IC: The Sun Never Sets, IC thread for The Sun Never Sets Options

[pbangarth]

Stogie calls to Jake through their mental connection, Stay close boy. Be alert.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla approaches the fire and stops before it.

He nods to both women and introduces himself.

Greetings. I am Smohalla, shaman to the Shahptian Wanapum people.

My companions and I have travelled far.

May we share your fire?

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar watches those surrounding the fire intently, focusing mainly on the troll. The last encounter they had had with a troll had not gone pleasantly and he had no intention of repeating it. He stood, waiting for the response to Smohalla's cheery greeting.

[Tecumseh]

The ork and the troll glower at you silently, radiating suspicion and mistrust. Their clenched tusks and frowning brows reflect their displeasure at your presence. Their vision switches to the astral to evaluate you and the threat you may or may not present.

Stogie joins the astral staredown. Scaning the area while Smohalla holds their attention, he notes a distinct lack of astral security. There are no spirits of any sort, not even watchers. Are they that inexperienced, or that confident in their own capabilities? The women themselves are obviously magicians, but their Talent appears weak and undeveloped. But initiates have been known to cloak their auras, concealing their true Power, appearing less than they really are or even completely mundane. But does that mean that the thick mana of this place is meant to cover the witches' deficiencies, or does it help to mask their true gifts?

The wolf looks back and forth between you and the women. He searches them for any sign of welcome toward your presence, but doesn't find it. His mood darkens. He's not overtly hostile but it's clear which side he will take if there is a confrontation.

The silence grows painful as the seconds tick by. A cool breeze picks up, shifting the dry pine needles around your feet. The rustling leaves are the only sound to fill the awkward gap as time stretches. Someone swallows hard. 

The ork loosens her jaw to open her mouth slightly. Smohalla searches her face for any intention to attack. He scans her aura, looking for telltale concentrations of mana that precede magic. But Smohalla has to wonder, can he even defend against a hostile spell in a place so thick with mana? The slightest spark could engulf you all in an irresistable conflagaration.

Smohalla prepares a defense, jamming the mana around him. He then realizes his tactical error: in order to make his greeting, he has stepped in front of his friends, leaving them undefended behind him. His aura betrays his concern. He holds his breath, hoping his anxiety won't come across as a weakness, prompting the women to strike pre-emptively.

The ork inhales slowly with an sibilant hiss. The troll leans forward, and the wolf turns your way. A shout rings out, a female voice full of anger.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla tries to keep calm, to keep his aura from showing fear.

He breathes slowly, controlling each intake of air, keeping it in his chest for a moment.

His piercing eyes stare back at the ork and the troll, matching their glowers with simple regard.

When the shout rings out, he does not take his gaze from the two women.

He suspects a third will be joining them soon.

[pbangarth]

This is going to shit real fast. Stogie slings his weapon and steps off to the left, so the locals can see him around Smohalla, and vice versa.

Jake senses Stogie's worry and scuttles off to the right, by some trees. This is work for the Alpha. Let him take care of staring down the strangers. And from here he can dart in or out, as needed.

"We come to speak with you, not to threaten you. There is trouble brewing for all of us. Conflict among us will only bring it faster." He is open, hands away from his gun. He doesn't trust the mana here, and refrains from boosting himself.

Jake, hold back. Do not borrow my speed. Wait.

[AtroposReborn]

The air seems as thick as the sap from the nearby trees. Ellesar keeps most of his attention on the shifter, being mindful to glance at the others now and again. He had yet to see any reason to truly trust the wolf hybrid and would rather not have this scuffle turn sour. The odds may be in either groups' favor but it is not something I would push to find out. He steps off to the right, mirroring Stogie to create a rough triangle.

[Tecumseh]

The ork inhales slowly with an sibilant hiss. The troll leans forward, and the wolf turns your way. A shout rings out, a female voice full of anger:

"Selene! Hester! Where are your manners!"

All heads turn to your right to see the source of the voice, a diminutive woman wearing a scowl. She frowns at the other two women as she shuffles toward you carrying a cast iron tea kettle with both hands. She looks much different from the other two. For starters, she's a fraction of their size: either a thin dwarf or a short human. Her hair is greying, parted neatly down the middle and pulled into a tight bun behind her head. Her clothing is decidedly less primitive too. She wears a old-fashioned red dress that covers her feet, plus a white lace shawl over her shoulders. The person she most reminds you of it "Aunt Sara," the grandmotherly trideo idol of millions of fans of Baking with Aunt Sara.

She bustles forward, tutting all the way. "We have guests," she hisses to the other two, stressing the last word for emphasis. The tea kettle floats out of her hand magically and positions itself over the fire. On the astral, the spell confirms what you already knew from her aura. She's a magician, either more powerful than the other two ladies, or maybe just less concealed. Smohalla judges her to be roughly his equal. Her mood looks embarrassed.

Once the tea kettle is settled, she turns to the group and smiles kindly. She rushes forward and, before he can react, seizes Smohalla's hand, clutching it between her two palms. She looks up at him from her low height and beams. "Smohalla, Sky-Father. You have no idea what an honor this is for me. I've wanted to meet you for such a very long time, I just never had the courage to introduce myself. You've inspired me, you really have. You are very truly welcome here." She holds his gaze unblinkingly, looking like a star-struck fan. Her aura radiates admiration and awe.

She drops his hand and steps up to Stogie in a flash, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. Her skin is smooth and pleasantly warm. "Welcome," she says sincerely, before repeating the process with Ellesar. She finds Jake and scratches his head lovingly, petting his back as she whispers sweet nothings in his ear. She smells nice and generally gives little indication that she's living in the forest.

"Ah!" she cries, spying the wolf. "K'wa'iti!" She zips forward, her arms spread wide. She embraces the shifter, who, even while sitting down in wolf form, is about as tall as she is. She throws her arms around his shoulders and hugs him closely, then scratches his ears and down his back much as she did for Jake. The shifter sits up straight, patiently enduring the petting with as much dignity as possible while secretly enjoying it.

The short woman lets go of the wolf and spins around with a start. "But where are my manners?" she gasps, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. "I admonish my friends for their lack of courtesy and yet I completely neglect to introduce myself!" she laughs self-consciously. "My name is Eleanor," she says, clasping her hands in front of her. "My friends call me Ellie, and I would encourage you to do the same. Any friends of Smohalla's are friends of mine. This is such a wonderful surprise! Please, come sit by the fire with us. The tea will be ready shortly. I hope everyone likes peppermint!"

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla lowers his head at the praise, embarrassed slightly.

He says in Salish:

Greetings to you, Ellie. We accept your hospitality gladly and with much thanks.

Smohalla seats himself by the fire, nodding to the other two women with respect as he sits.

He tries to catch his companions' eyes to encourage them to do the same.

[pbangarth]

His aura must be flooding with relief, but Stogie doesn't care. For now, there seems to be little chance of hostility. Nevertheless, things could turn in a moment. Better be extra cautious with these ladies.

He whistles come and Jake rushes to him, runs a circle around him and takes his place on Stogie's left. His tail wags and he looks up at Stogie, then Ellie. His head drops just a smidgen as he glances at the other two women. Stogie moves to the fire and sits. Jake follows. Stogie looks over at Smohalla and raises an eyebrow, head pulled back just a bit.

"Peppermint! I love it. I haven't had any in years!"

[Tecumseh]

The ork and the troll stand down. Their muscles relax as the tension eases. They return to their seats. You see now that there are a few tree stumps around the fire between which the women have placed large tree limbs to sit on. The seats bow under the weight of Hester and Selene.

Eleanor turns around and sees that there aren't enough seats for her guests. "Tsk, tsk, this will never do," she clucks under her breath before reaching her hand out. The mana concentrates in her aura instantaneously before the spell is released. She summons wood out of the forest and mentally assembles it into makeshift seating for the three new arrivals. She claps her hands once to celebrate her success and then moves to take her position. She sits on a tall, flat rock in front of the ork and troll, crossing her legs primly. She produces a set of thin-rimmed bifocals from somewhere in the folds of her dress and sets them gently on the bridge of her nose.

The troll barks a laugh when she hears Smohalla speak in Salish. The ork takes her cue to begin laughing too before Ellie spins around and silences them with a stern glare. She turns back to the group primly, sweeping the faux pax aside.

The top of the tea kettle begins to rattle and steam pours forth from the spout. Eleanor summons the kettle toward her, being careful not to touch it as it hovers in front of her. She mentally lifts the lid off and gingerly places a small sachet of leaves inside. The steam from the pot brings the scent to Stogie: peppermint, sure enough. Eleanor replaces the lid to allow the tea to steep. The pot floats next to her, cooling slowly in the afternoon air.

"May I interest you in anything with your tea?" she asks, looking over the top of her glasses. "A sweet biscuit? Dried berries? I'm sure there is some smoked salmon around her somewhere for our canine friends. Hmm? A little something to hold you over until supper?"

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar joins the group around the fire, placing his pack just behind where he plans on sitting. He waits for the others to sit and then cautiously takes a seat next to Jake on one of the makeshift benches. He rests his rifle against his bag with the muzzle pointed towards the sky. The old one seems friendly enough. She appears to be the leader of the others, or is at least greatly respected by her. She may turn out to be quite dangerous. Best we not displease her for the time being.

Keeping his attention mainly on the floating pot Ellesar speaks, "A biscuit would be warmly welcomed, many thanks." Despite having eaten the rations earlier his stomach was growling at the mention of a freshly cooked meal. "It was not a short trek to this place." I wonder if these are the three witches that we seek or if it is just the one and the others are not yet among us. Only time will tell....

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla smiles at Ellesar's comment.

No, it was not a short trek.

Nor one free of danger.

[Tecumseh]

"Let's see now, hmm," Eleanor says to herself, touching the tip of her finger to her lips. She turns and looks to a small cache of supplies a short distance away in the woods. She holds out her hand, summoning a small parcel out of a gunny sack. It looks like hemp cloth folded into a packet. She sets it down to her side. A set of cups flies to her next. Instead of pouring out the tea into each cup one-by-one, she mentally removes the red-hot lid from the kettle and magically lifts the tea out. It floats above the kettle in one giant golden-orange fluid drop. It then splits into six divisions, each globule going a separate direction to find its tea cup. Eleanor concentrates firmly on the process, her brow knit as she locks onto her targets and directs their movements.

There are saucers for each cup. Eleanor unfolds the packet she had summoned to reveal delicate cookies. She places one on each saucer before sending the saucers and mugs to each person around the fire. The cup floats in front of you until you take it, at which point the weight shifts lightly into your hand as she drops the spell. The cookies appear to be shortbread sandwich cookies, with what looks like raspberry jam joining the two halves. They're in the shape of little starbursts, with multiple points radiating from the center, none of which appear to be broken. There is a light dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Eleanor looks very pleased. "Just one now. We mustn't ruin our appetites for dinner!"

The ork and troll struggle with their cups and saucers, doing their best not to squeeze them into paste. To them, the ceramic of the teaware might as well be made of eggshell. The cups are comically small in their hands, and their fingers have no hope of slipping through the handles of the cups. They scowl at the cookies, the tiny sweet being no equal to the size of the women.

"But what is this about a long trek?" Eleanor asks, oblivious to the silent grumbling behind her. "Certainly you did not walk the whole way!" she laughs to herself, her merriment falling off as she sees the collective look on your faces and realizes that you're being serious. "But Sky-Father," she asks, "why did you not simply fly? Surely you must have summoned spirits to hasten your journey at least? Creatures of wind and wood to straighten the path and speed your steps?" She looks at the group with a puzzled expression. "No?"

[pbangarth]

Stogie shakes his head. "No. Sky Father chose to accompany the rest of us on the ground. Just as well, considering the encounter we had with a poor troll infected with the virus. The trip was arduous, but the tea and cookie make it worth the effort. Thank you."

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla takes the offered cup of tea but politely waves away the cookies.

We had our friend Brother Wolf as our guide, and so I did not fly.

We had spirits, our allies, aiding our travels, but they were lost.

We arrive here now, at the exact time ordained by the Great Spirit.

No sooner, no later.

[AtroposReborn]

The elf relaxes a bit more as the conversation carries on. He runs a course hand through his blonde hair while he sips at the tea. All this talk of spirits 'n such isn't getting us any closer to finding out about these sisters. Ah well, perhaps it will get the other two to loosen up.

[Tecumseh]

Eleanor doesn't look completely satisfied by Smohalla's answer, but nor does it bother her much. She turns her attention to Stogie. "You are welcome, young man," she says earnestly. "I am sorry to hear that you had a difficult journey. We are flattered that you went to such trouble to find us. Aren't we, ladies?" She turns to look over her shoulder at Selene and Hester. Either they're not flattered or they're hiding it particularly well. They sit there, stone-faced, staring at you blankly while letting Eleanor do the talking. They don't give any indication of contributing to the conversation.

Ellie turns back and smiles and Smohalla shyly. "Sky-Father, will you do me the honor of introducing your handsome young friends?" She blows on her tea before taking a light sip.

[phlapjack77]

I will, and gladly.

Smohalla indicates his three companions.

Here is an old friend Stogie, and my other friend, Jake.

Here is a new friend, Ellesar.

I will say no more, their stories are theirs to tell.

Smohalla looks meaningfully at Ellie.

And we are very interested to hear your stories, as well.

[pbangarth]

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Folks living out in the woods bring back some good memories.

"Jake and I once had a farm with some sheep and some cattle, and a few more of Jake's kin. A good life, as lives go these days. Lost it all to a corporation that had mineral rights and the money to buy bullies. Now I work freelance, preferring to take jobs that hurt organizations like the one that evicted me and killed my dogs. Anything that keeps bullies and thugs off good people's backs is a good day's work, as far as I'm concerned. One thing I've learned though, is that one person's criminal is another one's freedom fighter. So I like to hear everyone's story and judge for myself."

[AtroposReborn]

Idle chatter not being his strongsuit, Ellesar begins tapping his foot against the large branch he is sitting on. His mind begins to wander as he listens to Stogie's story. The other two women seem about as joyful towards these pleasantries as I am. Must we really go through all this? I don't see how it helps us with anything. Not to mention how sketchy it is that this woman seems to know our magically inclined friend....

He casts a quick glance towards Smohalla, not spending much time on him before his gaze returns to the ork and troll. He waits for Stogie to finish before he begins his own tale. "Not much to say about myself. I've been abandoned by my own kind and I lost my family to some megacorp trying to cover their own asses. Now I'm just trying to find out who it was that killed 'em." Ellesar's face slowly transitions to a very solemn look. "But to do that I need information and I need money. Unfortunately neither of those is easy to come by...." His voice gets more and more quite, eventually trailing off.

[Tecumseh]

Ellie looks pleased at the introductions. "Why, kindred spirits!" she declares with evident pleasure as you finish telling your stories. The ork and the troll seem to ease slightly. It would be a stretch to call them welcoming, but they no longer glower. They seem to be listening a little more closely now than they were before.

Ellie turns to Stogie. "Stogie, I am sorry that I did not know you by sight. I am familiar with some of the work you did with TerraFirst. That job you did at the Holden Mine was quite spectacular! I must applaud your efforts. Indeed, I was a bit jealous not to be there myself." You can the ork nodding ever-so-slightly behind her. "I am very sorry about your loss," Ellie continues. "We know your pain well." She looks back at Selene and Hester. They don't agree openly, but neither do they object to being included in the statement.

She turns to Ellesar. "What a tragedy!" she says earnestly, holding a hand over her heart. "It is the oldest news in the world, yet it is every day's news," she says sadly, shaking her head with pity. Her face falls at the thought of it all.

"Is that why you have come today?" she asks, looking around at the group. "Do you need money, information, or resources for your various endeavors? Have you come to propose an alliance?" Her voice brightens at the prospect. Her tone and her aura are hopeful.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla replies slowly, cautiously.

We come to seek wisdom.

The wind carries the name of those called the Three Sisters.

Many tales have reached our ears.

We would like to hear more.

[AtroposReborn]

A small smirk crosses the elf's lips. Finally getting down to business. He points a thumb in Smohalla's direction. "It's as he says. We're just here for any information we can find on these sisters. Even better if we could talk to them ourselves."

[Tecumseh]

"Come now, don't be coy!" Ellie insists with a coquettish laugh. "I didn't finagle one of your friends to invite myself over to your house and then pretend to not to know who you were. You know where you are and to whom you speak. We have been known as The Sisters from time to time, or did you not see the family resemblance?" Her eyes flash with merriment. She glances back to Selene and Hester. Their tusks are exposed and you hear a deep rumble, which you take for laughter.

Ellie crosses her legs, folding her hands over her knee. "And while there are tea and cookies, you hardly seem to be the type of men who are interested in story time around a campfire. One doesn't walk twenty kilometers through the forest in November simply to sit around a campfire and discuss pleasantries. No, you are men of action, friends with a common purpose who share our cause. You have come to put forward an idea for consideration. Come, we must have it. We are atwitter with curiosity!" She rocks back and smiles, waiting expectantly to hear what you have to say.