Tale of the Clueless - Chapter 1: On the Seas of Air [IC Thread]

[Nalfeshnee]

'Best keep a peery eye, though I'm sure you can all handle yourselves, especially Terrathoin here,' says Derric, smiling at his fellow dwarf. 'You bloods dont strike me as, uh... planar folk. You got much experience traelling the Great Wheel?'

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

We're primers, sure as the beard on your face. Mir smiles. Cap'n told us you've served with him for many a year. Sure you'd have some sea stories to tell, or air stories or whatever you happen to call your tales of your adventures here.

 

[Nalfeshnee]

Derrick guffaw loudly at the beard quip and dribbled whisky down his beard. He wipes at it with his sleeve, barely realising his action. 'Rightly said, miss!'

'Well, we been working together for sometime. I started out as a wainwright in me home in Dwarven Mountain. But life on the standstil wasnt what i was looking for so i upped and left when the wanderlust bit me. Me clan werent too pleased with teh choice, but i promised d come back with tales for the little beardlings and news for the greybeards. and i did for the frst few decades at least.'

But the farther i travelled, the less i though of home. When i first saw the spire - i understood what i wanted to do. I looked up at its infinate height, realising that iwas looking at the centre of infinity and said to meself I need to see it all and thats what ive been trying to do. and i make a living inbetween, also!'

'Was chased by a herd of fhorges once in the Outlands. Got away from them by climbing a walking tower. but that me into all sorts of trouble!'

 

[Saloric Windrunner]

"Sorry I'm late" Thrumgall says as he comes through the door. He listens to Derricks story intently while pouring himself a drink. "Walking tower? I have to hear about this. Let me pour you a mug of this excellent whiskey to ease your throat while you tell your us your story."

 

[Nalfeshnee]

'Well, there aint much to it really. waling towers is what spellslingers use to move around the Outlands. 'Course, thats all 'cause of the way magic works in the place - closer a sod gets to the Spire, less effectve magic becomes until a body's right under the spire, where its said that the powers themselves are stripped of their divine abilities.'

'Well, to cut a long story short, i hitched a ride on one of those walking towers to get away from them fhorges. The rsident spellslinger wasnt a personable blood, if you catch my meaning, and he didnt take too kindly to intruders. He had me prisoner for a while - culd have been months or years. But time and distance is strange in the Outlands. At first i was just a prisoner, locked up; then i was given duties - washing floors and cooking! Cooking! Must have thought i was a halfling!'

'Well, after some time - i suppose it could have been years, my beard had grown a few feet - i became more of an apprentice than a slave, and i was given more responsibilities. Not that i didnt want to get away as quickly as possible, but my situation wasnt as bad as it could have been.'

'When the right opportinity came, I turned stag quicker than water boils in the plane o' Fire. I directed the tower towards the Spire while the man was embroildered in his work. By the time he noticed what was happening, his powers were almost disappeared and the tower (being a magical construct) was no longer able to move. it collapsed, trapping the powerless mage within, leaving me to my fate - and his belongings!'

 

[Gli'jar]

Terrathoin nods and turns shoulder to shoulder to see who else heard the compliment. He remains sitting through the story, listening and taking a drink every now and again "What of these khaastas and fhorges? Whay type of beasts are they?"

 

[Ambrus]

Since Vor doesn't care much for drink and at least one of the hired guards should probably stay above deck to help keep watch (with the impatient crew of the Matyred Justice so close by) the little dragon will continue to fly about in the air for awhile longer.

 

[Nalfeshnee]

'Well, fhorges are similar to boars, in the way that a spider is like a bebilith. now i hope you know what a bebilith is!'

'Khaastas as repltilian creatures, humanoids, very strong, with a mercenary outlook on life. They, like the rilmani and powers-know what other creatures are native to the Outlands.'

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

The rilmani, according to those on the justice seem to be one of their foe's prime targets. What can you tell us about them?

 

[Nalfeshnee]

'Rilmani... rilmani. Strange folk them. You know, people always talking about good and evil... even chaos and law, especially out here on the Great Wheel. But most seem to forget about neutrality. thats what the rilmani are. Like you cutters got fey in the material, we got rilmani out here.'

'Those who know about them dont give them the credit they deserve, thinking theyre pacificsts advocating neutrality. Tha couldnt be further from the truth - to many greybeards, rilmani are the most dangerous of all outsdiers. With a celestial you know where you stand. Hells, even with a fiend you know where you stand. but with rilmani... the ycould do anything; be an ally, or turn and bob you one, just cause of what they think may affect the balance of the multiverse.'

'Those in the know say that without the rilmani, the multiverse would be a place of extremes - even more so than now. I believe them. Without the neutrality of the Outlands and its servants to belance everything else out, the mutlverse would be.. inhospitable.'