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[Nunzillor]

"Okay."

Stay right there.  Enjoy imminent earthquake?

[Harry Baldman]

Get out and try one floor higher.

[Vivalas]

"Perhaps I see what you are saying, but forgive me for thinking you were just some magical deity who would be able to rain thunder from the skies or something..."

Skylar frowns, she didn't expect it to be this hard

"Perhaps you can imbue me with, 'strategy'"

[Toaster]

Drak did his best to steel himself.  He must not look away.  He must not fear.

"It is only fair.  What is your command?"

Calm down.  Don't fear.  Answer.

[Devastator]

"Okay."

Stay right there.  Enjoy imminent earthquake?

You stand in place, and the rumbling continues.  You see a ribbon of light burst out of the berg you are on, and go down into the water, followed by several more from the other bergs in the area.  The rumbling ceases, and a ringed seal leaps onto the iceberg.

"So... what do you want to do?"

Get out and try one floor higher.

You leave by the window, circle around, and enter through another window on the second floor.

This chamber is much larger, and you can see that you entered through one of a row of windows, although you don't remember the window on the outside being one of a line.  The room has shelving along one wall, filled with urns and casks for holding liquids.  There are more urns in the middle of the room, of uniform design, along with a number of neatly piled skins.  Along the second wall is a rack for something you've only rarely seen before, glass bottles, and there appears to be a few dozen in the rack.  The far side of the room has two doors, and they look to have levers, so you shouldn't have any problems opening them.

"Perhaps I see what you are saying, but forgive me for thinking you were just some magical deity who would be able to rain thunder from the skies or something..."

Skylar frowns, she didn't expect it to be this hard

"Perhaps you can imbue me with, 'strategy'"

"Oh.. I can do lighting, if that's what you want.  Lightning's easy."

Zanda takes a look at you for a moment, and then continues, "Would you like to shock people with your claws?  I could set you up with that.  I could also do the 'rain lighting from the heavens' thing, but that's a bit more iffy.

Have you heard of Flattop Mountain?  Well, lets just say that something like that was called for, but it didn't go properly.  If you want lightning from the heavens, make certain that nothing you like is in the area when you want it."

"As for strategy, well, that's a little harder.  It's not just coming up with winning moves or perfect plans, it's a process... and I could teach you some, but it doesn't solve problems on it's own, and it won't make anything easier.  I could fold time a bit here, and teach you some, so that when you need it, you can think back and remember my advice.  I could also link our minds a bit, which might be more useful.. it wouldn't be anything dramatic, but it would give you good instincts for good or bad plans."

Drak did his best to steel himself.  He must not look away.  He must not fear.

"It is only fair.  What is your command?"

Calm down.  Don't fear.  Answer.

You hold your ground and respond.

"It is only fair.  What is your command?"

"First I need to see what you're good for, bird.  Get under the light so I can have a look."

You do so, and Drolson steps behind you.  As you turn around, you see that he has taken the form of a large, predatory feline.  The fear hits you again, stronger than before, and this time you panic, and your wits leave you.  You black out.

Time passes.  Eventually, you wake up.  Drolson is looking at you again, still as a feline, but without the waves of fear you felt earlier.

"So.. a hero, is it?  Thou wants recognition and reknown?  Then I do think I shall grant thee a great blessing.. a wish.  In return, however, you need to do me proper recognition, and do that which all heroes must do.. live the life."

"There are many definitions of what a hero is and what he must do, but in the end, there is one that stands above the rest.  The hero must live so that others must not live like him.  If you want my blessing to save your people, you must pay that price."

"Find someone, someone who can know fear.  That person must die by your claws within three days.  That will be the price for my blessing."

Spoiler: Characters (click to show/hide)

Drak Flyson, Toaster.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850342#msg5850342
No Hands, Flying, Unproven.  Combat at +2.  3/12 HP
Right leg wound, 6/6
Body wound, 3/5
Spirit, 3/3

Kallo Kwatu, Harry Baldman.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850468#msg5850468
No Hands, Flying, Expert Diver.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Skylark Sodu, Vivalas.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862564#msg5862564
No Hands, Flying, Strong Wings.  Combat at +2.  15/15 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Khaal the Incredibly Old, Nunzillor
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862941#msg5862941
No Hands, Flying, Addled.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Spoiler: Location (click to show/hide)

You are in the realm of the gods.

[Harry Baldman]

Open one of the doors (the one on the left, in case it's important) and look through the doorway, observing the contents of the room beyond.

Then do the same with the other door.

[Toaster]

Drak gritted his teeth.  This was... unpleasant.  But he couldn't back down now, not after that display earlier.  He had to accept, and he had to do it.  It was too late to leave.

"I accept your price.  Is there any one you had in mind?"

[Nunzillor]

"Well, eh... how about a game to start us off?  No offense, but you seem like you could use some fun, possibly-god Kryros buddy. 

Here's one I used to play with the other elders: we have to spit into a spittoon from a progressively larger distance.  Whoever can hit the spittoon from the greatest distance wins and the loser has to give them a gift!  Naturally the village people complained, forced us to stop, called it 'unsanitary' and 'what are you doing?  We don't even have chewing tobacco.  What are you spitting?'  But they aren't here, right?"

Draw a spittoon in the cold not-salt after proposing spittoon game to seal person.

[Devastator]

Open one of the doors (the one on the left, in case it's important) and look through the doorway, observing the contents of the room beyond.

Then do the same with the other door.

The door on the left opens onto a hallway.  The room is long, modestly decorated, and you can see five doors along the length of the hallway, two on your left, two on your right, and one on the right end.

The door on your right opens onto a large room with no clear purpose.  It's decorated with large painted images, two small portraits, a landscape, and a quite large scene depicting a bird in a strange room.  This room has a lot of furniture, some human-style seats, and some small tables with built-in perches.  There is also a hearth in the room.

"I accept your price.  Is there any one you had in mind?"

"I would not remove from a nascent hero the ability to choose his own path.  This wouldn't be so much of a contract, as a sacrifice."

With that, you can feel a pressure building up around you.  Drolson is trying to send you back.  Do you resist?

Draw a spittoon in the cold not-salt after proposing spittoon game to seal person.

"It is my understanding that the activity that is usually called spitting is not the same as the activity in which you regurgitate the contents of your stomach...  but sure, whatever.  You can go first."

Spoiler: Characters (click to show/hide)

Drak Flyson, Toaster.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850342#msg5850342
No Hands, Flying, Unproven.  Combat at +2.  3/12 HP
Right leg wound, 6/6
Body wound, 3/5
Spirit, 3/3

Kallo Kwatu, Harry Baldman.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850468#msg5850468
No Hands, Flying, Expert Diver.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Skylark Sodu, Vivalas.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862564#msg5862564
No Hands, Flying, Strong Wings.  Combat at +2.  15/15 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Khaal the Incredibly Old, Nunzillor
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862941#msg5862941
No Hands, Flying, Addled.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Spoiler: Location (click to show/hide)

You are in the realm of the gods.

[Nunzillor]

"Huh.  Good point.  That actually adds some validity to the villagers' complaints, doesn't it?  I guess we were vomiting everywhere.  At the same time, though, it seems to suggest that they only poorly understood birds, which is odd. 

"Anyway, here we go!"

Psyche self up.  Then, "spit" into the spittoon from a moderate distance!  Whoooo!

[Toaster]

Do not resist.

[Harry Baldman]

Check out the left hallway. Open each door (clockwise from first on the right) and see what's inside the rooms.

[Vivalas]

Skylar laughs

"I'm sure you'll probably smite me with some sort of fable about tact rather than sword, but you can seriously turn me into a flying death machine? To be honest....er... can I just call you Zanda? I realize brain can win over brawn, but all I really want is for my people to be safe. If you can help me bring down the runners, then please do so however you think best. But.... Shootlng lightning from my claws does seem kinda cool..."

[Devastator]

Psyche self up.  Then, "spit" into the spittoon from a moderate distance!  Whoooo!

You wind up, taking aim.  You're not quite sure exactly what happens, but as you try to 'spit', you choke and lose your balance.  A few moments later, your head is inexplicitly embedded inside the ice floe.

You can feel the seal watching you.

Do not resist.

With that, your vision begins to fade.  The last you see is the light shining off of the fangs in front of you.

You wake up inside your circle, inside the greater circle, still restrained.

Check out the left hallway. Open each door (clockwise from first on the right) and see what's inside the rooms.

You proceed through the hallway and take a quick glance at the five rooms that open off of it.

The first door on your right.. is another hallway.  This one is very opulent;  the floor is covered in some kind of decorated skins, and the wall is made of panels of a very attractive looking soft gold substance.  Everything is richly decorated, including the three doors, one on the far end, and two on the left side.

The second door is a third hallway.  In contrast to the last one, this one is made of stone, with the walls only roughly smoothed.  It's fairly wide, and about fifteen feet long, with the far end ending in a very large rough wooden door.

The third door is to a bathing chamber.  This one has a stone basin in it, full of water, and a number of buckets.  The floor is of neatly dressed light stone.  There is a high window to your right that seems to lead back outside.

The fourth room opens up to some kind of altar.  It is very dark inside, which seems odd for some reason.  The room is very cramped, and you feel as if you don't want to go inside it.  You close the door again, turn around.. and are somehow inside the cramped chamber.

Dang.

Skylar laughs

"I'm sure you'll probably smite me with some sort of fable about tact rather than sword, but you can seriously turn me into a flying death machine? To be honest....er... can I just call you Zanda? I realize brain can win over brawn, but all I really want is for my people to be safe. If you can help me bring down the runners, then please do so however you think best. But.... Shootlng lightning from my claws does seem kinda cool..."

Zanda looks at you narrowingly.  "You wouldn't shoot lightning, that's silly.  It would let you shock things, like some kinds of eel.  It wouldn't make you into a flying death machine, but it could be a pretty solid edge, if you use it properly, and me changing you to do so shouldn't blow up any mountains."

"Now, are you ready?"

Spoiler: Characters (click to show/hide)

Drak Flyson, Toaster.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850342#msg5850342
No Hands, Flying, Unproven.  Combat at +2.  3/12 HP
Right leg wound, 6/6
Body wound, 3/5
Spirit, 3/3

Kallo Kwatu, Harry Baldman.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5850468#msg5850468
No Hands, Flying, Expert Diver.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Skylark Sodu, Vivalas.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862564#msg5862564
No Hands, Flying, Strong Wings.  Combat at +2.  15/15 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Khaal the Incredibly Old, Nunzillor
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146184.msg5862941#msg5862941
No Hands, Flying, Addled.  Combat at +2.  12/12 HP.
Spirit, 3/3

Spoiler: Location (click to show/hide)

You are in the realm of the gods.. except Drak, who has reawakened.

[Nunzillor]

((Hmm, this may be important: is that inextricably or inexplicably?))