The Sundered Way

[spiderwrangler]

((Yes, he's obviously squinting in the bright light, and seems improved by the shade, though it's a bit puzzling why he doesn't like the sun, it feels so good on your leaves.))

[Theis2]

Holger gently pats the tree to acknowledge it's happiness to be with his "family" and is very relieved that the crying gnome is distracting the tree. He gives Randy an incredulous look as he continues his rebutal, mostly to buy himself a bit of time running through a couple of scenarios in his head..

"My grandchild? When did Ulmwin put you up to this? Besides, it seems more likely it would be yours, with that stick of yours that hasn't seen the sun in years.."

Holger briefly appears as if continuing to say something but interrupts himself putting a fist in front of his mouth in thought for a moment and recast minor illusion.

"So this young sapling is from the tree I created from Maji's stick? I.. That's.."

Holger pauses for a moment, a rare time where he's actually lost for words rather than disinterested in the conversation.

"I guess I should be happy it took up the family business of killing monsters."

[Arch Lich Burns]

Zokk turns their ...head? twoards Holger and Randy, still providing Gordon shade. "Iiiiis hoooow yooooouuu tryyyy groooow plaaaants? Thaaaaat wiiiill noooot wooork."

Zokk pauses and thinks a bit. "I wiiilll kiiilll mooonsteeers iiiif neeeedeeed. Paaaareeent waaanteeed theeem goooneee soooo I deeeroooteeed theeeem."

[spiderwrangler]

Anders and the Commander join Randy and the other guards on the steps, taking in the scene.

The Commander clears his throat and steps forward, clearly seeing that he needs to say something to the gathered crowd.

He raises his arms before speaking in a carrying voice.

"My fellow Galistrians! A grave threat faced our city this past day, but by the efforts of the Galistrian Guard and these visitors to our city,", he gestures to Randy, Dornikal and Zokk.

"That threat has been ended. I need to speak to these gentlemen who helped to preserve our safety, but before I do, our victory was not without great loss. Lives were lost, both among the Guard and among... does your company have a name?", he whispers as an aside to Randy, who is the only one close enough.

((Well, Lurks would be the one who gets a chance to give you guys an official name, but I think he's out of contact for a bit... so if you guys come up with something, you can agree on, we can insert that here... but take any discussion to OOC.))

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Burns

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I'm kind of figuring you're already thinking this, but Zokk is able to do minor alterations to his structure, shifting branches around you could form a little seat for Gordon to ride on and be shaded from the bright sun, for example. Not as extreme as Goblinslayer being able to make bows and arrows from his wood arm, but I think it can add fun flavor in and some minor utility.

[thinkslogically]

"Tess, you were not around for the entire sewers fight. Is everything all right? Anything strange happen in the city with you?" He is not trying to pry, truly concerned that nothing happened to keep her from the others.

Nem gives Coljin a hug, happy to see him ok.
"I'm fine love, I'll tell you about it all later."

She'll happily stay at the edge of the crowd but move round the side. She wasn't involved in the fighting after all anyway and prefers to draw less attention.

She will watch the crowd when Anders starts talking, in case anyone looks particularly pissed that the seat monsters have been dealt with.

Insight: 1D20+2 = [14]+2 = 16
((perception is +4)

[Arch Lich Burns]

Zokk waves at the people as they are being addressed.

Spider

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I actually didn’t think of that. That would be cool! What would the limits be on it though?

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal tries to look stern but friendly.

[spiderwrangler]

Tess doesn't spot anyone that looks upset that the threat the Commander (not Anders) mentioned has been dealt with. There are plenty of folks that look varying combinations of worried, relieved and confused, however.

((Are seat monsters a particular breed of mimic? ))

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Buuurns?

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I actually didn’t think of that. That would be cool! What would the limits be on it though?

I guess as I see it, if what you are doing is all or nearly all flavor, then it'll pretty much always be good by me. For example, when you shaded Gordon, you wouldn't need to move where you are standing, you could just re-position your branches and canopy to shade him. If you are entering a building, you could have those same branches lie closer to your body, almost like a cape to keep from bumping the ceiling or the like.

Changing your form to produce items would be past the line (eg, growing bow and arrow like GS), and you wouldn't be able to change your dimensions drastically. While you could alter your form to more easily or allow one of the gnomes to ride, you wouldn't be able to split open and give them a hollow to hide within if they are fleeing the law.

If you have anything particular in mind, you can always run it by me! Mostly thinking cool flavor and a touch of utility, so anything major I'd probably take a pass on, or perhaps require it to take some sort of time/resource.

[Rodgeir]

((Probably some of the more terrifying mimics I would guess, especially the dreaded bathroom seat mimic.))

[spiderwrangler]

"Among the Guard and [??????]. I must speak to our visitors who aided us in this fight, but if we can have a moment of quiet thanks for those who gave their lives to protect all of ours, I think they have earned it.", the Commander finishes, gesturing Randy, Dornikal and their companions to follow him inside.

[BadgeAddict]

Eased from the horrific glare of the sun and helped back to his feet by the friendly tree. Gordon for the first actually looks around at his surrounding and finding himself surrounded by a collection of colorful humans ranging in many shapes and sizes. He suddenly feels very very small in this world that he finds himself in and very very alone.

Gordon appears to shrink into himself, as if trying to no longer be where he is.

[NotStickFigures]

"Oh, we should get up there Tess. They might have questions about what all happened in the sewers. And you should come too, if nothing else, you'll hear the full story then!"
Coljin will work on getting himself up to where Anders is.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal follows solemnly in.

[spiderwrangler]

((If Coljin and Tess has worked around the edge of the crowd it'd be easy enough if they want, and Randy and the others can vouch for them.))

[Arch Lich Burns]

Zokk looks at the guard, Gordon and Randy, not sure if the guard means them or not. They gently pat Gordon and makes a small wood protector for him (basically an umbrella but with leaves)

[spiderwrangler]

Randy gestures for Zokk to join them , "Are able to... take up less space?"

The treefolk is able to adjust their branches to provided a shaded nook for Gordon to occupy.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Zokk thinks about it and tries to move his branches in a way to be a bit less thicc but have those branches move above the human’s heads, several bending to squeeze through the door, trying to move branches in a way as to not scrape the celing but they would be just below it. (Not sure if that would expose some of their structure or not.)

[thinkslogically]

Yup, Nem will follow the others inside.

[spiderwrangler]

((Not sure what you mean by exposing their structure, but your bark isn't splitting open or anything, and you're able to fold your canopy down enough to enter the building without running into walls or ceilings.))

The Commander and Anders lead the party past the reception area (Tess's 'friend' isn't on duty), into a large conference room, with there stands a large oak table and chairs around it. There is a small chest and some empty mugs and a pitcher of water on the table as he gestures for you to sit.

The Commander addresses you.

"CL Anders speaks highly of your abilities and willingness to risk yourselves to protect the people of this city. Although, I suppose that a trans-planar incursion would have soon become the problem of more than just Galistri if left unchecked. Either way, you have my thanks. It appears that the creatures had been venturing to sea as well, there were some items recovered that looked as though they'd been dredged up from wrecked ships that had been underwater quite a while, the Serenity Guild consultant we brought on identified that large tentacled creature as a "chuul", apparently they can smell magic or something. Anyway... I just wanted to thank you, and say that I appreciate what you did for this city, regardless of what... first impressions... you may have had.", he glances towards Holger and Dornikal.

"At CL Anders' recommendation, I'm issuing those of you who helped seal the rift hazard pay as if you had been a conscripted member of the guard, in the sum of two month's wages." He gestures for Anders, who hands everyone but Gordon and Tess a pouch that clinks with coin from the chest, pausing before handing one to Zokk.

"I don't mean to presume, but are you familiar with coin? You can use it to purchase things you want or need... It is a thank you for, ah... uprooting those creatures.", Anders glances at Randy, as if asking whether the tree will be able to make use of coin.

The Commander speaks up again, "We have all lost people this past day as well. When guards are killed in the course of duty, we do what we can to take care of their families. Would you be able to see that the dragonborn's family receives this?"

Anders places a larger clinking bag on the table.

((Gordon, these humans talk a lot of words, but none of it make's sense. It's just as well that they don't hand you anything, those pouches look heavy to have to hold onto in your current state, but at least you have a reasonably comfortable and snug spot with the tree, and don't have to put forth the effort to stand up.))

[thinkslogically]

((Nem would be at the far end of the table, directly opposite Anders. She'll be turning on the dancer-charm Also, what time is it?))

"Good afternoon love. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. I'm sorry for your losses today, and we will make sure that Maji's family receives their dues.

I'm curious if such an offer would also have been made to the family of a young mage woman who was murdered in the city a few months ago?"

Persuasion: 1D20+2 = [6]+2 = 8

Using the necklace:
Persuasion: 1D20+2 = [14]+2 = 16

((Seems Kreldoran never answered Coljin when he asked what Kreldoran's associate was called... LINK))

[spiderwrangler]

((Huh, I know she had a name, started with a D...))

((Found it! My Thursdays start at 4:45am though, so I'll have to respond tomorrow!))

"Thank you. We'll do our best to find your item and your friend."

"I'm grateful... While I hope yeh find Denaria well, I don't have much hope."

[Arch Lich Burns]

Zokk goes over to the oak table and pets it, making a chirping noise to try to talk to it (It is most likely inert like the staff but they will try anyways). Zokk looks at Randy and Holger to see what he does when the commander gestures twoards the seats. Assuming Randy or Holger sits, Zokk does as well and probably promptly breaks the poor chair (several hundred pounds of weight).

”Oooh noooooo. Diiiid I kiiiiill iiiit?” Zokk looks a bit worried over the chair and tries to frantically put it back together. ”Cooome ooon liittleee oooneee liiveee!”

Most of the conversation goes above thier head, Zokk hears it but cannot make out some of the words and for most of the conversation he tries to fix the ‘dead’ chair.

Once coin is given to them, they look more interested in the pouch, exploring it with branches and feeling around the pouch. They pull out a few coins and start inspecting the coin and playing with some. ”Hmmmm. Raaaandy saaaid I neeedeeed ‘cloootheees’ Hooow dooo I maaake cloothees ooout ooof thiiis?” Zokk looks at Holger. ”Raaandy aaaand graaaandpaaareeent caan shooow meeee hoooow.”



(Maji considered at least some of you guys as family, espessially Tess, Coljin, and Randy and maybe baby Ulmwin, but I guess tracking down his real family could be a quest.)


Spider

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I mean the template the tree used to make Zokk able to move around of the skeletal sort.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

"These are called coins, Zokk. You can trade them for different things. Some metals will get you more than others. Gold gets you a lot, silver a bit less, copper gets the least."

[Rodgeir]

"It was meh pleasure to be of service."

Dornikal accepts the coins with a nod and listens attentively as Tess asks about the lost wizard's apprentice.

[Theis2]

Holger will let the others go in before him, he smiles to the crowd and points to the wall above the door before waving his arms in big arcane gestures as he cast silent image to create his face tattoo growing on the wall, starting from the center. Flowers in all colours will grow out of it and start blooming. Moments later all of it starts dissolving in colourful crystals that floats upwards to disappear leaving nothing behind on the wall as he does half bow and enters with the rest. At the end he'll illusion his teeth back so he can open his mouth again.

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Holger smiles as he curiously look at the commander to try get a read on him. But those clinking pouches and fame is so, so distracting! He nods a thanks when he receives the pouch and looks over to Zokk when he receives his and nods a "go on". When Tess asks the hard questions, Holger just looks curiously at the commanders reaction, smile fading somewhat.

Holger insight: 1D20+3 = [6]+3 = 9