Reed Frowned.

"Her causing some environmental damage, or even playing pranks and being a brat is one thing. It's not good, but it's one thing. But if she's kidnapping people from this plane or murdering them...that's a serious disruption of the balance of the material plane. If that's the case, she'll be lucky if I don't seal her into a lamp or something, or worse." he said.

"HOWEVER...unless we have clear proof we need to assume her innocence in case there's some sort of misunderstanding, or she's just acting out or some such. We have to go into this with an open mind. And one good thing is that the Forest and surrounding lands and skies have not told any of the druids about such things happening yet thank goodness which means there's still hope she's just a brat and not malicious." he continued.

"Hoichi? Can your cloud thing take us to where the elemental is or can you at least help the monks get there while we shapeshift into a flock of birds and follow?"

"Oh, sure, there's room on the cloud for all. I can make it wider... Ready to go to 'er?"

"We are ready if the druids are ready.  While you came to us first, Hoichi, we will be following their lead given their superior expertise in dealing with elementals."

Alyn nodded in agreement, and was ready to depart whenever everyone else was.

"Oh, that's fine with me. I certainly haven't changed the little brat's mind."

Soon all of the druidic Circle of Mist have joined the monks and Hoichi on the cloud, which takes off again, headed vaguely east.

"Watch this now..." says Hoichi, "watch for it... wait for it... wait for it..."

You're not sure what he's saying to watch for, so you just keep alert... looking straight ahead, since that's where he's looking, but occasionally stealing looks to the side, in case

HOLY--

THAT is what he was talking about. A steel... something. Like a tower. Narrow-- perhaps just thirty feet wide-- but tall-- it doesn't seem to HAVE a top. It just seems to go on up forever.

"Can't be detected until you're getting close," says Hoichi. "Probably doesn't really exist on this plane. It's a liminal space..." The cloud lowers to the ground. "I'd better let you off here... Just head toward the tower... I'd better make myself scarce..."

As Hoichi goes, Jaesin comments: "I am absolutely convinced that he knows more of the wayward elemental's motivations than he is revealing -- most likely because he had something to do with it."

In reply to Jaesin Je (msg # 92):

After Hoichi left, Reed nodded to Jaesin.

"I definitely agree with you about him knowing more than he lets on. But I've never heard of a monk or whatever he is so attached to the elemental courts before." Reed replied.

"This is why I'm going in there with an open mindset, since maybe this elemental princess is someone we can reach out to and possibly help and win over, or even befriend. We might not need to use any force at all. But first, we have to hear her side of the story."

"He's not a member of this Order," Jaesin hastens to clarify. "Nor do I think he's a monk."

Honor thus preserved, Jaesin makes sure that those who are monks in the Order are ready to venture to the tower.

https://miro.medium.com/focal/...0/0*C__knszvhJ6NCa11

It's dark here.

Not so dark you can't see the tower of steel up above, but dark.

You head toward the tower.

Before you get there, though, a young doe runs out in front of you, from left to right.

Then there's a sort of whssh and the doe sharply reverses and heads back to the left.

whssh

Something is toying with the deer, zipping back and forth. You can't tell if it's flying or just leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk.

whsssh

And then the doe is down, and something is upon it-- just about to bite it maybe--

--When it looks up and sees you.

It stands.

The doe, terrified, leaps up and runs off.

The thing grins at you, a too-large mouth filled with too many too-sharp teeth. "Hello..."

It has ash-gray skin, very dark eyes, and wears a very long (down to its ankles) ragged and stained shirt that might have once been white. Its hair is straight and black.

"Hello," Jaesin responds as the other monks get closer to the druids, just in case.


My immediate thought, after reading the description:

https://thering.fandom.com/wik...ng_samara_slider.jpg

Ooc: can the druids determine that the thing before them is elemental in nature? Possibly the princess they are looking for?

(Yes to both.)

"This is her everyone, so please be both careful and mindful." Reed said as the toothy woman-thing turned its attention to them.

Reed steeped forward.

"You shouldn't play with harmless animals like that. Unless you're starving and needed to kill it to eat or something, there is no need for you to torment the poor thing." he said to the princess as the terrified deer pranced away.

"And hello to you, fair maiden of stone and air. I am Reed, the Archon of Mist. To which lovely lady do we have the privilege of speaking with right now?" he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:38, Wed 24 Nov 2021.

"I like to surprise." The voice is breathy and quiet and yet it can be heard clearly by all present. "I like to scare."




"My name Isobel," says Isobel.

As planned in advance, Jaesin remains quiet while Reed negotiates with Isobel.

"A pleasure to meet you, Isobel..." Reed replied with a flourish.

"I happened to be passing through the area, and caught word that a certain elemental princess was causing problems for the people and animals here. Pulling pranks, needlessly damaging the trees and environment, and sometimes even hurting people and animals. And I think we both know which princess those rumors are referring to, my dearest maiden." he continued.

"However...I believe there's two sides to every story, and that it would be unfair to just assume bad things about you without having met you first and gotten to talk with you a bit, and hear your side of things..." he continued.

"My dearest Isobel? Would you like to take a walk with me? I'd love to get to know you better, and even do a nature walk of sorts. Unless you're hungry, in which case perhaps your ladyship would like to join me for a picnic?" he asked, trying to treat her like a normal lady rather than a monster and see if she responded well to this. A royal tier elemental was generally highly sentient, which is why he chose this type of approach rather than a more mystical or coldly direct one like he would with some random normal elemental.

"My servants and guards will keep us safe and help prepare food for us if you'd like to join me for a picnic."

"Tee hee..."



"Pick... nick...?"



"Pic...nic. Food. Food." Isobel nods.

It's hard to say if Isobel is really that young, or if she just doesn't know the language you're speaking that well, or if she's just messing with you and pretending to be young and easily confused by a lot of words. If you had to guess, you'd guess the second option. There's a lot of intelligence in... there.

But... perhaps not a lot of emotional control. She might actually be young in that sense. A very, very smart child.

(So it feels to me like we're approaching time to roll.

Like, specifically, we're going to be doing a charm offensive, with the monks 1. in case things go south and 2. to help make Reed seem like a big important guy.

Sound good/right...?)

OOC: I think that's right.  Last instructions were to stand by, keep out of the way, but be ready for anything.

I am generally deferring to the druids because of their greater expertise.

OOC: Yes right now Reed is playing up his importance, and the druids in general are posturing a bit, while the monks seem like support and bodyguards...all as part of our plan.

The idea here is for us to seem important enough to warrant her interest and attention (and to be hesitant to attack us), while being civil enough for her to want to play nice.

(DRUIDS AND MONKS VS. ISOBEL NICENESS AND CHARM ASSAULT MISSION

Druid random factor rolls: 1 thing applies: Advantage: Staff of Energy Tapping (TEMPORARY)

Druid random factor rolls: 1 thing applies: Advantage: Very Disciplined

Team-up bonus: +1

Roll: 2d6+3: 12:17, Today: The GM rolled 12 using 2d6+3 ((6,3)).

SUCCESS...)

Reed, with the other monks and druids playing wow, look how important Reed is, is able to impress Isobel.

Isobel, though her command of the language is... problematic... nonetheless opens up and discusses her feelings.

She doesn't like this little mortal man attempting to date her auntie, she felt out of place in the Air plane where everything was "so floaty" but also out of place when she tried the Earth plane where everything was "so dark." She likes this world where things are so fragile, where there are places to hide but also "such prettiness" like the sun and the trees and blood.

Reed nods and continues to say very compassionate and sympathetic things to Isobel at all times.

The monks do not get alarmed even when Isobel does a sudden LEAP and CHOMP and eats a squirrel, due to their hours a day of practice in self-discipline.

Isobel seems somewhat able to smell fear, so it's just as well they maintain a demeanor in keeping with pretending that this is perfectly normal picnic guest behavior.

Finally, though, Isobel seems to decide, in talking about the plane of Air, that perhaps she might go back there after all. "Everyone want me to. So I not want to. But to fly is fun... and... rules here strange. Strange when things fall down. Strange when things break. Strange when trees smell like screaming." She sighs, and her gaze flits around...

Her eyes land on Reed's Staff of Energy Tapping. "Give me that?" she asks.

(She's going to leave, but let's do a little more role-playing first. Will you give her the Staff of Energy Tapping...?)

Reed considers.

On one hand, she's being naughty and needs a spanking. Badly. Even if he needs to draw on the leylines and cast a "Hand of Spanking +5" spell or some such to do it coupled with am "Irresistable Attraction to my knee" spell, which when comboed can lead to even elementals and such being spanked over his knee.

Yet...on the other hand, Isobel seems less malicious (despite the occasional chomping and such" and more neutral aligned and a bit naieve and childish, despite her intelligence that she thinks she is hiding. He was glad he talked to her and took a nice approach with the monks rather than treating her like some monster to be fought and killed.

He also got a sort of puberty sense from her. Like she was trying to figure out where she belonged, and wanted to push boundaries yet also felt lonely when people and her family were doing their own thing and she didn't feel included or wanted.

He also wondered if Hoichi was this "pesky mortal trying to date her aunt" she was referring to, but he didn't want to mention him or bring him up. But if that was the case, Reed and Jaesin would surely let Hoichi know of their displeasure in him omitting details.

...buuuut for now, he had to focus on Isobel.

He listened politely and intently to her as she expressed herself, before responding.

"Hmmm...well Isobel my dear, I have a few thoughts to share on your situation. Thoughts I think might make you feel better or at least be able to better organize your thoughts." he replied.

"First of all...I can tell you are becoming a big girl now more and more over time. I know you're smarter than you let on for one thing - your curiosity is a sign of that among other things. But part of growing up is learning that sometimes, your family and friends have lives of their own and will be growing in their own paths just like you are. And that includes your aunt. This doesn't mean your aunt doesn't love...but just that she's also exploring new things. And this mortal man who is courting her is just a part of your aunt's growing life path. What really matters, Isobel, is if your auntie is happy with this man or not." he said.

"Your aunt deserves to be happy and find love, whatever form that takes. She's a grown woman though, and I doubt she'd give this mortal man the time of day if he didn't have some redeeming qualities of some kind. You might want to try and get to know the man better first, before deciding you don't like him. Because who knows...maybe he's a potential friend in the making that you just haven't made yet?" Reed continued.

He looked around.

"You're right about the physical laws of this plane being a bit...weird. Like we have gravity, and can't do a whole lot without channeling magic, and so on. But you're not a normal elemental Isobel. You have both Air and earth natures, which is actually fairly rare. Bur rare doesn't mean bad. On the contrary...I think you're interesting and have the potential to enjoy the best of what both air and earth have to offer. But you might be looking in the wrong places though in your exploring, but I have an idea of a place you might find of particular interest..." he said conspiratorially.

"Have you heard of the para-elemental planes? They lie between the main elemental planes like between water and air is ice, and so on. Now most normal scholars thinks that elements that seem opposed cannot make para-elements. Like fire and water and air and earth for instance. But I happen to know they are wrong and those para-elements are totally real...I mean you yourself are living proof of this! But there is a para-elemental plane that is a confluence of air and earth...it's basically the paraelemental plane of sand. Some times they manifest as dust, or silt, but it's basically an area that's a vast windy desert like area filled with all sorts of secrets and nooks and crannies, yet for all its dunes it also has open air and wind as well. I think you'll learn a lot about yourself if you visit this place...but unfortunately due to its peculiar nature it's harder to get to than normal planes." he said with a frown.

However, he then tapped his staff. "Although... my staff could help you get there easily though. Once you've been there before you can get to it easier with normal magic but the first arrival is always difficult and needs special circumstances to assist...but my staff just happens to have enough power for a single major channeling action and it could easily bridge the gap and get you there. And I'd be willing to give you my staff of channeling if you agree to be my friend in return, Isobel." he said, with a smile.

"What do you think?"

She crosses her arms. "Hmph!" This seems to translate into both Hmph, more than just 'a girl'! but also into Yeah, no girl is bigger nor better than me!





"But... she love mortal man once before...? ...He die! She sad! Not want her that again!"

A pause.

"...Him much pretty than new little man, too. Seen statues."





"Bah." Nodding. "Strange."





"Bah. Been ice. Too cold."





"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo." Reed has her interest. She has clearly not visited the Sand plane before.





"Yah, friends! Give stick!"

Jaesin remains silent, impassive, unmoving, and hopefully unnoticeable throughout the exchange.

Hopefully, the rest of the monks follow his lead.

Reed nodded.

"I know that your aunt has a much, much longer lifespan than her mortal lover did...but what's important isn't that he died before she did, but that the limited time they did have together was well spent. That they loved each other. Your aunt deserves to be able to find love, even if it cannot last forever. Death and life are part of the cycle of nature, after all." he replied.

"But isn't it better that she loved and lost, than to have never loved nor have received love at all? I know it's sad...but what matters most, Isobel, isn't how much time you have with someone you care about, be they a friend or a lover, but WHAT you do with that time. Time well spent is the best time, after all." he continued.

He then held out his staff.

"Yes...you're my friend now, and this is a present from me to you. Just promise you will try to cause at least somewhat less mischief in exchange." he said with a playful grin.

"Although be careful and be patient when you use the staff to open a way to the Plane of Sand. It's trickier than normal due to the confluence of opposing elemental forces. That's why normal mages and such can't get there easily. Druids are special due to our tie to the elements, and of course YOU are special because you're both an air and earth elemental. With that staff...I know you'll be ok. Just be patient. Once you channel your way there the first time, your natural plane shifting will let you come and go from the place since you technically have ties to both the planes of air and earth...which also make up the plane of sand." he said seriously.

"But like I said...it's a neat place with many undiscovered secrets still. And it may help you come to better terms with your own nature too. It's the best gift I can think to give you, Isobel my friend."

OOC: Yes he will give her the staff of channeling.

"Wheee h'ray byeeeeeee!" trills Isobel. She waves the staff around like a baton... and stops. "Oh! Trade! More fair!" she says, and she gives Reed something. She waves the staff around again...

...and she and the Tower of Steel both disappear.

Reed looks at what she gave him. It's a rod, a bit less than two feet long, of... what is that, hematite? Tourmaline?

--No-- It's lodestone...

A portal opens up. "Oh, good, lads, very good!" It's the little man from before-- Hoichi. "That'll do nicely!" He extends his hands to Jaesin Je. "You've earned a boon! What can I do for you?!"

Hoichi briefly eyes what Reed's holding. "Ooh, nice lodestone rod. You've already been rewarded, I see."

(Druids lose the Staff of Energy Tapping, which wasn't going to work much longer anyway, and gain the new advantage: Lodestone Rod of Lightning. This rod can be used to fuse the power in the heavens and the earth together to summon (vertical) lightning bolts. It works better the closer the bolt is to the summoner, though (although it does NOT offer protection from the bolts themselves), and it works better the more clouds there are in the sky-- although it WILL work with no clouds (although clouds will start forming if it's used when there are none).

Monks, what boon might you ask of Hoichi?)