"Where Angels Dare"

[*Pashan01]

I hear of trapped solar, soul bound to prism and I asked for friends to gather.

***

Azrielle, Krtsm, Hjyng, Nemesis....met to discuss, spoke of others attempting to make contact and plans to gather more information

***

But mostly, some time was shared quietly, my Rashemi warrior and myself to reconnect and find our way forward with these oft turbulent darker times, occurrences and moods and anger...we have lost track a little...lost something of ourselves...or that is how it feels to me. That enjoyable social time with friends exploring sensory experience brought it back to him, to me...that we mustn't forget to live, enjoy...the small things, the gifts we do have, despite our losses.

The tension I felt in his shoulder and back I eased with massage, his own stresses had been building and manifesting itself in those knotted muscles. I tried new technique, suggested by him, a walk upon the back as if I was some eastern slightly built Kara-Tur maid instead of the heavy weight winged big-boned half celestial that I am. Not wishing to do more damage than good, I kept weight off and balanced by beating wing as I trod his back. It seemed to help him. This did however, bring our conversations over our respective beliefs and futures soon to a halt when I finally got him to a relaxed state of muscle.

I had to turn to simple medical assistance of the normal kind, seeing as I no longer had access to any regenerative or remedial healing of the divine. It meant I had to lend assistance to Mashanie in his heavily inebriated, nay...blacked out state following a drink of Abyssal Absynthe with simple techcnique. Mir had been taking over from Khazeet for a period and must have given him the brew by accident. All I could think of was to get him to vomit it up by sticking a finger down his throat....the first close touch I had made to him...others supported him more as Mir shapeshifted to water elemental to wash him down and clean up the vomit, ensuring he drank water....then with Kelth too now assisting, the deadweight that was Mashanie, too heavy to easily carry amongst the others trying, I managed to hoist him over my shoulder....this was the second close touch to tiefling, to him and I'd had my fill. So I let others give him to swallow the two vials of devil blood I offered to clean out his system and they finally got him to his bed for Mir to look after him.

He will recover.

[*Pashan01]

"Ah rats! Tix, he got me in his great big handies, ye saw it! Horrid plated, evil bugger....so I looked fer a chink and whipped out me cupid crossbow, the fella was adamant that he'd ne'er succumb to the emotion of love...hah! was gonna show him. If it hit, first he'd look at he'd be swoonin' over for a few hours, Shale was about, Layla an Tarion, Ogre mage too! Jez would be too easy, they all falls in love with her anyway......heh...teach him, teach him good Tix! So when he finally let me go, I let off me love bolt, but after ye dashed off, I didn stick around to see which he fell fer, or if me bolt stuck in proper, cos I saw a guard headin our ways. Hope it did, hope he did...son of a puss dung stinkin golem!"

"Meantime I got some researchin ta do. Midget wants a bow like me cupid crossbow and is happy to have it in pink...buts only if I can make the enchants permanent. Dun know that's possible Tix, some how I doubt it, might extend it to a week...love is fickle like that an the real stuff usually wins o'er the false fun of the magicked one. Fancy ta be me tester Tix? or shall I find some poor cutie in the bazaar to be tryin it out hee hee.."

The two pixies rolled about in the air pinching each other, giggling and aerial dancing before flitting off to the laboratory.

[*Pashan01]

I arrived an hour after the bombing had transpired. The open bar area and part of the market was a mess. Anarchists.....was the chant. And Mir arrived, with sleeve torn, a few cuts and grazes still from having gotten caught in the blast, on the periphery and away from the worst thank goodness and she gave me update. Two innocents believed to be dead, the street torn up with heavy boulders all about. But I was concerned. Anarchists...this didn't bode well and I wondered with Kelth knew of this. The name Marcus Rose was bandied about as the one responsible...individual acting upon his own, part of the same?...no...I wouldn't go there until I'd spoken further.

Kelth arrived. Ignoring one rather loud man holding torch whom Mir seemed to know, who was being very suggestive and ribald as Kelth led the two of us, tiefling and celestial into the Inn....I wonder how he kept his cool?...my temper was raised and felt like laying fist to his face for even suggesting....... well anyway, we gathered in Mir and Masha's room to talk quietly of my concerns.... different splinter.....its like the sensates, not all are hedonist pleasure seekers, so too the Anarchists are not all crazed bombers... but the populace will unlikely distinguish between the two....

The name Marcus Rose was familiar however....I told them I would hunt out that old copy of the S.I.G.I.S...coincidence? But I wondered if the bomber was one of those escapees from the Gate that were reported?..It sounded likely. We agreed to meet again after trying to find out what other information we could for.... you-know-who...and to keep our ears to the ground.

[*Pashan01]

I briefly caught up with Mashanie and was given the most fabulous gift....a set of sensory stones full of the memories of his journey. I shall take my time to review them when leisure time allows, share them even with other faction members if he so gives me permission...and quiz him about this amazing Spelljammer that my first quick peek into one memory allowed..I wonder if I'll ever get to journey upon such a vessel?

Goodness knows when I will find the time for that when the city is falling to chaos....tis at times like this I would have made prayer to Pelor, hardened heart and resolve and leant my earnest support and divine ability to friends in need.

The meeting with Linda...happened...and we gave ultimatum. I had to clutch fingers to Kelth's shoulder to keep myself from slicing her neck open there and then for the damage she has done to us, but there were things that needed to be settled and she had brought her own ironclad guard, not to mention the location was a public one, it would have been foolish to act upon my fury. An oath was made, a timelimit given...we shall see what it brings.

[*Pashan01]

I held the soul prism to my palm and felt the anguish of the trapped solar within. Trapped by celestials...how could that be? I wondered if now was the time to approach Sorath....put my own feelings aside and garner his aid to rescue this being...only, perhaps it was not that simple.

The bundle had been passed to Kelth, supposedly in good faith along with receipt of a contract signed in blood. I had to accept this act, temper my angry pain, guard it so that I could direct it to its final end with no mercy.....sacrifice the queen to reach the king.

[*Pashan01]

Plans were being carefully laid but the next steps were best left to friends with the knowledge and skills in that arena. I felt there was little I could do to advise at this stage though I listened with interest.

I was also at loss what to do to aid Zilvai though I carried her after seeing her collapse...she weighs nothing at all...hmmmm...., following Kelth and the others taking her to infirmary. Communication was made through some unusual device calling upon Hildmor to join from whereever he was. Though I soothed brow and tried to bring fever down with simple medical means the energies and symptoms she was experiencing were beyond my powers, beyond possibly too those I used to have access to. It was left to the more capable hands than mine to calm the imbalance that was in her blood. I truly didn't know what to make of it.

And I find myself at a junction, as I explained to Father Nathan, bumping into his portly self again today after many weeks of not seeing him. 'Paperwork' he explained, such is the way of the clergy I presume, something I was ever fortunate to avoid in my own early training. He couldn't resist taking pastry as I ordered tea for us both.

On the one path is the light that I rejected but have been so used to, the other a road of uncertainty, anger and pain with one burning task that I fear I must attend to to ease my heart. Would the two paths cross or meet? I wondered and how do I reconcile what I feel I 'must' try to do with the teachings of the Sun Father. My confessions to Father Nathan I kept broad, only explaining my dilemma in veiled terms without giving too much of the details of what I had done, what I intended to do. Yet his words gave me hope, his advice some momentary comfort. "The Sun Father loves and forgives us all" he offered at the end and suggested I make attempt to join him and his congregation at his regular sermons in Elysium.

I....might do that...I might...just as I might...see to contacting Sorath and Barr...

I also met later with Talek, another face I have not seen in a while. His eyes give him away, I know he still bears feelings for me and the sensate in me wishes to ask and understand how it is so in the time span of our meetings, something so very different to how mine grew for Kelth. Yet the knowledge of Kelth's advice and the wish not to cause awkwardness, be sensitive to not pushing any wrong buttons...so that I can at least retain his friendship....I realise I shall have to be careful there too...but I still value his company.

[*Pashan01]

"Tixie! You should see what I found in th'market!" the pixie dashed off in rapid flight to go catch up with her cousin after her flirtatious tease in the market with one cute kender. After a boring response from some tief who, near ignored her proposal and trade offer of a tail-ride, sat cross legged and created some blue glow about her, her focus turned next to the more fun smaller package in red. He was cute as cute could be. He had long hair, allowed her to tangle fingers, make knots and put a pink bow in it. He seemed amenable to her changing his red to pink. He had a cheeky smile. He was near her size. He seemed to like to have fun. She hadn't seen any magick tricks but he did tell her he knew some tricks. She grinned to herself and to her cousin "Tixie, I got me a date fer the fun tonight! Got ta go freshen up in the falls, find me a new fresh wee dress and put on some smellies...this could be it! I think I'm in looooove" her cousin, screwed up her own pert nose watching Piri, arms folded in a huff of pique and jealousy.

It was a night of fun and games and tricks and not all made by the pixie. She nearly had one lady elf's dress round her ankles, tempted to release the tie and catch that barely held the girl's robe up. While the arm wrestling competition was in full swing, she found herself blown across the room in a gust of beery stenchy wind. She suspected the orc had let one rip. Then another gust blew up the skirt of her wee blue dress. Less whiffy than the last one and this time, she wondered if it was the air genasi or her date. Her date had changed his armour to pink...she was over the moon and her jovial cheery self was in high spirits the whole of the eve.

The huge bearded warrior named mister Ales won the arm wrestling after strong contenders misters Hildy, Masha and a pirate named Jack attempted valiantly to win the prize. Piri offered to buy the holiday token off him but he sold it to her two friends Mir and Masha. When the drinking song contest started, she had to dive underneath mister Masha's tunic as her tiny ears were so abused by the less-than-dulcet tones of the orc, singing very rude things about piggies. She dashed out to claim her turn after a couple had performed, unlinking herself from the kender and flit about to check on how many amongst the crowd she might be in trouble with after her own drinking ditty - none! She was safe. After a flick of her fingers to sprinkle some colour magick upon herself she began, offering to the onlookers to join in with the chorus when they picked it up.

Bury yer ale the dorfs are here
Hide yer brew as they draw near
Tankards away ta save yer booze
Dorfs git whiff an' yer mug's up ta lose

The dorfs be here, the dorfs be here!
Party be done unless ye run
Ta stalls fer more ale fer all

Open the casks an' measure it out
Make sure the pixie gits a shout
Bit to the elfie, a pour fer the tief
Dorf be last or ye'll ne'er git relief

The dorfs be here, the dorfs be here!
Party be done unless ye run
Ta stalls fer more ale fer all

Orc take yer glug, down it in one
Lest it anger a fight by the dumpy 'un
He sees yer suds and wants his share
Battle axes drawn and muscle laid bare

The dorfs be here, the dorfs be here!
Party be done unless ye run
Ta stalls fer more ale fer all

Honour be fergotten when it comes to the beer
Law 'bidin' beardie changes to ale-thirsty barmy
Keep it flowin, keep it comin', ne'er let it stop
On tap, pipes to vatt, or ye life ain worth alot

The dorfs be here, the dorfs be here!
Party be done unless ye run
Ta stalls fer more ale fer all

Cours' thems in the know got a trick or two
A pixie-wiz be safe by conjurin' the brew
Watchin' the drink pass gullet to pot-belly tum
Knowin' it will turn piss-to-pink in the next mornin's run!

The dorfs be here, the dorfs be here!
Party be done unless ye run
Ta stalls fer more ale fer all

She grinned at the group, many joining in and fluttered back to watch the remaining entrants. All in all there were seven entrants: mister Vorg the orc, a pretty elf named Lalette, two pirates Tam and Jack, mister Masha and mister Hildy and herself waited for Muriel to decide based on the crowds cheers and responses. However, she was mid snuggle and tease with the kender before she realised her own name had been called as the winner. She unloosened herself from her tangle with her date to take her winnings - a holiday for two to the Holiday plane. Muriel expressly said the token was for two, she peered at the kender and wondered how she might get Tixie along for the fun and the ride as well, chattering quietly to herself about squishing pixies into small spaces.

She didn't stay to watch all the berks drown themselves in the next competition but learned later that the sulking hulk of an orc, the sore loser of the drinking song competition won the last. With a bottle of something unknown to surprise her with, the cheeky kender led her upstairs for a private party. She was up for the game of finding out quite what tricks and magicks her date might offer her for fun. Little did she realise that this time, the pixie might have bitten off more than she could tease.

[*Pashan01]

Life hasn't been quite the same since my husband returned to his old home to attend to some 'business' and old troubles he heard were brewing again in Rashemen. We agreed I would not join him in this, fearing difficulties with the Thayan's once more, even Sigil seemed safer in his eyes. In this time apart I've had a lot of time to reflect on things.

I have begun to attend Father Nathan's sermons... some, not all....to test the waters of my beliefs. Of Mir and Masha I have seen little yet I trust they keep well with their lives. I am glad not to have to still share accommodation, know that we are friends yet I doubt I would ever feel truly comfortable to share for the longer term with ones of their race and nature....forgive me my love...I never said I was perfect

I steer clear of the faction uprising in Sigil best I can, I know he would wish me to stay out of too much conflict. My quarrel is more with the evils of other planes and am only thankful that Nemesis and his splinter now lies quiet as the Phoenix and his more activist revolutionaries rise against against some Mercykiller extremist. Once I would have offered my support as divine healer to those caught in the uproar, but even this I cannot easily do anymore.

I finally managed to corner the pixical imp for some help. I have offered my services as Tournament Champion to Lorich Bladesworn, one of the Transcendent Order, and required her skills to complete an additional enchantment upon my father's gift of amulet. Was the first time I have taken that amulet off since it was given. I hope she looks after it. I've no doubt her work will be fine, if she can focus upon it. I hope to gain some new experience from participating in this event....tis something new to be sure...we shall see how long I last, Lorich was quite correct in his assessment of my abilities, when he tested my combat skills in the Abyss. I was hired nevertheless, though my wish for reward was simply to take of the experience, not for any gain of material item.

This Lorich finally made himself known by name to me after some rather poor initial manners of him and one other man. I confess I find it hard to understand how even a kobold can be better mannered and more pleasing to talk to than one human male who proceeded, without knowing me or mine in any shape or form, to ignore my request for his name, and utter such crude terms to me that I deemed it better to refrain from speaking to him or I might have felt tempted to split his skull open with a single slice of scythe. Was it vagabond? Beggar? Pimp? Nay...he looked decently dressed...yet his foul mouth would have taken harsh punch on first uttering if Kelth had been there. Trouble is, he seemed to have knowledge of this...presence that gripped my senses..a haunting of the bar it would seem...its not the first time I've felt it either....he mentioned something called Shaper hmm...

....my father..Sorath.....I should write to him....find Barr too....tis perhaps time to talk...

[*Pashan01]

My amulet was returned promptly enough but without my childhood companion making appearance to give it to me herself. Instead, and fortunately for me, she obtained Hildmor to do the deed and not any ne'er do well where my father's gift, now enhanced with her magics, might have otherwise been lost forever.

It was interesting to catch up a little with Hildmor and he promised to keep eye out for me on the movements of 'we-know-who' though I admitted I am loathe to take an action without Kelth by my side....yet...perhaps...if opportunity were to present itself....one never knows....if twould end things once and for good.

But for now I must to training, if I'm not to be too much of a push over at the Tournament.

[*Pashan01]

A huff and a pout. An impatient flit about then Piri bum-dives into the pile of soft 'cushies', her tiny bottom bouncing off once, twice then she settles. The dive didn't bring forth her usual peal of giggles though the other pixie snickered beside her.

"Fella loved another fella Tix....near broke me heart...just as soon as I met him felt me wee heart beatin....ready ta swear me undyin love....he dun told me....his sweatheart was named Sollie, ye could tell he was head o'er heels in love by the way he talked.....and there goes another...an Tix...this un....such hair ye never did see afore...and his face...were ta die fer...gold...like was made of spun gold..."

Tixie pinged a tiny handful of sherbert fizz pops into the brazier, letting off a cascade of small explosions, one zipping out to land on one cushion, luckily it didn't set the cloth to flame.

"....an I got those tickets to spend...on a fun portal trip to a pleasure plane with a fella....NO! I ain takin ye Tix, a fella I said...a dream fella....no pixies....so stop yer whinin'...might have ta put t'up fer auction...unless...hm..." and a sly grin crosses her tiny features. Tixie, seeing her cousin's expression change from pout to lament to her one more like her feyself, threw then a handful of the sticky sweets at Piri in feyish annoyance at being left out of Piri's proposed pleasure plane and portal play.

Piri dodged said sweet throw easily enough and thumbed her nose at Tixie "AND I've 'pplied ta be Head Teach o' 'nchants at some new school o' magicks nnneeeee neeeee" and upon the second floor of the Inn, all that would be seen for the next half hour was flying cushions, feathers and sherbert dust, amidst which, somewhere, two pixies were in full-fledged pillow fight.