I Dream of Djinn (Part 2)

Randolf's eyes get wide as the thundering sound finally fades into view. "Beards o' me fathers!" he gasps, taking a step back. He glances at Mekusmen, then back to the onrushing herd. He lifts his wand and makes a quick twiddle. "Re ex re arcanos sofios!" His eyes flare with bright blue light briefly, granting him sight beyond sight--or at the very least, sensitivity to magical emanations.

Randolf says, "... ohh piss up my -arse- THOSE ARE REAL BISON!!"

"Okay! That good to know." Paenitia calls back, keeping her bow ready, "I can not see them, I can not see the leader. I have not work with the great herds before. They sound much bigger than the goats."

"Give me the idea what to do."

The rumble of hooves is getting louder and more clear with each passing moment. It is not a happy sound. It is the sound of a river drawn away from its course and flooding the plains. It is the sound of disaster rushing forth unchecked. A sound that your primordial brain understands as danger.

GAME: Randolf casts Haste. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17

Randolf hunkers down with a scowl, gripping his wand tightly. Fortunately, he can see just fine. He whips his wand out. "Re ex re zos allegros! HAH!" He makes a broad sweep, indicating his comrades. All of them get ghostly images of clocks speeding up around them before vanishing. "Let 'em run! Just try an' keep ahead of 'em!" he calls, already hoofing his tubby rear to get out of the way.

GAME: MAC-B1G casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 10 DC: 13

"This unit is not equipped to-" the construct begins to respond to Randolf's first directive when a second is uttered. "Acknowledged." It is ahead of the herd, so it shall allow them to run. It will, however, also attempt to divert their path from the other taskforce units. Lights blink and gears whirl as plating shifts, extends, re-allocates. This is followed by its limbs telescoping and expanding, inflating its effective displaced volume. A larger obstacle has a high probability of diverting the herd's course.

GAME: MAC-B1G activates its Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str
GAME: Paenitia used a Sunrod.
GAME: Paenitia rolls handle animal: (7)+9: 16

Seyardu looks up and over at the approaching group of animals, She nods to Randolf quickly while reaching for her holy symbol. "I will get the people at camp out of harms way!" She shouts to the wizard, before she offers a prayer that makes the cleric grow several times larger, and bounds off to the camp. "There is a stampeded of beasts on their way! We need to get out of here this instant, I will carry those who need, and fly above them."

The Red Knight, who is not fully awake but is swiftly getting there as the wind blows through her nightgown, remembers one of those useful things she bought a while ago and forgot about. A Sunrod.

She pulls it out and cracks it, surrounding herself in a warm glow. She can see the Bison! They can see her! She dives Ramirez down, having him swoop across the front of the herd in an attempt to turn them.

The Bison don't seem too inclined to do so.

GAME: Paenitia used a Tindertwig.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon1: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Paenitia rolls damage1: aliased to 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5

The Red Knight and her Ivory Steed see a clock speeding up in front of them and the world slowing down. This helps, it clears the little lucht's mind. There was a thunder-twig in her saddlebag, and she pulls it out and attaches it to an arrow.

Drawing, Ramirez swoops low, slow and steady, and she takes aim at the leader. It looses, it hits.

>>BANG<<

There's a loud snap as the twig goes off like its namesake. The bison is scratched. Ramirez taunts with a 'Ruaaaah!' as they wing away, trying to draw them.

The bison split around the booming noise caused by Paenitia's arrow, and rush forward all the faster to escape the danger that might be caused by that sound. This splits the herd around Mac, so that half are headed to his left, and the other half is headed to his right rather than right for him.

The djinn are keeping pace with Randolf, all of them except for Rito who is slowed by his wheezing breath and lack of strength in the darkness.

GAME: Randolf rolls Strength: (11)+2: 13

Randolf trundles along at his accelerated speed, glancing over his shoulder with eyes wide as teacups. "Pick it up, pick it up, pick it -up-," he mutters. But there he spies Rito flagging behind. With a scowl, he makes a brisk pass with his wand. "Re ex re exertikardia prepotentos! HAH!" Blue light sweeps down his limbs, making him harder, better, faster, stronger. "C'mon laddie, up ye get! HUP!" With a grunt, he tosses Rito over his shoulder and resumes his ass-hauling. "Let's go let's go let's bloody -go-..."

"Cease! Desist! Graze!" The now-enlarged MAC extends its (also increased) manipulators towards the herd of bovines and utters directives in attempt to dissuade or divert their course. It mildly succeeds in the latter only in that it momentarily becomes an island in a sea of hooves and horns. It then turns and begins to tromp heavily and rapidly with the stampede in attempt to gain ground as all approaches the camp and those still present or running ahead.

With the camp empty before she could pick up the remaining Marid, Seyardu sighs and turns her attention to getting herself out of the area. The magical aid makes it even easier to vacate the camp, and her increased size crushes any undergrowth that gets in the way.

GAME: Seyardu casts Remove Disease. Caster Level: 11 DC: 18

Eventually you will find that you are no longer being followed by the bison, and remake camp. It's not a restful nights sleep after the event with the bison, but its enough to get by on and the djinn break camp bright and early the next morning before making their way down the path toward the township that is expecting them. They are welcomed with open arms by the villagers there, and Mekusmen turns toward you as his people begin setting up the stage for their performance.

"You have my gratitude for our safe arrival, and as promised there is a reward in store for you. Thus I must ask you: If you had a desire amongst you, what would you have?"

MAC-B1G managed to maneuver itself faster than the speed of cow. This is a novel achievement for the construct. This is analyzed along with the other actions and events of the preceding timespan during the inter periods for the biologicals, and during the subsequent travel.

Upon the gratitude and Mekusmen's inquiry, its faceplate pans to the other taskforce members: another new experience. It awaits the responses to collect further data to collate.

Randolf rubs the back of his head as the djinn makes that offer. "Och... a desire? I mean... there's nae much I want fer meself. If I had tae make a wish... I'd want fer me nephew tae have a good an' prosperous reign as our clan's thane, an' fer his wee little brother an' sister tae grow up happy an' healthy," he says. He's a simple dwarf with simple wishes.

Paenitia didn't have a restful night either, but is fully armoured up and as awake as can be. Ramirez is not as vibrant and energetic as usual either, but manages to maintain his posture.

"Ah, the desire? I have not think of one. I am happy to take what we agree to be pay for the task." She twists in her saddle, looking at the others, "I defer to the choice of others. If none can think of a boon I can conceive of one."

Her mask turns towards Rito, she can't help him and it will be up to one of her comrades to save him. If this bothers her, well it's hidden by her mask.

Seyardu had a quiet, but short night, and she was a bit slower than usual in the morning. But her attention was more on making sure that the marid they were with was healed with magio before they continued on. There was quiet, but also a certain wariness in the air, as she waits to see if there are any more tasks before they reach their destination.

The cleric shakes her head when they arrive at the request. "I have no wishes for myself, we were here to do a job and keep people safe, which has been accomplished."

The man smiles at your words, Randolf gets an extra flash of teeth. "Your selflessness serves you well. For if I had been an unkind Djinn, I might have been able to twist your wishes into a curse." He spreads his hands and then looks at you each in turn. "Instead I will bless you with knowledge, and hope for the future. To you Seyardu - Aya can be saved. One can undertake a trial in the depths of the Underworld, and retrieve her soul. Once returned to her, it would restore her to her human self."

He turns his attention to Paenitia. "You seek a boy. A child named Hotaru who can wield a sword that you found in a well. This weapon is not what it seems, and its return is needed greatly." Then he turns to Mac. "You, shall find aid in an unexpected place when you least expect it. Remember always that your bravery is your greatest weapon against the darkness that seeks to take over this realm and destroy it."

Lastly he turns to Randolf. "As for you sir. Blessings upon your family. That they will be as kind and as generous as you are, and that in turn they will be happy for the happiness they cause. It is the greatest gift." With those words he turns and joins his comrades, leaving you all alone to think over the 'gifts' that you have been given.

"Oh! Much thanks Mekusan. That is the very helpful information." The Red Knight says, with clear surprise. The marid was aware of a lot more the she expected. She had shared few details of her quest. A name will take her far.

She overheard what information the others were given, interesting.

'Ruaaaah?' Ramirez was expecting a snack.

"Shhhh. I give you the treat later."

"I knew that Aya could be saved, there was never any doubt on that." Seyardu sighs, but she does nod and smile at the knowledge shared, if a bit surprised at it being known. "But the specifics I was unaware of. This trial, I will attempt to figure out what it may be, and how it can be retrieved. And then, She will be returned. This was a promise. Thank you for telling me this, it is more valuable than almost anything this one could wish for regardless."

MAC-B1G is still parsing the others' responses, perhaps having taken the inquiry to be a net reward of the sum of all. The construct had not even parsed and postulated what it might consider a 'desire' when ... the compensation is made? Cyan optics flicker twice as additional resources are diverted into processing this. "Acknowledged." It has no other appropriate response at the moment.

Randolf looks up at Mekusan, a gentle smile creasing his bearded features. "That's all I could ever ask for," he says. "Knowledge an' hope. Wi' both o' those... why, we can do anything, I'll warrant." He looks up and around at his friends, then claps his hands, rubbing them briskly together. "Right! I'm goin' on a bender! Who's fer gettin' shitfaced? I'm buyin'!" At least, for some dwarves, priorities never change.

-End