Session 93: Animaesus and Tarrasques: 'The Skinquilt Hug and Cuddle'
General Summary
They rest, and settle some gear and treasure from Anton's Tower and passing. During the second watch of the night, when Tenebris is on duty, Mel comes to say goodbye to him, and then slips away to go back to the City of Salt. Her Undercity needs her. Her own mistress demands the Lady's attention; Mel has a promise to uphold. She promises to keep Tenebris alive, adn hoes that "Those who follow death, follow your steps." It is here Tenebris realizes she is worshipping an elder goddess of death and magic, Wee Jas. Before she leaves, Birdman's skinquilt reaches out to hug her and say goodbye while the elf sleeps.
The next rest goes by, and they discuss just outside the City of Salt what they need to do: Amu, Birdman, Tenebris, Kaly, Pio, and Tenebris' three similacra, followers. Birdman has been involved with some heavy moves, with Pocket being lead to from the Paladin, the balck dragon. He does not want others to worry, though.
Amu knows how they can travel north, to find Vear, after the scrying from the day before. He can use the remaining roots of the ancient tree from underneath the 10th House Tower, or what's left of it. He has neglected the root, and the ancient life may not withstand another teleport.
Yet the land is mutated. A squirrel comes up, and the skinquilt eats eat, Birdman's raiment. Thus, they decide to return to the 10th House, and take what's left of the tree to teleport them forward. Under the 10th House, lead by Pio, they find the last root. Amu puts his hand on the tree root, and Birdman's raiment hugs it as they travel through the opening. Amu says solemnly, "The City corrupts all in the end." And Birdman states, "Plants can cry." They arrive in the Moustelin forests, a place Amu has not been in over eight years. However, Birdman is able to quickly discern that they are still three days away from the Cynas City, The Magnificient Celebration. However, with some mental attribution and description, Tenebris is able to angle a conjuration, a teleportation to be just outside the main bridge into the Cynas City. They cross the bridge, and the dogs begin to bark.
The guards meet them, and the crew order the guards to explain to them about Vear's presence, and the guards do not know. However, they, on threat of death by them or something much worse, soon bark into the city. Yes, Vear came into the city, some druidic magic to one of the trees. He arranged a carriage, the Binder-Lord of the 8th House of the City of Salt, and Vear, the cynas priest and bard, and he has arranged a meeting with both the Walkers and some dwarves from the north. They discuss the ideology of the Walkers, the leadership and order the provide for the Lands of the Animaesus. Pio does not believe the Paleskin should know, but they try to explain to other non-Animaesus as best as they can.
THus, they follow suit, but traveling slower, and being around so many trading routes, it is nearly impossible to follow the trail. For anyone other than Birdman. This trail flows with his mind and skills, and he leads the crew to the ferry to cross north, they should have known, into the dwarven lands. They travel for most of the day, and after crossing over the ferry at five silver per person, they must rest. However, with Birdman's elven heritage, he can stay up longer, and he decides to lead the scouting venture ahead. They must catch up: Vear and his followers are still a day and half or so ahead of them. They get out the magic carpet from Anton's treasure, and they are able to rest, those that need, for another 8 hours before they must stop truly, well, for Birdman and the other similacra find a camp uphead, about three hours into this trek. They find a group of dwarves, a camp for them, and with them, Birdman recognizes the 8th House Sigils. He gets closer, and this is watery and riverwild area, so he must swim a bit to cross to this segment of land. Along the way, he notices a larger beast hiding in the water to the north of the dwarven camp. He swims closer to the creature instead of the camp. He finds a baby tarrasque, scared and lost. He now looks back to the camp and the fire light changes with a flying patrol, the Walkers. He sees they have harvested three other tarrasque carcasses and now they are working on a fourth. It is about 11 pm by this point. He is tired, but this creature is lost just like a little bear; its family destroyed, its energy and being more akin to the natural order than that of a monstrosity.
Thus he leads the creature back to the others, the carpet, and the simulacra waiting for his scout and report. Tenebris waits, too, but with the subtle stomping of the baby tarrasque, Amu and Pio awake. Kaly somehow sleeps soundly. Birdman explains the situation, and Amu is aghast, with Tenebris being generaly contrary and indifferent as usual. The elf does summon a cat with his magic cattaracas, and giant one the size of the house, and it curls around him. The long rest begins, and he will stay there for at least an hour covered in the Lord of Cats fur. Even still, the tarrasque even sits blankly for a few moments, ignoring the others but Birdman, and then it sits next to Birdman, and the baby tarrasque uses him like a pillow.
Amu tries to get the party oriented back to their target, Vear, but the distraction of the cat, let alone the idea that we have a naturally grown, not created, tarrasque here, with others that have been slain--the implications are daunting. Nature should be the judge, but others have tampered with so much, the 12th House lord, the drow and their partnership with the 5th House, the undead, the many clones of tarrasques--how was this one made? Are there others? Will they procreate to eventually take control of the lands? If this is true, only the rise of the gods, Amu claims, could stop it. The Birdman's raiment, what he has started to call his Skinquilt, now hugs and cuddles with the baby tarrasque.
Tenebris, after this, goes to his damaged simulacrum, and he takes of its rise, its change, and he makes it happen, polymorphing it into a version of his own being, a newly created Shadarkai elf and follower.
At this, Kaly awakes, and she rises, still sitting, from her bed roll. Her eyes are wide, and the clocks within whirl with anticipation. Then she speaks, but it is not her voice. "Protocol Activated: Sending Now". The camp sits in silence, and wait, but nothing yet.
The next rest goes by, and they discuss just outside the City of Salt what they need to do: Amu, Birdman, Tenebris, Kaly, Pio, and Tenebris' three similacra, followers. Birdman has been involved with some heavy moves, with Pocket being lead to from the Paladin, the balck dragon. He does not want others to worry, though.
Amu knows how they can travel north, to find Vear, after the scrying from the day before. He can use the remaining roots of the ancient tree from underneath the 10th House Tower, or what's left of it. He has neglected the root, and the ancient life may not withstand another teleport.
Yet the land is mutated. A squirrel comes up, and the skinquilt eats eat, Birdman's raiment. Thus, they decide to return to the 10th House, and take what's left of the tree to teleport them forward. Under the 10th House, lead by Pio, they find the last root. Amu puts his hand on the tree root, and Birdman's raiment hugs it as they travel through the opening. Amu says solemnly, "The City corrupts all in the end." And Birdman states, "Plants can cry." They arrive in the Moustelin forests, a place Amu has not been in over eight years. However, Birdman is able to quickly discern that they are still three days away from the Cynas City, The Magnificient Celebration. However, with some mental attribution and description, Tenebris is able to angle a conjuration, a teleportation to be just outside the main bridge into the Cynas City. They cross the bridge, and the dogs begin to bark.
The guards meet them, and the crew order the guards to explain to them about Vear's presence, and the guards do not know. However, they, on threat of death by them or something much worse, soon bark into the city. Yes, Vear came into the city, some druidic magic to one of the trees. He arranged a carriage, the Binder-Lord of the 8th House of the City of Salt, and Vear, the cynas priest and bard, and he has arranged a meeting with both the Walkers and some dwarves from the north. They discuss the ideology of the Walkers, the leadership and order the provide for the Lands of the Animaesus. Pio does not believe the Paleskin should know, but they try to explain to other non-Animaesus as best as they can.
THus, they follow suit, but traveling slower, and being around so many trading routes, it is nearly impossible to follow the trail. For anyone other than Birdman. This trail flows with his mind and skills, and he leads the crew to the ferry to cross north, they should have known, into the dwarven lands. They travel for most of the day, and after crossing over the ferry at five silver per person, they must rest. However, with Birdman's elven heritage, he can stay up longer, and he decides to lead the scouting venture ahead. They must catch up: Vear and his followers are still a day and half or so ahead of them. They get out the magic carpet from Anton's treasure, and they are able to rest, those that need, for another 8 hours before they must stop truly, well, for Birdman and the other similacra find a camp uphead, about three hours into this trek. They find a group of dwarves, a camp for them, and with them, Birdman recognizes the 8th House Sigils. He gets closer, and this is watery and riverwild area, so he must swim a bit to cross to this segment of land. Along the way, he notices a larger beast hiding in the water to the north of the dwarven camp. He swims closer to the creature instead of the camp. He finds a baby tarrasque, scared and lost. He now looks back to the camp and the fire light changes with a flying patrol, the Walkers. He sees they have harvested three other tarrasque carcasses and now they are working on a fourth. It is about 11 pm by this point. He is tired, but this creature is lost just like a little bear; its family destroyed, its energy and being more akin to the natural order than that of a monstrosity.
Thus he leads the creature back to the others, the carpet, and the simulacra waiting for his scout and report. Tenebris waits, too, but with the subtle stomping of the baby tarrasque, Amu and Pio awake. Kaly somehow sleeps soundly. Birdman explains the situation, and Amu is aghast, with Tenebris being generaly contrary and indifferent as usual. The elf does summon a cat with his magic cattaracas, and giant one the size of the house, and it curls around him. The long rest begins, and he will stay there for at least an hour covered in the Lord of Cats fur. Even still, the tarrasque even sits blankly for a few moments, ignoring the others but Birdman, and then it sits next to Birdman, and the baby tarrasque uses him like a pillow.
Amu tries to get the party oriented back to their target, Vear, but the distraction of the cat, let alone the idea that we have a naturally grown, not created, tarrasque here, with others that have been slain--the implications are daunting. Nature should be the judge, but others have tampered with so much, the 12th House lord, the drow and their partnership with the 5th House, the undead, the many clones of tarrasques--how was this one made? Are there others? Will they procreate to eventually take control of the lands? If this is true, only the rise of the gods, Amu claims, could stop it. The Birdman's raiment, what he has started to call his Skinquilt, now hugs and cuddles with the baby tarrasque.
Tenebris, after this, goes to his damaged simulacrum, and he takes of its rise, its change, and he makes it happen, polymorphing it into a version of his own being, a newly created Shadarkai elf and follower.
At this, Kaly awakes, and she rises, still sitting, from her bed roll. Her eyes are wide, and the clocks within whirl with anticipation. Then she speaks, but it is not her voice. "Protocol Activated: Sending Now". The camp sits in silence, and wait, but nothing yet.
Report Date
15 Feb 2025
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Plots
Comments