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[2K.110] 42 Drexor 17132, in the Sunshine Valley
We were in the gracknel, with Monturan leading us, with many stops on the way as he got distracted by the gracknel and work to do. Sometimes we saw patterns arising in the wood to the surface with a kind of nearby voice, which always distracted Monturan. When he noticed us, the patterns retreated. When Eevolertu asked, Monturan said that they were speaking. He didn't seem to know a direct route. Eventually we got lower and lower, and when we got to the middle, we were under ground. It was also much warmer, with a lot of steam. There were some huge (person-sized) green leaves tightly together, almost like a huge flower of leaves, with steam coming out of the top. Monturan asked the two keepers there where the guards were, and they said that the guards were guarding a larger one, since they didn't expect (whatever-it-was) to happen with this one.
We got to an armored guard. She shook her head, indicating we shouldn't go this way. Monturan was surprised, then took us another direction. We came across a pile of obsidian brick-like stones, and it turned out they're some sort of unwanted by-product of gracknel activity on this level. Apparently the gracknel can't talk as well at this level, it gets muddled, perhaps due to the heat.
There was a gap we could look down into a pool of bubbling orange, lava-like stuff, with roots and pipes all around it.
We soon came across the Ovahon, speaking Elix with an Ovahon accent, about something very technical that made little sense to me. The Ovahon had a tuft of yellow hair, and was wearing a floral vest over a bright shirt and colorful pants with some kind of optical illusion. The Ovahon's ears went up, unlike I'd ever seen Chloe's do. It smiled, and it was a bit odd. It came towards us, talking a whole lot. Much conversation ensued. Monturan left at some point.
The Ovahon's name is Darren the keeper. There was a lot of talk and more talk. We talked about the winter coming and maybe cracking the gracknel. And the things that came with this strange winter, including a huge meat monster that was very powerful. When the Ovahon and two Elix heard about this, they all put their hands on the roots nearby, and patterns seemed to ripple inside. Darren said that Esloonharan, the tree, doesn't think that anything can come here, because the cold couldn't come into this area. In the course of talk, we heard about how the gracknel was taking people apart to make new people, with some blood going into her roots, which wasn't good for her, that he thought she was lonely. I nudged the others, pointing out that getting the gracknel attached to the network of trees and other shrines would make her less lonely.
More talk, then Darren was taking us up to the entrance, which is where people gather for dinner. Darren pointed things out on the way. We seemed to take a more direct route, too.
We went outside, into the mix of forest and roots outside the entrance. We talked. I pointed out that it seemed the only way to get through to the keepers is to focus on the needs of the gracknel; they may say they care about other places, but actually seem to follow through. We talked more about the tree, connecting to the shrine of the Father and/or the gracknel, plus the challenge of not having a blessed of the Father here to connect the shrines. Also the problem of when the storm might arrive. And where a tree shrine could be planted outside the valley but near the shrine. If the storm arrives tomorrow, can we get permission to plant it in time? Will it have enough time to grow? Will the storm stop in a reasonable amount of time?
More talking about plans and possibilities, to be able to present a coherent plan. Marguerite wanted to go to the shrine to check that it wanted the new shrine nearby. I wanted to go with her to think about not having a blessed of the Father to help with a linking ritual. The others were going to go talk to the villagers to gather support, and Chloe to consider maps and such. I knew I wouldn't be so good at that, talking with other people.
We got to an armored guard. She shook her head, indicating we shouldn't go this way. Monturan was surprised, then took us another direction. We came across a pile of obsidian brick-like stones, and it turned out they're some sort of unwanted by-product of gracknel activity on this level. Apparently the gracknel can't talk as well at this level, it gets muddled, perhaps due to the heat.
There was a gap we could look down into a pool of bubbling orange, lava-like stuff, with roots and pipes all around it.
We soon came across the Ovahon, speaking Elix with an Ovahon accent, about something very technical that made little sense to me. The Ovahon had a tuft of yellow hair, and was wearing a floral vest over a bright shirt and colorful pants with some kind of optical illusion. The Ovahon's ears went up, unlike I'd ever seen Chloe's do. It smiled, and it was a bit odd. It came towards us, talking a whole lot. Much conversation ensued. Monturan left at some point.
The Ovahon's name is Darren the keeper. There was a lot of talk and more talk. We talked about the winter coming and maybe cracking the gracknel. And the things that came with this strange winter, including a huge meat monster that was very powerful. When the Ovahon and two Elix heard about this, they all put their hands on the roots nearby, and patterns seemed to ripple inside. Darren said that Esloonharan, the tree, doesn't think that anything can come here, because the cold couldn't come into this area. In the course of talk, we heard about how the gracknel was taking people apart to make new people, with some blood going into her roots, which wasn't good for her, that he thought she was lonely. I nudged the others, pointing out that getting the gracknel attached to the network of trees and other shrines would make her less lonely.
More talk, then Darren was taking us up to the entrance, which is where people gather for dinner. Darren pointed things out on the way. We seemed to take a more direct route, too.
We went outside, into the mix of forest and roots outside the entrance. We talked. I pointed out that it seemed the only way to get through to the keepers is to focus on the needs of the gracknel; they may say they care about other places, but actually seem to follow through. We talked more about the tree, connecting to the shrine of the Father and/or the gracknel, plus the challenge of not having a blessed of the Father here to connect the shrines. Also the problem of when the storm might arrive. And where a tree shrine could be planted outside the valley but near the shrine. If the storm arrives tomorrow, can we get permission to plant it in time? Will it have enough time to grow? Will the storm stop in a reasonable amount of time?
More talking about plans and possibilities, to be able to present a coherent plan. Marguerite wanted to go to the shrine to check that it wanted the new shrine nearby. I wanted to go with her to think about not having a blessed of the Father to help with a linking ritual. The others were going to go talk to the villagers to gather support, and Chloe to consider maps and such. I knew I wouldn't be so good at that, talking with other people.