Slitherrr: Created page with "==Rhythm of the Spheres== * Bethanalay grabs Four and pulls him to the dance floor. * Bobwhite and Beldon recognize that this song is an up-tempo version of the hymn that opened the vault, only with different words. * As this song begins to play, a great number of halflings take to the floor. Among them, you see Beth dragging Four onto the floor with her. * Four and Bethanalay dance... sort of? They are not in tempo with the music at all and, frankly, are not e..."

2025-07-13T06:18:29Z

Created page with "==Rhythm of the Spheres== * Bethanalay grabs Four and pulls him to the dance floor. * Bobwhite and Beldon recognize that this song is an up-tempo version of the hymn that opened the vault, only with different words. * As this song begins to play, a great number of halflings take to the floor. Among them, you see Beth dragging Four onto the floor with her. * Four and Bethanalay dance... sort of? They are not in tempo with the music at all and, frankly, are not e..."

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==Rhythm of the Spheres==

* [[Beth|Bethanalay]] grabs Four and pulls him to the dance floor.
* Bobwhite and Beldon recognize that this song is an up-tempo version of the hymn that opened the vault, only with different words.
* As this song begins to play, a great number of halflings take to the floor. Among them, you see Beth dragging Four onto the floor with her.
* Four and Bethanalay dance... sort of? They are not in tempo with the music at all and, frankly, are not even in synch with one another.
* Four sways in weird ways, funky at times, eyes wide, as if drinking in everything... but really nothing.
{{LogQuote|
Wolf-father, at the door You don't smile anymore You're a drifter, shape-shifter Let me see you run, hey-ya hey-ya
Holy light over the night Oh, keep the spirit strong Watch it grow, child of war Oh, keep holdin' on
}}
* The tempo quickens..
{{LogQuote|
When I run through the deep dark forest long After this begun Where the sun would set The trees were dead
And the rivers were none And I hope for a trace To lead me back home from this place But there was no sound there was only me, and my disgrace
Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey-ya)
Wolf-mother, where you been? You look so worn, so thin You're a taker, devils-maker Let me hear you sing, hey-ya hey-ya
Wolf-father, at the door You don't smile anymore You're a drifter, shape-shifter Let me see you run, hey-ya hey-ya
Wayward winds, a voice that sings Of a forgotten land See it fall, child of war Oh, lend a mending hand
When I run through the deep dark forest long After this begun Where the sun would set The trees were dead
And the rivers were none And I hope for a trace To lead me back home from this place But there was no sound there was only me, and my disgrace
(Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey!) (Heyyyyy, Hey-Hey! Heyyyy, Hey Hey-ya)
}}
* Beth and Four begin kissing.
* The crowd is applauding wildly and cheering at the end of the dance.
* As the music dies, Four can just be heard saying, "Oh, I'll stay as long as I can convince my brothers to stay... I don't know what's going on, but I'm very much vibing with the future I'm feeling tonight"
* Beth and Four leave the dance floor.... and begin to leave the venue entirely.
{{LogQuote|
The date is , 1st Harvest (Autumn), 1515 FI
}}
* The boys regroup the next morning. Four didn't come back last night, but does show up... eventually. His grin is close to knocking his ears off.
* The rest are already in discussion
{{LogQuote|
Banner: Autumn already. we gotta get outta of this town
Beldon: you know it banner, falls a good time for travel
}}
* Four immediately launches into a rambling explanation of his night. Not ''those'' details, but the snatches and fragments of the extremely wild dreaming he did ''between'' those things.
{{LogQuote|
"And the Ubrekt tore down our great city, leaving not one stone atop another when they were done."
}}
* The boys spend the morning discussing Four's dream and decompressing from the big days. As they wrap it up, it is near lunchtime. Bethanalay enters, looking crisp and professional.
* Beth waves at Four, and the rest. Her cheeks are flushed and she has a smile on her face.
{{LogQuote|
Beth: Morning, boys!
Four is just giddy and gestures her over.
Beldon: I was just telling these knuckleheads its time to ride, back me up here
Beth sits down next to Four.
Beth: That was--ah--some night, eh?
Beldon: I played extra hard for you kids, glad you didn't mess it up
Four: I was making the case that we should stick around, maybe a week or so. Take a little rest.
Beth smiles.
Beth: I think that's a good idea, actually.
Beth: Beldon, I'm reminded of a story my nan used to tell me as a kid. "The Dog that Caught the Chariot Wheel." You know it?
Four: My head is still swimming from whatever I drank last night, though--I may need to take that part easy for once
Beldon: I know that dog no good ever came from catching a damn wheel
Beth: Exactly so.
Beth: But, that dog chased that chariot, didn't he? Didn't even know why. Just felt he had to give chase.
Beth: Caught that wheel and what happened? Rolled right over his thick skull.
Beth: But nobody's skull's that thick, not even Xar.
Four (missing-the-vibe): Chasing is good for the soul sometimes
Beth smiles at Four.
Beth: And sometimes its good to be caught. But, in this case, we're trying to be metaphorical.
Four: Ah, another one of those metaphors
Beldon: I always know exactly what I'm doing, I dunno what you mean, I'm not chasing any wheels!
Beth: Do you even know what you are chasing?
Beldon: Spider dogs!
Beldon: Weird-ass demons!
Beth: And what happens when you catch them?
Four: Thought we were running from those?
Four: I, for one, want us to find some sort of peace one day, instead of spider and snake dogs
Beldon: Probably we'll have to kill them that's what we usually do
Beth looks to Bobwhite.
Beth: You see these aren't *plans* right?
Beth: "Give chase. Catch bone." That's no way to deal with...(lowers her voice) this.
Beldon: Oh my god don't ask him that, he's gonna start carrying on about histories and contingencies!
Beth: Frankly, it's a miracle you're not dead already.
Four gets lost looking at Beth, eating his scrambled eggs with a dumb smile on his face, zoning out a bit.
Beth: Four tells me what you're doing is...for the good. And, maybe, but I don't think you even know what you're doing or why.
Four: Our whole family is cursed with good hearts
Beth: It sounds to me, nothing personal, that you're doing it for you. Because you want to...be a story? Tell a story? I don't know. I just don't hear anything about *halflings* in what you're doing.
Four: But we never were great with plans.. Bobwhite does better than most I've known
Beldon: Well, it's not so much that we want to do it, its just we have an immediate problem and then a second problem for later
Beldon: You know we can track each other? All the pieces?
Bobwhite: We work with what we've got, we haven't had the initiative yet
Four: 99 problems at least
Beth: So, you hurry to leave here...to...what? Go off into ever greater threats you know nothing about?
Beldon: Maybe
Four: Well, this all started I think because of [[Dogmoot]] which was very halflings
Bobwhite: To be fair, we have threats we know a little bit about _here_ that we want to leave behind, too
Beth: I am not asking you to...not...do whatever your doing. I want that thing gone more than I want it here! But I'm afraid you're just going to rush me, and all of us, into greater trouble with your recklessness.
Beldon: Everything is moving and all you nerds want to do it read books
Beldon: I thought about leaving it here with you, seemed likely you could have kept it safe
Beldon: But honestly it looks like things are shitting the bed in the swamp and I decided you probably wouldn't hold it for long
Bobwhite: I mean, she let us do "something" so she wouldn't have to
Bobwhite: If she had another option it wouldn't have been that, bro
Beth: Bobwhite is right, I don't want THAT--the less I know the better!
Beth: I am not asking you to...not...do whatever your doing. I want that thing gone more than I want it here, but I'm afraid you're just going to rush me, and all of us, into greater trouble with your recklessness.
Beth: The swamp...is concerning. And, perhaps we can talk about that if you stay for a little longer.
Beldon: Uuughh, Banner, you're the only one here with any damn sense about when to ride
Beth: Bobwhite: You're very passionate and militant. I'm not sure I agree with your view of our people, but I respect it. But, I bet we'll agree on this--what is the strength of our people?
Four: The swamp... man, I still smell some of that ol stinky water from those hydra ruins on me... oh, that's not what we're talking about?
Bobwhite: It's working together, and it's adapting to what we've got
Bobwhite: When we do those things we're better off and when we don't we aren't
Bobwhite: ...also luck
Bobwhite: But luck we recognize and capitalize on
Beldon: "Always be lucky", that's what Sari says
Beth: Agree. But, luck is created more often than it's found.
Beth: I agree, by the way -- So, tell me this. If the strength of our people is *our people*...why are you three so dead set on rushing forward by yourself like...human adventurers. You're surrounded by friends here, one of the major hubs of all the Routes.
Beldon: I'll entertain a plan, I thought we were on our own with this
Beldon: Good luck trying to get a plan out of a druid, he'll, I'm sure, give us a tedious lecture about plans
Beth: What's your hurry to catch that chariot? Wouldn't it be worth it to maybe learn a little about that chase? You won't have another opportunity as good as this one.
Beth: I...I know you can't stay forever, or even for long for long. But... If you get Four killed, I'll learn to raise the dead just so I can kill you myself.
Bobwhite: We've been on our own but that was out of lack of options, and she has a point, with this many pieces we're not in danger of some wiggly spider thing getting all of it anymore
Beldon: Well, that's weird
Four blushes.
Bobwhite: If there's anything that overrode anything up to this point it was not having enough to work with, so maybe now we do guys, I dunno
Bobwhite: You know how I already talked about spreading the word about the stuff we know, leaving some threads to pull on later, maybe now we can hammer on that a little
Beldon: I'm not feeling lucky right now feels like just my damn luck we'd have to stay fine whatever just for a bit I'll do it
Four: We'd love to learn a lot more about what we're up against, it's just been very hard to find that info or find anyone who is willing to help
Beth: If only you knew a University-Trained divination expert.
Beth shrugs.
Beth: Maybe if you boys could find one, your luck would improve.
Bobwhite: (rolling his eyes pointedly with a half-smile) IF ONLY
Bobwhite: Hey Beth can you cast a spell to find us a divination expert
Beth winks.
Four: And she's a beautiful one at tha--hey, guys, wait, she means HER
Bobwhite throws a roll at Four. Four eats it, unconcerned.
Beldon: Last town all we knew was necromancers and I'm not exactly looking for more of that
Beth: Anyway, I need to get back to work --- hopefully I'll see you for dinner.
Beldon grumbles
Four: Absolutely and afterwards!
Beth: Sorry about running out on the tab -- I'll get this one. I wasn't in the most clear headed state.
Beth kisses Four's cheek and leaves five platinum. Bobwhite scoops 'em up
Beth giggles nervously.
Beth: The swamp...is concerning. And, perhaps we can talk about that if you stay for a little longer.
}}

==Staying!==
* A week of downtime commences.
** Four does carousing and relaxation mostly.
** Banner gets beat up for money
** Beldon does something I forgot
** Bobwhite researches (with the Petaran book)
*** 1. The code is difficult to decipher, but does seem to be in GNOMISH of all languages. No wonder it's so tough to crack, the gnomish alphabet has 376 characters!
*** 2. The book itself does not have any actual information on the construction of fire weapons. It, instead, seems to be a treatise arguing that the Petaran Wizards should explore non-martial uses for Smokepowder. This book claims to be the first of several planned volumes, this one arguing that smokepowder can be used for artistic and enjoyment purposes.
*** 3. The book is written by Bashir al Ayad, with a publication date about two decades ago.
{{LogQuote|
The date is , 8th Harvest (Autumn), 1515 FI
}}
* With the efforts of their master diviner, they learn quite a bit more about the Lance:
** Three parts: Advantage on Saves vs Spell. 5 Charge/Turn Counts as +1 Small Spear (1d4 P) Minor Benefit: Gain Eldrich Blast cantrip
** Four parts: 3: Wind Wall (+3 Charges) 6 Charge/Turn Charge rate becomes 1d6/part Minor Benefit: Immune to Charm and Fear Attribute Modifier becomes +4
** Five parts: 4: Polymorph (+4 Charges) 7 Charge/Turn Counts as +2 Spear (1d6 P) Major Benefit: Heal 1d6/round if >=1 HP
** Six parts: 5: Greater Restoration (+5 Charges) 8 Charge/Turn Major Benefit: Summon Whirlwind (see pdf) Attribute Modifier becomes +5
** Seven parts: 6: True Seeing (+6 Charges) 9 Charge/Turn Charge rate becomes 1d10/part Counts as +3 Lance if Mounted
* The spells on each piece are:
** Cure Wounds
** Bless
** Mass Healing Word
** Freedom of Movement
** Haste
** Mass Cure Wounds
** Raise Dead
{{LogQuote|
Beth: So...These spider demons.
Beth: The lance doesn't bring them in.
Beth: They're...in the lance. The lance contains a demiplane of hell trapped inside of it.
Four: A demi-what?
Banner: Cool
Beth: Best I can reckon. These magics are incredibly ancient and powerful. Magic that left the earth with the Demipantheon.
Four: Whoah
Beth: So... yeah. DANG-EAR-OUS
Beth: All the more reason to keep them disunited. Do you really want to make hell larger?
Four: Definitely not! And even the ol' druids couldn't destroy this thing...
Beth: I'm really happy you boys decided to listen to reason.
Beth: So, what is next? You have some other group chasing pieces, right?
Beth: Are you just going to plan to crash into them head on? Rushing after that Chariot?
Four: Yeah, they have some pieces...
Four: Well, we've learned a lot about the power of friendship along the way
Beth: Have you considered sometimes the best way to chase is to be chased? *smiles at four*
Four: Make them come to us?
Beldon: Yea my no account shit for brains brother
Beth nods at Four.
Beldon: He's going after the other one, keeps talking about our ma maybe but also he seems screwed up in the head
Beth: Exactly. It's one thing when a dog is chasing sticks in the yard. It's another when other dogs are coming to fight you for the stick.
Four: At least he's a halfling
Beth: I have selfish reasons for suggesting this.
Beth blushes.
Beth: Not those! Well.. not exclusively so!
Beth blushes.
Four: Well, there's some other pieces that it might be better to have before they get them all, right?
Beldon: no that doesn't work I can't lose a raise so I cant let 'em catch me even if its the plan
Beth: There are...things...mustering in the Swamps. My cousins tell me the Lizardfolk tribe is...wiped out?
Beldon: Yeah you got "things in the swamps" shit man. It was a massacre.
Beth: This is the kind of stuff the Longshanks find unconcerning, especially as preoccupied as they are with their own internal machinations.
Four: We saw some of it firsthand actually
Beth: Then, its true.
Four: Maybe there's some lizards somewhere? We didn't look under every log...
Banner: Did Four tell you about the armored lizard man too? That thing was freaky
Beth: I have had bad dreams, and my auguries have been revealing to me ill omened winds.
Four: We saw the dragon turtles had been drained of blood
Banner minor illusion image of the armored guy
Beth: I fear that perhaps there will not be a Wydmoor to return to if you just run off.
Beldon: Yeah the lizard man lich king gave us his head, then we gave it to the reds. Don't tell 'em we told you
Beth: It's a small community for us small fries. Word gets around.
Beth winks.
Beth: I know it will take you from your errand, but perhaps...
Four: Wydmoor is strong, not much could ruin it. <then suddenly remembers his dreams>
Beth: Well, have you considered that as you track them they can track you?
Four: We do try to hide the wand locations, we're at least good at hiding
Banner: That's part of why we've been keeping on the move
Beth: I was hoping you might ensconce here for a time longer. Help me figure out what's going on in the swamp? The swamp is the South halflings livelihood, and much neglected by the longshanks.
Beth: I could certainly make it worth your while, if such where required. You know that I trust your--well, not your judgement but at least your intentions.
Beth chuckles nervously.
Beldon: I thought we were on a clock but these boys are telling me only two of the pieces merged together
Four: We managed the swamp pretty well actually
Beth: Which is to say, I have every reason to see you want to succeed. Hopefully you are interested in the community as you say. I pray you will make good on that vow now.
}}

[[Category:Mattiverse Next Session Notes|32]]
[[Category:Mattiverse Next|32]]

Mattiverse Next - Session 32 - Revision history