Move 296: Ways to Pass Time
Grell Nest--Midday, Day 27 (Marpenoth 12)Echo and Jana, soon joined by Arachne, had a brief conference. They announced that they were going to look for something with the grell bodies and left the cave that had become the designated sick room. Since they would be together and within yelling distance, no one else needed to go with them.
Aloysius began the purifying rituals that had to be done before he could identify the items the group had found. Azrun got to work on the spell he was trying to copy. The three women came back to rejoin the others after some time had passed. Echo went back to trying to discern the value of the rest of the treasure that had been found. Arachne sat quietly on the floor in her little gnome nest. The others occupied themselves by whatever means they could find, praying, caring for equipment, keeping watch, or anything else they could think of. As always, time crept by in these caverns for those not immediately involved in some distracting activity.
Eventually, Echo finished with the gems and jewelry. Azrun finished copying the armor spell. Aloysius, after the extensive rituals were performed, cast the spell he had been preparing, scrutinizing each of the items carefully. Once the spell dropped, he looked haggard and worn, seeming thoroughly exhausted by his efforts.
Renn finished checking his gear, and took his flute from it's case. "The healing's gone much more smoothly than I'd thought it would, we might be fit for travel quite soon," he chuckled. "On to the next bigger and nastier fight," Rennirolas laughed and began to play a lively song on the flute.
After a few tunes to pass the time, he lowered the flute from his lips, and took a long drink of water from one of the waterskins by his backpack. "Who had the map from Carmeneren? It seems that we'll be ready to travel onward once we've sorted all the treasure and placed it in the cottage, right?" Renn asked with a shrug. "Unless we wish to spend another full 'day' here to cure everyone of all their ailments."
"I think Aloysius needs some rest," Jana said, looking over at the mage. "It's hard to imagine that just, well, thinkin' I guess can be so hard on you, but damn."
"Perhaps it's slightly different for a mage. Corellon provides the power in my prayers...my strength, girded by my faith," Renn said in a voice which sounded as if he were quoting something. "I do feel particularly tired after divinations. They draw more of my physical strength than of my spiritual," Rennirolas offered.
"This, this is a lullaby of the Tel'Quessir...sang, and played to me long ago when I was a babe," Renn smiled in remembrance. He brought his flute to his lips and gasped at the horrible squawk that issued forth. "Ahem, sorry, let me try that again," he said. Renn then played a snippet of a soft melody. "It's long, and the words wouldn't really mean anything to most..ah N'Tel'Quess," Rennirolas grimaced and looked at his feet, "but it's a pleasant reminder of times past."
The mage crept back to where his pack and blanket were and sat back against the cavern wall. "By the hooves of . . .the Elbian Cow," he muttered wearily. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, he placed the potions vials in front of him.
"This one," he said, setting it to the side, "accelerates the healing process. The second one", he added, placing that vial down next to the first one, "empowers one to breath water as air."
He pointed to the shield. "The shield bears a powerful defensive aura of a general nature, but I detected no other exceptional properties. These rubies," he said, picking one up and considering it closely, "are quite interesting indeed."
He held them out to Azrun. "Methinks the gems themselves be not magical, except as they serve as the media for the words scribed 'pon them. The words, so far as I can tell, are akin to arcane scrolls or spell books. 'Tis an odd way to perpetuate formulae, but that is what I believe the gems do."
Aloysius wrapped himself in his blanket and rested his head on his pack. "Someone should see if the grell's spell book can be located. Stargazer needs to rest."
With that he closed his eyes and fell silent.
"Uh huh," Arachne said from her nest. "And it's hard to imagine that just swinging a sword could get you all banged up and bleeding -- Oh, but wait: It isn't you swinging the sword that does that, is it? It's the resistance you're encountering while you swing that sword." She nodded her head. "Thanks for clearing that up for me."
"It would help me a lot to know how soon we _are_ going to move on," Arachne said. "I hate it when I've just wasted myself doing something strenuously spooky -- like healing -- It's not a waste, I know, but doing it usually leaves me fashed. And then, if we get under way right afterwards, I'm even more useless to everyone than usual. But, if we're going to linger here at least a half-day more, then perhaps Renn or Olaf could direct me to whomever should get patched up some more now?"
After Blacky finishes caring for his equipment, he lays it beside the wall and picks up one of the grell spears. "I guess I'll continue learning the ways of this weapon, it may come in useful against the enemies ahead." He says pretty much to himself while staring at the 'shocking' spear. He picks an area away from where the rest of the party is resting and begins. Initially the practice looks much like the familiar chopping and slashing Blacky does with his axe. After several minutes he changes tactics and begins going through unfamiliar thrusting manuevers with the weapon. "This could be useful indeed. I'd heard that spears are set against calvary by footsoldiers. I must remember that when faced with a large, charging enemy." Blacky says, looking quite pleased with the exercise and the fact that his muscles are healed and useful again. He repeats his practice with the other weapons in his arsenal, going through familiar and time tested motions then trying to figure out new ways to use them from a variety of stances and positions. When he was finished he was thoroughly drenched with sweat. "What's next?" he asked Renn as he sat down and drank some water.
"Welllll," Renn began, then shrugged. "More rest, especially for Aloysius. And with luck, we healers can put an end to the ailments that all of us carry," he said with a small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"But I'm sure you meant more than the next day or so, right Blacky," Rennirolas continued as he shifted positions. Now he rested in a crouch on the balls of his feet, his hands clasped together with forearms across his knees. "I think we should put some thought into how we wish to proceed," he said slowly. "Do we
explore side tunnels that are described on Carmeneren's map, or press forward?"I feel that we need to do as much of our fighting as possible now," Renn said after a pause to gather his thoughts. "There was that warded passageway
that we couldn't go into," he continued, and scratched his arm as he remembered the protection. Renn sighed, "But I don't think we can count on using that as a quick means of escape, and that's what we need, the safest and quickest way to get back to the surface once the prisoners are freed."Err..sorry, I was rambling there wasn't I," Renn coughed, the blue tinge around his ears and jawline deepened as he blushed.
"That would be me," Arachne said calmly -- then thought better of it. "I mean, it might be me, don't you think? I guess it could depend how many prisoners we manage to find ... and whether we find them in small batches as we chase after this ... whatever you want to call it... Sales chain? I could blink about four at a time straight to safety on the surface, rest, come back for the next batch and repeat. I -- I don't know what the rest of you would want to do while I was doing the transporting. Guarding those who haven't gone yet, certes, but that's pretty tedious. Going on after even deeper villains, maybe, if such there turn out to be. I don't know the details yet...of course. I don't even know if you like the idea."
Echo came back with Jana and Arachne, her hands and clothes covered in blood and guts. "I stink," she remarked. "This is gross." She tried to clean up the best she could.
Later, when everyone finished what they were doing, she pointed to the treasure, "This is worth a lot, around 13,000 gold pieces all together. I found a ring on one of the grell when we were in there," she added. "I haven't checked it for magic yet. I would have given it to you," she told Aloysius, "but I know better than to interrupt someone identifying stuff."
Azrun smiled, "Thank you, Aloysius. I'll use a read magic and see what is on them. Once I've found out and you have rested, I'll let you and Echo know what I've found."
Azrun took the gems over to where he had been studying earlier and laid out his spellbook and his journal. Once he was prepared, he cast a spell and began to study the gems once more.
After a while Azrun sat back and rubbed his eyes, "Aloysius was correct. There are spells written on these gems. This one has spells for reading and detecting magic, a minor charm spell, and the magic missile spell. These could have been the grell mage's spell book, I guess. I ran out of spells before I could read the other. I'll do that after I rest I suppose." He sat back with a small smile on his face and rested.
Azrun frowned, "There was a pool of water back in one of the side tunnels. Granted their might be some critters in there, but if there's not we could all clean up there. Being all smelly and stuff might alert things further down the tunnel with noses."
"I don't think that's such a good idea just yet," Jana said slowly. "We've already found one nasty thing in the water so far. Two, really. I don't think this is the time just now to go investigating for 'critters.' Let's all be ready to move and if we want to do that before we finish up here, we can."
"Shall the fraidy gnome gather up the fragile vials?" Arachne asked, going over to the collection. "And try almost as hard to keep them from harm as herself? Along with the cottage and -- whatever else I've got." She paused to peer in her purse. "Mind you, I'm not very good at remembering what I've got, actually to use it. That should be obvious. I've still got on those boots and never thought to try to use them. You have to say something to make them make you go fast, don't you? Echo, do you want them back?
"The medicinal potion, if I'm carrying it, I'm sure I'll never think to use. I'll only think of my spooky stuff -- which takes too long..." Arachne's legs folded up under her and she sat abruptly and crosslegged, with a slight thump on the ground. "I'll have this glop buried in my purse somewhere while I waste time trying to help by myself -- probably get someone else killed like --" She broke off, burying her face in her grell-goo-covered hands.
"I really don't belong here... with you." Arachne's voice was muffled. "Don't know why Carmeneren didn't see that... I should --" In an instant, she was on her feet again. It was one of the few athletic things she'd shown herself able to do, springing to her feet from sitting crosslegged on the ground. (She'd said she could do it only because there wasn't much weight to lift and because her legs had been toughened some by all the running she'd had to do to keep up with
everyone.)"I should go look for that spell book," she said, heading toward the infirmary exit.
After he was done studying gems and books, Azrun made his way over to Renn and Olaf. "Ummmm....could I bother either of you with a few questions? I think I'm finally getting a handle on the arcane side of spell casting, but I was wondering if I might pick your brains for some info on the priest side of things. If that's ok?" He scuffed his foot on the floor as he waited for an answer.
Olaf nodded, "Sure."
Azrun smiled, "Well, are there any spells that might help to see where someone is...well I mean someone else...I, uh...there is someone I would like to find, but I'm not even sure....well, if they're still alive....she...they were taken away by raiders in the night....If they were, I'd want to try to find them and save them." He looked at the ground, "I'm not sure if she'd have much to do with me after what happened and all....but I owe it to her to try." He looked up, his eyes a little watery, "Do you think it's possible?"
"It's possible." Olaf said. "An augury could be done, or a more powerful priest could try a scrying. It might not be a certain no if either failed, however, as neither is perfectly certain."
Azrun nodded, "So could this Augury tell me if she is still alive? I guess that would be the first thing I need to know, wouldn't it?" He looked quite unsure of himself and the situation.
"Auguries generally foretell the results of a course of action. The future is ever changing, and it is not good for us to have too much knowledge of the future, so the gods cloak auguries in riddles and prophecy. A carefully worded augury might reveal if she were still alive, or it might not." Olaf answered. "There are spells which could answer that question more fully, but they are far beyond my power."
Azrun nodded slowly, "Well......perhaps at a later time then maybe....maybe after we have rescued these people. Perhaps, that will grant you more power from your god. I know I would look more favorable upon someone who had.....but anyway....Thank you for your time, Olaf."
Azrun frowned as Arachne headed toward the exit, "Arachne, wait up. I've been staring at these gems and books too long. I'll come with you. It'll give me a chance to rest my eyes some."
"All right. If the book isn't those gems, then maybe it was up on the pedestal with the big grell thing." Arachne waited.
Azrun stepped up next to her, "It'll do some good to stretch my legs some too. Perhaps I can boost you up to see on the pedestal, if need be." With that he walked alongside Arachne to the grell cave.
Azrun cast a spell over one of the gems that Aloysius had told him about. Arachne offered to be caretaker of the two potions until they were needed. Echo mentioned a ring she found.
After Azrun finished looking at the gem, he and Arachne headed back into the cavern where the grells had been to look for the grell spellbook. A few minutes later, they came back.
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