wrapped up in a /godscheme/ and there's nothing we can do about it except let it play out to the end. This is going to be messy."
818(11:59:22 PM) [Ada]: Yvelt, Habrukan goddess of song and conquest, here.
819(11:59:43 PM) [GM]: *Helen nods to Izzy, his godnames being greek to her, then doubletakes at Ada
820(11:59:47 PM) [GM]: "THREE?"
821(11:59:58 PM) [GM]: *Helen "All from different cultures no less."
822(12:00:26 AM) ***[Leah] nods.  "The godbasin we pulled from your dungeon aided in our understanding of this."
823(12:00:36 AM) [GM]: *She strokes her chin, notices the cracks in her skin, then with a wave of her hand undoes them, embarassed by her letting her appearance lapse
824(12:00:46 AM) [Izzy]: "How did you come to live in the basement of a giant architectural fey, Hellionlaverick?"
825(12:00:50 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Oh. /That/ thing. Hrmn."
826(12:01:00 AM) [Krikrii]: «I *do* speak Yun…but impolite.»
827(12:01:01 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I founded a religion of sorts. And they banished me here."
828(12:01:32 AM) [Krikrii]: "Following Attana is inaccurate. But I believe in freedom, and am helping harpies, so I suppose it fits.
829(12:01:34 AM) [Izzy]: "Oh. Who did YOU worship, then?"
830(12:01:38 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was the first witch. I was a powerful primage. /Powerful/. And I could do things even when my magic was gone. Potions, items, artefacts..."
831(12:01:43 AM) [GM]: *Helen smirks "Myself."
832(12:01:59 AM) [Krikrii]: "That translated as  sexual innuendo."
833(12:02:02 AM) ***[Gus] isn't surprised, somehow.
834(12:02:16 AM) [GM]: *Helen gives Krii a slight look "We won't have any of that here, stop that."
835(12:02:25 AM) [Leah]: "... ah.  The witch from Doon's Bridge, then... didn't have enough information."
836(12:02:40 AM) [Ada]: Apparently not.
837(12:02:57 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... /Anyway/. People started worshiping me. Copying my powers. At first it was quaint, but then they started to get ideas about how to better handle /my/ magic than /I/ did. They branded me a heritic in my own religion, and I wound up being sent here."
838(12:03:04 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Never start a cult, kids."
839(12:03:24 AM) [Izzy]: "I will be careful not to start cults."
840(12:03:34 AM) [Krikrii]: "So you followed in the yun-valdrex footsteps, in a sense."
841(12:03:43 AM) [Krikrii]: "Banished seems inaccurate. You have a fortress that is at your total control, dangerous minions, and powerful guardians."
842(12:03:58 AM) [Izzy]: "Hmm. That would solve all of the Doonwitch's questions, though, wouldn't it?"
843(12:03:59 AM) [Krikrii]: "Weapons of war." 
844(12:04:00 AM) [GM]: *Helen switches legs in her cross "Since I'm in here anyway, I still make my items, just to amuse myself. Sometimes they get out to the real world, most of the time they don't. Everything you've found was either a masterpiece of mine, or a failed experiment."
845(12:04:17 AM) [Ada]: You /make/ the fey items?
846(12:04:45 AM) [GM]: *She smiles devilishly "You catch on quick, Krii. I never much cared for the outside anyway. I'm far more interested in finding out the limits of my own power, which I can do forever in here."
847(12:05:11 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "... Your items hurt people. I gave up my life just to act as a buffer between your ... 'failed experiments' being generous, and the outside world."
848(12:05:17 AM) [Izzy]: "Oh, I see. That explains why my lance and briefs do not know these fey items as well as they know each other."
849(12:05:22 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Well I'm guess I'm lucky you were willing to do that, huh?"
850(12:05:36 AM) [GM]: *Seiun's looking increasingly uncomfortable
851(12:05:49 AM) [Krikrii]: "Clearly you're doing something right, to manage nigh-three thousand years."
852(12:05:55 AM) [Shirley]: So where did Fred come into all of this?
853(12:06:10 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... All right, before you give me that look, or get the wrong idea - no, I do not pick the powers of the most powerful items I create. And I can't exactly dispose of the really bad ones. And there are a /lot/ of really bad ones."
854(12:06:50 AM) [Krikrii]: "We noticed."
855(12:06:53 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I made Fred to be a butler. Eventually we found out that we were found by adventurers who were dying in the upper levels. We had the bright idea of turning this into a shop instead, and used it as an excuse to get materials from the outside world that we were lacking."
856(12:06:53 AM) [Krikrii]: "Don't trust the permanent-destruction items to manage the job?"
857(12:06:59 AM) ***[Gus] is doing his best poker face. He is an extensively boring character today.
858(12:07:34 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Fred agreed to run the shop, and get me what I needed in return for the items. It worked for a while but eventually I lost contact with him."
859(12:08:07 AM) [Shirley]: ah.
860(12:08:18 AM) [Leah]: "... hm."
861(12:08:18 AM) [GM]: *Helen balks at Krii "There's no such thing as permanent destruction with fey. Those items you've found that do that either store the power of the item they 'ate' or become corrupted themselves with those items' bad intentions."
862(12:08:57 AM) [GM]: *Seiun frowns "... She's probably right. There's a reason I don't try to dispose of the really bad items."
863(12:09:18 AM) ***[Krikrii] tells Rein, "Bag of devouring needs label addendum."
864(12:09:35 AM) [GM]: *Seiun nods emphatically
865(12:09:45 AM) ***[Krikrii] isn't sitting down as Helen has not said she is a guest nor allowed to sit, despite others.
866(12:09:58 AM) ***[Krikrii] is comfortable regardless
867(12:10:15 AM) ***[Gus] finally says something:
868(12:10:15 AM) [Gus]: You no longer need things from outside, then?
869(12:10:43 AM) [Leah]: "... I am curious.  Do /you/ manipulate where the store moves to, then?"
870(12:10:44 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I could always use access to new or old ingredients, but I have all I /really/ need. Fred was helping me get stocked up for a /long/ time."
871(12:11:05 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "I don't suppose you want him back. He's /very/ evil."
872(12:11:06 AM) [Krikrii]: "Your live specimen collection is formidable."
873(12:11:19 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Why thank you for noticing. Life channeler I take it?"
874(12:11:39 AM) [GM]: *Helen nods to Seiun "Nah. Keep him. If he's that far gone the Fred I know doesn't exist anymore."
875(12:11:40 AM) [Krikrii]: "Yes. Please forgive my omission. I thought you noticed when I sensed you and you vanished."
876(12:11:53 AM) ***[Ada] sits back with Leah, absorbing all this but not sure what she could add to the conversation
877(12:11:54 AM) [Izzy]: "Do you want to come up for tea sometime?" Izzy pauses. "I invited the pyrosaurs, so it seems only fair to invite you. You should get some sun."
878(12:11:55 AM) [GM]: *Helen blinks... then frowns "... How is a /Valdrex/ a /Channeler/?"
879(12:13:35 AM) [Leah]: * Taleah chuckles, whispering "I was wondering when she was going to catch that."
880(12:14:47 AM) ***[Ada] half smirks and nods
881(12:16:18 AM) [Krikrii]: "A biomancer with more ambition than restraint captured me and experimented with symbiotes. …which are 'new' since you were banished. Artificial, sessile channelers that one attaches to one's nervous system. I do not know th efull story of me, th-"
882(12:17:04 AM) [GM]: *You have her rapt attention. she's processing the implications and logical conclusions of your words quickly
883(12:17:32 AM) [Krikrii]: "It occurs to me that channeling naturally manifests during puberty and all valdrex are 'spayed'."
884(12:18:06 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Yeah, that's definitely part of it."
885(12:18:41 AM) [GM]: *Helen "It's not just puberty. Channeling potential manifests when people undergo great stress, both physical and emotional."
886(12:19:01 AM) [Krikrii]: "While I agree that you were justified in attacking valdrex after Yun, I would appreciate it if you didn't embark on further campaigns of xenocide."
887(12:19:06 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Most Valdrex are too emotionally /dead/ to even come close to manifesting, and you're practically paragons when it comes to shrugging off physical stress."
888(12:19:44 AM) [GM]: *Helen huffs "I was young, and they were an existential threat. When we exposed their charade they started trying to wipe /us/ out /first/."
889(12:20:09 AM) [GM]: *Helen "The Valdrex had every intention of erasing their mistake in being exposed by eliminating all the witnesses."
890(12:20:25 AM) [Krikrii]: "Like many governments."
891(12:21:03 AM) [GM]: *Helen "ALL the witnesses. They said 'the contract of peaceful coeexistance has been voided.'"
892(12:21:09 AM) [Izzy]: "In this time Girimuchtaggal is trying to win through the dark heart of money; she does the unforgivable not for power but for money."
893(12:21:10 AM) ***[Leah] grimaces
894(12:21:22 AM) [Gus]: Which begets power.
895(12:21:53 AM) [Krikrii]: "I had not heard that."
896(12:21:59 AM) [Krikrii]: *in response to Hellion
897(12:21:59 AM) [Leah]: "We keep getting caught up in the past."
898(12:22:28 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Mmmm. I bet you hadn't heard that. The Valdrex only remember their mistakes when there's something useful to be learned by doing so."
899(12:22:57 AM) [GM]: *Helen "The Valdrex have a lot of pride. And harbor a lot of shame when they don't live up to their own percieved perfectionism."
900(12:23:37 AM) [Gus]: That's somewhat at odds with the part about being emotionally dead.
901(12:24:05 AM) [Krikrii]: "We are good at not making mistakes."
902(12:24:06 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Individuals are emotionally dead. Groups are another story."
903(12:24:30 AM) [Izzy]: "And yet, they may not know that their plot is doomed. For all their economic efforts, I have never felt as powerless before them as the time I met with a traveling master salesman of the Ghorma."
904(12:24:33 AM) [GM]: *Helen "That's not something to be proud of, Archmage KriKrii. Mistakes are how we /learn/ and improve."
905(12:25:10 AM) [GM]: *Helen laughs "Oh lord. The Ghorma still exist huh? I should have gotten one of /them/ to run the shop."
906(12:25:21 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Why'd I get a ... what even /are/ you?"
907(12:25:27 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "That's none of your business."
908(12:25:36 AM) ***[Leah] giggles
909(12:25:42 AM) [GM]: *Helen's eyebrows go up a little "Ho ho ho. Very interesting. All right, I won't pry."
910(12:25:47 AM) [GM]: *Seiun shifts uncomfortably
911(12:25:48 AM) [Krikrii]: "He is my friend."
912(12:26:00 AM) [Leah]: "Boss, should we ask her about what the shop's preparing us for?"
913(12:26:13 AM) [GM]: *Seiun nods "Yes. Yes that's a very good idea."
914(12:26:23 AM) [Izzy]: "Oh, right, what the dice said."
915(12:26:28 AM) [GM]: *Helen "What do you mean?"
916(12:26:49 AM) [Krikrii]: "You keep dancing around answers, regarding guest status, killing, animosity. I am within your power. Will you pledge mutual non-aggression or not?"
917(12:26:51 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Dice? ... OH! Dang I've been looking for those. Well, I suppose fair's fair, they're yours now."
918(12:27:03 AM) [GM]: *Helen harumphs.
919(12:27:40 AM) [GM]: "I don't like making these things explicit. When you deal with fey, words are power, and they have ways of /holding/ you to those words. It's a habit I formed and I'm not exactly comfortable breaking it, even when it doesn't matter."
920(12:28:14 AM) [GM]: "If you /need/ me to be explicit, I'm not your enemy, and if I ever will be, I'll let you know first."
921(12:28:27 AM) [Ada]: Very considerate of you
922(12:28:32 AM) ***[Leah] nods in agreement
923(12:28:53 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "That's part of why we're here. 'Non-agression' - The dungeon always made fetching the items a game. But now it's outright trying to kill us."
924(12:28:57 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... Oh?"
925(12:29:04 AM) [Krikrii]: "I shall accord you the same respect, unless- no, no exceptions."
926(12:29:30 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "We consulted with those dice, and confirmed my suspicion, that the dungeon was testing us, and making sure we were actually ready for some future conflict. Willing to risk our lives, not just for greed and money, but for the shop's well being."
927(12:29:49 AM) [Izzy]: "Reinseiun was a bit spooked when I was ambushed by assassins. It's fine -- I healed, and ate them."
928(12:30:49 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I appreciate that Krii. All right Seiun, continue."
929(12:31:19 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "... I'm not sure what there is to continue. The dice told us the shop was preparing us for something. And that the shop wanted to be sure we were committed to doing what we do for reasons more than greed."
930(12:31:34 AM) [GM]: *Helen ".... And... you ... expect me to know what that is?"
931(12:31:38 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "..."
932(12:32:00 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Despite what you may think I'm /not/ fey. And if the dungeon knows something I don't, it knows something I don't. This is all news to /me/ too."
933(12:32:55 AM) [Leah]: "So you're not in control of it, either.  Beyond this floor, anyway."
934(12:33:06 AM) [Izzy]: "Can you craft an item to talk to it?"
935(12:33:07 AM) [Krikrii]: "You created the dice, you created witchcraft. You are about {three thousand years} down here. It seems appropriate to see whether your divinations had pierced further."
936(12:33:18 AM) [Leah]: * Taleah "Assuming you're in control down here.  Makes sense, at least."
937(12:33:54 AM) [Krikrii]: "If any of the fey here believes the monster its mother, and would relay, we already have one.
938(12:34:16 AM) [GM]: *Helen hrmmmmphs. "Much as I hate to admit it, I don't have complete control, and I wouldn't want it, either. I'd go absolutely crazy if I was a master of this domain. You need outside stimulation to not go completely bonkers in isolation, and the pseudorandom layout of this place gives me that stimulation."
939(12:34:43 AM) [GM]: *Helen "What are you on about with this 'mother' business?"
940(12:35:08 AM) [Krikrii]: "We'd found a pendant which allows one to simulate communication with one's perceived mother."
941(12:35:49 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... ... .... Ooooh. That one. ... Mmm that's a bit embarassing."
942(12:36:10 AM) [GM]: *Helen "How do you expect to get a fey to tell you truly what it hears me say when it uses that amulet?"
943(12:36:11 AM) [Krikrii]: "As it gives me the biomancer who experimented on me, it is not biological in how it target-selects."
944(12:36:39 AM) [Izzy]: "Oh! That pendant. Yes, some of our number have tenuous family ties, so it has been quite useful for them. I have used it once, but it was simply a normal conversation."
945(12:36:41 AM) [Krikrii]: "design a creature that repeats  everything it hears, once?"
946(12:37:07 AM) [GM]: *Helen picks at her left ear "I told you, I don't design these things. I have creative inspiration, and then it's born."
947(12:37:17 AM) [Krikrii]: *s/believes the monster its mother/believes the dungeon its mother/
948(12:37:17 AM) ***[Ada] shakes her head, "Krii, I don't think we're going to get this done by trying to ... game the system."
949(12:37:20 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Sometimes it goes well. Sometimes it goes very, very poorly."
950(12:38:19 AM) [Krikrii]: "That is how I get good results from the dice. Why not?"
951(12:38:23 AM) [Izzy]: "You should probably try to contain the things which will destroy all of Aarn when you make them."
952(12:39:09 AM) [GM]: *Helen "You think I don't? Things wind up filtering up to the dungeon one way or another."
953(12:39:51 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Part of the reason the dungeon is so convoluted is so the really bad things are lost forever. ... Asides from that, it's also made to keep me trapped here. If I can't leave, why should I expect the other really bad things?"
954(12:40:13 AM) [GM]: *expect the other really bad things to be able to leave
955(12:40:16 AM) [Krikrii]: "Practical biomantic monster-creation itself is an innovation since your time, isn't it?"
956(12:40:26 AM) [Gus]: Seems it's not as impenetrable as intended, at least not any more.
957(12:40:28 AM) [Izzy]: "Oh. You can't come up for tea? We cleared a path down here."
958(12:40:40 AM) [Krikrii]: "Why are you convinced you are a bad thing?"
959(12:40:44 AM) [Leah]: "... well, it's not exactly /clear/ right now..."
960(12:41:02 AM) ***[Ada] shakes her head again, "Madame Laverick, perhaps you can tell us what you can do, if the world is in fact at stake?"
961(12:43:36 AM) [GM]: *She crosses her arms, smirking, then giggling "I'm not down here without reason. I pushed the boundaries of what mortals are supposed to be able to do. I /create/ fey. Or rather, the fey get me to create them. I'm a conduit for danger and if I were out and about ... ohhh ho ho, all the enemies I'd make. Oh no, I'm much more comfortable out of everyone's way.
962(12:44:18 AM) [Leah]: "That's understandable."
963(12:44:37 AM) [Izzy]: "Hmm... but don't you want friends?"
964(12:45:40 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I'm old, little goblin. I've /had/ a lot of friends. I have a lot of fond memories of those friends. I also have memories of those friends becoming my enemy, through no fault of my own."
965(12:46:05 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Friendship isn't going to give me experiences I haven't already had, so I don't particularly care to seek it out."
966(12:46:29 AM) [GM]: *pause* "But I won't reject it either, if you lot are offering. I suspect I /should/ stay on your good side if Attana is using you to mess with me."
967(12:46:32 AM) [Krikrii]: "So you have discussed magical theory with valdrex over tea before."
968(12:46:58 AM) [Krikrii]: "*a* valdrex."
969(12:47:02 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Not with my own consent. That tiny little detail will be new."
970(12:47:56 AM) [Izzy]: "Yeah, you should come up to visit sometimes. Or we can come down and get you, if need be. I'd just need to put you in my sack and you'd pop out in my room."
971(12:48:18 AM) [Krikrii]: "It might be as bad if we remove her from the dungeon as if Seiun is."
972(12:48:18 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Mmmmm... It's not that easy. I literally /can't/ go to the upper levels."
973(12:48:24 AM) [GM]: *Helen "And it will stop me if I try."
974(12:48:45 AM) [Krikrii]: "Does the store count as an upper level?"
975(12:48:51 AM) [Gus]: Moreso than trying to stop us from getting here or from taking the dangerous things out?
976(12:48:51 AM) [Leah]: "... interesting."
977(12:48:52 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Yes, I've never been."
978(12:49:33 AM) [GM]: *Helen looks to Gus "Last time I tried taking one of those newfangled 'portals' out, the distance between me and the portal became longer the closer I got to it. That hole I have in my trophy room was the result."
979(12:49:54 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Oh... although I suppose you haven't seen it."
980(12:50:06 AM) [Krikrii]: "Probably not."
981(12:50:18 AM) [Gus]: So, that's a yes, I see.
982(12:50:34 AM) [Ada] left the room (quit: Quit: Sleep).
983(12:51:16 AM) [Krikrii]: "And Attana's 'freedom' line would suggest we were inclined to try to 'fix' that.
984(12:51:48 AM) [Izzy]: "Hmm... well, if the dungeon will stop Hellionlaverick from using a portal, will it stop US from using one?"
985(12:52:12 AM) [Izzy]: "We could simply come down here to visit for tea."
986(12:52:22 AM) ***[Leah] shakes her head.  "I will assume nothing about Nea's intentions, Krii."
987(12:52:40 AM) [Leah]: "Even whether it's about Helen here, or just our group."
988(12:52:41 AM) [Krikrii]: "Someone imprisoned for three thousand years and you *aren't* feeling the itch to free them?"
989(12:53:00 AM) [Gus]: Are you?
990(12:54:01 AM) [Izzy]: "That's right, Leah and Gustavliskov. Locks are made to be picked, walls are made to be climbed over, and seals are made to be broken!"
991(12:54:16 AM) [Krikrii]: "A little. Less than if I were at this point Hellion's friend."
992(12:54:16 AM) ***[Leah] shakes her head.  "Not when they have no intention of being 'freed', and when they aren't feeling confined."
993(12:54:24 AM) [Gus]: I think that is in fact the opposite of what they are made for.
994(12:54:46 AM) [Gus]: Otherwise, it would be more expedient not to make them at all.
995(12:55:04 AM) [Izzy]: "Well, that's the spirit of adventure."
996(12:55:05 AM) [Krikrii]: "Locks are still made to be unlock*able*."
997(12:55:15 AM) ***[Leah] gives Krii another pointed look.  "If I /were/ to presume anything to Attana's wishes, it would be to leverage this store's capabilities towards the project you're already working towards."
998(12:55:19 AM) [Krikrii]: "Except that one we found in the dungeon."
999(12:55:46 AM) [Leah]: "That seems much more personally connected to her, than anything about Helen here."
1000(12:56:05 AM) [Krikrii]: "We could even ask that behind the goddesses."
1001(12:59:00 AM) [Izzy]: "At the least, I'll see if we have any spare talkstones upstairs while I check my stuff. I'll have a door made in no time! Tyranna, hold down the fort." Izzy pulls out his burlap bag and drapes it over himself! It flomps to the ground, and Izzy is gone.
1002(12:59:09 AM) [Izzy] is now known as DisgruntledFerret
1003(1:03:34 AM) [Krikrii]: "Those can be easily made."
1004(1:10:51 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Well, it looks like portals work for you folk at least."
1005(1:13:57 AM) [GM]: *Helen "As for what Attana wants with me.... Hmm. No, I don't think she /would/ want to free me. Or at least, it wouldn't be something she'd to by gathering /three/ of her heroes in the same place."
1006(1:14:19 AM) [GM]: "I may be the first witch, I may be a primage to end all primages, but this is /bigger/ than me. She's doing this because she wants something to happen to /her/."
1007(1:14:27 AM) [GM]: "Or to Chentri." *looks pointedly at Krii
1008(1:14:30 AM) [GM]: *Seiun pales
1009(1:14:37 AM) ***[Leah] starts to speak... and... looks pensive
1010(1:15:02 AM) [Leah]: "... to her..."
1011(1:15:35 AM) [Krikrii]: "I will not thank you for inspiring me with knowledge of how to kill The Broodm other."
1012(1:15:52 AM) [Krikrii]: "for all she wants me dead."
1013(1:16:11 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Oh? What inspiration might that be? I don't want thanks but I /would/ like to know what it is, because now you've got me /curious/."
1014(1:16:35 AM) [GM]: *She stops crossing her legs and leans forward in her chair like a little girl with an impish smile
1015(1:20:19 AM) [Krikrii]: "And invite She smite me down?"
1016(1:20:53 AM) [GM]: *Helen "She has no power here. And if she did, they wouldn't be hunting you as I presume they are. She'd smite you already and be done with it."
1017(1:21:02 AM) [Krikrii]: "Well, she already would, I suppose, could she."-
1018(1:21:13 AM) ***[Krikrii] sort-of-choruses with Hellion.
1019(1:21:58 AM) [Krikrii]: "Universal ego-sickness."
1020(1:22:25 AM) [GM]: *She thumbs her nose, considering that
1021(1:22:54 AM) [GM]: *She leans back "Speaking as one who hunted your kind without remorse, I don't think that would do it."
1022(1:23:08 AM) [GM]: "If anything that might set Chentri /free/ - ... Oh. Hm. ... ... Hm."
1023(1:23:24 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Well ain't /that/ a sobering thought."
1024(1:24:00 AM) [GM]: *Helen turns to Seiun "You look uncomfortable as heck. Want a lemonade?" *Seiun "Please."
1025(1:24:06 AM) [GM]: *She summons one "How about you folk."
1026(1:24:08 AM) [Krikrii]: "Do you thumb your nose at me?"
1027(1:24:46 AM) ***[Leah] leans forward.  "... no, it makes sense that Attana... Nea... would want a change.  After all, as some of her harpies said earlier today... she's been dead to them."
1028(1:24:54 AM) [GM]: (not a literal thumb-nosing, just, fiddling with the tip of her nose with her thumb)
1029(1:24:56 AM) [Gus]: An appropriately-sized seat would do.
1030(1:25:12 AM) [Krikrii]: "No, they said that those priests of Fagellis said so.
1031(1:25:14 AM) [GM]: *She rolls her eyes and summons a bigger chair for Gus
1032(1:25:33 AM) [Krikrii]: "I'd not be so sure until I checked with some of the wilder ones."
1033(1:25:41 AM) [Gus]: Thank you.
1034(1:25:44 AM) [Krikrii]: *scratch 'do you thumb your nose at me'
1035(1:25:46 AM) ***[Gus] makes use of it.
1036(1:25:50 AM) [Leah]: "They have no other point of reference for her, Krii.  Is that not the same?"
1037(1:26:29 AM) [Krikrii]: "Yun's lessons say, mostly, 'yes'."
1038(1:27:32 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Here's a bigger question."
1039(1:27:33 AM) [Krikrii]: "A lemonade would be fine. From the lemon tree twenty meters that way?"
1040(1:27:44 AM) [GM]: *Helen nods "Indeed. And beet sugar."
1041(1:28:04 AM) [GM]: *She actually stands up and walks into another room, then comes back with a tray. This is the most physical labor you've seen her do
1042(1:28:17 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Here's the thing, Archmage Krikrii."
1043(1:28:33 AM) [GM]: *Helen "You said the harpies don't worship Attana anymore. Neither does anyone else?"
1044(1:28:46 AM) [GM]: *Helen passes the tray around letting everyone who wants one get a glass
1045(1:29:26 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "... Not really, no. Maybe some sailors up north? Wind and all..."
1046(1:29:57 AM) [Krikrii]: *Khn is suggested to roll the dice upstairs using longform number output, "how many people worship Attana"
1047(1:30:37 AM) ***[Leah] nods in agreement to Helen - that's what she was getting at, before
1048(1:30:50 AM) [GM]: *A four digits number. Distressingly small.
1049(1:31:08 AM) [Krikrii]: "A few thousand, it seems."
1050(1:31:32 AM) [GM]: *Helen "That's not enough to sustain a god. I've known Fey that had more people worshiping them without apotheosising."
1051(1:32:11 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "Fey can /do/ that?" *Helen "It's retroactive. Gods popped into existance now go back and take place in the first God war way back when and make a race. Don't think about it too hard."
1052(1:32:12 AM) [Leah]: "... there are more followers of Nea, and of Yvelt, than that."
1053(1:32:15 AM) [Krikrii]: *Khn also checks 'harpies raised among harpies', 'harpies raised among others', and 'non-harpy' categories
1054(1:32:37 AM) [GM]: *Three digits, two digits, three digits
1055(1:32:52 AM) [Krikrii]: **thousand and change
1056(1:33:19 AM) [Krikrii]: "What's the upper bound?"
1057(1:33:20 AM) [GM]: *Helen sits down with her own lemonade and sips
1058(1:33:34 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Hard to say. Hundred thousand, at the least."
1059(1:33:39 AM) ***[Krikrii] sips lemonade. Lifesenses self.
1060(1:33:58 AM) [GM]: *Lifesense says you think it's yum
1061(1:34:21 AM) [Krikrii]: "Would you prefer I put on a different face?"
1062(1:34:32 AM) ***[Krikrii] waggles mandibles.
1063(1:35:04 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Not at all. This, at least, being friendly with someone with that face, being treated as an /equal/ by someone with that face, this is /new/ and I like it.
1064(1:35:15 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Anyway."
1065(1:35:43 AM) [GM]: *Helen "My point is." *sets her glass down* "Attana /didn't/ do whatever it is you think she did. Attana doesn't /exist/."
1066(1:35:57 AM) [Krikrii]: "wait.
1067(1:36:13 AM) [Krikrii]: "That cannot be true."
1068(1:36:17 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Some other aspect of Attana, one that /does/ still exist, is the God that touched you. She just wants you to /think/ she was Attana when she did it."
1069(1:36:29 AM) ***[Leah] falls quieter.
1070(1:36:41 AM) [GM]: *Helen "If you can figure out which aspect did that, you'll go a long way to figure out what her plans for you are."
1071(1:37:32 AM) [Krikrii]: "Rather, there is contradiction in what you just said.
1072(1:37:41 AM) [GM]: *Helen "What's that?"
1073(1:38:57 AM) [Krikrii]: "Or my memories of Yun and theomandy are fuzzy. I was thinking of atemporality, rather than mere retroactivity."
1074(1:39:19 AM) [GM]: *Helen swirls her lemonade glass, still mostly full
1075(1:39:40 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Think of it like this. Once a God exists, they exist for all time. But for a God to have /power/ - for a God to /do things/ they need /worshipers./"
1076(1:40:02 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Attana doesn't have enough worshipers now. So some other aspect of her is /helping/ Attana get more."
1077(1:40:12 AM) [Leah]: "... or all of them are."
1078(1:40:15 AM) [GM]: *Helen "More than one aspect, it seems like."
1079(1:40:51 AM) [Krikrii]: "The problem is, retroactive is the direction that doesn't make sense. A goddess being able to retain some store of power after it had lost all worshipers makes temporal sense."
1080(1:40:52 AM) ***[Leah] looks up again, between Helen, Krii, and Ada.  "... possibly not just to get more, but to redefine herself again?"
1081(1:41:32 AM) [Krikrii]: "if they are empowered by having worshipers *after* the fact…her having no worshipers now means nothing about whether she exists, for she may at some time in the future have enough."
1082(1:41:56 AM) [GM]: *She looks at Leah and Ada again "You said Yvelt? Habruk? ... I'm guessing that's who the Tehxiona turned into. OK. So that's north. You're obviously Jerolan, so that's west. Who's south? Yessha? Who's Yessha's Nea?"
1083(1:42:11 AM) [Krikrii]: "Yessha remains south."
1084(1:42:21 AM) [Leah]: "Um..."
1085(1:42:30 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Ahh, but Krikrii. No worshipers now, means no power now."
1086(1:42:57 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "... The yesshans don't worship gods anymore. They worship real things. 'Youth' in Nea's case."
1087(1:43:12 AM) [Krikrii]: "Then an apotheosed fey would be powerless when sent back to the First Gods War, and have no impact."
1088(1:43:28 AM) ***[Leah] perks up.  "Oh, right."
1089(1:43:29 AM) [GM]: *Helen "What? ... Fuck's sake the crazy bastards actually did it. Ok then. Uh... then Lenneshin are a /real/ long shot. None of you like Khodosan."
1090(1:43:35 AM) [GM]: (none of you look Khodosan)
1091(1:44:02 AM) [GM]: *Helen holds up a finger "They bring their worshipers with them. That's why they /make/ a race."
1092(1:44:09 AM) [GM]: *Helen "No race, no god."
1093(1:44:18 AM) [Krikrii]: "Yet, harpies already exist."
1094(1:44:32 AM) [GM]: "But they're not worshiping Attana anymore."
1095(1:44:58 AM) [Leah]: "... orphaned.  There's other races that's happened to before, too."
1096(1:45:19 AM) ***[Leah] reflexively squeezes Ada's hand
1097(1:45:28 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Ok look, this is real simple. We've ruled out south and east, we already have north and west. Who's center?"
1098(1:45:28 AM) [Krikrii]: "I would ask if you recognized a shape." *Poof! Southern Satyr.
1099(1:46:36 AM) [Krikrii]: **poof, became 
1100(1:46:37 AM) [GM]: *Helen pauses, holding her thought. Considers Krii up and down
1101(1:46:56 AM) [Krikrii]: "…that's probably not easy with robes." *moves to remove
1102(1:47:16 AM) [GM]: *Helen "No! No no. No no that's fine. Keep your shirt on. PLEASE."
1103(1:47:28 AM) ***[Leah] snerks
1104(1:47:35 AM) [GM]: *Helen "You look like a southern satyr. From rensvan. The Valdrex made them extinct around the same time Yun fell."
1105(1:47:45 AM) ***[Gus] hears something he never thought he'd hear in this job. Finally.
1106(1:48:05 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Ok so who's Rensvan's Attana?"
1107(1:48:31 AM) [GM]: *Seiun " ... There isn't one. The Rensvan are monotheistic. They worship an aspect of the human god. And him only."
1108(1:48:37 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... Well fuck!"
1109(1:48:40 AM) [Krikrii]: "Primagic-granted shape, and you say they create their worshipers…"
1110(1:49:01 AM) [Leah]: "... we're missing something."
1111(1:49:03 AM) [GM]: *Helen shakes her head "If she shaped you like that, she's trying to do two birds with one stone. ... ... KILL. Kill two birds with one stone."
1112(1:49:11 AM) [Krikrii]: :3c
1113(1:49:22 AM) [GM]: *Helen "The only one left is center. You" *jabs a finger at Seiun "You're center. Who the hell is your Attana?"
1114(1:49:43 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "... Um... ... Seikin. Goddess of the arts and deception."
1115(1:49:47 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Ahah!"
1116(1:49:49 AM) ***[Leah] jaw-drops
1117(1:50:03 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "But there's one other. The Camarians. They worship the gods as emotional aspects."
1118(1:50:21 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... There's seven branches now? .... Ok so which one is Attana?" *Seiun "I don't actually know."
1119(1:50:56 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Godsdamned Kamars, I didn't figure they'd actually split off... this makes things more complicated..."
1120(1:50:59 AM) [GM]: *Seiun glances at Krii
1121(1:51:54 AM) [Krikrii]: "More like nine or ten, I think?"
1122(1:52:18 AM) [Leah]: "... I..."
1123(1:52:22 AM) [GM]: *Helen "... Ok, whatever. This Seikin joker sounds like our best bet. Deception fingerprints are /all over this/."
1124(1:52:42 AM) [GM]: *Helen points at Krii "So you're Seikin's."
1125(1:53:09 AM) ***[Krikrii] smirks. "I'm sticking with the story I'm Attana's."
1126(1:53:15 AM) [Krikrii]: *This is a joke.
1127(1:54:02 AM) ***[Leah] looks concerned while listening to this
1128(1:54:07 AM) [GM]: *Helen pauses, blinks, also smirks "That's probably for the best, anyway. But when you're being played with by the Gods like fingerpuppets it really pays to know which hand you're attached to."
1129(1:54:25 AM) [GM]: *Seiun mutters "You did get changed in Iacrosia."
1130(1:55:41 AM) [Krikrii]: "Marionettes work better for non-orifice analogies."
1131(1:55:58 AM) [Leah]: *quietly*  "Damn it, Krii."
1132(1:57:15 AM) [GM]: *She purses her lips, disgruntled
1133(1:58:15 AM) ***[Leah] looks up.  "It is Nea's style to send adventurers forth like this.  It's... a pattern."
1134(2:00:13 AM) [GM]: *Helen "So best we can figure, Nea, Yvelt and Seikin are working together to bring back Attana."
1135(2:00:24 AM) [Gus]: Just what I needed.
1136(2:00:44 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Probably to increase that god's influence. The more viable aspects you have the better off you are in this godly cold war."
1137(2:01:03 AM) [GM]: *Helen glances at Krii "Chentri being a notable exception."
1138(2:01:09 AM) [Leah]: "... it feels like there's /more/ to it than that."
1139(2:03:04 AM) [GM]: *Helen takes a big swig of her lemonade "Maybe, but it's a start isn't it?"
1140(2:03:16 AM) [GM]: *Seiun's long sinced finished his, he's cupping the glass with his hands, fidgeting
1141(2:05:17 AM) ***[Leah] nods... and can't help but smile.  "It... doesn't change much, after dwelling on it."
1142(2:05:30 AM) [Leah]: "Just puts things in focus."
1143(2:05:38 AM) ***[Krikrii] sips, considers differences in taste sensoriums
1144(2:05:44 AM) [Gus]: Don't like the thought that it's not for some grander purpose?
1145(2:06:13 AM) [GM]: *Tart is much more apparent, As a drex you mostly tasted the sweet, and sour is a completely different sensation
1146(2:08:27 AM) ***[Leah] shakes her head.  "No, Gus.  it's... not her style to tell a single verse tale."
1147(2:09:18 AM) ***[Gus] looks mildly confused but doesn't ask for clarification.
1148(2:09:18 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "Hang on a second. The dice implied there was going to be some great threat looming over us. Who would try to oppose Attana's resurrection?"
1149(2:09:29 AM) [Gus]: Literally any other god?
1150(2:09:37 AM) [GM]: *Helen *sip* "That's obvious. Chentri and the Valdrex. If only because Krikrii's helping."
1151(2:09:54 AM) [GM]: *Seiun opens his mouth, then slowly closes it
1152(2:10:13 AM) [Leah]: "... and possibly those who struck her from her harpies in the first place."
1153(2:10:49 AM) [Krikrii]: "spirit animals."
1154(2:10:50 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "That would be the spirit animals. .... We need to talk to Philipe and Louie."
1155(2:11:03 AM) [GM]: *Khn informs Krii that one of her high priority commstones is ringing
1156(2:11:08 AM) [Gus]: They aren't even part of the, uh, collective, are they?
1157(2:11:28 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "No, but they still have connections in them. Didn't you say Philippe was working at the bank?"
1158(2:11:45 AM) [Gus]: Right, yes.
1159(2:11:54 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Oh no. What nonsense have those assholes been up to while I've been gone?"
1160(2:12:09 AM) [Krikrii]: <well, pick it up>
1161(2:12:09 AM) ***[Leah] sighs
1162(2:12:19 AM) [GM]: *Khn does so. It's ... Emerelda
1163(2:12:34 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Hi hi. Krii, are you there? Is this thing working? Hello?"
1164(2:12:49 AM) [Krikrii]: "Removing the valdrex opposition to this could well be worth my death."
1165(2:13:16 AM) [GM]: *Seiun stares at Krii, almost angrily. Helen says nothing to that
1166(2:13:35 AM) [Gus]: Wait, what? I thought survival was the point.
1167(2:14:19 AM) [Krikrii]: "If it were that simple, but as you pointed out, she is still 'any other god' and that means she would be Losing by allowing it. Hmm. Emerelda's calling."
1168(2:14:59 AM) [GM]: *Seiun blinks a few times "... The Harpy from Carienne?"
1169(2:15:00 AM) [Krikrii]: *khn says he can pass messages?
1170(2:15:02 AM) ***[Gus] decides she must mean "worth it to the party", not "worth it to her".
1171(2:15:03 AM) [Krikrii]: "Yes.
1172(2:15:46 AM) [Gus]: Ah... You meant worth it to us, or to Nea, not yourself.
1173(2:15:52 AM) [GM]: *Khn cannot easily interact with the commstone's subvocalization broadcasting component, as he does not physically do that. However there is probably a way for you to use channeling to temporarily give him your voicebox
1174(2:16:16 AM) ***[Krikrii] gave him a permanent syrinx some time ago.
1175(2:16:29 AM) [GM]: *Oh, in that case, do please talk with/through him to her
1176(2:18:44 AM) ***[Krikrii] has khn ask in *his* voice what might be the reason for calling
1177(2:19:01 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... Uhmm.... who is this? I'm trying to contact Krii."
1178(2:19:13 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I'm not sure if it's an emergency or what but... it's weird."
1179(2:21:20 AM) [Krikrii]: *Kh "Yes, that satyr's in another conversation right now. I'm her lab assistant. Are you in danger?"
1180(2:21:59 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I .... don't /think/ so? But... Look I'm not comfortable telling anyone but Krii, ok?"
1181(2:23:39 AM) [Krikrii]: *Khn "One moment." Khn verifies ability to produce correct sounds off the line.
1182(2:24:19 AM) [GM]: *Khz is able
1183(2:24:23 AM) [GM]: *Khn
1184(2:27:17 AM) ***[Krikrii] says on that commline, {Emerelda, what's wrong?}
1185(2:27:41 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Oh thank the gods. Look, you told me to use this if anyone asked anything weird about you right?"
1186(2:28:14 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Well these two clients came in today, a Camarian and a Yesshan. And they just .... heck we couldn't do anything for them even tho they paid a pretty penny, and didn't even ask for their money back!"
1187(2:28:50 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "But that wasn't even the weird thing. They asked about... uhm... they asked about a 'glowing green harpy' running through the streets at night that looked like me. They were really insistent about it."
1188(2:29:13 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I really don't know what's going on but... you said I should call you if something like this happened so..."
1189(2:29:28 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Is everything going to be OK? I'm worried."
1190(2:29:30 AM) [Krikrii]: {I'm sorry I haven't called to talk to you. Things have been busy. Did they say why?}
1191(2:29:44 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "No, they wouldn't say why."
1192(2:30:16 AM) [Krikrii]: {And you asked? to be sure.}
1193(2:30:25 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Yeah ... ... yeah, I did."
1194(2:31:01 AM) [GM]: "They were satisifed as soon as they saw what color my aura was. They used a thingie."
1195(2:31:13 AM) [Krikrii]: {A thingie.}
1196(2:31:20 AM) [GM]: "Eye thingie"
1197(2:31:32 AM) [GM]: "Kinda looked like a triangle?"
1198(2:32:08 AM) [Krikrii]: {Did it glow in triangular spirals?}
1199(2:32:40 AM) [GM]: "K ... kinda? Now that you mention it, yeah."
1200(2:32:41 AM) [Krikrii]: *at table "Well, someone's looking for a 'glowing harpy' in Carienne."
1201(2:32:55 AM) [GM]: *Seiun glances at you... sighs a bit, says nothing
1202(2:32:55 AM) [Gus]: Glowing...?
1203(2:33:08 AM) [GM]: *Helen "I don't know what that means."
1204(2:33:27 AM) [Krikrii]: "I was having fun with vigor and shaping."
1205(2:33:40 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Oh. ... /Oh/. That's bad."
1206(2:33:43 AM) [GM]: *Seiun "Very bad."
1207(2:34:17 AM) [Leah]: "... do I even want to ask?"
1208(2:34:18 AM) [Krikrii]: "and they tested the harpy I used as a shape template for aura, with a triangular-valence enchanted item. 
1209(2:34:44 AM) [Gus]: a what now
1210(2:35:11 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Valdrex do everything in triangles."
1211(2:35:31 AM) [Krikrii]: "The numbers for wizardry are triangle numbers, it makes sense."
1212(2:35:42 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Well, that and threes."
1213(2:35:43 AM) [Krikrii]: "Most other wizards use circular structures."
1214(2:36:15 AM) [Krikrii]: "Which are handier for alchemy and maybe one or two other applications bujt the basic shape is quite nonsensical- and
1215(2:36:37 AM) [GM]: *Seiun gently puts a hand on Krii's shoulder
1216(2:36:42 AM) [Krikrii]: {I'm glad you're safe.}
1217(2:37:24 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... I'm ... I'm glad you're safe too. ... ... Was calling you the right thing to do? I mean ... i-if they're really looking for you, they could be watching me right now or... could be trying to find out the commstone I'm using or..."
1218(2:38:35 AM) [Krikrii]: {They aren't *still there*, are they?}
1219(2:38:43 AM) [Krikrii]: {Don't check.
1220(2:39:20 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... They actually asked two nights ago. I was too terrified to call so I waited."
1221(2:39:40 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... If anyone's outside I don't know they're there."
1222(2:39:50 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "And I'm alone in the room."
1223(2:40:28 AM) [Gus] left the room (quit: *.net *.split).
1224(2:40:41 AM) Corrodias [~no@97.80.80.101] entered the room.
1225(2:40:59 AM) [Krikrii]: {Are you home now?}
1226(2:41:35 AM) [Krikrii]: {Waiting was the smart thing to do, in fact. Good job.}
1227(2:42:23 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I'm home, yeah. I didn't have any clients tonight to distract me so uh... I kinda worried myself into a frenzy and couldn't call anymore. I-I had nothing to do."
1228(2:42:36 AM) [GM]: (couldn't wait to call anymore)
1229(2:42:55 AM) [Krikrii]: {I mean that much to you?}
1230(2:43:16 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "You /kind of/ know how to leave an impression, Krii."
1231(2:43:45 AM) [GM]: "And ... and even if you didn't... this sounds really serious and I don't want these people to find you. But if they're looking and you need to know..."
1232(2:45:01 AM) [Krikrii]: {*what* did they ask about 'a glowing green harpy'?}
1233(2:46:00 AM) [GM]: *She sighs, trying to calm herself "Ok. So. ... They started by trying to be subtle. Like. They said they wanted a harpy so ... ok, that's fine, that's how I make money. But then they weren't interested in /anything/ and small talk was /really weird/. I know how to read people. They were trying to lead me to say things, so I didn't."
1234(2:46:25 AM) [Krikrii]: *table "Sorry. Say, Hellion, do you know if scrying inside fey  is as dangerous as scrying them themselves? The dungeon is also fey, right?"
1235(2:47:02 AM) [GM]: "They asked if I was the only harpy. Ok, I am. They asked if I knew any green harpies. I said I didn't. They asked about people saying a harpy shaped exactly like me, green, with a pink aura, ran through the streets two weeks ago."
1236(2:47:17 AM) [Krikrii]: {subtle communication is part of your skillset, yes. Lead you to say what things, though?}
1237(2:47:18 AM) [GM]: *Helen "Heck yeah it's dangerous. I can't even scry for the items I've lost."
1238(2:47:54 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Like I said. It was like they wanted to know how many harpies were in town, what colors, with what auras, and if I knew them."
1239(2:48:21 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "And they were /really insistent/ about me being the right shape but the wrong color, and dubious that I didn't know anyone shaped like me."
1240(2:48:26 AM) Corrodias: Oh, that closes a loophole I had been wondering about earlier.
1241(2:48:53 AM) [Krikrii]: "I was fairly sure it was, but that does make me safer being here."
1242(2:48:58 AM) Corrodias is now known as [Gus]
1243(2:49:01 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I said there might have been a client that liked my shape so much they copied it, or maybe they were playing a prank on me..."
1244(2:49:33 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "And then I tried to throw them out, and they dropped all pretense and said they'd leave if I proved my aura color wasn't pink."
1245(2:49:57 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "And I guess I did when they used that thingie. And they left and I didn't see them since."
1246(2:51:51 AM) [GM]: *Helen goes to get more lemonade while you continue 'talking' to Emerelda
1247(2:52:08 AM) [Krikrii]: {The Golden Delights have a customer confidentiality policy, yes?}
1248(2:52:44 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Well ... uh... ... I guess we do, but we didn't do anything so flip that."
1249(2:53:18 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "I don't think the madame would care anyway even if she found out I told you."
1250(2:53:19 AM) [Krikrii]: {I am quite certain I spent five hundred gold there.}
1251(2:53:36 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... Oh. Well... I thought you meant me telling you about them. Technically they're clients too."
1252(2:55:19 AM) [Krikrii]: {Oh. Right. I was just thinking it meant it less likely anyone *else* there said anything.}
1253(2:55:56 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "As far as I know I'm the only one they talked to. And they were really acting like they hadn't asked anyone else. ... I mean, you could just look at us and know I'm the only Harpy in town."
1254(2:56:39 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Unless they were just as good as I am, and were seeing if my story matched someone else's... and that makes my blood run cold."
1255(2:56:42 AM) [Krikrii]: {Asking for other people who saw this 'green pink-glowing harpy' does suggest other leads were checked.}
1256(2:57:22 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "Here though? No one's said anything to me about them asking anything, and I'm pretty sure they only talked to me and the arranger up front."
1257(2:57:24 AM) [Krikrii]: {
1258(2:57:26 AM) [Krikrii]: {
1259(2:57:28 AM) [Krikrii]: {
1260(2:58:20 AM) [Krikrii]: {"I don't know and would be professionally required to say so even if I did" is the line you should probably give anyone who asks whether you've seen someone entering your place, I think…}
1261(2:58:52 AM) [GM]: "Oh. That's a good one. I'll tell the Madame and we'll pass that around."
1262(2:59:09 AM) [Krikrii]: *to Hellion, "So what's the hat do?"
1263(2:59:48 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "They weren't asking about clients though. It was more like my personal life. They expected me to know about other harpies. And other people shaped like me."
1264(3:02:17 AM) [Krikrii]: {I think I shall not be shaped like you again soon, then, for all that is a wonderful shape.}
1265(3:02:43 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "You /are/ charging people if you use it for fun, like I asked, right?"
1266(3:04:43 AM) ***[Krikrii] breathes a sigh of relief at confirmation it is *actually* Emerelda …or someone with access to her memories.
1267(3:04:54 AM) [Krikrii]: *This does not come across the stone.
1268(3:05:33 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda pauses at your lack of an immediate response "Krii?"
1269(3:06:13 AM) [Krikrii]: {My understanding was that that was the arrangement for only until I left Carienne, profits to be split with you as-negotiated--but yes, I have not forgotten.}
1270(3:06:34 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda humphs "Well ok. I guess you /aren't/ here anymore. Fine, that's fair."
1271(3:06:36 AM) [GM]: *She pauses
1272(3:07:39 AM) [GM]: *Emerelda "... Look, as worried as I am about you ... and I'm /going/ to miss you... but... don't call me again until you're sure they're not looking for you, ok? Maybe it was safe to call you tonight, but if I'm their only lead... I don't... I don't want to lead them to you. At all. Ever."
1273(3:07:43 AM) [Krikrii]: {As I am not permitted to engage in such business under this roof, I tend to use other shapes for such activities.}
1274(3:08:28 AM) [GM]: "Also if you're not allowed to do that you need to find a new landlord, seriously."
1275(3:09:10 AM) [GM]: "Or at least get a place of your own. Do what you want, girl!"
1276(3:11:34 AM) [Krikrii]: {I have more profitable ways to use my time. I will miss you, too.}
1277(3:11:51 AM) [GM]: *She lets out a lot of tension with a sigh you hear over the stone
1278(3:13:59 AM) [Krikrii]: {Of course, if I left such an impression on everyone, there'd be no shortage of leads,} she quips.
1279(3:14:17 AM) [GM]: *She smirks "Well, maybe you're right but... ... I want you to stay safe, ok?"
1280(3:14:27 AM) [GM]: (Not that you can hear the smirk, although you almost can
1281(3:16:06 AM) [Krikrii]: {I shall so endeavour. In case they were listening in, I shan't tell you all my precautions.}
1282(3:16:52 AM) [Krikrii]: {If you don't want to call again, I might argue I should just do all my catching-up now while I may.}
1283(3:17:16 AM) [GM]: "Good. ... Keep it that way. And... And I'd love that. If you're not busy, I mean."
1284(3:37:35 AM) ***[Krikrii] abuses multiple consciousnesses to sustain multiple conversations and continues talking to both. {Not really. Say, if some client took your form, you should probably not mention any other shape they had beforehand, as a professional tip. Anyway…}
1285(3:43:22 AM) [GM]: *Krii's conversation with Helen and Emerelda both continue late into the evening...
1286(3:43:25 AM) [GM]: ***
1287(3:43:34 AM) ***[Krikrii] continues talking and getting funny stories out of Emerelda, getting her to relax, not mentioning any other incriminating details, that there's this guy, but he's *totally* chaste and honorable and in love with his girlfriend back home, and other sorts of carefully-edited stories that would require asking a PC for actual lead