[ Our Heroes were just about to leave the weird valley with the weird priest, when there was a cave-in. Could it be a sign? But now they're walking back to talk with Old Whatsisface, because they'll need help to get out of here. ] [ It'll be a while before they get back, naturally. Quite a walk. ] [ Session Start! ] * JesseLman is now known as Istvan * HKenji continues walking quickly aaaaaaall the way back to the bloody village. * Seylin flies above the group. If they have to go back, at least she can do it in style! ... it's pretty obvious someone doesn't want us leaving quite yet. [ Kenji is a cheerful fellow. You can tell. ] Yep! I wonder why, though? * Will follows Kenji, all the while muttering, "Armor, heavy... too much walking..." If you can't endure the effort, why do you wear so much armor? Maybe our time to talk to Byron is now. * Seylin sighs. "I hope so." * Will smiles. "I think it looks good on me." ... or else something wants us where it can find us. Not to mention I feel a whole lot safer wearing this than without. ...how can anybody tell how you look when you're hidden under all that metal? * Seylin giggles. I've always prefered lighter armor. Better to move around in, not as heavy when worn. The armor makes me look buff. * Seylin giggles again, a bit louder this time. And it's a very nicely made shiny armor no? It makes you look like a crab. I doubt you taste as good steamed, however. Armor's good. Keeps you from getting cut to ribbons. * Seylin looks puzzled. "Steamed crab?" I dunno, some of the other races wouldn't mind steaming him in it. They'd think he was a delicacy. From my perspective, as long as you can handle the weight... the more, the better. See!! Istvan gets my drift! * Ariake nods. "I go for flexibility, but to each his or her own." I doubt it would be possible for you to drift in so much metal. You would sink. I go with what lets me get airborne! * Istvan eyes Seylin, then grins. "Different styles, different needs." I maintain that it is impossible to properly prove one's skill while wearing so much metal. That is true. * Patrick grins. "Only thing that's good for is hiding behind some plate that they will pound their way thru anyways, while normally you would be able to dodge such hits." But then, sometimes there is no need to prove your skill in order to get the job done. * Seylin grins back. "I've gotta agree with Istvan. If it works for what you need to do, then that's all that matters!" * Ariake nodnods. And how much longer is this gonna take, anyway? Do you see the house in the distance Seylin? * Seylin flies up a bit higher to get a better look. "Yep! It's there!" * Istvan shrugs. "I doubt I got anywhere near the skill you do, Kenji. I've only been doin' this for a few years. What I do got is brute force, and to make use'a that, I need armor." Well, Pat, while there is something so be said for dodging hits, if hit I'd like as much armor between me and the hit as possible. If you're like Istvan, I doubt he'd be able to dodge a lot of hits... no offense, Ist. I just want something that keeps me alive long enough to heal the rest of you people. * HKenji snorts. None taken. I make a big target, and I ain't exactly lightning quick. * Patrick chuckles. "There is that." * Seylin does a mid-air spin as she keeps flying towards the house. Armor keeps me alive. More armor keeps me alive more. So I like it. * Ariake smiles cheerfully. "As they say, the best defense is a good offense." * Seylin swoops lower to the group. "Guys, the old wacko is coming this way!" Yeah. If you hit them before they never find you, then they can never hurt you. * Istvan twirls his war pick, grinning. "Best defense is both." * Ariake flexes her fingers. "Speaking of which." Ah, good. * HKenji speeds up a little to meet the old geezer. * Seylin wings her way after Kenji. * Vall picks up his pace to meet the old coot [ The 'old geezer' in question comes hustling your way as quick as he can manage - which isn't very. By the time Kenji reaches him, the poor fella's out of breath. ] * Patrick takes speed and mantains speed near Seylin and Kenji. * Ariake shrugs and speeds up to match the others. * Bryon stands there, panting for a moment. * Seylin stays hovering in the air and waves at Bryon. "Hi!" * Will waves at Bryon while catching his breath. * Istvan jogs up to the rest of the group, eyeing Bryon. * Ariake stands there, looking at him. * Patrick shrugs and stays near Seylin. * Bryon whoofs, then looks around. "Oh! Yes. You're all here." * Vall eyes Byron closely, trying to determine if there's anything that escapes cursory examination. Did you miss us leaving for the exit, sir? No! No, I saw you. Also, I saw the Divine Hand of Bahamut quite clearly indicating that I was right! * Bryon nods perfunctorily. Right about what, sir? About there not being any exits. It seems we'll need lodgings at least for a night, sir. That you really should have waited, you know. And of course you can have lodgings. I've actually already set my servants to preparing. Or at least, I think they're preparing. They very well could be off wandering about the hillside. That's very kind of you. Rooms in my own home. * Bryon nods. * Patrick smirks. Wait for what? * Bryon turns back to the house. "Quite good ones too, or at least I think so. I like the one with the lilies on the table especially." He starts walking. "Or is that my room? No matter." I'm sure they're all very nice. * Seylin flies after him. Yes. Built them all especially for you, you know. * Vall follows the old man a ways back, keeping an eye on the old man and the area around us. * Seylin blinks. "Really?" I didn't know you'd have a half-dragon with you, of course, but I'm certain I think I remember some hay maybe in one of the barns or something. Do you think she'd like to sleep on that? * Ariake blinks. "Oh, dear..." Maybe. Tia's pretty good at adapting to things. Just have the servants clear out a room of everything breakable. Including furniture. And servants. * Patrick nods. "She'll be fine. We had to have our room's furniture made of adimantine to keep it from breaking." ^^; * Ariake grins. * Bryon nods sagely. Oh, yeah. The common room incident. I forgot about that. Especially no sofas. Yes... no sofas. Quite an interesting philosophy, that. Who could forget? We had to replace not only all the furniture, but the floor as well. And the windows, now that I think about it. * Ariake sighs. "It's a good thing there were only a couple of people walking by at the time." Well, as Bahamut wills. I doubt I shall need the house, really, now that you've come. Well, after you leave I won't need it, rather. Or I might. We'll try and be careful, really! * Bryon shrugs. "Who can say?" An oracle, if you can find one. * Bryon frowns. "An.... oracle. Yes.... wait! That's it! That's what I needed to tell you!" He stops dead in his tracks. * Ariake blinks. "..." * Seylin stops as well, making a sound like a startled bird. "Really? What is it?" ....oh, no. Sorry, it's gone. * Vall makes a curious noise. * Bryon shakes his head and keeps walking. I guess the time wasn't quite right, then. No, it doesn't seem that it was. Awwww. * Seylin starts flying after him again. That's the problem with bursts of inspiration... They're only bursts. * HKenji frowns. * Istvan just grunts. * HKenji shrugs and continues on towards the manor, at a pace the old man can keep up. Well, I certainly hope it comes sooner than you came. I should think that in as many years you would be quite bad at fighting evil! Just as I have become. Old, and frail.... * Bryon sighs. It'll come. * Seylin giggles. She's not going to get old for quite some time. * Vall doesn't exactly sound confident. He'd probably outlive the old geezer even if the priest was younger. But were we supposed to get here sooner? * Vall pulls out the map we got from the trolls. Well, no, not as such. I believed you would be, but it is as Bahamut wills, truly. Can you tell us a bit of the history of this place? and how it became so favored by Bahamut? * Bryon screws up his face. "Well, it is a long, long story." I think we've got time. * Ariake nods. Tunnel collapsed. We're not goin' anywhere. Well, start from the beginning, then. We're not going anywhere right now. * Patrick grins. Bahamut came to me in a vision! The Divine One told me to come here, and showed me the way in a twisty map burned into my brain." * HKenji nods. * Ariake raises an eyebrow. * Vall nods. "And how long did it take you to get here?" And so I came, fighting rats and bats and other small mammals, and then, in a burst, I came out into the light. I cannot tell how long I traveled, for it was as if I was in a trance. I think. And then, I was here. And, well. That is truly about the end of that story. Was the manor here when you arrived, or did you build it after you arrived? [ Intermission. ] [ Go forth to the Lobby, Friend Citizen, and gets yourself a snack. ] [ Resume teh game. ] Truth, 'twas quite a bit of both. It was started, and then you completed it? * HKenji doubletakes. Bahamut granted me a spell scroll that conjured up this fine manor in a mere matter of hours. Ah. Interesting spell. * Seylin blinkblinks. So, in a sense, it was already built and waiting. Or perhaps that might not be the right way to look at it. Seems only right, seeing as how you were gonna be here for a while. Impressive... * Istvan rubs his neck. "You have a family or something before you came here?" I'd heard of similar spells. Piggybacked with a permanency spell, it could have an long lifetime. No, no family. My devotion to Bahamut is total and complete, I should think, or else I couldn't have done what he asked of me. * Istvan nods slowly. Can't think of the spell itself, though... * Patrick nods. But do not be sad! I have had a good time, here, in the warm sun, with all my friends. Your friends? The desmodu. I see. What are the desmodu's habits? Well, they are people. * Istvan mutters. "Still a helluva lot ta sacrifice..." They eat many things, they listen to music, quite a bit of which I don't think I can hear. Music? Interesting. Anything else? ....no, I don't think so. * Vall nods. (Are we there yet?) (NEVER) ... don't suppose you've noticed any drow in the caves around this place. If there are any, which I'm not sure of one way or the other, they don't dare venture out into my valley of pure Holy Light. * Vall slips over next to Will, and whispers to him. I seem to remember some, I think, a long time ago, though. I have to wonder what we must do here before we are allowed to leave. * Istvan nods. It's either going to be something important or something stupid. My money's on the first. * Patrick grins. Both? * Will whispers back. I'm with Ari on that. Me too. Well, I should think that you should have to learn what it is you need to know, once I remember what it is I'm supposed to remember. * Vall whispers again to Will. * Patrick raises an eyebrow and whispers to Seylin. * Seylin whispers back. Gosh, lotsa whispering going on here today. ... y'know, would've saved you a lot of years and us a lot of trouble if Bahamut had just left a big sign here or something. Well, that would defeat the purpose, yes? It's not a quest worthy of a god if there is a large flashing sign reading "Oh, Do Please Come Here First." I should think. I guess not. Suppose. Just seems like an awful hard way to do things. Is there a shrine of Bahamut here? In the manor, perhaps? Oh, of course. Then lead the way, sir. * Patrick whispers back to Seylin and winks. When we arrive at the manor I certainly will. * Will nods. "I would like to pray there when we have the time." * Seylin mock-pouts at Patrick and whispers back. * Patrick whispers back once more and grins. * Seylin smiles and whispers. [ The manor is near, now. You should reach there before too long. ] I know I'm not very religious myself, but I'd like to at least visit this shrine as well. * Seylin looks up. "Yeah, me too! It'd make my mom feel good to know I was visiting shrines." Well, it is a modest shrine. I do not think I care for the ostentatious shrines I have seen before. * Ariake grins. * Istvan grunts noncomittally. And truly, is not Bahamut wherever there is light, and hope? And the glorious sun shining on the green hills? That is where the true shrines lie. Or so I should think. * Vall whispers to Will * Seylin nods. "I think I agree with that!" Still... there are some sites that are more sacred than others, by their very nature. True. * Patrick shrugs and smiles. "Shrine's a shrine." * Will ponders for a moment, and whispers back to Vall. * Vall whispers back The difference between one holy site and another can mean the difference between a blessing and a curse. There is a proper time and place for everything. * Istvan shrugs. "Faith's an admirable quality. Not always an easy one." * Vall nods to Will, and keeps walking with the group. [ At approximately this moment, you reach the manor. ] I've always had my power come from within, so outside faith is a little alien to me, to be honest. Faith in myself and my senses is all I've needed. * Seylin lands. "Looks like we're here!" Oh. Are we? Yes! We are. * Istvan smirks at Vall. "Ego as a source of power?" * Patrick grins. "I was about to say that." [ And that ends the session. Or rather, this does; ] [ Session End! ]