Wizard's First Rule (Part 5)

You've managed now to convince a set of celestials to watch over the children. Not for long, but for a little while. You've also scouted out the area, locating the tower you came from and some source of civilization which wasn't well identified given that it was spied at night from above. Now the sun is beginning to rise on your long night of deliberations on what to do, and the children are rising with it. Both children are quiet, an oddity given their ages. Still it's perhaps something to be thankful for. The rising of the sun does not bring their parents.

Mikilos tries not to hover or crowd, but he is a little concerned over the children, making sure everything is as well as can be expected. "Did you sleep well?" The elf himself didn't sleep a wink, but that's honestly pretty typical. Magical support keeps his need to a minimum, though was nice to sit quietly and relax for a few hours with his spellbook.

Morgan did get her healthy two hours of sleep and was reading her spell book "Mikilos when we get home I want to get this spell. I was thinking of buying it but I hope you would like to trade." She does seem well rested.

Erendriel is seated and snacking on some food. Letting others hover, or not, over the kids, she watches, and listens. Now that they know where the tower is, she's FAR more relaxed than she was before.

Dozing off in an easy chair is not perhaps the most comfortable way to sleep when you have wing-shoulders to sleep on, but come the morning Iolaire levered herself out with only a minimum of popping joints to get right on with proper motherly bustling about. The children are given breakfast, and Iolaire even offers to handle feeding the girl if Kol would like some time for himself. "Only, we've not asked for her name," she says, tilting her head. "That was rude of us, and we *are* sorry, but... What *is* your sister's name, Kol?"

Kol seems entirely amenable to the idea of someone other than himself taking care of the infant for a while, simply watching Iolaire with the baby impassibly. "They haven't named her yet. She might not make it through the winter." He says this very matter-of-factly.

Mikilos really wishes he was surprised by that, but sadly, isn't. Life is harsh sometimes. Even for children. "We should get back to the Shard Tower before it moves. Though I would sort of like to visit the village, if only briefly. And can likely spruce up the house a little before we go."

Morgan closes her book in a bit of anger as she hears what Kol says but she calms her self "Lets fix the door and get them some fire wood at least." asked as she wants to do more.

Erendriel slowly climbs to her feet as talk starts of what to do now. "Is there anything else we really need to know? Should we at least make one attempt to find help for them? Or could that backfire too badly?" she'll ask quietly, trying to avoid being overheard by the boy.

The war-mom's crest rises as fury begins to burn in her chest, but with a deep, slow breath and a sigh, she forces it back down. Later, perhaps. Priorities. "Well," she says, as the others gather to discuss the day's doings, "I think they don't realize how mean that is; even if she doesn't survive, doesn't she deserve to be remembered? Loved? What do you think, Kol? Would you like to give her a name?"

Kol blinks at the sudden question. He's been watching you all, observing you quietly as you move about and talk to him; to one another. "I do not know... What would I call her? I do not know any names."

Mikilos nods to Erendriel. "Name of the village. We may need to find it again later." He frowns mildly at the conundrum. "...I've never been good at naming things." Bob. Bob is always a good name... but in this case, likely not the best.

Morgan says as she puts her book away "Alainn is the word for beautiful in the Fae language, and was the name of my real mother." She looks softly at the little one.

Verna considers Kol as the query is made to him and he admits . "A hereditary honorific is one option, though perhaps not so appropriate in this instance. Perhaps one that implies or inspires a trait or aspect you view in your sister... or represents that which she kindles in others?" Her hood pans to the swaddled one to regard her for a time. "I would suggest... Hope."

Erendriel nods. "Whichever name you all prefer, then let's sing them a song, a soft one they'll remember. Go to down to find what we can, and get to the tower before it decides to disappear for a month."

"Those are all good suggestions," Iolaire says gently, as she crouches to look Kol in the eye. "Giving someone a name is very important, Kol. A name is a gift that can change how a life might go, and it will be the word that anyone who has ever known her will remember her by. I can't think of a better person to name her, than her Big Brother. Take your time, though... you need not choose now."

"What is hope?" The boy blinks blankly at Verna for a long moment and then sort of shrugs the question off while staring at the baby. Finally looking a little uncomfortable he shrugs his shoulders again. "How about 'Nalla'?" Kol says the last word with an elvish accent, giving meaning to the name that it wouldn't have otherwise. It means 'cry' in that ancient language. So maybe asking the child to name a baby wasn't the best idea.

Mikilos shrugs mildly, having minor opinion of names. Instead he sings quietly. "Fields of flowers cover the land, under the sun, it's so grand." A simple tune, simple verse, and annoyingly catchy, as children's songs often are. "Fields of flowers cover the land, under the sun, it's so grand." Not quiet the earworm as the recently popular 'infant wolf-fish', but still gets stuck in your head. Plus it wasn't written for another 980 years or so, and then by a less than famous bard, so not likely going to pop up in the between times. <mynsandraal>

Morgan shrugs at the name "Most humans will not know the deeper meaning."

Erendriel looks to Mikilos. "What language is that?" she'll ask him quietly.

"You are her family, Kol," Verna notes. "Her naming falls to you. Nalla is pleasant to enough ears, I expect, as well as descriptive."

Kol nods and eventually accepts the infant back. She doesn't respond to her change of venue; full and happy. As you leave the mansion you are once again subjected to the cold, a cold which the boy and infant are ill-prepared for but neither of them complain about it. Indeed Kol moves immediately to put Nolla in her crib and with that done wanders away from her.

"If Nalla is what you think she should be named, then Nalla she shall be," Iolaire says gently, a warm smile in her voice. "And it's a good name, even if it does mean 'cry.' It's a name to remember, long after her life has flown its course."

Mikilos glances to Eren. "Mynsandraal. A little piece my cousin wrote a few years back. Aunt Marith still hasn't forgiven him."

GAME: Iolaire rolls survival: (20)+3: 23
GAME: Verna rolls survival: (3)+5: 8
GAME: Mikilos rolls survival: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Erendriel rolls survival: (7)+1: 8
GAME: Morgan rolls survival: (5)+8: 13

You quickly enact a few repairs to the house. Namely you rig a few blankets you find as temporary doors and find some logs for a fire to keep Iolaire and the kids warm while the rest of you head to the village. However things do /not/ go as planned and you quickly find yourselves lost in the woods rather than at the village. Even with Morgan's navigation last night... well things look a lot different from ground level and you're just not having any luck finding the village you spotted earlier.

GAME: Morgan casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 12 DC: 23

Mikilos might be an elf, but he's a city boy, born and raised. he may be able to safely navigate a crowded market with his nose stuck in a book, but in the woods when paying attention? He's lost in moments.

Morgan is happy to fly off to village "Master Mikilos follow me, and I hope you have a bag of holding." She will lead the group to the village she seen at night from a distance.

Erendriel just follows along, zapping bugs, growling animals, and anything else that looks menacing as they march. Even if it seems to take longer than everyone else though. So when Morgan goes to take care of things, she smiles and nods, just following regardless.

With Morgan flying it's a bit easier, she can travel up above the trees and then come back down to give you direction. It takes time though. Time until you finally find a big wooden post that has the word "Alexandria" written on the side of it just as the woods come to an abrupt end and then suddenly you're in a village! It's a cozy looking place, that's really outgrown the word 'village' but hasn't gotten large enough to be called anything else. You are immediately noticed by the locals, who observe you with open interest. Particularly the children who unlike their parents stare at you. It's clear though that the older people are looking at you whenever they can come up with a proper excuse to.

Morgan grins to every one "Who wants to buy property and demand back taxes in the future?" Yes she is really pondering this.

Erendriel shakes her head, and giggles. "I would never, ever have recognized it except for the sign. Everything is so different."

Mikilos says, "......huh."

Verna dips her head in what she hopes is a polite gesture of greeting to those who observe them. She remains rather silent for the moment, only speaking to suggest that they locate a suitable location to acquire supplies.

Of all the places this might have been, Alexandria was just about the last on Mikilos' list. Makes a strange sort of sense, but still. "On the plus side, I feel a lot better about supporting the local economy."

It doesn't take long to find the local general store. Or to buy supplies though there isn't much here. There's a notable presence of armed individuals about. People who look like adventurers to you. Kith and kin to your kind and they at least don't stare at you as much as the locals do. Eventually you head back into the woods. Of all of you Morgan gets the most looks. In fact... more than a few are quite hostile.

GAME: Verna rolls knowledge/history: (1)+23: 24 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/history+6: (20)+16+6: 42

Morgan looks to the glares around here and says "Ok there are a few ideas why they are giving me the same look when I say hi to Sandy. But best we get out of here as fast as we can."

Mikilos ehs mildly. "Don't run, just attracts attention. But no reason to linger."

Erendriel has NO IDEA what Morgan is talking about. "If you need me to fireball anyone who make a move..." she'll offer cheerily.

"Given the current population of the town, yet lack of strong fortifications," Verna hypothesizes as the depart with their acquisitions, "they are likely highly suspicious of outsiders due to their vulnerability. Perhaps most specifically of magi and/or syldanyari, if their stares were any indication."

Morgan shakes her head "I do not want any one hurt, I know I have heritage from this village. I just hope this is not the time my great grandmother was around here. Most say I look to much like her and she is a powerful fae."

You make your way slowly back to the house, but you find Iolaire before you find it. She's not well on her way to the village, but she's made it a fair distance which gives her time to tell you about Kol's father whom she had the misfortune of meeting. He's a military man, or so he seems to her, promoted in the field and gone drunk in his later years. He challenged her to a duel when she refused to leave his house, and told her to meet him in Alexandria at dawn. She threatened him likewise if he harmed his son in any way for allowing you entry to his home.

"...And to make matters worse," Iolaire amends, disgusted, "he's *the law.* So. What shall we do now?"

Erendriel bites her lip. "We sneak at night, leave the boy things, and get to the tower?"

Mikilos says, "....I -could- turn him into a frog... but I doubt that would be really helpful."

Verna scowls. "He may represent the law, but he hardly represents order. Quite the opposite, from all indications. I expect that any singular combat would only empower him should he be victorious, or infuriate him to enlist others' aid on false pretenses otherwise."

"And by that point we'll be well gone," Iolaire sighs. "It *would* be satisfying to thrash him up one side of the village and down the other, but, do we have that sort of time? And what happens when we leave?"

Shaking her head, the warrior runs a gloved hand over her crest. "Would one of you perhaps be able to go back to the house unseen, and see what he's done to his boy while I've been gone?"

"I could return," Verna volunteers, "though whether unseen is debatable."

Mikilos says, "Invisibility is simple enough, though can't swear I won't be detected anyway." He considers a moment. "Though I suppose the Greater version of the spell is, naturally, better... though still can't promise won't be heard."

Erendriel smiles and nods. "Use the magic then, definitely. It's better than not using it. I'm sure not sneaky enough to do it."

Morgan says "We can charm him first, that spells lasts for hours."

"It would be better than leaving Kol alone to his fate," Iolaire says to Mikilos, Verna, and Erendriel, bobbing her head. "Perhaps we'll have a better idea how to proceed once we know."

Mikilos says, "....Invisibility Sphere? As long as we all stay within a few feet of each other, we'll all be invisible. But, a crowd of people, even a crowd trying to keep quiet, tends to be louder than a person alone."

"It is not out of our way," Verna notes as she lifts her satchel, "and I yet have supplies for the children to deliver." She did note acquiring items for them, previously, and apparently did exactly that. "Shall we?"

Erendriel nods. "I can just go up to the door and charm him the instant he opens up. Or someone else can be sneaky. Or both. We'd better go now now, either way."

Morgan nods and says "I will stay back and out of sight to many of us will be a bad idea."

GAME: Erendriel rolls perception: (4)+17: 21
GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (11)+15: 26
GAME: Iolaire rolls perception: (10)+17: 27
GAME: Verna rolls perception: (11)+22: 33
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (13)+20: 33

You decide to go with the sphere of invisibility as it will allow you to remain together - stealthy or not. It's easy enough to enter into the tiny hovel, or at least peek inside to see how things are going. Kol is walking - slowly and carefully - to his room where he slides along the wall to the floor. Sitting on the dirt floor. His father is nowhere currently to be seen - but there's another room that's harder to see into from your vantage point. What you can see however is that Kol's feet; dirty and smudged as they are, are also soaked in blood. He bears no other injury you can see, but the wounds to some of your keen sight are layered on top of scars that suggest that this isn't the first time he's been hurt this way.

Mikilos frowns darkly, but keeps his wits and silence. He glances to the others, as those inside the sphere are visible to each other. "I'm becoming far more willing to risk the timeline and just take them with us." <handspeech>

The wiggledy fingers are met with a blank stare from Iolaire, then a fractional tilt of the head.

-TBC