Revelatory Decisions

General Summary

Introduction

As the fair began to wind down for the night Cassandra and Tidran made their way back to their cottage. Jayvin greeted them; the inside of the cottage was neat and clean and he had a delicious smelling dinner waiting for the siblings. The three of them sat to eat. Cassandra and Tidran had many questions for the old adventurer and their discussion around the table carried on quite late. Javyin wasn't coughing quite so much and his face radiated a quiet joy. Finally, the three went to bed; Jayvin could be heard coughing into the night but eventually the coughing stopped.

To Make a Fluxacitor

The following morning, Farren woke early. She had heard rumors the night before that a Silver Orphan was in the area, and she hoped to find it if all possible. She slipped over to the fair which bustled with activity, despite the early hour. As she walked through the crowds, a silvery flash caught her eye. She scanned around and saw a silvery figure striding through crowd ahead! Farren quickly pushed through the people shopping and caught up to the silvery figure.

Farren excitedly introduced herself to the stranger and asked if he were a silver orphan. "Yes" he replied. His skin or outer covering seemed to be made entirely of a silvery metal which flowed with each movement. Farren got the idea that such a being could shape-shift very easily. Farren attempted to make small talk however, the silver orphan, while not rude, chose to respond with only the shortest of replies. Farren then asked the silver orphan if he could fabricate a fluxacitor.

The silver orphan looked down at his hand which briefly pulsed and changed shape. "I can make such a device" he replied "but in return, I seek information on artificial minds. Do you have information an any intelligence which is not a natural creature?" Farren thought hard, she had encountered some strange things in her explorations but nothing quite like what he was asking for. She finally remembered hearing tales from some of the founders of Beyonder's Blades about an artificial intelligence which they had encountered and entrusted to Gwydion for safe keeping.

Farren told the silver orphan about the artificial intelligence, and he agreed to accompany her to Gwydion's workshop. Gwydion greeted Farren as she entered. When the silver orphan followed in behind her, Gwydion very quickly surmised the reason it was there. Gwydion asked "let me guess, you've gotten this metal man to make something for you but he wants information on the artificial intelligence in return?" Farren concurred and the tinkerer went into one of his storage rooms and returned momentarily followed by the artificial intelligence. The silver orphan excitedly began talking with the ai, and their conversation soon switched into an indecipherable high-pitched sort of beeping.

After a minute, the silver orphan turned to Farren. "Very interesting!" he exclaimed "and now for your fluxacitor". The silver skin of his left hand swirled and coalesced into a crystalline shape. His right hand formed into a short knife with which he cut off the crystalline protuberance on his left. Both his hands instantly re-formed and he expertly caught the falling silvery shape. As he held it, its color began to change from a silver to a deep blue and it soon solidified into a small crystal. The silver orphan handed the crystal to Farren and then turned and left Gwydion's workshop.

A Friend Passes

Meanwhile, Cassandra and Tidran woke up early excited with plans for their day. Tidran went in to check on Javyin and found him lying very still. At first he thought Jayvin was simply in a deep sleep but then he looked closer. He turned from the bed, stricken, and saw that Cassandra was watching wide-eyed from the doorway. "Is he . . .?" Cassandra's voice trailed out, unable to finish her question. Tidran nodded solemnly, "Jayvin has passed" he answered. The grief-stricken siblings huddled together in disbelief as they sat and tried to reconcile Jayvin's death. They had only known Jayvin for a couple of days but his passing had a profound impact on them; in addition to finally finding a link to their past they viewed Jayvin as a close friend.

After sitting for a while, Cassandra noticed the night-table by Jayvin's bed. On it was a the shin-pouch which Mo had given him the day before along with a datapad. The datapad was on, and displayed a message from Jayvin. Cassandra shakily stood up and retrieved the datapad; she then returned to Tidran where they both read the message.

Tidran did his best to comfort his sister despite his own feelings of grief. After some time, he mentioned the shin pouch to Cassandra. She agreed that they should return the money to Mo. Tidran stood up quietly and with a heavy heart he picked up the pouch and walked somberly out to the inn to find Mo.

Morning Dawns

While Cassandra and Tidran mourned, their friends went about their day unaware of the tragedy which had befallen the two siblings. Breaker was back in town with her armor filthy and looking a bit the worse for wear; She noticed the brightly-colored tents of the fair and decided to check out its wares. Dante awoke in his house, admired his new dining room set, and prepared to go to the fair for some additional purchases. Dariyana had breakfast in the inn and planned how she would fight in the fair's tournament that night. Perhaps winning fame in the tournament would help her better settle into the local community? Sirkel was hungry (as always!) and he began cooking a large pot of mushroom soup. The aroma of the soup mingled with the more exotic scents of the fair's food vendors carried on the morning breeze.

Mo awoke in her room in the inn after a restless night. She had wrestled with a decision for most of the night but had finally determined her course of action. She was anxious how her decision might effect her friends: she would tell them later that night. Until then, she planned on returning to the fair to visit some of the vendors and improve her equipment. She went downstairs where Dilzer the innkeeper handed her a sealed envelope along with a tray of breakfast. This must be the founder's response to her inquiry about purchasing the inn!

Mo read the note, which was on official looking parchment and sealed with the Beyonder's Blade's seal. The note was signed by all the original founders of the settlement and read as follows:

Mo,
The founders will allow you to purchase the inn of Beyonder’s Blades for the sum of 400 shins. The inn shall be maintained for the benefit of travelers and residents of our settlement; should you not act in good faith, the founders may choose to annul the sale and regain ownership of the inn. We look forward to your business and wish you all the best in this regard.
-The Founders of Beyonder’s Blades.

Mo tucked the note away and continued with her breakfast. A very subdued Tidran entered the inn, walked up to Mo and handed her a pouch containing 200 shins. "Jayvin has no more need of this" he said, and then quietly left the inn. Mo was a bit startled at this; she hoped everything was alright with the old adventurer. She sighed, today was turning out to be a very interesting day indeed and this just gave her one more thing to ponder. She finished her breakfast and then headed to the fair.

Fair Purchases

Mo met up with Breaker and Dante at the bustling vendor stalls in the fair. She teased Breaker about the condition of her armor, and greeted Dante. The trio searched among the vendors, and the blacksmith's tent caught their eyes. Breaker entered the blacksmith's tent where a master-smith was working on a red-hot sword blade which also seemed to sparkle with some sort of barely contained energy. Breaker inquired about what sorts of armor were available, and selected a fine suit of heavy armor to which she had the smith. She also had the smith add a gem which granted some protection against energy attacks. She kept her original helmet which the blacksmith cleaned and polished to a bright shine.

Next, Breaker inquired about modifying her slug-thrower. The weapon was already heavily customized to increase its range and accuracy but Breaker felt it took too long to reload in between shots. The smith was moderately impressed by Breaker's customizations and with a bit of tinkering added a magazine which would allow the Glaive to fire multiple times without having to pause to reload.

Dante followed Breaker into the blacksmith's tent and was intrigued by some of the weapons on display. Despite the more exotic options the smith went over, Dante opted to purchase a fairly standard heavy slug-thrower. He did however ask the smith to customize it with an attached grapple-hook launcher. The smith worked for a few minutes and then handed Dante his new weapon.

Mo had something a bit different in mind than a simple slug-thrower. She inquired about different types of armor material, and selected a light weight purple armor weave which she asked to be fashioned into a set of shoulder-length gloves. She also asked the smith to embed an energy discharge device into the fingertips which would allow her to energize her weapons for additional damage. The blacksmith was quite happy to work with such an exotic request and after a brief time fabricated the gloves for Mo. After a brief walk-through of the other vendors, the trio returned to Beyonder's Blades excited about their upgraded equipment.

A Somber Burial

Back at the settlement, Tidran and Cassandra began preparing to lay their friend in his final rest. Tidran selected a place in the back of their property quietly shaded by a couple of large green trees. He began to dig a grave. Cassandra slipped out and went to find her friend Mo. She found the Jack back at the inn. Cassandra quietly informed Mo of Jayvin's passing. Mo's heart went out to the young girl; she had spent enough time at the settlement to count these people as her friends and the news of Jayvin's death hit her hard. Cassandra hugged Mo and the two went to inform Sirkel as well. Sirkel quickly put down his bowl of mushroom soup and followed his friends back Cassandra's cottage. The normally talkative Delve was quiet at the news.

At the cottage, Tidran had finished digging the grave, and had selected a light colored rock as a headstone. Jayvin lay in repose beside the gravesite. A look of peace and contentment replaced his once haggard and haunted expression. Sirkel was saddened for his friends and considered how to show his support. He produced a rock from his pocket which he expertly broke in two showing a dazzling geode inside. He place half the geode with Jayvin and quietly handed the other half to Cassandra. Mo attempted to hold back her tears. She reached out with her hover abilities and gently lowered Jayvin into the grave. She then switched focus to the dirt pile and reverently covered the old adventurer.

Cassandra was grateful for the support of her friends. She saw the blank headstone and focused her abilities on it. A beam of searing light from the crystal in her forehead settled on the stone and carved an epitaph for Jayvin deep into the rock surface. Tidran positioned the headstone and the group stood quietly by the grave site for some time.

A Father Found

Meanwhile, back at Gwydion's workshop, Farren was busy attaching the fluxacitor to her dimensional mirror. The crystal settled into place and the mirror thrummed quietly. She once again adjusted the mirror and this time when the portal flared into existence it stayed put. The mirror crackled for a second, but then the fluxacitor did its work and the energy flow stabilized. She finally had a portal to her father's dimension!

Farren was excited but she knew better than to rush blindly into the portal, especially since this dimension was so hard to access. She found a long rod and poked it cautiously through the glowing portal. The rod seemed to lighten a bit, but when she pulled it back it returned to normal weight and it seemed none the worse for wear. Heartened by her test, Farren stepped through the portal.

The moment she entered, Farren felt very different. Energy ribbons swirled all around her, and her senses all seemed to shift. Her eyes seemed as though they weren't seeing, but somehow sensing her environment and she felt as though she was no longer solid. She quickly realized why her dimensional mirror had so much trouble, this dimension consisted entirely of energy! Farren looked, or rather perceived her surroundings and noticed a swirl of energy in the distance which vaguely reminded her of a human shape somehow.

Farren wanted to approach and somehow found herself eddying closer to the humanish energy current. When she seemed close, she tried to speak and somehow an answer from the other energy swirl. She was unable to sense much of his features, but asked if he would like to return with her to the normal world. The energy swirl agreed, and they both drifted back towards the portal. Farren flowed through the portal and was relieved to regain her solid human form. The portal glowed behind her, and her father stepped out!

Farren was overjoyed and enthusiastically hugged her father she had lost all those years ago. He returned the hug but seemed puzzled and asked who she was. "I'm Farren, your daughter!" she exclaimed. For a moment, her father seemed even more lost; "My daughter, but you're so tall! the accident was only a couple of days ago at most, how . . ." Farren's mind raced. How could years have passed but her father not have noticed? "Time must flow at different speeds between the dimensions!" she exclaimed. "That would explain why it only seems like a few days for you. Its been years here!" A look of understanding dawned on her father's face and he now hugged her back excitedly.

Farren's mother had accompanied her to Gwydion's workshop. She was in another room and came over when she heard Farren's happy shout. She was overjoyed to see her husband again and ran to hug them both. The reunited family began to talk and share their experiences during their time apart. Farren was happy to notice that her father seemed to be able to actually focus on the conversation and no longer raved about adjusting the dimensional resonator. It seemed that the return of his family had perhaps returned some sanity to her father.

A Mysterious Button

Meanwhile, Dante returned to his large house. On the front step he noticed a small package addressed to him. There was no return name on the parcel. He took it inside and cautiously opened it. Inside was a small metallic gray box (about the size of a key fob for a car). The box was featureless, but as soon as he picked it up, a red button appeared on it. He put it down, the button disappeared. He picked it up and the button immediately re-appeared.

Dante was extremely suspicious, the warning of Mila the Mindflayer running through his head. He selected a heavy paving stone and held it above the box. He then released the stone and the box at the same time as he did not want to be holding the remote when the button was pressed. However, the instant his hand left the remote, the button disappeared, and the rock crashed down onto the box which sat undamaged. Dante suddenly realized that there was a door in his house he had not seen before. Seeing as how he had just finished building the house and and taken an active hand in its construction, a new door was very odd indeed. He decided to seek his friends advise and set off to find someone.

He wandered through the settlement, and eventually found Farren with her family still at Gwydion's workshop. He explained about his very unusual package and strange door. Farren encouraged him to open the door, and try pressing the button to see what would happen. Dante was still worried about what might be behind the door and so thought up a plan. He borrowed an Aneen from Eustace and rode it back to his house. Once there, he had the beast squat down and after much bother he managed to shove the mount into his house. The normally placid aneen was not happy with this arrangement and grunted in an upset sort of way.

Dante then picked up the remote (the button instantly appeared) and opened the strange door. The sight of the meadow with the Bellowheart greeted his eyes. Dante was surprised to see the meadow, the last time he had to hike through a few miles of forest to the entrance. However, given how odd everything was at the moment he shrugged and proceeded to push the grumbling aneen through the door and into the meadow. He then followed and mounted the aneen. As he rode through the meadow, he heard the thump of heavy footsteps behind him, and saw bellowheart charging from across the meadow!

Dante remembered Mila saying that if he ever needed help, she might find a way to be there. He cried aloud to Mila but heard no answer. Instead, he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to press the red button. He was hesitant to do so and tried to spur his aneen to move faster. The aneen was terrified of the bellowheart, but despite its best effort the bellowheart was quickly closing the distance. Dante was just about out of options, and in desperation he pressed the button. Instantly, a shimmering force field appeared around the bellowheart, trapping it in place. Dante reined in his aneen and studied the situation. He pressed the button again and the force field disappeared. He quickly pressed the button again and the forcefield re-appeared encircling the monster. Dante chuckled, he now had a means of safe passage through the meadow!

He rode back to the door and once again shoved and coaxed the aneen through it. He once again pressed the button, releasing the bellowheart, and then quickly slammed the door shut. He would have to tell the rest of his friends about this!

The Tournament

As the day drew to a close, all the adventures joined up at the fair for the grand martial tournament! Ringo the announcer welcomed them into the large central pavilion. Breaker and Dariyana entered the contest as contenders, and were joined by Cassandra who used her abilities to disguise her appearance and called herself Dax. Ringo offered several formats and explained the rules. @Diane the fair's Nano healer would heal the contenders after each round. The group decided on a team battle with victory granted when one side surrendered. The lights dimmed, and the tournament began!

Ringo stepped out and announced their opponent; none other than one of the founders, Bane! They had all heard tales of his adventures and he strode confidently onto the stage, his imposing figure covered in heavy armor and a vicious looking greatsword slung over his back. He was eager to test the prowess of these newest members of the settlement. Bane typically avoided interaction but he nonetheless looked out for the good of his settlement.

Cassandra (in disguise still as Dax), Breaker, and Dariyana pulled their weapons out and strode onto the stage to much applause. Their friends cheered them on from the audience. The lights on the stage came up a bit, and the fight began!

Dariyana fired her heavy crossbow at point blank range. The bolt whizzed through the air where Bane had stood a split second before. Dax (Cassandra) now tried to strike the famous warrior but her powerful blow failed to connect. Bane then struck like a blur from the shadows, his first attack caught Breaker solidly. Breaker winced as Bane's blade slid through a tiny joint in his armor and dug deep down. Nevertheless Breaker shook it off and fired her upgraded slug-thrower at Bane. The shot hit Bane, skidding off his armored chest. The fight moved back and forth at a breakneck speed. Bane moved so fast that the audience at times had trouble seeing his strikes. He was quietly impressed at the young warriors as despite his heavy armor and formidable training they managed to land some hits on him.

Breaker dripped with sweat, all her effort consumed at trying to avoid Bane's enormous blade. Dariyana breathed heavily, her arms ached from the strain of moving her heavy weapons at such a taxing pace. Dax was exhausted, she was focusing all her effort on her light powers to hit Bane with but those were draining her mental fortitude at an alarming rate. Suddenly, Bane attacked in a whirl, his mighty blow flattened Breaker and then continued on to strike Dariyana. She heard the wicked whistle of his sword and tried to dodge but her tired limbs could not respond quickly enough. Bane's assault knocked her to the ground with the wind driven from her lungs.

Dax (Cassandra) now faced Bane alone. He smiled slightly beneath his helmet, her light beam attacks had warmed his armor a bit but had failed to ever penetrate his defenses. In one swift motion, the tournament was over. Dax (Cassandra) crumpled beneath Bane's ferocity and Ringo stepped onto the stage as the audience burst into thunderous applause. Bane helped his opponents to their feet and graciously accepted the winners purse. Even though they had lost, the trio was excited that they had the opportunity to face such a famous swordsman as Bane. The audience gasped when Cassandra reverted her disguise and revealed herself. Her self-confidence was boosted by Bane's congratulations on a tournament well fought.

A Momentous Decision

Mo gathered all the other adventurers to the inn after the tournament. They celebrated their performance, but the rest were saddened to hear about Jayvin's death. After a round of drinks, Mo stood up and announced she had made a very important decision. The room quieted as everyone listened to what she had to say. Mo revealed her conversation with Grazelle and the choices she was offered. She had trouble finding the words to tell her friends that she had chosen to leave Beyonder's Blades in order to train at Ivannia.

Mo's voice shook as she contemplated leaving her friends. To her surprise, Cassandra immediately piped up and announced she would follow Mo! The rest of the group discussed Mo's decision and then also decided to accompany their friend back to Ivannia! Mo was taken aback by her friends loyalty, but relieved she would not have to face this new task alone. Her friends reassured her they would help her and after another couple rounds of drinks they went back to their various dwelling-places to prepare for the trip. Mo slipped back to Grazelle's tent and informed the arch-nano of her decision. Grazelle was happy that Mo would return and the two of them discussed some of the logistics of traveling back.

Report Date

25 Apr 2020