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[SeriousConcentrate]

Anya nodded to Alith as he left. "...I think I'm going to head back to my room and lie down for awhile. I'm not really feeling sociable right now. Sorry, Bael." She closed the door behind her, laid down on the bed with her hands behind her head, and stared at the ceiling for some time.

(Guess I'm done with this particular 'day' on the Alatria as well.)

[The Fool]

Neciel looked at the table that Anya had just left. "Well, if we get closer to the Aun, just let me know. I have a spell or two to find them, but it'll take some time. Until then I'm going up top to watch the waves." She stood up, and started walking to the ladder. He pulled at Luke's shirt sleeve with a grin, "Are you coming? We can watch the ship get closer to port together."

Luke stayed where he was sipping the last of his tea. "We're so far from port. It'll be a while before there'll be anything but water to see." He seemed rather confused for a moment, but he had a nagging feeling that he was missing something.

Neciel looked angrily at Luke. "For a detective you really are clueless aren't you?" She pulled him towards her and kissed him on his lips. She pushed herself away from him, and pulled at his sleeve again. "Come on." He followed her up to the upper decks where they sat on the mast together.

Daero was still standing at the end of the table. "If anything exciting happens just let me know. Until then I'll be meditating in the hold. I hate the smell of sea water, so don't bother me with anything minor." He went down the ladder to the lower hold and didn't even bother with the ladder, simply jumping down the distance. He found a dark place in the corner where the smell of the sea was weakest. He moved a barrel to the corner and started mediating on top of the barrel.

((Yeah. I'm pretty much done with this day.))

[Skyrunner]

((You sat on the mast? ........I don't envy you. >.>))

[Skyrunner]

Where to next?

I think the Noire episode could be solved on the thread.

Other places you could go to is Myirki's Hagrune, the Sanddancer of Audupu, and Ula's Prince of Futility.

[SeriousConcentrate]

(Let's head to Noire. ^^^)

Anya stood on the forecastle, enjoying the smell of the sea and the breeze pushing her twintails back and ruffling the hem of her robes. The sun was slightly blotted out by light cloud cover, there were no birds around... it was a pretty good day. The Alatria had yet to reach the port of Noire, but she was looking forward to it. Down on the deck, Rae and Tali were shamelessly flirting, the dwarf toying with Rae's hair and whispering to her while the elf stood with her hands on Tali's waist. Whatever she was saying was making Rae alternately laugh, smile, and blush. Toman was nearby on the forecastle, watching the lovers and occasionally glancing at Anya.

"It looks like Rae is finally back to normal. Maybe happier than before, if that's even possible," Toman ventured. Anya glanced over her shoulder to watch Rae kiss Tali's nose, then turned to Toman. "Yeah, it's nice to see them both so cheerful. That vacation away from everything really did the both of them some good." She leaned an elbow on the railing. "So... Noire. What do you think of Ediacaran, and how likely it is she'll just hand over that ring?" "...I don't know." Toman weighed the Flowing Hammer in his hand for a moment before putting it away. "I think it might be best if you stay behind again. Even with those passports, I don't fully trust the people of Noire. I have a little magic but I don't rely on it; if anything happens I can take care of myself without having to cast a single spell."

"I might disembark anyway and go shopping again. Maybe buy some clothes and things," Anya said. "So if you want to handle the business, go right ahead." She grinned at him. Toman nodded. "I can see the port, now. It shouldn't be too much longer."

[Skyrunner]

Port Touril
The ship slowly pulls into the harbor, past the wavebreakers. Most of the ships here are much larger than the Altaria, and most also have the tell-tale square hatches that conceal cannon. Strangely, some of the smaller ships have pillars of metal that billow smoke and steam, and are made of iron instead of wood. The skilled sailors of the Altaria execute a perfect docking maneuver, turning the ship backwards and sailing in. The boarding plank is set down.

The custom here seems to not be boarded, but to disembark and enter an 'immigration checkpoint' and present your forms. <<Who enters the checkpoint?>>

Inside the building are a number of lanes, and booth things behind which bored looking uniformed officials are. Each lane is marked with a white number, from I to XIV.

[Dwarmin]

Tali's thoughts were particularly Dwarven at this moment. She couldn't think of things in an artistic sense-the Dwarven mind didn't work that way-she could only compose her feelings in literal, physical way.

...She felt like an old barrel, that someone had plugged a hole and drained out the stagnant water, and scrubbed clean. An broken Axe lifted from the muck, repaired, polished and sharpened. A chipped ale mug, forged anew, studded with rubies and diamonds, and lined with bands of brass and gold-and refilled with ale.

And yet, she remained gruff, but smiling and messing with Raes hair.

"Aye, silly Elf, you're squeezing me to death. Nary a death I'd warrant as sweet, though..." she had said, with a wink and smile.

"...Aye, what'd I'd give to have another week at the birdhouse...a right pretty pair we made, didn't we? Yeah...two axes, one sheath you could say."

Tali had enjoyed the weekend-fairly much. She had taken to calling the tree cabin they had inhabited the 'Bird House'-and she was uncomfortable at first...

"...Lucky I didn't fall out of that crazy birdhouse and break my legs...especially while we were, you know, rolling around...heh. Dwarves aren't meant to fly.

Not that I wouldn't try if you asked me Rae. You'd know I'd try for you."

And on, and on...Tali had a feeling she was making something with Rae-something very important. All her craftsdwarfship would have to apply...if it was going to turn out perfect.

....

Later Tali strolled down the gangplank from the ship, strutting with her hands on her axes. If anything, her new feelings had mingled with her old-her bloodlust and real lust, so to say. She was almost eager for a fight...

She mentioned to her closest compatriot.

"What in the Nine Hells d'you suppose those are?" Tali said, pointing to the ships with the steam pipes on them.

"Are they lighting fires IN their ships? What sort of magic is that?"

[SeriousConcentrate]

"You know you can take it, Tali. In fact I seem to remember you like being held very, very much..." Rae teased. "Birdhouse is appropriate... there was a fair bit of song, if I recall, a'maelamin." She liked to sing, and Tali had joined her at times. This, she was sure, was true love. Not the feelings she had been induced by spell and drug to have for the Brachina, emotions that now felt pale and thin. The elven treehouse had been a time of healing for her; she had been returning to her old self until then, but it was only by spending time with Tali, connecting and bonding, that she truly recovered from the emotional hit she had taken with the Brachina's death. Lying in the dwarf's arms, watching her sleep in the starlight... it had been the happiest time of her life.

"I think you're a better artist than I am," she said ruefully. They had had inks and needles brought to the tree house and she'd let Tali draw on her as she pleased. She now had a number of new tattoos, but the most notable were: a serpentine gold dragon spiraling around her left leg, with the head near her hip; a wreath of roses at the small of her back; a fairy on her right ankle; and perhaps her favorite, the gold outline of the sun around her navel, with dwarven runes along the outer edges. Tali had teasingly said she'd tell her what they meant later. Rae had only given the dwarf one: an intricate gold and black tattoo on her left shoulder blade, with the words "Melamin" worked into the lines.
Toman and Rae walked with Tali, flanking the dwarf on either side. Rae was on her left and holding her hand; Toman was on her right and closer to the docks, so it was to the overlarge human this comment seemed to be addressed. "I've heard the theory in some dwarven settlements. The idea is that by heating water - such as with magma - the evaporating steam will have enough force behind it to push things. In this case, probably a mechanism that turns those wheels that look like oars." Rae looked amazed at the idea. "Really? That's pretty neat." Toman grinned. "Dwarves are a great people." Rae smiled a private sort of smile and winked at Tali.

[The Fool]

((Writing all this only to have the browser crash is a pain.))

Daero stretched his bat-like membrane wings on the upper decks. The wings hung loosely out of holes that Daero cut into the back of his tunic, but his own seam-work was clearly half-assed and some strands of thread were escaping the sewing. As he stretched his mind drifted back to the elf that he had eaten alive back in Anarose's domain. The inhuman screams that came from the elf as he was being devoured and his own ravenous hunting calls were engraved deeply into his memory. He was ashamed to have lost control of himself, and committing a taboo act of eating a living creature, but he didn't dare mention it. There were too many Tyrmitore on this ship to confess to anyone, and having them see his weakness would be much worse than the isolation. He checked the swords fastened to his belt, and the cloth sack containing a head of lettuce that he borrowed from the kitchen before he flicked his wings one last time and jumped into the air, gliding to the dock.

He walked into the building with his wings held out slightly in an attempt to make himself as monstrous as possible. He took lane IX and approached the booth and turned to the clerk with his massive eyes staring at her. He was hoping that she would react in an entertaining way, but he knew that it was a major port, and they've probably seen all kinds of things.



Luke and Neciel were still on the ship packing some things from their room. Luke was stuffing his sutras into his jacket pockets as Neciel was putting her arcane components into her bag. Luke tried not to ask who's brain was in the jar that she had for a focus, but he decided not to. Luke was the first one to break the silence between them, "Where do you want to go when we get into Noire? I'm sure that there is a lot to see and I'm sure no one would mind if we disappeared for a day."

Neciel looked up from her haversack as she dropped in a thick cloth bag filled with bits of broken mirrors. "Luke, are you asking me out on a date?" Luke turned a few shade of red at the thought, even though he had been thinking about it for the last several days.

"I think I am. Would you care to come with me to explore all Noire has to offer?" Neciel didn't speak instead she moved closer and leaned in to Luke who met her with a kiss. He held her in his arms as she shuffled closer. Luke looked into her eyes with a smile. "I'll take that as a yes." He leaned back in to kiss her again.

At that moment Alfred came flying in with a tray of tea balanced on a few threads of rough rope. "I brought your tea ma-" He stopped himself short as the two turned to the raven with rather scarlet faces. The white raven continued to the side table next to Neciel's haversack. Neciel sent rather annoyed thoughts to her familiar, who sighed as he picked up the teapot and poured the tea into the cups. "I'll just leave this here. I thought you might want to know that everyone is disembarking. When you two are ready you should head to the docks." He picked at the rope tied to his leg and flew off out the door as quickly as he could. The moment was gone. Neciel and Luke grabbed the last of their things drinking tea all the while, and headed for the docks, trying not to be too far behind everyone.

The two winged celestials entered the building and entered lane XIII. The two walked up to the clerk, and laid down their papers. Neciel had a big smile on her face, she was clearly excited to be there. "We'd like to enter Noire."

[Dwarmin]

Ria and Bael walked out after Neciel and Luke.

"Noire. I'm bored already." Bael said flippantly. "And what's that smell? Are they cooking dung on those iron ships?" he made an exaggerated hand waving motion in front of his nose.

Ria nodded along, smiling.

"A strange country. I suppose, innovation thrives in a place without magic.

And, the spirits here are fairly quiet-they barely reside here at all..." she mused. It brought some interesting thoughts-in a land that disdained the arcane, was the extraordinary become mundane? Ria could not imagine a world without magic...

"It's sort of a relief, I guess. I can hear our family much better now...oh, Bael. There's so much love in our aura. It seems today is the day for romantic overtures..."

"...That's a challenge, isn't it?" Bael said, raising one eyebrow. Ria laughed softly-before she could respond Bael swept her off her feet, picked her up in both arms and sprinted down the gangplank.

They passed Tali, Rae and Toman on the way. More to say Bael jumped over them by clicking his jumping boots at the opportune time. Tomans reaction was particularly enjoyable.

Bael shouted merrily, carrying Ria all the way across the dock to lane III-he swerved aside to dodge a scowling Daero, allowing himself a single moment of true pity for the Thaegi, who was the only one alone here. Then it was gone.

Bael walked up the lane with Ria in his arms, tipped her helmet to the customs officer, who seemed slightly less bored now.

"Ah, I've got a delivery here for Noire. She's going to make someone very happy. Namely me." Bael said, flinching back playfully as Ria angled a volley of punches at him.

"Unhand me, brute. I'm not a care package." She said, laughing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tali laughed too, palming her face. She turned to Kanesrae.

"Now I see where you got your heart from, Rae. That I do."

She pointed to lane IIIV, currently unoccupied.

"Reckon we should get our papers signed. Dot those X's and Cross those I's, all that."

[SeriousConcentrate]

Toman sighed to himself. It was a quiet sound, not likely to be overheard by either of his walking companions (who were frankly too wrapped up in each other to notice him much anyway). He'd heard what Ria had said. He found himself thinking about Ta'lnar. Despite what he had said, he did feel guilty about what he had done. He could always try to justify it with the fact that many more lives than just the elf's lay on them knowing that ritual, but surely they were other ways to get what they needed. Sure, Daero had eaten him alive, but that was pretty much what Toman expected of him; Rae of all people was a cannibal, and Daero was not only an elf like her but aberrant-blooded in the bargain. He felt he ought to hold himself to a higher standard.

Sometimes, though, he wondered if he was really a follower of St. Cuthbert... or if he used the God's name as an excuse to give in and work out his years of anger and frustration on the wicked in the name of justice. But mostly what he felt was alone. The armor encasing his body shielded him from other people as well as it did the weapons and spells of his enemies. He looked down at Rae and Tali's hands intertwined, then at his own hands, overlarge and ending in gleaming black claws. It was true that the armor could look like whatever he wanted it to, but the appearance was mere illusion; even if he were to make it appear as a wizard's robe he would still feel the steel around him, as would anyone who touched him. Everything about him seemed designed to separate him from others, and he hated it.

The two were ahead of him, having already filled out their paperwork. It was going to take him awhile to do his, given how difficult it was to hold something as small and delicate as a quill in his hands these days...

[Skyrunner]

The man at the counter dully asks for papers. When the documents are handed over, he skims over them with a precursory glance, stamps them and tells you to go to the searching station for confiscation of magical supplies, and to be bracelet'd. It does not seem he looked at the text properly.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Toman cleared his throat. "We received these from Ediacaran herself. I suggest you read them again."

Toman makes an Intimidation check [1d20+7].

[Skyrunner]

The man flinches and takes them back again. He reads them intently, poring over the fine print, then calls his manager.

Another man, this time with a higher rank than the first one, comes. The manager has a bar mustache, and seems to be in his mid-thirties. His hair is black. The two communicate softly, before the manager speaks out loud.

"My apologies, Mr..." - he checks the sheet - "Toman. Please take this card and go through the oversized cargo gate."

The thin 'plastic' card is orange with a thick black stripe on it, on both sides. Scrawled on one side in black ink are the words, 'As Palmieri.'

[Dwarmin]

After the whole party passes through the gate...

Ria shifted her weight, surveying the port city.

"Let's go see what they have on sale, hmm? Then I'd like to check the local library..."

Action: Bael and Ria head to the market for magikal items!

Afterwards, they both Lore up. (Looking for more adventure hooks )

Ria examines the local History and significant Plant/Animal Life (Knowledge Checks-History [19], Nature [11] )
Bael looks around for local exciting adventurer type places-Dungeoneering [17] )