Turtle Soup (Planescape 3.5e)

Andarin has stood slightly apart, rapt in the memory of their entry into this world. "Now there's the symphony to end all symphonies" he says, humming snatches of the music of the spheres as it was revealed during their odyssey.

Rousing from his musings at the approach of Sun and Sea, he, too, is appalled at the appearance of the tiny illithid in the world - but even more appalled at Rhys' response. Bending swiftly to deposit his eggs in the soft sand, he straightens, crying out, "Rhys! No!" As he does, his whip appears in his hand and he strikes out at his companion, a stinging blow to the cheek, attempting to distract him from his spellcasting before he can complete the extinction of an entire species.

"What are you doing, little godling? Life and death in your hands, is it? No redemption, just destruction for those who do not conform?

Breathing heavily, he holds Rhys' gaze until a small 'snick' at his feet distracts him. In his haste to reach the spellcaster he has kicked sand over the two eggs lying beside him. A lateral crack has appeared simultaneously in each shell, which then coalesce into one, falling apart to reveal a pair of creatures, intertwined yet separate.

A tiny halfling maiden, clad in shining armour, with bright sword at the ready, laughs and embraces the miniature dragon beside her. Rhinnishar chirps in surprise, and leans forward in interest at the sight of his tiny kin. The dragon, for its part, rolls and wrestles with the halfling warrior, its supple body wreathing her in rainbow coils which flash and scintillate in the light of this new morning.

And then, as both strive for mastery in a game both playful and intense, he - for it is a male - flings back his head, breathes deep and bursts into song. The liquid trills of sound rise lambent into the air. Andarin's breath catches in his throat and he blurts out, "Yes. That's the song. There's the creation of the world."

Then, remembering himself, he looks back to Rhys and the others, wary of Rhys' response but standing tall and fierce with a protective love which the others have never seen in him before.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

{OOC: Andarin, I’ll let The803 resolve our actions. Clareh’s creed is all about action without thought. Rhys subscribed to it at that moment. For what it's worth I certainly wouldn't let an illithid into my house under any circumstances.}
 

Jurden pauses, obviously startled by Rhys' attack on the mind flayer. "Be sure of what you're doing friend... this is a new world, yours. Despite its appearance, it may not be evil."

(OOC: Sorry my post above is so out of context with everyone elses... I brought up the page, then had to walk away for most of the day before answering it).
 

Andarin's distraction manages to stop Rhys' attack on the tiny mind flayer. Clareh, hardly noticing, seems amused as she answers Jurgen's question. I didn't think of them in particular; I simply wished for copies of whatever was in the tower that called us here. She picks up the three little creatures and looks them over.

Bi has been busy with her eggs, but comes over and quickly takes in the situation. Things are beginning to make sense. The githzerai have had a hand in this from the beginning, remember? They were the bouncers at the shell parties in Sigil, and they seemed to know more about what was going on than anyone else.

Bardic Lore / Knowledge(the Planes)[SBLOCK]Legends speak of a time, prior to the existing balance of the planes, when illithids and their gith slaves held sway over endless dark worlds, outnumbering and overshadowing all of creation. According to some of those legends, the emancipation of the gith led to the creation of the current multiverse; the Githyanki divided good and evil, the Githzerai divided order and chaos.[/SBLOCK]
 
Last edited:

{OOC: it is probably just as well. I got to thinking that I may have been metagaiming a bit anyway. I’m not sure Rhys would ever have seen or heard of mind-flayers.}

Rhys scowls at Andarin and glares at Clareh. Throwing his hands up in frustration the sorceror walks away from the group and stops at the edge of the water. He then goes down on his knees in and places an egg so that it is half in the water and half on the shore. Pushing it under the soft sand he utters “Two halves yet one race. One half to guard the oceans and the other to protect the land. Both will work with the other races to teach them to live in harmony with this world.”
As the last grain of sand covers the egg he locks the images of the elves, sea elves and wood elves, into his mind.

The Fey-Touched then rises and walks toward a nearby copse of trees. Kneeling beneath their silvery boughs Rhys again digs a hole and deposits his last egg. “To you I give the task of nurturing the great forests of this world. Sing to them and make them grow strong. Let no malice befall them, for in protecting them you protect yourself.”
As the words are spoken he pictures the wise and mighty treant’s of his homeworld.

Hopeful that his choices were wise and that the responsibilities he has placed upon them will not prove to be too much, Rhys stands and returns to the group with an unreadable expression.

After a moment he turns to Andarin and says, “It seems you may have brought more to this land than the music I asked for. In stopping me much good may have been done. Thank you.”

Bowing to Jurden, Rhys says, “My friend, I am eager to see that which comes from the eggs you have buried. Those were both mighty holes you dug.”

The Sorceror then turns to Traore, “Your choices make me proud. Truly they are both kings in their own right. My world will be made better by both of them. Thank you."

Rhys takes a moment to ponder what Bi has said before he finally turns back to Clareh and says “I can only hope that you speak the truth Clareh. I fear for this world should your choices prove to be a mistake.”
 

Amazed by all that is happening, he stares at his three animals as they ermerged of the land. Traore listen to Rhys as he take his dolphin and carry it to the sea.

"Thanks. Men wage war. Men destroy. Animals live with nature. They kill, but to feed. They not kill, even to defend, as animals flee when losing. Mi hope they will bi example, as mi people take them as example."

The eagle take his flight and the lion just lay down on the sand. Traore stares at the creatures and looks at his companions.

"No humans, no of your race. No one trust his race to live here. But wonder if choices will be that good. Each made choice, none seems care about other choice. Will mi choice bi hunt. Will Rhys choice fight Clareh choice? Did we mistake?"
 
Last edited:

"Well Traore, I think these were all deeply personal choices. For most of us anyway." He glances at Clareh. "Yeah, I noticed that we didn't make copies of our own races... well, except for Andarin." He smiles. :)

"Personally, I'm not all that convinced that we celestials should be mettling in the affairs of these new worlds. But then again, I'm very opinionated on that. Had someone planted a devil, I'm sure that someone else would have planted a ghale or an eladrin."

He listens as Rhys speaks, "Well Rhys, I figure if they cannot make it out of those eggs and then up through the sand, they won't be what I wanted them to be. Nothing is ever easy, and they should take that lesson to heart." He leans in an whispers conspirationally. "...I've got to admit that I'm really curious to see what happens."
 

Clareh addresses her progeny: Rhys has pointed the way. You are to be the bridge between the old world and the new. The three forms shimmer briefly and reform. The two gith take on an elf-like aspect, and the illithid becomes a strange tree-like creature which strongly resembles the two trees holding the sun.

Bi's races are crabs and beetles of all shapes and sizes. Sun creates a single race of land-dwelling turtle folk, with flat, hard shells. Sea creates several races of sea-dwelling turtle folk with high rounded shells. Rhinnishar creates the dragons.

Jurgen's races emerge; his freedom-lovers are a strange blend appear to be a mix of man and phoenix, but burn with a cold flame instead of a hot one. His testing race is slaad-like, and he recognizes them as a people that often visit Ysgard from Limbo, the Neraphim.
 

Jurgen smiles at the phoenix men and the Neraphim. "Neither of you are quite what I expected, but I didn't expect anything at all." He laughs. "I am Jurgen-Quorr, who thought you into existance... with a little help. These are Andarin Startoes, Clareh the Cipher, Traore the spirit-touched, and this," he says indicating Rhys, "...this is Rhys whose world you now inhabit. I'll let Rhys introduce the turtles and the Dragon. Welcome to the world. Go forth and do what you will." Jurgen claps them on the back and beams at them proudly.
 

Rhys watches the transformation of the gith’s and the illithid with deep interest. His surprise is apparent to all. When Jurden's races dig their way out of the sand a look of wonderment crosses his face and he nods to acknowledge the Ghaele's choices.

Addressing the collection of miniature beings the Fey-Touched says, “Welcome. Your rebirth on this new world is by the choices of everyone you see standing here. Each has instilled some purpose into your existence, one that will no doubt greatly influence your future.”

“I have another request of each you, though difficult it may be.”

The Sorceror stares deeply into the eyes of each of the races standing before him.
“None among you should be dividers. As I have brought my friends with me to stand in strength and unity even in the face of doubt and disbelief, so you shall also stand united. There is strength in unity, strength to even overcome the challenges that you all will no doubt face. Divided you will surely fail.”

Seemingly finished Rhys pauses to let lets his words sink in and turns to face his companions and gives them quick wink and a grin. He then looks over his shoulder and addresses the races again, “Oh, I almost forgot..behave yourselves too.”.

His speech concluded, Rhys feels a bit foolish. Clearly this is not the sort of role he envisioned himself ever being in. Resigned to his fate, he walks over to Clareh and says, “I don’t quite understand exactly what is happening here, especially where it concerns the gith’s and the illithid. If you do, would you care to explain?”
 

Remove ads

Top