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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 3634258" data-attributes="member: 198">Yeah, I'm beginning to wonder if it's endemic to druids, or specifically druids of the female persuasion. I have to see a couple more in play before I can decide.And now, to the next update. Since I'm sure nobody is really that curious about what happened when Nameless got coup-de-graced by a vampire assassin, I thought I should step back in time to Aundair. This is picking up right after Luna returned from her impromptu date to rejoin her friends...* * * * * * * * * *Having returned from her little adventure late at night, Luna relates what (and who) she did during her absence, and mentions the proposal/invitation from Lady Belissa ir’Kemiria. Listening to Luna’s story, with an obvious look of disapproval, Gareth says, “You should have not left the party, Luna. We are here to guard Haydith, not to have you cavorting with people. If someone were going to attack us they would have expected you there and sent extra forces – so by you not being there we would have been outnumbered and potentially underpowered. You need to learn to control yourself.” He then turns to the others. “We do not have time to go to this meeting. Whether Haydith stay in her room all day or travel all around, we need to be close to her. This lady can contact us and meet us when our job has been completed.”Nameless shakes his head. “I disagree, Gareth. There was plenty of security at the party and Luna is more of a hazard to us and the party at such an affair than an asset. It was far better that she be elsewhere for the duration. And according to that itinerary we received, tomorrow will be relatively light as far as escort duty is concerned. Most of the day will be spent on a meeting over treaties and trade agreements, between Haydith, her attendant diplomats and an Aundairan contingent. We’ll likely not even be in the same room. And after that, there is to be an official leave-taking from Aurala, and the Serenity will leave in the early evening. We can spare Luna and someone diplomatic to go talk to this lady, which excludes you, me or Korm. So I guess that leaves Six to go. We need more information on these people and why someone would be warning us away from them. We should send whoever goes in disguise though, so we aren’t seen to be openly talking with them.”Gareth’s eyebrows shoot for the ceiling. “Diplomatic excludes me? Or did you mean I can’t go because I’m usually the primary guard for the princess?”Six says nothing, expecting another round of arguments between Nameless and Gareth. Best to stick with the golden rule of social engagement. WWLD? What Would Luna Do? Evidently, what Luna would do is interrupt. “Well, I’ve got no interest in going. Hell, if you want I can stay here guarding the princess and you can go! I’m only going if we all are. If you ask me, we can just send a note telling her we’re busy running around toilet training some other set of royals and if she wants to talk to us she can do it here in some lobby somewhere. What the heck are we – delivery people? Oh, and make sure to tell her to bring candy! And that the Angels can get very grumpy if not appeased with candy!”Now that she has spoken up, Six follows suit. “Maybe get her to meet us in a natural setting here? Then we could treat the area with spells of protection and detection, and with two druids, we have a significant advantage. If we need it.””Yeah!” says Luna, intrigued by the suggestion. “I could be in the form of a nice bird, so I’m not involved until I feel like it.”Gareth, still somewhat miffed at Nameless’ comment regarding his lack of diplomacy, frowns at Luna. “What are you talking about? You are the one to arrange the meeting – you are the one who needs to go. There is no way I am going with my duties, and absolutely not a hope in Dolurrh that I am leaving the princess in your hands!”Luna scowls back. “Well, my point was that your damn princess is after all mobile. She has legs and everything. Maybe she even has a brain and could be helpful. And she would be perfectly safe with me! Safe as houses! Just because I don’t have some weird royal-worshipping fetish doesn’t mean I can’t keep those in my care safe! And I did not ‘set up’ a meeting. I just reported that someone wanted one. And we don’t even have a meeting yet. Hell, I said I’m not really interested, but if one of you is stuck going alone, then I’d do my civic duty and accompany them.” Gareth’s frown deepens, “We’ve seen a lot of destroyed houses in our time – usually destroyed because of us. The princess has business here and so do we. Our business is to follow her around. That’s it. As I said, I’m not leaving her. You four can do what you want.”Six sighs. “How about we send this Lady an invitation to pose for a sculpture here? If she agrees, then we can just get a room for a studio, and Nameless can set up a private sanctum there.”“Sculpture?” Luna shakes her head. “This is getting way too complicated.”“Yes, it is,” agrees Nameless, “But with everything going on with us, we do need to be careful. Why don’t we do some divinations as to what it is that she wants?”The paladin considers and says, “I could do a divination, but that means one less spell to use guarding the princess.”“Well,” says Luna, “If we’ve been warned about them, then they’re probably a danger to the princess too, aren’t they?” She looks around. “So – are we going or not?”Six says decisively, “We’re not going. But we may try to meet her here.” He looks at Nameless. “With your divinations, you could ask if the mental message was one of those psionic things you told me about. Additionally, whether it came from inside the House, and if someone on the security detail was responsible. I wouldn’t ask about motivations and if they’re friends or enemies. Without more information about the perceptions and beliefs involved, such information is not helpful to our group.”“Agreed,” says Nameless. “Nobody is going until we’ve got some answers and since magic is our only reliable source for them, it is magic we will have to turn to. That’s a good idea about the psionics, Six. I’ll include it as a question when I try a Contact Other Plane.” Gareth’s face has not lost anything of its frown, as he turns to Six. “That’s a lot of assumptions and generalizations. I care not for subtle intrigue. If a person cannot state –plainly – what they think then they are no better then a cowardly rogue trying to stab someone in the back – and they should be trusted as much. We also know the mental message we got was from one of the ‘guards.’ As for psionics, I am not sure, but maybe Nameless can find out. It also does help to know if the people who we work with are trying to help or hurt us, but unfortunately, this is not always easy to tell.”Six replies, “But, Gareth, that is the essence of diplomacy and interpersonal interactions. Look at this palace around us. It’s all about subtle intrigue. And actually, all we know is that we got a mental message that we thought came from the direction of where some guard was standing. The message could have been implanted on a delay on the guard, us or the dessert. Since we don’t know the mechanism, all deductions about this barely rise to the level of idle speculation. Even the people working with us may not know themselves if they are trying to help or hurt us; such is the nature of scheming, not to mention magic.”“Six, I disagree,” says Gareth. “Subtlety is a part of it, but diplomacy and interpersonal relations do not require subterfuge. Open dialogue – communication – is a much more effective medium. Secrets are sometimes needed, but lies and trickery is not. And while pawns may not know the consequences of their actions, that is quite rare.” He looks at Nameless. “I thought we knew the message came from the guard.”The alienist shakes his head. “No, we don’t. We got the message, and then noticed the guard nodding at us and I saw a brief flash of a transmutation aura. While the two are likely connected, we have no proof that they are and it could well have been either misdirection or a trick of some sort, intended to get us to focus on that guard to the exclusion of the real culprit. One thing I’m almost certain of – the person who contacted us was not one of the guards. They were either controlling or impersonating one.”Luna, who has been rolling her eyes during this discussion, breaks in. “Ghraagh! As far as I’m concerned – everyone is always trying to kill us. A person can’t step outside the house for ten seconds without a raincoat of powerful protective spells! It’s ridiculous! I’m damn sure everyone here would probably kill us in a Sharn minute if they thought they could. So – I guess one could argue that it doesn’t warrant any investigation because it’s all Business As Usual. Given a choice, I’d just fry ’em all and let the gods sort ’em out! We got specific warnings on this one, so I mentioned it.” She takes a deep breath, but seems no calmer as she continues. “But all this talk is getting on MY LAST SHIFTER NERVE! If we have to go around one more time about this – I assure you, I WILL FLAME STRIKE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, and no one wants that ... do they?” Luna leaps to her feet. “That’s it! I’m going to change into a bear and go swim in the Royal Pool or Fountain to cool down. I am done discussing. You all decide what you are doing and let me know. I can’t take another minute of this crap. Call me when someone needs to killed!”With that, Luna storms out of the room. There is a moment of stunned silence, and then Nameless looks at Korm, who had dozed off, only to be woken by the outburst. “Go get her! The last thing we need is Aurala looking out the window and seeing Luna in bear form in the fountain. That’s liable to kill her – or restart the Last War.”“Hey!” says Korm, aggrieved. “Why do I have to do the dirty jobs?”“You’re a druid. Luna and you share a close kinship.”Korm gives Nameless a dirty look, but rises. “You know, that’s a damn mean thing to say about anyone!” Then he grunts and follows hurriedly after Luna.Once he leaves, Nameless gives Gareth a withering glance. “And you complained because she left the party?” He shakes his head. “Anyway, it’s getting late. We need to get some rest and in the morning, we can do the divinations.” The Angels head to bed, including Luna, whom Korm persuades to return without mauling any of the help. Not certain of the Gatekeeper’s persuasiveness, Six spends a good deal of time checking out exits and especially areas with plants and trees, just in case Luna does finally lose it.* * * * *Luckily, the shifter does nothing untoward, and she and the other Angels have a restful sleep. Awaking early next morning, so as to make their magical investigations before required to attend to Haydith, they prepare their various spells. While they are doing so, Six leaves to find the local Sivis post and dispatches a messenger to the ir’Kemiria manor with a message for Lady Belissa. It says that Six, who is an accomplished sculptor, would like to make a sculpture of her and that she should come to the royal palace to meet them. The messenger returns just as the spellcasters end their preparations, with a sealed note from the Lady. The note reads: “While I am flattered at your offer, I am feeling slightly indisposed and would prefer to do no traveling today. I would appreciate it if Six, and anyone who cares to accompany him, would visit me here at home instead. If he is still interested in the sculpture, I am sure I can provide any facilities he shall need. I hope you will be willing to honor my request. I know that you are here to escort princess Haydith, so I apologize for the inconvenience I am causing you. Nevertheless, I believe it will of mutual benefit for us to speak. I shall be at home throughout the day, so I would be happy to welcome you at any time. Cordially, Lady Belissa ir’Kemiria.”After reading it Gareth says immediately, “I still will not go. Accepting this offer would be an insult the princess. If we were to leave her to attend this lady, we would be elevating her above Haydith.” Looking at Luna, who he is certain does not understand, he adds, “That means we would make the princess look bad – and in the end that would be bad for us socially, politically, morally and financially, considering we are here to help the princess – who paid us.”“Actually,” points out Korm, “We aren’t getting paid, remember? Nobody ever mentioned money. We were told that it would make important people in two, perhaps three, countries very happy if we took the job and did it satisfactorily, but nobody offered us any money.”Six cannot close his eyes, but he quietly opens his haversack and puts his head in it, a second before Luna explodes. “We aren’t being paid anything for this? Nothing?” She glares back and forth. “Which of you sons of bitches negotiated this deal? Again – we are being paid NOTHING?! I’m just having trouble taking that in. I thought we were getting a free ship or something?”Nameless opens his mouth to say something, but she rages on. “Didn’t one of you idiots at least say something about the treasure we find? Because there’s a lot of treasure around these castles! Jewelry everywhere! I saw some damn good furniture and tapestries too. Damnit – we could use it in the house or even hock it! Hell, I’m tempted to walk through this place and start hoarding it, and then Nameless could teleport it back home when it gets too much for our bags of holding!” Luna takes a deep breath and then looks around once more, slowly calming slightly, becoming more disgusted than angry. “Nothing?!” While Six pulls his head out of the haversack and Korm chuckles loudly, Gareth says, “Trust me, the good will that we get from this job will be worth more than all the gold you can carry.”Luna snorts. “I can carry a lot more gold than you think! Anyway, this all better be worth it when we’re done, or I’m going to have words with somebody. Words that end in burning and screaming! But I won’t say anything for now. You guys get started on the divinations.”“All right.” After some discussion, Gareth begins the process by casting a divination, asking, “If we do what the sender of the telepathic message wants us to, what is the goal he – or they – wishes to accomplish?”The answer he receives is, “They wish your friendship, and to help and protect your heart. Remember, even the vilest villain can be a friend in need or share similar goals. For a time.”When Gareth repeats it to the others, Nameless says, “Hmm. I don’t think it’s paranoia that makes me think that ‘heart’ might refer to you-know-what in here.” He taps his chest. “All right. Time for a contact other plane. In view of what Gareth discovered, I think I’ll focus on the question of what exactly his divination meant, and also whether psionics were used in that message. That’ll help us narrow down the options.”“Doesn’t that spell make your brain come out your nose or something?” asks Luna.“It could, if I tried for the highest degree of certainty in the answers, but I won’t be risking that today. I’ll try for just enough to be certain of taking the strain. The answers will be less reliable, but we’re not in a situation where I can risk it.” Nameless then begins to cast his spell.Once he completes it, the alienist feels his consciousness expand, with the slightly addictive pleasure that he always feels when using this spell. His vision dims and then the room around him disappears, to be replaced by a dark gray expanse, within which hangs the gleaming web pulsing with light that represents the reservoir of cosmic knowledge that he is currently in contact with. This time the web is dimmer, with many of the sections darkened, since Nameless is attempting a lesser degree of contact, to avoid any chance of temporary mental damage.As always, there is a growing physical pressure inside his head, which disappears suddenly. And then comes the expected mental command - Ask.Nameless asks his first question – “Does ‘the heart’ refer to the Gate in my chest?” As usual, the web reorients itself, focusing on a particular section and one of its component motes. And then something changes. Nameless feels himself drawn irresistibly inwards and – though directions are strictly metaphorical here – downwards. His area of vision shoots forward, into and through the web, emerging on the other side and continuing swiftly into the dark gray expanse. Darkness envelops Nameless, darkness shot through here and there with flickers of green and purple, in shades nauseating to a normal human but actually soothing to him.Not soothing, however, is the feeling of complete loss of control. Nameless’ consciousness hurtles ‘forward’ for what seems like minutes, before a giant wall leaps into existence and he slams to a halt with a terrific mental collision, sending a sharp pain shooting through his head. The ‘wall’ is vast and green, very gently curved, and at the edges of his ‘vision’ changes abruptly into a yellow field, shot through with thick vein-like green strands.The alienist only has a second to comprehend what he sees, before a voice booms in his head - “Metaphorically – Yes!” Even as he realizes that it is an answer to the question he asked, Nameless feels a draining sensation and the questions he had planned on asking leap to the forefront of his consciousness, though with no effort on his part and with no opportunity to change them. And as each question is formed, another answer thunders in his mind.Q: In the answer to the divination Gareth cast, does “the heart” refer to me?A: Yes. Not you as an individual, but by extension, as guardian of the Gate within.As the answers arrive, the pressure in Nameless’ head grows quickly...Q: In the answer to the divination Gareth cast, does “the heart” refer to my heart?A: In the sense that your heart and its beating prevents the Gate from opening – yes.... until it is almost unbearable, and he realizes that he is in contact with an entity rather than a diffuse web of cosmic knowledge. And one of incredible knowledge and power. And his...Q: Was the transmutation aura I sensed on the Guard a spell I know?A: No. It is a psionic power, not a spell....intellect is beginning to crumble beneath the contact. In fact, it is crumbling in a manner that he seems to recognize. This has...Q: Was the transmutation aura I sensed on the Guard a spell I don't know?A: Yes....happened once before. And even the voice – or rather, will – that answers his questions seems familiar. When was it? Wait, can it be? But that's impossible! It's just like...Q: Is the transmutation aura I sensed on the guard a spell Gareth could cast?A: No....when he was in contact with – Cyäegha!And even as the realization leaps to the forefront of what remains of Nameless’ consciousness, the ‘wall’ in front of him moves slightly, the yellow boundary shifting closer to him, and he realizes that he is ‘floating’ immediately in front of (or behind?) Cyäegha’s giant orb, evidently unnoticed. Until now.For an instant, the Great Old One’s will is bent towards this infinitesimal consciousness before it, and Nameless feels the purely impersonal waves of cosmic evil roll over him. But beneath that, there is a glimmer of emotion that Nameless can recognize, and it is that of surprise. To his own amazement, the alienist realizes that while he is in no way actually present in Xoriat, his consciousness somehow made contact with Cyäegha’s through his spell, and the answers he received were dredged from what passes for the Great Old One’s mind. And evidently without its knowledge.But now it knows. Cyäegha’s simple awareness of the contact with Nameless places an incredible mental burden on the alienist, and with his intellect already deeply strained by the unexpectedly powerful contact of obtaining the answers, it is too much to bear. Everything goes black....What the other Angels see is Nameless cast his spell, his eyes go gray, and then his face turn ashen. He does not respond to any questions and, a couple of seconds later, pitches forward on his face, blood running out of both nostrils and ears....Nameless comes to, with the others tending to him, a couple of minutes later, with an incredible headache and a feeling of extreme fuzziness in the head. Once he has been healed back to normality, with multiple lesser vigors and lesser restorations, Korm asks, “What the hell is going on? That wasn’t supposed to happen, was it?”Nameless shakes his head. “Well, that was extremely purple...”“Say that again and I will smack you!” growls Luna. “Forgive me, Luna. I’m a bit discombobulated. I was going to say it was very <rose scent>, integral of <roquefort cheese>, but I’ll refrain.” He shakes his head again. “Am I making any sense?”After taking a look at the expressions around him, Nameless says, “I guess not. Well, to put it in more conventional terms – it would appear that there have been some additional effects from my ‘reincarnation.’”“See? Told you I should have done it!” says Luna, but the others shush her, and Nameless continues. “Rather than the relatively benign other planes I had in mind, I was thrust into contact with Xoriat. Which is impossible. Not only was I in contact with Xoriat, but one of the Great Old Ones as well, which is also, of course, impossible. And what’s more, until the final question, it was apparently unaware of that I was drawing answers from it. Which is also impossible. And if I do anything else impossible this morning, I suspect I may spontaneously become a turnip.”Korm reaches into a haversack and pulls out a bag. “If so, I’ve got the spices for it. And I’m only half-kidding!”Nameless says dryly, “Good to know. Now here’s what I learned.” He explains what he asked and the answers he got, adding, “Unfortunately, I was unable to change the questions which I had planned to narrow down the details, since the flow of information was too strong. But it wasn’t a loss, since I got far more detailed information than I would have.”After listening, Gareth says, “I would assume these old ones are not friendly, or even neutral in nature, that they would wreak havoc if they came into contact with our realm. Given they also know if you die then you open a Gate here, they may want to kill you. But because of the loose connection are they not capable of it? I am not sure, but either way, it seems like contacting other planes may not be a good idea for you unless it is an absolute necessity; the risk seems too great otherwise. What do you think?”Nameless replies, “If the Great Old One had wished me dead, I would have been dead. I could no more resist a Great Old One than a single ant could overcome you. But, time does not pass the same way for a Great Old One that it does for us, so what we have done may not have happened yet there or it could have been an eye blink since the last time I was there even if millennia have passed here. To the Great Old Ones, Past, Present and Future are meaningless concepts. They exist beyond our petty comprehension of such things in ... in ... the same way you transcend the limits of a drawing on paper.”“Good,” says Luna. “I thought you were going to say ‘purple’ there for a moment.”“I could barely resist the temptation,” says Nameless dryly. “But now we need to decide what to do about this Lady Belissa. Even though the divinations weren’t directly about her, I think it’s clear that we have more than enough to worry about without adding more.”“So, what message do we send back?” says Korm.  “I’ll deal with it.” Nameless takes a sheet of paper and begins to write. He concocts a cryptic and confusing answer that seems to imply a number of things, yet eventually turns out to be utterly meaningless and non-committal. Then, to further complicate things he partially encrypts it in ways that would suggest various things to a skilled mage, while remaining just as meaningless. “Here you go.”Korm reads the first couple of lines and then stops. “If this makes her feel half as dumb as it just did me, then I don’t think she’ll ever contact us again.””Excellent.” Nameless dispatches the note with another messenger. Shortly after he returns, the Angels are asked to join the princess for breakfast. It takes place in a nearby dining hall, with all members of Haydith's entourage present. During the lavish meal, Haydith and Maddox go over the itinerary for the day, which is the same as what the Angels received earlier. Maddox also mentions, while pointedly looking at Luna, that it would be preferable that everyone who is supposed to be near the princess actually stay where they are supposed to. And anyone not supposed to be near the princess should at least stay with others from the group or make sure at least a couple of people know where they are.After breakfast, the Angels get half an hour of time to themselves, before they have to accompany the princess to her meeting. When they eventually do so, it is to a different part of the palace than they have been before. The meeting is to occur in a large suite, and those not participating are expected to wait in three adjoining rooms. Haydith, Maddox, Gustavus and Theda head inside, along with an Aundairan contingent that includes Lord Darro ir’Lain. The Angels, along with a few Karrnathi soldiers and a small Aundairan escort, get to wait outside.About half an hour after the meeting begins, the Angels are joined by Adal, who is accompanied by four palace guards. One of them happens to be the one that the telepathic message the day before seemingly came from, and it's quite clear that he is significantly uncomfortable. Adal strides over, a polite smile on his hawkish face, and greets the Angels. Then, he leans forward and says quietly, “Nameless – and anyone else who’s interested – could I talk to you privately? Regarding what you mentioned yesterday at the party.”</blockquote>

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