Jade and Cattle log, 3/3
Mar. 5th, 2006 11:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leticiaBrian says "Alright, that's everyone. It is slightly after coming back onto the ship after noticing the wanted posters. Kanfi made a beeline for the Captain's cabin (and the rum), and botched his Stamina + Resistance roll, so he'll be sleeping it off for a while."
Brian says "Diamond has just come up from his medical work on the ex-slaves. Aaaand... start."
Liu insists to Phoenix Maiden that Kanfi will look better as a blonde; besides, she knows there's an outfit that will match the wig she's got in mind.
Phoenix Maiden shrugs. "But it won't match his face." She nudges the drunken Kanfi. "Not that it matters. I don't see any point in waiting for him to wake up."
Diamond Borealis approaches, wiping his hand on a rag that was once white. And is now a shade of pink. "Who to wake up from what?" He asks of the other two, looking at them from beneath the brim of his hat.
Phoenix Maiden turns slightly and nods to Diamond. "Kanfi's drunk himself to sleep."
Liu stretches one leg behind her, pulling her foot up over her shoulder, and leans forward. "And we need to go arrange for a ship for our refugees. Kanfi was going to do all the talking... but he's Wanted." She switches feet, making sure both quadriceps are nice and loose.
Diamond Borealis frowns and looks at Liu, then at Phoenix Maiden. "Ship for our refugees?" He blinks once, trying to process that. "And why is Kanfi wanted? What are you up to?" Apparently he's spent too much time studying.
Phoenix Maiden makes a bit of a face. "I don't like dealing with money-grubbing merchants much, but I can do so. And I'm sure the captain would just as soon get them offloaded sooner rather than later." She shrugs at Diamond. "This ship is overladen. We can't just toss the refugees ashore, so we're going to get another boat to put them on. As for why?" She pokes the unconscious Kanfi again. "I'm sure it's a fascinating tale. But we're not going to get it out of him while he's in that condition.
Diamond Borealis glances down at Kanfi as he is poked. Then he raises his head, taking off his hat to scratch it. He starts to ask, 'Why can't we leave them?' but closes his mouth. "Alright, I'm a little unclear on this whole plan. We're going to get 'em a ship and pat 'em on the head and send them on out?"
Liu shrugs, "We figure they can start up a sort of freight company themselves. Most of them can sail, and it's the least we can do to protect them and keep them taken care of after they saw me... saw us... well, after they saw what the Sun has blessed us with." That's how Kanfi explained it to her, right? But somehow that's not making sense yet again. She looks a little confused.
Phoenix Maiden turns a palm up. "Sort of. We're going to send them ahead to Chiaoscuro - the able bodied ones, anyhow - and then get them established as a freight company there, I believe."
Diamond Borealis scratches his chin, considering. "I assume we're going to take some profit from this company, once it is running." He lifts his chin, scratching his stubble beneath his chin. "That could work. I even have some very rough ideas about some prosthetics. Anyway...a ship. Why don't we steal one? From the Guild?" He looks to Liu and then Phoenix Maiden to see their reactions.
Phoenix Maiden raises an eyebrow. "I was considering something similar, but it seems to me that stealing a ship from the Guild is a good way to have them want to steal it back. And that would rather defeat the purpose of obtaining it in the first place, wouldn't it?"
You all hear a loud THUNK, and feel a reverberation through the ship as something HEAVY knocks into the side, followed seconds later by a second, then a third impact. It's on the starboard side of the ship, facing the harbor.
Phoenix Maiden pauses, peers that direction, and jerks a thumb up as she says, "We can discuss it in a bit. I'm going on deck to see what that was."
Phoenix Maiden heads that way!
<<OOC>> Diamond Borealis activates Sens. Acuity Prana out of personal.
Diamond Borealis doesn't even bother replying, just takes off up the steps. Tapping his personal reservoirs of essence as he goes, heightening his senses.
IsawaBrian says, "Diamond- Can I get a Perception + Awareness roll from you?"
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Sammy died here and we had to change MUs; the roll fell off my logs somewhere.]
Moments later, as you're heading up the stairs, you hear a loud -POP- noise that Diamond can clearly identify as air rushing away from the center of the deck. There is a groaning from the planks as something HEAVY is placed on top of them, although none of you hear an impact. Diamond smells the powerful scent of deep sea-- the scent of the ocean stronger than all the land-smells coming off the port-- and some reptillian scent as well.
Hitting the door with his shoulder, Diamond dashes onto the neck. Trying to make sense of the information his senses are giving him. A lizard from deep in the sea, he wracks his mind, trying to think of what creature it could be. He looks around, holding his hat down.
Phoenix Maiden steps on to the deck and looks around, certainly wary at this point.
Liu hangs behind Phoenix Maiden, her body feeling light as a feather, and an irritated growl rising up from her throat.
Standing in a crouched, squat stance on the deck, water dripping from it to pool around its toe-claws, which dig into the deck, is an immense reptile creature. It stands six and a half feet tall and is nearly as broad across, with a thick, tough scaley hide covering it from head to toe, a massive chest, and huge limbs that would be apelike-- were it a mammal. As it is, the reptiloid's giant, muscular arms are nearly as long and thick as its legs, both pairs of limbs ending in webbed hands with large, sharp claws. Oddly, one of the reptile-man's legs appears to be completely gone, replaces by a thick plant growth about the size and roughly the shape of its remaining leg, some combination of vine and root that nonetheless ends in sharp wooden claws.
Behind the creature, a long, flat crocodillian tail swings from side to side, balancing its crouched stance. Its head and neck are unusual; a long, flat, broad neck, like a horse's crossed with an alligators rises up out of its impossibly wideset shoulders, leading up in a ridged, plated mass to a crest, which slopes downwards. Halfway down the slow are two thin lengths that might be ears; they stick up out of another pair of ridges that trail down to the thing's face-- which, while roughly the size of a human's, is vastly alien. Its black, flat, yet oddly milky eyes are widespread apart, hidden under thick bone ridges and set just in back of its large nasal slits, and just above an ENORMOUS mouth filled with sharp fangs. Two short spikes or tusks come out of its chin.
This creature is obviously either intelligent, or working for some intelligent being; it's wearing armor. The reptiloid is wearing a flexible looking suit of articulated plate made out of black, shiny (and wet) obsidian, carved into numerous plates designed to follow and move with the being's supple, strong lizard-body. Orichalcum whorls and circles over blue-green gems mark the legplates and shoulderplates; smaller whorls and designs mark the edges of the chest and neckplates. The broad shoulderpads are set with thick domes with even more elaborate abstract orichalcum patters, and each houses a fist-sized crystal that glows faintly. The plates extend up to the back of the being's neck, but not over the crest, though they protect the side of the neck and beneath to just behind where its mouth is drawn back, open and baring its teeth.
Its left hand is open, webbing wide; the right is clenched around an eight foot tall gnarled staff, primarily made of two inch thick orichalcum. But winding around the gnarly orichalcum is some strange, living vine or seaweed that seems to actually be growing out of the orichalcum; the growth is bedecked with pearls and opals. Both the growing plant part of the staff and the orichalcum wind their way up from a root-like base to the top, where they curl around a large, spikey, growing crystal (about the size of a man's head), that looks almost organically grown.
The sailors are, obviously, cowering back in terror. The thing is swinging its head and tail around in opposite directions, looking from side to side.
Diamond Borealis rolls 9 dice: <2 2 3 3 4 6 7 9 10> for 4 successes.
Phoenix Maiden examines the beast, her posture tense, but, noting the orichalcum, she reserves judgment until it makes a hostile move.
"Oliphem's Shattered Eye..." Diamond whispers in a slow, awed voice. His right arm juts out, to keep PM and Liu from running passed him. His eyes are wide in astonishment. "A Dragon King. A living, breathing, intelligent Dragon King." He removes his hat, bowing. "I great you in the name of Sol Invictus."
Liu ducks her head and crouches a little, trying to take the measure of this lizard-- person-- warrior... She has a knife in each hand at this point, but she takes her cue from Diamond, watching his action keenly.
The mighty Mosok turns slowly towards Diamond Borealis, tail moving out behind it, its legs moving to keep most of its weight either on the real leg or on the staff, which it plants heavily onto the deck. You guys hear some *poik, poik* noises, and the ship rocks gently to starboard. In a gravelly, rumbly, -deep- voice speaking Old Realm, the thing asks, "Eh? Say that again, young soft person?" as its head moves slowly from side to side, always keeping Diamond within its line of sight for one or the other of its eyes.
Diamond Borealis clears his throat and stands up straighter. He speaks in a clearer voice, speaking in Old Realm this time, having forgotten himself the first time. "I great you in the name of Sol Invictus." He smiles in wonder, watching every movement of the Mosok. Just the sight of one is a once in a lifetime experience. To speak to one of the missing races of Creation...
Phoenix Maiden smiles slightly at Diamond being called 'young'. She moves out to the side around him, significantly less tense, since Diamond obviously knows what this is and doesn't consider it a threat.
Liu stands up straight, concealing her throwing knives cockily but casually in her sleeves, and standing very still, watching every motion the [IsawaBrian(#2148)] Slowly, with great care, the huge Mosok limps towards diamond, head continuing to duck side to side, tail moving back and forth to balance. The sailors on deck have all moved as far as humanly possibly while still on the ship, and some of them are looking longingly at the pier or the ocean. You hear more of the poik, poik noises, and then a massive THUD as another Mosok leaps up on deck. This one is just as big as the first, though now that you see two of them together, the second seems younger, more limber, with less cracks and old scars on its scales. It is only slightly less muscular, though, and makes an irritated hiss when it sees the older, running over with an unusual grace for such an enormous creature. However, when it gets close and starts to hiss at the elder Mosok, the Elder simply bops it on the forehead, silencing it before turning back to Diamond with what you all hope is a pleased whistle and rumbles, still in Old Realm, "As do I, young soft person! I greet you in the name of the Shining-Warmth King Unconquered and Unconquerable, whom I am honored to serve as I have for these many, many long centuries. Why, and by the looks of you and your soft person friends here, I suspect you might serve as well. I remember when many of your soft people used to serve, as was RIGHT and PROPER, but, you know, the days go by..." The younger being makes an exasperated noise and this time speaks again, in Old Realm. "Grandfather Othalak, I--" and gets bopped on the head again for his troubles.
IsawaBrian says, "The younger Mosok is also wearing a similar suit of armor to the elder, though less elaborate, and its right hand bears a huge metal gauntlet covered in metal leaves that almost goes all the way up to his thick shoulder."
Liu shifts her weight backwards ever so slightly, canting her hips sideways, now in a position to aim her knives at either of the armor wearing lizards' eyes.
Phoenix Maiden rolls 6 dice: <3 4 5 6 7 10> for 3 successes.
Diamond Borealis quirks a grins and looks toward Liu and Phoenix Maiden, motioning to them in an excited fashion one would not expect from him. He turns back to their guests. "You are perceptive, Grandfather Othalak. We are servants of the Unconquered Sun. I am Diamond Borealis, my Circle mates are Phoenix Maiden and Liu." Catching Liu's motion out of the corner of his eye, he elbows her gently. He considers a moment. "Unfortunately, as you say, the days go by, I do not think my companions know of the friendship between our kind and the might Dragon Kings. I would have a moment to explain to them." He hopes PM is catching some of this.
Phoenix Maiden glances sideways at Liu and makes a brief negative gesture with her hand. In Flametongue, she quietly comments, "They seem to be servants of the Sun as well. Look at the orichalcum." She returns her attention to the conversation.
Liu looks from Diamond to Phoenix Maiden, gives a brief sharp nod and shrugs, and -- somewhat abruptly -- assumes a relaxed and open pose, stepping closer to Diamond and giving him an unsure-but-intrigued smile.
Othalak nod-bobs his head slowly, resting on his staff now that he's ceased using it to correct his grandson. The grandson shrugs, and says, first in Riverspeak, then in High Realm if none of you respond to that. "I can translate for you, small soft persons, if some of you cannot speak the Old Speak or the High Holy Tongue?"
IsawaBrian says, "Your sailors are now staring at this strange meeting with a combination of terror and awe; in fact, one of the men has fainted."
Diamond Borealis smiles at the grandson, "That will make things simpler." Switching to High Realm he turns to his companions. "The Dragon Kings were a race of pre-human intelligent beings. They supposedly died out sometime after the First Age and before the Contagion. The Mosok, which these two fellows seem to be, were associated with the element of water. They were great allies of the Solars of the First Age, and followers of the Unconquered Sun."
Liu makes a graceful short bow to the younger lizard, acknowledging that that would be useful for her. Then she looks past him, considering, at the sailors, and frowns, biting her bottom lip.
Phoenix Maiden raises an eyebrow slightly and comments to Diamond, "I used to translate for Seven, remember?" She inclines her own head in greeting to the creatures, and answers the young one, in Old Realm, that though she also speaks this tongue, translation for Liu is appreciated. She glances around the deck, casting her best reassuring smile towards the crew, and racks her brain for a place further from the frightened sailors. "Perhaps we can discuss inside?" She gestures towards the captain's (empty) cabin.
Othalak nod-bobs. "I would appreciate the chance to rest; it's been a long swim from An-Teng," he says in stenorious, if still rumbly tones and begins to hunch forward in the direction of Phoenix Maiden's Gesture, heavy staff proceeding him in a series of thump, thump, thumps, head still swinging from side to side so that his milky eyes can see all around him. The younger follows, and mutters in High Realm, "It would have been faster if we hadn't ended off the Forbidden Isle's shores... three times..." Othalak's ear-spikes twitch, but it does not smack the younger this time.
Diamond Borealis restrains a smile at the younger Mosok's comments and trails the group back inside. Once everyone is settled in, he introduces the sleeping Kanfi. "Am I wrong in thinking that something of importance is afoot, that you've shown yourselves?" He sits upon a chair, turning it backwards, his curiosity at an all time high. He has to resist the urge to grap paper and start to draw.
Phoenix Maiden leads the reptilian visitors to the captain's cabin, glancing inside to check if Kanfi's still out so as not to have an ill-timed reaction as she opens the door.
Liu perches on the edge of the bunk Kanfi's sleeping in, knees drawn up to her chin. Her eyes settle on the young Mosok, and take a faraway, dreamy cast. She looks like she is not paying attention, but her ears are sharpened to listen outside the door, in case there are any (more) surprise visits.
Othalak grabs a huge chair-- thankfully reinforced, probably a former Earth Exalt's seat-- and hauls the captain's sea chest forward. With a grateful, hissing sigh he sinks down onto the chair, his tail wrapping around the back of the chair. He rests the vine-root leg on the chest and grumbles, "Hasn't worked right since the Tower-Burning Times," as he pats a number of carefully sealed pouches at his belt. Out of one, he draws a carved stone pipe, made of a white-and-blue chert with a long, curling stem and a broad bowl at the end, and out of another, he draws flint and some leaves of what smell like to Diamond's and Liu's enhanced senses as tobacco. He mixes them carefully into the pipe and beams at the three of you. "Best things you soft people ever invented on your own!" he declares, and strikes the flint on his long-suffering grandchild's Shock Gauntlet, lighting the pipe and quickly taking the stem of the pipe in the corner of his elongated mouth, inhaling quickly and then puffing rapidly for a few moments as he gets used to the chair.
While Othalak settles, the younger (who introduces himself as Zath'thalak) explains, "We were ... monsters, before Grandfather woke up and found us. Not quite intelligent, not quite beasts, halfway between the two. We, and the Anklok in the valley on our island. Grandfather and some of his companions woke up; others--" he pauses to bow his head--"Did not. Grandfather lead the reawakening process; he and I are taking a trip to the Great Home City-- Rathess-- to see what of our Raptok cousins remains therein." He grumbles for a second, "And visiting half the old haunts and ruins on the way, too." Othalak hisses at him in the High Holy Tongue of the Dragon Kings, and he replies hastily. The old Mosok twitches his staff, but lets it lean against the chair, puffing slowly on the pipe and nodding in agreement (to what he's been told, anyway).
Diamond Borealis frowns slightly. "I fear you will find in Rathess more who are monsters. Last I was in that city, the stalkers still ruled it. It is a dangerous place. If there may be others who were asleep as Othalak was, they have slept many centuries, for the city has been Ruined since at least shortly after the Contagion."
Phoenix Maiden nods slightly, listening and matching what little she knows to what is said to try to get a better picture; old legends she knows, but as legends, not as facts.
Liu watches the young one as he moves, absorbing what she can about his intents and motivations. Deep respect for his elder, she can see. Irritation with his elder, also. But what else is there? What are they going to do after they get to Rathess?
Othalak puffs calmly on his pipe and rumbles, "Such was the intention-- though not nearly so long. Still, we will do what we can for the younglings; it is not their fault that there were none to teach them after the blasphemers brought the Great Dying on us, and their sacrifices did not bring cease." He puffs more. "Younglings not taught -respect- early on," he says, pulling his pipe out and poking Zath'thalak with the stem of it, "Are trouble, no doubt about it." But he gives what appears to be a (if very large) satisfied grin. "Some good stock left in them, and it shows, though," he comments. "That is our business, though, to return to the Holy Home City; to see the towers and the Live Vines; to raise up the Cousins if they still possess as much smarts as these younglings did." He pokes Zath'thalak again. "Not that that would be hard. Hrmf, the stock of eggs you get these days," he mutters, and takes a few more long puffs from the pipe, blowing smoke rings before adding, "It is good to see the ochilike of the Father Sun alive again, after the slaughter of the blasphemers. What brings you out into the world?"
IsawaBrian rolls 3 dice: <1 6 10> for 2 successes.
Liu rolls 3 dice: <2 3 9> for 1 success.
Phoenix Maiden answers, in Old Realm. "We are looking for a spirit; Swan Dragon, who has been missing since the Contagion." She ponders; certainly, if these creatures predate the Contagion, they might know of him...
"And trying to once more carve a place in this world for ourselves." Diamond studies the older of the two, his wheels turning. He's heard of slumber spells. So many questions to ask. "The blasphemers, the Terrestrials you mean? They've much control of the world, still, though I do not know when you went to sleep." He smiles at the thought of those that overthrew his former self facing the wrath of these powerful creatures.
Liu makes a barely perceptible whimpering noise in her throat before she can catch herself, the *whoomp* of deja-vu hitting her in the chest. Memories like this are so precious; they ache like muscles after a good workout.
Othalak puffs his pipe thoughtfully as he considers Phoenix Maiden's statement. His free hand moves to another one of the pouches on his belt, and he switches the pipe in his mouth so that he can hold it with his teeth. His other hand carefully pinches the pouch on opening, and he begins to hiss and mutter to himself; interspersed with the hissings those of you who know Old Realm can make out Swan Dragon's name.
Zath'thalak frowns, his brow-ridges furrowing. "The ancient," he says, his voice becoming much more reverent, "Says that's a name out of memory, and a dream from the contagion as well." His deep, thruming voice changes from reverence to awe, "He says he will smoke of the Dreamflower-soaked-in-Wind-Heart's-Blood; the herb is rare, and we do not kill Dragonblooded so often these days, so this is an event we do not see often. He says that the name is important, but he cannot remember why; he has forgotten so much as he slept. He would like for each of you to say Swan Dragon's name once he smokes the -- yes, he is about to smoke the herbs," he says, growing quiet swiftly as the elder Dragon King taking just a bit of the leaf from the pouch, crushing it slowly into the pipe. The smoke begins to turn blue...
Phoenix Maiden watches, fascinated - and not at all queasy about the origin; she comes from a culture of war - and quietly repeats the name.
Liu is all attentive; she looks at the Mosok elder with heart-breaking trust and faith, quite a dramatic change from her earlier growling suspicion. Softly, she intones "Swan Dragon."
Diamond Borealis is too world-weary for that to shock him. And he knows enough about the Dragon Kings to have an inkling of their more violent rituals. He says the name as well, "Swan Dragon."
IsawaBrian says, "Phoenix Maiden, as the Elder's smoke rises up, you fall into a trance. Your heart thumps, and thuds, and you hear the clash of weaponry. Smoke and storm, lightning and rumbling earth, and the soft hiss of angry life flood your ears, as does the keening of the grave. The cabin's roof whirls, and becomes the sky at night, hazed with purple and blue. Wherever you are going, battle awaits you."
IsawaBrian says, "Diamond, you hear the sounds of battle, but they seem to fade. SCREAMS are in your mind; not the grave-song of the damned that you heard so many times during your flight from the River Province, but anguish, pain-- CHAOS. It is almost too much to stand, but you are given brief relief; a feeling of something, like a shroud or a veil, pulled across the pain and screams, somehow keeping them in-- but they ever seek to claw out."
IsawaBrian says, "Liu, very, very briefly, you have the odd vision of a huge, cracked stone face, larger, you are sure, than any building you've ever seen-- the big top at the circus would hardly form a head-cover for this face. But the vision is torn from you, flung away and to the side. Instead, you find yourself in strange grasses, weeds, on a beach. Playing through them, running through them, picking up shells, stabbing at imaginary monsters with a stick, and generally having the time of your life. The peaceful memory you had earlier is here, too, and now you know why. Standing over you as you play is an immense Mosok. He looks much like Othalak, but different; time has treated them differently. But the markings on the armor are the same, if more elaborate on the Dragon King which watches over you with a tender eye-- and leans upon the same vine-and-orichalcum staff as it guards your play."
IsawaBrian says, "You all come back to yourselves. Zath'thalak's head is bowed in honor, and despite the odd veil of age over his eyes, you each have the feeling that old Othalak is staring deeply at each of you, puffing on his pipe as blue smoke turns grey again."
Phoenix Maiden's expression is fierce for a moment as she stills the battle instinct which comes so readily; her eyes come up to look back at the Dragon King thoughtfully. "A battle," she comments, after a moment. "War and death."
Liu eyes have teared, and she scrubs them with a fist quickly, looking at the elder Mosok from under her brows. She takes a deep breath, and glances towards the door; remembering Duty, she pulls on a mask of composure and placidity before turning her face up to Othalak.
Diamond Borealis shudders, sweat standing on his brow as he removes his hat. Quiet. "Chaos and Pain, hidden by a veil." He says softly, he shakes his head, trying to clear it.
Othalak puffs thoughtfully on his pipe, his shining white teeth grinding slightly over a groove in the chert. "I have seen, and you have seen," his gravelly voice rumbles. "I have seen four things.' He pulls the pipe out of his mouth and points at Diamond and Phoenix Maiden. "You have enemies; they hunt you, and seek to keep you from the Hero-Censor." He pulls the pipe back to his maw and inhales deeply. "I have seen that you may yet find the Revered Master of Sword and Flame, but that he will remain lost, nonetheless; I do not know why or how." He smiles then, pipe rotating slightly in his mouth and sending ripples through the smoke as he looks at Liu. "I have seen you, little one, and know that your ochilike heritage was clan and kin to my clan. So I know this; we will meet again. But I have also seen that which was snatched from you. I do not know where, I do not know how. But you have already found he who is lost and lost worse yet; you have known his Essence still yet. But you knew it before the stars set for it, and I see that two stars, one in purple, one in blue, hate you for it. They will do anything to cut you from repeating the true course of your destiny and finding the ancient. But worry not; one star that wears a violet grave-shroud, but is not dead, that star watches over you. But the moon watches both jealously, and is pulling the grave-shroud tighter." He takes another long drag from the pipe. "But you know, though I think you do not know you know, where Swan Dragon may at least be found for the first time."
"The Maidens." Diamond mutters darkly. Anger flashing up briefly. "Why are they involved in this, why are they striving against us?" The questions are to himself, not Othalak. He looks to his Circle mates to see if they have ideas about the location of Swan Dragon. "We are trying to follow his sword to him, for he is still attuned to it."
Liu's face blanches briefly at Othalak's words, and she mouthes, wide-eyed, to Diamond "The Lap." Then she stops, shaking her head, color returning to her cheeks and the clear certainty gone from her eyes.
Phoenix Maiden gives the sleeping Kanfi a sour look at the mention of her enemies. She frowns deeply and is silently thoughtful.
Othalak pokes Diamond with the stem of his pipe. "You are too hasty, youngling. Do not mistake the Maidens for their servants. Otherwise I would be on the ground worshiping you!" he says with a deep chortle. "I saw stars; two in purple, one in yellow. Not the Maidens; I know my astrology better than that! I would say that there is a divide in Heaven." He frowns, and takes a drag on the pipe. "Though... I do not know what became of the star-ochilike. They disappeared when you were all killed, and your mates fled into the wilderness." He puffs on the pipe and peers over the smoke at Liu. "What was that, Granddaughter?" he asks, and bops Zath'thalak with his staff. "Tell me what she said!" The younger Mosok grumbles back that he didn't -hear- Liu, and asks her to repeat her statement.
Liu blushes deeply, and stutters, "I just thought... when he said we already knew, I just thought that Swan Dragon must be in The Lap." She wrings her hands self-consciously.
Diamond Borealis nods his head to Othalak. "The ... star-ochilike. Yes. They nearly cost us our lives a short time back. Servants of Endings and Journeys I mean." When Liu speaks, he quiets for a moment, and reaches over pat Liu's shoulder.
Phoenix Maiden's face sours at the memory of the ...occurance... Diamond mentions. She too reaches over to lay a hand on Liu's other shoulder.
Othalak's old, rheumy eyes wink over at Liu. "Granddaughter," he says gently through Zath'thalak's translation. "You are an Exalted of the Sun. Your words will be heard. I do not know this 'Lap' place, and cannot help you find it, for my mission is equally grave. But you are an -ochilike-. A Chosen. Your words will be heard, and given honor. You must speak them with--" he pokes Zath'thalak with the stem of his pipe, "-Pride-."
He hrmfs when he hears Diamond's explanation. "Once, all of the ochilike worked together for the betterment of the people. Then the little ochi-- the blasphemers," he clears the pipe from his teeth and spits in the corner of the cabin before sticking the pipe back in, "Killed everyone. Now Moon's Chosen howl and forget how to think, and their elders -encourage- them to be stalkers; you sun-Chosen are new and alone... And this, fighting amongst the ochilike?" He heaves a great, tired sigh.
Zath'thalak grumbles good naturedly, and rubs the spot where his grandfather keeps poking. He does look at the elder Mosok with a combination of familial tenderness and almost worshipping awe beneath that irritation, though. He would not have a mind, not a true one, were it not for the Honored Grandfather's teachings, and he knows this.
Liu throws her shoulders back and lifts her chin, allowing her pride to serve the Unconquered Sun to starch her spine a bit. The approval of this Elder is very important to her, now. She listens to the way he describes the way the world was, and sees that it is the way the world Should Be.
Diamond Borealis grins at the ancients words to Liu. "There is much work to be done in Creation. It seems we are on similar journeys; to rebuild the fallen things of the world. Is there any way we may aid your journey? We have a lot on our plate, but if we can offer you some small help..."
Phoenix Maiden nods slightly, withdrawing her hand as Liu sits up straighter.
Othalak admits, "Even the face of Creation has changed slightly since last I travelled this far. You said that you had been to Rathess-- do you perhaps have maps that I could inspect?" Zath'thalak bites his tongue to prevent himself from yelling out praises to the Unconquered Sun for this bit of sense at last.
Diamond Borealis grins at that. "Of maps I have plenty. Just a moment." He swings his sack around to his lap and looks through it, finding a scroll. He pulls it out, checks it, and then hands it over. "Here, this is a general map of the South and East. One I've sketched myself so it's fairly accurate." He sorts through, looking for a smaller scroll and produces that as well. "This, is my own map of my last attempt to explore Rathess. It's not much, but it gives an idea of the surrounding area and the state of the city. Take that one with you."
IsawaBrian says, "Alrighty. You spend the rest of the day, while Kanfi sleeps off his drink with the two Dragon Kings. Apparently, they both possess a-- not a charm, but a strange ability that functions like a charm, allowing them to make the illusion of becoming two burly sailors. You all go out for lunch at an -excellent- sea food restraunt and chat; about your lives, your adventures, the secret colony home, and so on and so forth."
IsawaBrian says, "It seems that Othalak really IS the Dragon King in Liu's vision, of a sort; Dragon Kings, it seems, once they reach a certain level of spiritual development, completely and perfectly remember their past lives. Poor Zath'thalak isn't there yet, but Othalak has memories that stretch back to before the Primordial War, and has quite a few stories to share."
IsawaBrian says, "You trade -- limited, cautiously-- information about your base near Harborhead when you're back near the ship; Othalak promisses to send some messengers when he's settled in at Rathess, and pledges that if he can, when the stalkers are civilized again, he will bring them to your side when the time comes in Harborhead. But rehabilitating them and training them to use his First Age and pre-First Age technology will take time; months at least and possibly years, even after he makes it to Rathess, even if there aren't other, darker hazards there. He doesn't mention it aloud, but the possibility is that the proud old Mosok may need help from you before he can give it himself."
IsawaBrian says, "But the opportunities are endless; as they walk off through the city, using their disguises and some -truly- old Jade to purchase reliable transport to a port near rathess, rather than just swim the whole way, on your advice, you realize this: Here, you have allies who do not have fragmentary memories of the past, who do not have -partial- memories to work on, but the skills and knowledge of hundreds, thousands maybe of lifetimes of experience. They are fewer, now, and their civilization is in darkness."
IsawaBrian says, "But, as allies, and perhaps one day as the Kings they were, should their star rise again with yours, they bring priceless gifts of heritage and knowledge, as well as the savage strength of some of the greatest non-Exalted predators in the world."
IsawaBrian says, "All of you guys now have the Ally 3: Othalak of the Mosok, to call upon for future adventures, though he can't really be 'activated' until much later.
