As you all settle into what sleeping arrangements you've made within the barn you all can't help but feel something is watching you. After Berrek drifts off to sleep any who remain awake after he dozes off notice a some soft of ghostly being hovering over his body... The image is faded and almost fully transparent but if one takes a good enough look there IS something there.... The being leans a ghastly looking hand down to touch his torso but Menhir while patrolling spots the beings attempt at a touch. Sadly it too notices the elementals eyes on him and turns his head in this direction. Menhir can clearly see half of it's face is stark white and skeleton-esque.. while the other bares the symbol of a open hand over a translucent blue burst branded into it's cheek.. the same hand in fact Berrek bares on his person. The being notes Menhirs spot of it's presence and fades into nothingness after giving the elemental a glimpse of his ghostly face..
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Being unfamiliar with floating spectral entities, Menhir slowly glides through the earth towards Berrek's torpid form in the barn. The curious elemental looks around for the odd apparition while wondering whether it should disturb the organic's communion. There was so much it still didn't know about their ways; possibly the apparition was of trivial relevance. Then again, perhaps not. Opting for surety, Menhir reaches out and causes the earth beneath Berrek to undulate and shift so as to stir the man awake.
At first, the elemental finds itself at a loss for the right words to use to describe the puzzling occurrence when Berrek finally awakens. Finally the featureless surface of its face begins to rumble a deep gravely voice: "In the air above you, a... floating... clear... elderly human... reaching out to touch you." Growing silent, Menhir hopes that Berrek will recognize what it's describing and supply it with an explanation.
Awakening with a start Berrek is almost fully standing, his hands reaching for weapons before he registers that elemental shows no sign of alarm. Relaxing a little and then mentaly berating himself for assuming he would recognize alarm in such creature, he thinks for a moment and quietly responds so not to wake others:
"Yes, Menhir, thank you for your alertness. This thing is a mage, I think, that died in starfall. I was there too, but I survived and he somehow became bound to me. I'm not sure why, how or how I can affect him as he doesn't seem to be able to communicate. Maybe later I can talk to the priest."
Addition in case nobody else is awake
"Could you keep this to yourself for now? There is no need to alarm others when it's such benign phenomenon. I promise I'll talk to the priest when the opportunity arises."
OOC: I'm not sure anyone would stay after Berrek partly because of his mild paranoia and partly because he was looking out at the storm.
Momentarily confused by Berrek's initial reaction upon being jarred out of his torpor, the elemental slides a few feet backward while rising up out of the earth to its waist. It remains in that position, uncertain of what to expect until the man manages to calm himself. Once Berrek composes himself, Menhir sinks slowly back down into the ground, leaving only its featureless head above the surface while listening to the man's explanation.
Puzzled by the unfamiliar concepts that Berrek's story implies, and yet unable to properly articulate his thoughts, the earth elemental offers only a disjointed inquiry in subdued rumbling tones. "Dead... mage? Bound?"
"As far as I know he cannot affect our world except for very limited time and in very limited manner. I don't think he can communicate and I'm not even sure it IS the mage. It could be some strange echo effect from starfall."
Berrek shudders at the memory of destruction he found around himself. He is glad that at least that part of his memory is unavailable.
As far as the elemental knew, organic creatures act until they die. Afterward, all they do is lie still and are either consumed by other organics or they decompose peacefully in the earth. Menhir, uncertain that it's properly understood what Berrek has tried to explain, decides to let the matter drop for the time being. Evidently the man considers the apparition harmless and so the the elemental sees no need to further dwell on it.
Offering Berrek a simple nod of acknowledgment, the earth elemental slowly drifts backwards through the earth. Menhir leaves the man to resume his state of torpor in peace while it continues its solitary patrol of the environs.
"One more thing before you resume your guard, Menhir. If you notice him again, please observe carefuly, but don't interferre, he may be able to communicate in dreams. But, I'd like to know when that happens and what exactly transpired. Can you do that?"
Like much of what Berrek said before, the tireless elemental doesn't recognize or comprehend the meaning of the word "dream" in this context but nods in acknowledgment nonetheless.
Menhir goes about his patrol and the deep of the night soon comes and goes as you all awake once more within the barn no worse for ware.... You are woken by the sun peering through the barn doors and windows yet you hear no birds chirping or anything of the like.... you'd assume they have either migrated away from the storm effected area.. or have all been killed off for what little food sources the area has left to offer... As you begin to pack the farmer brings you fresh drinking water a few loafs of semi stale bread for your mornings meal...
"This be the best I can do my fine hero's.. I wish I could do more but alas this starfall has been so.. so hard on us all" the farmer utters still visibly disappointed in his in-ability to help you all out more than this meager meal...
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Anton approaches the man and puts a hand on his shoulder, "I appreciate what you have given us, respite in the face of the storm and even more, but we cannot accept your food. In light of what we face we recognize that you and your family and neighbors have faced it already. If you food to spare, bring it to the families that have none. Help support each other as a community. For that is why we are here, facing this danger for you, for our families, for our great community. Have hope, my friend, for it is something a starfall can never take away from you." Anton shakes the man's hand and claps him on the back before moving back to his equipment to stretch out his knee and begin strapping his armor on, saving the royal blue cloak for last.
Quickly scribbling on his loft on a piece of paper: "This is for your hospitality and good heart at such hard times. Please don't be insulted by this token. It is given from heart and where I'm going I won't need it. Preserve the kindness for when we return."
Berrek rolls the parchment around ten gold pieces and sneaks outside to hang or otherwise deliver small package around front door to the house. Not immediately obvious, but not hidden either. Ideal would be on the seat of ?relaxation chair? or hamock.
OOC: ?xxx? I'm not familiar with english term, but I'm thinking one of those chairs you can sit and rock back and forth.
Lidia woke half an hour before the sun and started her morning devotions. Recovering her spells in the process. By the time she finished praying, the others were up and about, while the farmer had been and gone.
Having attended to her own spiritual needs, she searched for Shadow. Noticing that he is not in the barn, she uses her link to him to find that he has relieved the farmer of another rat and is eating his breakfast in a corner of the farmer's field.
An healer's work is never done, so Lidia then goes round and checks that all of her patients are healing nicely before donning her own armor and eating some more rations.
By this time shadow has finished is breakfast and is sat on a fence post punning himself. Lidia goes outside and gets him to fly round searching for other humans or some game.
Game in this area is scarce to say the least... Shadow would spot possibly two hares and a couple other birds in the area that could count as game really... Everyone's wounds seem to be healing nicely and there is no indication that any of the wounds anyone has suffered are out of the ordinary or not healing correctly...
Berrek you are easily able to slip into the farmers home and place the notes and the contents of the note next to his rocking chair and half under the plate that housed his smoking pipe and pipe tobacco that laid on the stand next to the chair....
Anton the farmer thanks you for your kind words and makes sure to mention that he will tell your story of kindness to the people in the outlaying area.... hopefully this will be enough to bring hope back to the area's populous....
Menhir you see nothing more of the apparition after Berrek settles back into bed.... your patrol goes off without a hitch save for that small hiccup early in the night..... You do notice small tremmors in the earth this morning though and it seems, though far, far off... that it is coming from the direction of the star fall... you can equate them to the feeling of seismic activity from an earthquake but it's nothing on a grand scale at all... in fact you being one with the earth itself are really the only one who can feel it at all....
(If I've forgotten anything anyone wanted to do with spells they didn't have until this morning after resting please either pm me or sblock me to refresh my memory... thanks )
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Eltyr wakes last of all, sits up, yawns, and looks around, before taking a tome from his satchel and beginning to read while nibbling on some rations, apparently content there is nothing he needs to see to beyond his own needs for the moment.
OOC: Eltyr is preparing the same spells he has listed on his character sheet.
Berrek looks at others from the loft catching all of them in emanation focusing on various magics.
"Good morning, all. Eltyr, could I ask you small favor? Prepare one extra detect magic today and spend it immediately focusing on your artifact. Tell me what you see."
Menhir watches the others as they go about preparing for the day; washing, dressing, eating or preparing spells. For its own part, the earth elemental stands impassively nearby looking off in the direction of the impact crater. Someone observant might notice him tremble lightly from time to time.
Having finished all her morning tasks, Lidia collects her gear and prepares to leave, "Right gentlemen. I'm ready when you are. I'll be outside seeing if Shadow can catch us some dinner."
As Lidia move to go outside, she notices Menhir trembling. As she does not recall ever seeing this reaction before she asks in a concerned voice "Menhir. Are you alright? Is anything wrong?"
)
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