The Well of Knowledge is an interesting concept, especially since the information it contains is explicitly not necessarily accurate.
[] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
This is probably the best option, as it expands Elys' capabilities even further and doesn't create a single vulnerable location to be targeted. I'm okay with it taking a few months because we still have a lot of actions we can do in the meantime.
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
This is the one I'm most eager for, both because it will increase Warscore and because it might have been long enough for Catharne to gain enough proficiency with shapeshifting to join Elys at school again.
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Remind them of just how useful it could be to the war effort, and that the sooner something is done with it, the lower the chances the Mystic Path will find out about and prepare for it being used against them.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[X] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
Not sure about the next choice...
---[x?] Create a temporary portal, go through it and speak to the members of Cadre 1F, ask them where would be a good place to put a more permanent portal.
sounds like probably the most logical course of action, especially if Elys brings up the other options mentioned here. But,
---[x?] Create a portal to and from Tyrepheum's goblin town.
sounds like the most interesting, and
---[x?] Create a portal to and from the temple of the Forgotten God in Tyrepheum.
sounds like it would be the most safe and reliable, more than anything Cadre 1F would be likely to suggest, unless they were just going to recommend that temple.
Voting against
---[] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals.
though, simply because it would take months. Yes, this would be by far the most useful in the long term, but we have more than enough high-priority short term problems already. We've waited long enough to be reunited with Cadre 1F, who knows what new problems they've accumulated in the months since we met them. Or how much worse their pre-existing problems have gotten. Besides, if we could start doing this now, we can presumably start doing it in the future, when things aren't quite so busy.
Liking Indivisible's suggestions of doing
[X] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[X] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
as long as we're here in the temple. If we can't do any or all of these in addition to the other stuff though, that's fine I guess...
Also... hmm... speaking of Samaya, and Cadre 1F... this Well of Knowledge/Divine Insight seems like it could potentially be good for metagaming? By which I mean, bringing up Green Flame to Samaya.
Alternatively, if we go for the option with the temporary portal to ask Cadre 1F where to stick the permanent one, if we bring Samaya along so they could explain their desired location to her themselves, and Green Flame is there with the students at the time, we could resolve this with dumb luck. The potential metagaming thing would still stand, though.
Think in threes! Think in threeees! Summon knowledge from nowhere, and don't forget to trust it without thinking! That's how gods roll. Just act like a little god and it might be true, soon enough.
[x] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[x] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[x] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
---[x] Ask for her help in hacking a mirror or two to make a mirror network of her own
If we can pick up one of the spare mirrors using Elthonar's mirror (we jaunt through with Samaya to another mirror and she portals us back with mirror in tow) she can probably just bootleg two mirrors (the Tyrpheum mirror too) to only connect to eachother, and cut them off from the mystic path portal network. Seems simpler than enchanting from scratch.
[x] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[x] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[x] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[x] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
I really like both these ideas (quoted so that they're not a real vote)
[x] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[x] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[x] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
---[x] Ask for her help in hacking a mirror or two to make a mirror network of her own
If we can pick up one of the spare mirrors using Elthonar's mirror (we jaunt through with Samaya to another mirror and she portals us back with mirror in tow) she can probably just bootleg two mirrors (the Tyrpheum mirror too) to only connect to eachother, and cut them off from the mystic path portal network. Seems simpler than enchanting from scratch.
[x] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[x] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[x] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[x] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
Bear in mind, Venta is a goblin from Tyrepheum. In Sambia, goblins tend to be treated badly by many people. Elys saved Venta from what could have been a horrible fate at the hands of those bullies who wanted to extract her blood. Therefore, the goblins of Tyrepheum have a good reason to like Elys and agree to keep her portal a secret, especially if they can use it as an escape route (should they ever need to escape in a hurry).
However, it might be wise of Elys to ask them first, instead of just assuming that they'll be okay with it.
Also... hmm... speaking of Samaya, and Cadre 1F... this Well of Knowledge/Divine Insight seems like it could potentially be good for metagaming? By which I mean, bringing up Green Flame to Samaya.
Liking Indivisible's suggestions of doing
[X] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[X] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
as long as we're here in the temple. If we can't do any or all of these in addition to the other stuff though, that's fine I guess...
[x] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[x] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[x] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[x] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
Well, I tend to let people vote for whatever they want to, but I should warn you all that if I can't include what you've voted for in the next update (or the next series of updates, at least), it will probably be disregarded.
Here's the vote tally so far:
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Aug 28, 2021 at 6:07 PM, finished with 6 posts and 2 votes.
[X] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[X] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Remind them of just how useful it could be to the war effort, and that the sooner something is done with it, the lower the chances the Mystic Path will find out about and prepare for it being used against them.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[X] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[X] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
---[x] Ask for her help in hacking a mirror or two to make a mirror network of her own
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[X] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[X] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
"In the beginning, the Fates wanted to know, to understand, and to categorize everything in Creation, and so they created the Well of Knowledge, which exists on a spectral plain adjacent to ours and is constantly being filled and refilled with everything that it is possible to know. Gods and spirits can draw from it if they wish, or they may do so unconsciously, which… well, it can be useful sometimes."
Ah, the gift from the Elder gods, the Fourth Well of Knowledge, giving people ideas they would not otherwise have. The divine equivalent of googling it on the Internet.
[x] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[x] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[x] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
[x] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[x] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[x] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
The dangers of over reliance on the well of knowledge reminds me of a story I heard about shopping for crystal balls for fortune telling.
Upon choosing a crystal ball, the shopkeeper provided a warning. "When you're not using it, always keep it covered with black cloth."
"Because of the spirits?"
"Because if the sun hits it just right, it'll burn your house down."
Seeking even a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, especially when you can't tell if the knowledge is truth or lies.
Well, I tend to let people vote for whatever they want to, but I should warn you all that if I can't include what you've voted for in the next update (or the next series of updates, at least), it will probably be disregarded.
Oh, yeah, I had a feeling. I will leave the vote up, just so this doesn't look weird to an archive viewer.
Actually what's the over-under on hacking an existing enchanted object vs making an entirely new one? How mutable are enchantments, generally? Because if you can just pull it open like a computer and swap out parts of the spell, it seems like it'd be easier to bogart the mystic path's mirrors to make our own mirror network.
Oh, yeah, I had a feeling. I will leave the vote up, just so this doesn't look weird to an archive viewer.
Actually what's the over-under on hacking an existing enchanted object vs making an entirely new one? How mutable are enchantments, generally? Because if you can just pull it open like a computer and swap out parts of the spell, it seems like it'd be easier to bogart the mystic path's mirrors to make our own mirror network.
Keep in mind that:
1. It only works because one of the parts is an entire pocket dimension. And while Nymandor elves or powerful gods like Mishrak can make those, it presumably isn't easy. Otherwise they'd be doing a lot more with pocket dimensions.
2. One of the main reasons we want the mirror portals right now is to use one that is in the hands of the Mystic Path member living in Aspitolm.
3. Samaya and her family can make portals so easily, it's basically free. Them being available and willing to do that is kinda our only limiting factor when it comes to making our own portal network.
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Allow Elys to use it to meet with her friends in Tyrepheum.
-[X] Wait to see how (or if) the Mystic Path react to this.
--[X] Set up an ambush. If the Mystic Path attack Elys, prepare to strike back (with Bellona, Mishrak, Yslena, Gareth, and others).
Keep in mind that:
1. It only works because one of the parts is an entire pocket dimension. And while Nymandor elves or powerful gods like Mishrak can make those, it presumably isn't easy. Otherwise they'd be doing a lot more with pocket dimensions.
2. One of the main reasons we want the mirror portals right now is to use one that is in the hands of the Mystic Path member living in Aspitolm.
3. Samaya and her family can make portals so easily, it's basically free. Them being available and willing to do that is kinda our only limiting factor when it comes to making our own portal network.
Well we do have uncle Mishrak on our side. And, worth noting, we'd be taking one of the derilict mirrors, plus the Sambian mirror, to make the proposed offshoot network, not Elthonar's. 3... you got me there. If we could just get her to make the one portal we'd be made in the shade. I still like my vote, but asking if we can put it in goblintown seems like a good second option.
Hmm... the more I think about it, the more I am liking the
---[X] Create a portal to and from Tyrepheum's goblin town.
option over the alternatives. But, only if they give us permission first. And we should still do
---[X] Create a temporary portal, go through it and speak to the members of Cadre 1F, ask them where would be a good place to put a more permanent portal.
first regardless. Maybe we could suggest goblin town alongside the Forgotten God temple if they don't suggest them first? But it's their city, they know it best, they need the help and they know the dangers. So Cadre 1F's recommendation takes precedence.
Anyway, putting the portal in goblin town provides Elys with both potential allies and even more opportunities for heroism, and provides the goblins with an easy way out of Sambia and into somewhere that would treat them at least somewhat less like shit. And if those two things go particularly well, the goblins could both benefit the War effort with their unique dream-related talents, and be more worshippers for Mishrak (lower than Zora Alishanda of course, and probably also alongside at least a dozen other gods, but more worshippers is always good, especially if they're in areas where he has little influence).
Putting it in the Forgotten God's temple on the other hand, would presumably protect the portal at least as well as the goblins would, but that's about all it would do. Forgotten God goes out of his way to be neutral, and his followers as a whole tend to not really need much help with anything unless there's some particularly nasty Demon Lord plot going on.
Ah, the gift from the Elder gods, the Fourth Well of Knowledge, giving people ideas they would not otherwise have. The divine equivalent of googling it on the Internet.
Actually, the Well of Knowledge in this quest was inspired by Mímisbrunnr (Mimir's well) from Norse mythology. Whoever drank from that well gained great wisdom, but its owner demanded a high price for it: for example, he demanded that Odin give up one of his eyes in exchange for a drink from the well.
If the Fates were still alive and active, they would filter the Well of Knowledge to remove all the lies and misbeliefs from it, leaving nothing but the pure and unadulterated truth. Alternatively, if Vistander or Zanaster gained full control of it, they would turn it into a propaganda machine.
Actually what's the over-under on hacking an existing enchanted object vs making an entirely new one? How mutable are enchantments, generally? Because if you can just pull it open like a computer and swap out parts of the spell, it seems like it'd be easier to bogart the mystic path's mirrors to make our own mirror network.
'Hacking into' enchanted objects can be very dangerous. It would be like taking apart and swapping out parts from a computer that was still plugged into the mains: you'd be risking death or serious injury by electrocuting yourself if you tried it.
Still, it can be done. If School of Sorcery had gone on for long enough for Dorian to start taking Enchantment lessons, he might have been given a bunch of cursed magic items and an assignment in which he had to fix them up properly. (Cursed objects don't work like they should, but this is usually because of incompetence or poor maintenance rather than malice.)
Basically, more powerful and complicated enchantments are more difficult to 'hack into' without causing a catastrophic failure.
Anyway, putting the portal in goblin town provides Elys with both potential allies and even more opportunities for heroism, and provides the goblins with an easy way out of Sambia and into somewhere that would treat them at least somewhat less like shit. And if those two things go particularly well, the goblins could both benefit the War effort with their unique dream-related talents, and be more worshippers for Mishrak (lower than Zora Alishanda of course, and probably also alongside at least a dozen other gods, but more worshippers is always good, especially if they're in areas where he has little influence).
Also, Zora Alishanda and her worshippers in Tyrepheum are likely to play a fairly big part in this quest, what with Jaqari Pruyte's plan to use the 'space gonne' to send a manned mission to the moon and so on.
Putting it in the Forgotten God's temple on the other hand, would presumably protect the portal at least as well as the goblins would, but that's about all it would do. Forgotten God goes out of his way to be neutral, and his followers as a whole tend to not really need much help with anything unless there's some particularly nasty Demon Lord plot going on.
The Forgotten God does seem to have a soft spot for Jana, though, which you might be able to leverage somehow.
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Sep 1, 2021 at 5:39 PM, finished with 16 posts and 7 votes.
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
---[X] Ask for her help in enchanting a magical artefact that would enable Elys to create her own temporary portals. (However, this could take months.)
[X] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate her mother, Yslena, in much the same way that he did to her father, Gareth.
---[X] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Take it to a secure location so that Bellona and Mishrak (and others?) can study it in relative safety.
-[X] Get in touch with Samaya. Tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path. Arrange a meeting.
--[X] At the meeting, ask Samaya to create a portal so that Elys can visit her friends in Tyrepheum.
---[x] Ask for her help in hacking a mirror or two to make a mirror network of her own
[X] Purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. Allow Elys to use it to meet with her friends in Tyrepheum.
-[X] Wait to see how (or if) the Mystic Path react to this.
--[X] Set up an ambush. If the Mystic Path attack Elys, prepare to strike back (with Bellona, Mishrak, Yslena, Gareth, and others).
---[X] Create a portal to and from Tyrepheum's goblin town.
---[X] Create a temporary portal, go through it and speak to the members of Cadre 1F, ask them where would be a good place to put a more permanent portal.
Mishrak will purchase Professor Elthonar's mirror. It will be taken to a secure location so that he, Bellona, and various experts can study it in relative safety. Also, he will get in touch with Samaya, tell her that Elys has information about the Mystic Path, and arrange a meeting.
At the meeting, Elys will ask Samaya for help in enchanting a magical artefact that will enable her to create her own temporary portals. But first, she will ask her to create a temporary portal to Tyrepheum so that she can get in touch with Cadre 1F and talk to them about how things are going...
Is that okay with everyone?
EDIT: Also, I should probably warn you that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is coming out tomorrow. Considering how much I enjoyed playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker, it seems likely that my posting will be even more sporadic than usual for the next... well, I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish it, to be honest.
EDIT: Also, I should probably warn you that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is coming out tomorrow. Considering how much I enjoyed playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker, it seems likely that my posting will be even more sporadic than usual for the next... well, I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish it, to be honest
Also, Zora Alishanda and her worshippers in Tyrepheum are likely to play a fairly big part in this quest, what with Jaqari Pruyte's plan to use the 'space gonne' to send a manned mission to the moon and so on.
EDIT: Also, I should probably warn you that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is coming out tomorrow. Considering how much I enjoyed playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker, it seems likely that my posting will be even more sporadic than usual for the next... well, I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish it, to be honest.
Also, Zora Alishanda and her worshippers in Tyrepheum are likely to play a fairly big part in this quest, what with Jaqari Pruyte's plan to use the 'space gonne' to send a manned mission to the moon and so on.
...on the other hand, as long as we're going to be doing stuff with portal magic, is this cool thing even going to be... necessary? Heck, from Hedge Maze, I'm pretty sure Hurondus had a stable portal to the moon, it's just that no one around knew what it was enough to bother looking into it more closesly before it was too late.
I can't say i was too impressed with Kingmaker, since the character-building options were so incredibly limited, but... at the same time, it's fairly understandable that they wouldn't be able to cram the whole, sheer quantity of official content into a single videogame, so eh. I can't say Kingmaker was bad, just that I didn't like it.
...on the other hand, as long as we're going to be doing stuff with portal magic, is this cool thing even going to be... necessary? Heck, from Hedge Maze, I'm pretty sure Hurondus had a stable portal to the moon, it's just that no one around knew what it was enough to bother looking into it more closesly before it was too late.
I can't say i was too impressed with Kingmaker, since the character-building options were so incredibly limited, but... at the same time, it's fairly understandable that they wouldn't be able to cram the whole, sheer quantity of official content into a single videogame, so eh. I can't say Kingmaker was bad, just that I didn't like it.
Goodness, that they're able to cram a portion of pathfinder character creation content into a game is radical enough - I have only dipped my toes in those waters, but they've got oodles of options beyond what one could expect or really even use.
I can't say i was too impressed with Kingmaker, since the character-building options were so incredibly limited, but... at the same time, it's fairly understandable that they wouldn't be able to cram the whole, sheer quantity of official content into a single videogame, so eh. I can't say Kingmaker was bad, just that I didn't like it.
It just goes to show that different people have different tastes. I know and accept that it has its flaws, but Pathfinder: Kingmaker is still one of my favourite games.
Goodness, that they're able to cram a portion of pathfinder character creation content into a game is radical enough - I have only dipped my toes in those waters, but they've got oodles of options beyond what one could expect or really even use.
The next month, your birthday passes as it usually does: your parents give you several new sets of clothes and some new shoes. They give Jana a very similar set of gifts – because she isn't entirely sure when she was born and therefore tends to celebrate her birthday on the same day as yours – except that hers are plainer and more practical-looking, which she appreciates. Also, they arrange for you to enjoy an evening meal together, as a family, in one of the finest restaurants in Veraciens.
Regretfully, Mishrak informs you that, "I was unable to arrange a meeting with Madam Samaya before next week."
"That's fine. I'll see her next week, then," you say, giving a careless shrug. "What about the mirror? Were you able to buy it?"
"Yes. Because he had no surviving family, Professor Elthonar bequeathed almost everything he owned to the Engelram Academy. They're not entirely sure that he's dead, so they've put most of his belongings in storage. Even so, they were willing and eager to hand over the mirror to me in exchange for a large sum of money."
"When you say 'they', who do you mean?" you ask, considering the implications of what Mishrak just said. Does the Mystic Path have agents or allies in the Engelram Academy? Were they expecting someone to approach them and make an offer for the magic mirror? Or did greed overwhelm any qualms they might have had about selling off Professor Elthonar's possessions while he's only 'missing' and not 'confirmed dead'?
"The headmaster and some of the senior administrative staff," says Mishrak.
You briefly consider the possibility that the headmaster of your school is one of the Mystic Path's minions, just like Elthonar was. Or maybe they've got their hooks into him some other way, somehow.
"I suppose I'll have to be careful," you mutter to yourself.
"That's almost always good advice," Mishrak agrees.
A week later, in the evening, you and Jana go to the undersea palace for your meeting with Madam Samaya. Once again, you're flouting school rules by leaving without asking permission, but by now you've done it so often that it doesn't seem worth worrying about.
Mishrak is with you, in his tiny dragon form, perched on your shoulder. He wants to support you, but not to overshadow you: the notebook was your discovery, you're the one who decoded Professor Elthonar's secret diary, so you should be the one to explain it to Samaya and get credit for it, he says.
When you enter the room set aside for your meeting, you are slightly surprised to find that Samaya is not alone. There is a man with her. He looks very much like her. The family resemblance is unmistakeable: they have the same dull brown hair, blandly unmemorable faces, and… well, pretty much everything about their physical appearance is so boringly average that they would be almost guaranteed to instantly vanish into a crowd, at least if they were in Quellonia or any of the nations surrounding it. You feel as if you might forget what they look like if you glanced away from them for even a moment.
"Good evening, Elys," says Samaya, giving you a nod. "I hope you are well."
"I'm fine. This is my best friend, my sister, and my handmaiden, Jana," you say, linking arms with her.
"I'm actually three people in one body," Jana says jokingly. "Nice to meet you."
"This is my brother, Raef," says Samaya, introducing the man next to her, who looks so very similar to her. "I lost touch with him – with all of my family – for a long time, but now we've found each other again."
"I'm happy for you," you say, smiling at them.
"Yes, well…" Samaya takes a deep breath. "Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way, shall we get down to business? I was told that you had discovered new information about the Mystic Path and were willing to share it. I am eager to hear whatever you have to tell me."
"A little rude, don't you think?" Raef observes, looking amused. "I don't remember your being this brusque, Samaya." He says her name with a faint edge of mockery, as if he finds it funny.
"Much has happened," says Samaya, sounding utterly weary. "If I am no longer the woman you knew so many years ago, it is because of what I have seen and experienced. I am the product of my experiences."
"Just like everyone else," says Jana, in a helpful tone.
Samaya nods at that. "Exactly."
You explain how you found that Professor Elthonar had been killed by a shapeshifting monster, how you were then sucked through a portal into another world, and how you found a notebook filled with encrypted writing in amongst the wreckage of his office.
"I managed to crack the code. It wasn't difficult," you say. Then, you quickly summarize the contents of Professor Elthonar's confessional for Samaya's and Raef's benefit. All the while, they listen attentively.
At last, when you have finished, Samaya says, with a nod to the tiny dragon on your shoulder, "Mishrak… how much have you told Elys about who I am? Does she know how and when I first met you?"
"No," says Mishrak. "You asked me to keep your secrets. And I did."
"I am pleased that you have proved trustworthy," says Samaya. "That's a rarity."
"I don't really know who you are, other than what you've told me," you admit. "Why is it important?"
Samaya stares at you for long enough to make you uncomfortable. "I assume you want something from me," she says. "That is why you arranged this meeting, yes?"
"Your portals are very useful," you say. "And... I don't have access to Professor Elthonar's mirror anymore, but I made some friends in Tyrepheum while I was there, before Mishrak brought me back home, and I'd like to visit them again."
She nods. "I suppose I could open a portal for you."
"Could you open a temporary portal at first, so I can go back and talk to them, and then…?" You hesitate, take a deep breath, and continue, "Actually, I thought that maybe I could make an enchanted object, sort-of like that magic mirror. If I had my own mirror, or something else, with which I could open my own temporary portals, I wouldn't need to keep bothering you."
"Do you have any skill in enchanting?" asks Raef. "Or portal magic?"
You shake your head. "No."
Samaya looks dubious. "You want us to create a very powerful magic artefact for you, is that it? Something almost unique, that no one else could make for you, and which…" It seems as if she was about to say something else, but she restrains herself mid-sentence and comes to an awkward halt.
"Why would we agree to this? And what would you give us in exchange?" asks Raef, in a carefully neutral tone of voice.
"I could give you a vast amount of money," says Mishrak. "Name your price."
"We have little need for money," says Samaya, carelessly shrugging her shoulders. "You can't give me what I truly want."
"And what is it that you truly want?" you ask.
"I want my family back. All of my brothers and sisters, like we were before," says Samaya. "Can you give me that?"
"Well, I could–"
You hastily clamp your hand over Mishrak's mouth before he can suggest cloning her dead relatives: you suspect that might cause Samaya and her brother to take offense.
What will you say instead?
[] Write in.
I leave it up to each of you to decide how much you're going to metagame in this situation.
Good job, Elys, on stopping the cloning talk.
I'm quite unsure where to go from here. Samaya's words imply to me a willingness to evil necromancy, as she much otherwise know that her demands are unachievable.
An offer of friendship is not a return of lost family, but that's the closest I've got.
A very solid update as always, loved the "That is almost always good advice" line, very amusing XD
RL is kind of a nightmare right now, so I'm unsure I have the where with all for a good write in though, sorry I'll have to leave this in other hands ><
