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

[phlapjack77]

And we are not against you.

Recent shopping list to the contrary.

Smohalla smiles at Ellie with this last comment.

In the bounty you were accused of using twisted mana.

Who would have been able to assense your work to make this accusation?

[Tecumseh]

Ellie laughs merrily and throws a hand at Smohalla in an "oh you!" fashion.

"Sky-Father!" she laughs, "come and go!" She turns to laugh with Hester and Selene, who maybe don't quite get the joke yet but are willing to give her tusky social smiles. They eventually chime in with gutteral laughter of their own.

Ellie sighs and shakes her head at Smohalla with a fading smile. "Who could have assensed our work? These are tribal lands: probably half the population could have assensed it! Oh, I'm sure there were 'official response teams'" - she makes air quotes - "or somesuch to assure the local populace that the authorities were hot on the case. But who calls us 'twisted'? The media? The angry survivors? The people who want to stop us? It's all a matter of perspective, Sky-Father. I daresay they called your work 'twisted' often enough. Is there any such thing, or is it just the label they apply to those who oppose them? It's the easiest thing the world to do."

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar chimes in. "Perhaps, but that's not to say simple solutions are to be overlooked. Obvious answers are often the hardest to find." His eyes shift between the Sisters and K'wa'iti. "So what are your plans for the future? What will we accomplish if we get the bounty revoked?"

[Tecumseh]

Ellie nods to acknowledge Ellesar's question, then pauses and thinks on it for a minute. "Yes, what would it accomplish indeed? A wise question, my handsome young friend." She thinks about it a little longer before suddenly answering, "Perhaps nothing! I suppose that is a real possibility. The forces we oppose will always oppose us. If one bounty is revoked, I am sure we will anger another constituency soon enough to incur another."

She lowers her head and contemplates this thought. "Our plans are what the Great God and Goddess have told us. Cleanse the Earth. Help Her heal from the damage of centuries. Sew discord, and scatter Man so that He may not harm Her in His congregations. It is somewhat similar to the Tower of Babel, should you know the story."

The troll speaks up, uttering three guttural words in some rough language, or perhaps just her voice is like gravel in a blender. It's the same language she used yesterday, but you're no closer to identifying what it is. Klingon? Who knows. Like yesterday, the ork laughs at the comment. Ellie smirks too, although she tries to suppress it.

"Quite right, my dear. Yes, 'thin the herd' indeed," she agrees. "It is possible having these bounty hunters come to us is an advantage rather than an inconvenience. We would encounter them in one form or another eventually, be it on their territory or in their homes. Perhaps it is to our advantage that they seek us out here, where we have the leverage of the land and the profit of geomancy. The spirits shield us, and we are more formidable here than anywhere else. The mana here does not serve others as it serves us, so their spellcasters and summoners would threaten us no more than their schoolboys with their guns. No, the prospect of survival does not seem difficult. "

Hester and Selene cackle at the thought. K'wa'iti gnaws his meal to signal his assent.

[phlapjack77]

This story of the Tower of Babel, I have never heard it.

Perhaps you would honor us with a telling?

It seems a fine night for such as this.

[Tecumseh]

"Why certainly," Ellie agrees. "The tale is quite short." She looks to Stogie and Ellesar. "Perhaps one of your friends knows it?" she asks, by way of sharing the invitation.

[pbangarth]

Stogie rarely ignores a chance to tell a story. "It's from the Christian and Hebrew origin stories. after the time of the Great Flood that the Creator visited on the world to cleanse it of sinning humanity, all the descendants of the survivors spoke the same language. They decided to build a tower that would rise even as high as Heaven, the place where the Creator resides.

"When the tower began to rise high, the Creator came to see the work of humans, and remarked that such people, all speaking one language, would be able to do anything. So the Creator scattered the peoples of the Earth, and gave them many different languages, to keep them separate. Look at how many languages are spoken just by us few." Stogie surveys the company.

"The story doesn't say why the Creator thought the humans having such power would be a bad thing, but the assumption is that they would be able to work great evil as well as great good and wonder. Others say that the Creator was jealous and afraid of the power of these children of the Creation.

"So Ellie uses this analogy to explain her actions and those of her Sisters. Scatter humanity before it manages to do irreparable harm... or gain great power beyond the Sisters' or their Mentors' ability to contest." Stogie cocks an eyebrow towards Ellie as the rest of his thought forms. "And this place, this mountain, is an immense source of power. Right now, for the Sisters. But if the researchers succeed? Power for whom? So, are the Sisters agents for a greater Being, or hoarders of a source of power all for themselves?" He smiles, sweetly.

Jake covers his face with his paws when he feels the tease in Stogie's voice. There he goes again.

[phlapjack77]

This tale I like.

It seems it has wisdom for all who hear it.

Smohalla stares into the fire for many moments.

To all appearances he's finished talking, asleep with his eyes open.

Then he speaks again.

Sisters, we have forced our company upon you without asking your opinion.

Tell us, what would you have of us?

[Tecumseh]

Ellie nods, satisfied with Stogie's rendition of the story. "Thank you, Stogie, that was both accurate and poetic. It is a curious scenario that the story lays out for us, and even when I was a young girl I questioned it. 'Had Almighty God, in all His infinite wisdom, really been afraid that men six thousand years ago would succeed in building a tower to heaven?' is how Joseph Heller summarized it, beautifully I might add. But with so many stories, it serves so much better as an allegory than as an historical account.

"Perhaps the Tower is not a tower, but the means to end all life as we know it? Or the means to change it beyond recognition, wherein the essence of our shared vitality is lost?" She lets the thought linger in the air. "In this context, the story makes a great deal of sense. But to Stogie's point, is Talol simply a Tower itself?" She nocks her head to the side to consider the proposition. "Or is Talol the tool by which the Creator will work His or Her will in the world?"

She turns to Stogie. "We do not claim Talol for ourselves. We welcome those who revere Talol as we do. Men like you. Which leads us to Sky-Father's question." She turns to Smohalla. "Far be it for me to instruct you, Sky-Father, as you were the inspiration and guiding light to us during our early, trepid years. We pursued your example, following where you lead. Be who you are, and who you always have been. Our Great God and Goddess favor you, even if you find mentorship elsewhere."

She turns to Stogie and Ellesar. "And you, gentlemen, are also welcome to stay for as long as you wish. We have great resources here, excepting fine teas and refined sugar, of course. I would not delay you from your course in life, be in retribution for a lost farm or a fallen family. These are noble goals. But men such as yourselves, who believe and treat the Earth as you do, will always find hospitality here."

[AtroposReborn]

"We are very thankful for your generous hospitality in allowing us to stay here. It is certainly more welcoming than Greenwater. Perhaps you'd be willing to show us around sometime? I would like to get to know these woods better if I'm to traverse them." Ellesar turns his eyes towards the mountain.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla nods.

A good story means different things to each listener.

After Ellesar speaks, he replies.

A good idea.

I also wish to see more of this beautiful land.

[Tecumseh]

"A tour! Why, that's a lovely idea!" Ellie exclaims, clasping her hands over her knees and rocking backward. "In the morning, we'll take a little stroll up the mountain. We'll go as far as the Talol lets us."

She nods and turns around to affirm the idea with Hester and Selene. They grunt impassively. Ellie takes that as agreement, spinning back around with a smile.

"Please excuse us, gentlemen. We have our evening rituals to perform," Ellie says, standing up. "We'll back back in a little while. K'wa'iti here will keep you company." She scratches K'wa'iti behind the ears as Hester and Selene stand. The three women trundle of into the forest, the sounds of their movement receding in the darkness.

K'wa'iti continues to chomp at his dinner, staring at you unnervingly. Other wolves howl in the distance. K'wa'iti's ears twist back and forth like little radars, but his gaze on you remains unbroken. The only other sounds are the crackle of the fire and the K'wa'iti's wet gnawing. It's good that you already ate because the sight and sound of it is unappetizing, even for Smohalla.

[phlapjack77]

Good Ellie, may I join you three in your rituals?

I would learn your ways if you will allow me.

It would be an honor to commune with Great Talol this night.

[Tecumseh]

Ellie pauses and considers her words for a moment before responding to Smohalla.

"We would be, ah, honored to have you join us, Sky-Father. However, our collective skill in ritual magic is not sufficient to accommodate a fourth participant." She looks at Hester and Selene.

"You might be wondering about the other morning. Well in that case, despite our presence, the ritual and its results were entirely yours! You are, of course, welcome to observe us this evening."

Smohalla knows a little about ritual magic but it's far from his specialty. He does know that rituals are limited by the skill level of the least experienced member, which would certainly be Smohalla in this case. Thus, Ellie might be politely pointing out his lack of expertise, but it's also possible that the ladies are not sufficiently skilled themselves to include a fourth magician in their rituals.

[phlapjack77]

It would be honor enough to attend and observe.

[pbangarth]

Stogie takes a quick note of Smohalla's aura. He will want to see if it changes the way it did last time he joined the Sisters for a ritual.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar stands and stretches. "Well while you guys get your mojo working I'm going to check the perimeter for anything unusual. K'wa'iti, care to lend me a... paw?"

[Tecumseh]

K'wa'iti gives Ellesar a raised eyebrow. He doesn't move but it isn't a firm denial either. He watches to see where Ellesar goes.

Ellie leads Smohalla off into the woods.

[ Spoiler ]

Smohalla's sense of direction tells him that they're walking due south, directly toward Mt. Rainier. The mana at the Sisters' campsite is rich, but it gets even headier as they approach the mountain. The air around the lake and the fire feels like the Sisters. As they walk - Hester and Selene and their long legs far outpacing short Ellie and slow Smohalla - the mana steadily gets wilder. It shifts and surges and pulses through the Earth until finally, maybe half a klick from the campsite, it no longer feels like the Sisters. Here the mana is unfettered, as unpredictable as the ocean in a storm.

By the time Ellie and Smohalla arrive, Hester and Selene have started to settle in. They arrange rocks, sweep aside small debris, and set some small fetishes around their chosen site. Ellie escorts Smohalla to a nearby log, telling him to get comfortable and to "hold onto his socks". (Smohalla reasons that she is speaking colloquially, as he is only wearing moccasins.) The women gather in a triangle underneath the trees, interlock their arms, and start their ritual with a low harmonic hum. The mana responds in kind, synchronizing around them as the waves of power fall in line.

Smohalla tries to follow along with what he knows about ritual magic, but nothing here fits his prior experience. Most rituals take six, seven hours or more. But the other night the ladies were only gone for half an hour - time enough for Stogie to make dessert - before they had returned. And what they're doing now is not basic: it is intense, complex metamagic far beyond Smohalla's understanding. For a moment, it feels like the Earth is tilting sideways, like the gravity of the scene is changing directions. Smohalla breaks his concentration for a moment to assure himself that he is not falling over. He is not. The world, however, might be.

Smohalla's physical senses tell him that nothing is changing. The women sway from side to side, not so much singing as simply purring along. His astral senses, however, tell him that the whole world is being pulled out from underneath him. It's as if half his being is seated firmly on the ground while the other half is flipped upside down. He doesn't know if his brains are about to be dashed on the ground or if his feet will fly out from underneath him and shoot to the sky. Mana pours out of the Earth, racing skyward in oceanic torrents, threatening to sweep him up and carry him away, or slam back into the Earth and shatter him as they return home. Except that he's not even moving: everything around him is firm and stable.

The cadence of the women increases in frequency, the thrum growing steadily stronger, matching his racing heartbeat. The tempo increases faster and faster, lighting Smohalla's mind on fire, clouding his mind like the aftereffects of a hyper-realistic dream. Smohalla's breathing shortens and he starts to wonder if he can stay, if - as an astral being - he can even survive the experience, when all of a sudden his flip is complete and his astral self crashes back into place, his head vibrating with the reunion of his senses.

The women are flattened. They look like they've passed out, Hester and Selene facedown on the Earth with Ellie draped over the top. They're breathing hard, like they've been sprinting the entire time. Smohalla picks out the telltale signs of drain in their auras.

Smohalla takes a minute to reconsider his surroundings. The astral atmosphere has changed, there's no question. It's tighter, sharper, and feels like the Sisters. The astral space bears their imprint as surely as if they had cast a spell at the world. But spells slowly fade; this change has been locked in place. And to what effect? The mana is less wild, but does that mean less free or does it mean less crazy? It was chaotic, almost savage before. Now it's contained, maybe even controlled. Smohalla can feel the tension underneath the surface, the vast power waiting for an outlet. Have the Sisters caged the mana here, or have they simply cleaned it up and taught it some manners? The distinction is lost on him for the moment.

The women begin to stir.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla sits quietly, ruminating on his near-life experience.

The things he felt during the ritual are a torrent of sensoria for his mind to parse through.

He feels his head might burst from the size of it.

Yet he is strangely exhilarated by what he just was a part of.

His eyes are far away as the Sisters gather themselves.

Ellie, Hester, Selene.

I thank you for this gift you have given me.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar shrugs and begins walking towards the outer defenses erected by the spirits. "Eh, doesn't matter to me either way."

As he walks off he flips his goggles down over his eyes and grabs the Ruger out of his pack.

[Tecumseh]

Ellesar marches off into the woods with his goggles and giant handgun. The wisdom of carrying a pistol in the woods is somewhat debatable. The lack of range usually puts the wielder at a disadvantage to those with a proper longarm, although the density of the trees can make the field of fire more akin to close quarters combat. Ellesar needs some practice with pistols, but at least he's reasonably sure which direction of it is the business end. (It's the part with the hole in it.) The pistol is surprisingly heavy in his hand. Heavy is good; heavy is reliable: if it doesn't work, you can always throw it.

Ellesar:

[ Spoiler ]

Ellesar begins his patrol, scanning the woods with the thermographic capabilities of the goggles. The night is cold and it is not difficult to distinguish the forest wildlife from the plants and trees. Most of what's out are either birds high in the tree tops or small mammals racing along the ground. No barghests tonight, at least not yet.

Stogie:

[ Spoiler ]

K'wa'iti looks back and forth between Ellesar and Stogie, contemplating. A look crosses his wolf face that Stogie recognizes from Jake. To someone not as familiar with dogs it wouldn't look any different from general ease or maybe gas, but to Stogie it looks like a smug grin. K'wa'iti looks at the arm he's chewing on, then looks to Ellesar, the back at the arm, then to Stogie. He smirks a wolfy smirk. It's disconcerting. He stands and moves to follow Ellesar.

Smohalla:

[ Spoiler ]

Ellie finally pushes herself up off the pile. She walks slowly over to Smohalla, limping slightly. She sits down and crosses her legs with a loud exhale. Reaching up, she wipes her damp bangs off her sweaty forehead. She doesn't say anything to Smohalla for minute; she just sits there and pants. Hester and Selene are moving around a bit, indicating that they're not dead, but they're not going anywhere fast.

[phlapjack77]

Smohalla stays silent.

This moment, seconds after such a sacred event, does not need to be spoiled with speech.

He continues to hold the experience in his mind while the others recuperate.

[phlapjack77]

As he waits Smohalla's mind soars the winds of the past.

The night he was born into this age, this form.

He had risen from the ground, helpless as a newborn while his bones knitted themselves together before the eyes of the onlookers.

This feeling of weakness was all too familiar to him.

Smohalla reaches out a hand to Ellie, and extends another one in the direction of Hester and Selene.

As Ellie joins her hand to his, he begins humming deep in his throat.

No exact tune takes form, the sounds simply rising from his being and finding shape as they may.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar continues his trek through the woods, stopping occasionally to check for any fresh markings or signs of travelers. Surely not all of the teams sent after the sisters would be as obvious as the obnoxious group from earlier so he takes care to not overlook anything. His journey takes him in a wide circle around the campsite. The elf also takes his time to look for good areas where traps would be difficult to detect by passers by. The best offense is a good defense after all.

So focused is he that he doesn't take note of the wolf following for a good few minutes. He turns his head and puts on a slight smile. "I see you did decide to come with me after all. It's a good night for a stroll through the trees."

[pbangarth]

"Well, Jake. Smohalla is off with the Sisters, trekking through whatever magic realm they inhabit. Ellesar is off in the woods, with the Wolf in tow. How about we inspect the fortress? Learn where we might be fighting." Stogie connects with his friend through their mystic bond. Stogie connects to Jake's senses, experiencing the earthworks and passages through them both from his height and Jake's depth.

As they circle the camp, Stogie whistles a few herding commands to Jake, and inside the dog's perceptions, he feels what it's like not just to run over the mounds, but to flow over them.

Hmmm. Look, the Sisters' place. Circle it Jake. Let's learn what we can from the outside.