Day 121: Oathday the 17th, Abadius, 4708
I had meditated on the thought of resurrection for my dream and I am glad to note that the one I did have was relevant. I was standing on a windswept plane, with only a large ash tree as the focal point. I knew where I was immediately, and I heard a disembodied voice that I also recognized. I was asked a simple question in my dream, which I instantly knew the answer to. I gave it and there was a chuckle from the voice. They responded back that I knew my lore well, and asked what I might know about coming back from the dead. I responded with what I knew about Baldur and the trials after the mistletoe dart. Again there was a chuckle.
I asked if I could get clarification on whether it was wrong to come back, or just that it was fate that was not to be intervened. The voice responded back to me that fate works differently on this planet than it did where I was from, and that coming back from the dead is something that is a possible part of existence here, and that it might even be harder to get to the halls of the slain from here, so that I should keep that in mind. I woke up to Savah snuggled against me, and I hugged her back. I realized that I had my answer, but I didn't want to wake her with it. I went back to sleep.
When I woke up the second time Savah was still clutching me, but I knew that she was awake as well. Savah looked up at me when she noticed that I was awake, and told me that she can respect me not wanting to be brought back and I shushed her. I told her that my reticence was not due to a desire to not be with her at all, merely that my faith had the belief that you can't circumvent fate. I went on and told her that I realized that coming back from the dead was an established, if rare part of fate here, and that if my story isn't done, then there should be nothing holding me back.
Savah smiled and hugged me harder. We laid in bed for a little while before we heard a knock at the door. The voice that accompanied it announced themselves as Faunra and that they'd be coming in very shortly. I jumped up and told her to give us twenty seconds. Savah jumped out of bed two and I quickly summoned our gear onto us. Barely three seconds after, Faunra barged in and said, whoops, must have lost track of time. I scowled at her but Savah just laughed. Faunra continued with declaring that she'd be working more on the enchantments, and that she would finished with the enchantments tomorrow. I thanked her for her diligence, and wished her luck.
Faunra smiled and left to head back out. I looked to Savah and she just shrugged. We headed to the common room and there was breakfast already there. We sat down with the four sometimes occupants of the building, with two additional guests, Dame Rebekah and Chelger. Dame Rebekah looked at me and then back at Savah. She immediately figured it out and asked Savah if I had said yes. Savah told her that I had indeed said yes, this morning. They both shared a laugh and Dame Rebekah finished it off with declaring that she was here to check in on the plane.
I spoke up and told her that she just missed Faunra, that we were basically waiting on the finishing of the extradimensional space and the buoyancy offset and then we'd take it for a spin, so tomorrow after the enchantments were done, maybe. Dame Rebekah nodded thoughtfully and said that she should be on the first flight. I told her that the only people who should be on that first flight are me and Faunra, as we were the main people who were getting everything in line. I added Faunra could get the both of us to safety easily if need be, and that the ride for everyone else for the true first voyage would be the next day.
Dame Rebekah sighed and said that she could understand that, and added that a representative from the Pathfinders had showed up and noted that we had been given a stipend of one thousand gold for travel and food, but that protection was our own responsibility. I laughed in that we were getting more than I had really hoped for, and Savah told me that it would have been an extremely long trip by horse and wagon, which is likely what they factored into the stipend. I thanked her for her assessment. I asked her if she could get the good prices for the foodstuffs that she did before and we could stock the plane for our departure.
Savah nodded and asked when we were planning on heading out. I noted that since it would be finished tomorrow, and that our first flights would be on the nineteenth, that we should head out on the twentieth. Savah said that she could get everything available for then. Dame Rebekah said that she'd check with Jonathan and Faunra to confirm, but that it worked for her. Savah said that she'd have to get everything ordered today, or we could take a trip to Magnimar. I told her that I'd get everything set up for the shop work, and that we could head out very shortly. Savah beamed and ran back into the bedroom to get ready.
I went downstairs to the shop and checked in on Veronica. She was diligently working away on the railgun and acknowledged my presence with an absentminded salute. I thanked her and noted that if she liked, I be in to help her tomorrow, but today I needed to head to Magnimar. Veronica thanked me telepathically, and I headed over to the school to check in on Igor with his work on updating the classrooms and workshops. He was diligently working and told me that he was going to need to utilize a lot of excess materials from the shop materials. I told him to do what needed to be done and replace what was required. Igor acknowledged the command and said that he would continue on to the list when he was done.
I headed back into the house with Dame Rebekah and Chelger just heading out. I wished them both good travels, and I noted that there was a good movie that I would be playing tonight, that she might have some interest in if they both wanted to drop back by. Dame Rebekah said that they'd think about it. I thanked her and headed up to the bedroom so I could get kitted out. When I got up there, Savah was busy getting her weapons and gear ready. I summoned our armors onto us and got my go bag while I summoned my pistol.
Savah smiled and ensured that her rifle was good to go. I grabbed my rifle and noted that it was in good condition as well. Niddler sent me a thought that he was willing to go with us if we needed, so I posed the question to Savah. Savah shrugged and said that it'd be okay if he was done with his chickens. Niddler sheepishly noted that he had not finished up with his chickens. I told him that we'd be back tonight, and that we can work together to get plans written up for his farm and animal pens. Niddler accepted that, and said that he would plan for that.
Savah and I headed to our motorcycles and Savah noted that it would be best if we took both bikes, to be able to store enough food and drink for everyone for the trip. I smiled and noted that I was planning on getting something special for us for the trip that we take when it is all said and done. Savah smiled and we got on our bikes. We headed past the school and down past the South Bridge. We headed on south and down the Lost Coast Road.
After a two-hour drive, where I played music over the radio for both of us, we got to the walls of Magnimar. I asked her where she wanted to go to, and she noted that the best thing to do was to just head to the Bazaar of Sails and get what we needed from those vendors that she knew there. I nodded and followed her lead. When we got to the Castlegate, we were welcomed in by some of the city watch who recognized Savah. I smiled and we rode in on to the Dockway. When we got close to the Bazaar of Sails, Savah indicated that I should fall in behind her and I did so.
We went to a very specific grocer, who would only let in those who were part of the merchant guild. Savah whispered something and the grocer nodded. They got out forty-five pounds of rations and the merchant told her that they would all be seasoned as requested. Savah smiled and asked for a few other things, things I recognized as the whiskey that I liked, a fancy (but not too fancy) bottle of wine, three hand casks of something called Linnorm Mead, and more than two weeks' worth of mekainae treats. The grocer indicated that everything would be packaged and ready in a few hours.
We headed out to our next stop, which was an elven grocery store. There were elven rations there and we purchased enough for the each of the three of the elven-blooded elven members of the crew, for a three-month supply. There was also a series of four hand-kegs of Elven Mead added in. That ought to keep them supplied for long enough to get us there and back. I asked Savah what she thought we should do for the emergency rations to be stored on the plane and she smiled, saying that she had found an even better thing than before.
Savah then headed to the next place with me just barely keeping up. She was really becoming a natural with her bike. The place was just a regular rundown warehouse that had lots of items in bulk. I didn't think that I would look forward to eating what was gotten here. Savah must have guessed my apprehension, and spoke up, saying that the food we got here was just a supply of trail rations and travel cakes that would allow the group to be able to just supply to someone if we encountered them, or needed to bring people back with us.
I thought for a minute while everything was being tallied up, and asked Savah just how long she thought that we would be out on this mission. Savah smiled and told me that it better be less than ninety days, as that was how long my rations would last. We rode up to Heidmarch Manor to just drop by and check in with them. Sheila was actually just heading to her stables with Canayven. Sheila greeted us while Canayven seemed to be looking over the bikes from afar.
After pleasantries were exchanged, I told Sheila that we would be heading to the site within a week, and that we would send word back before we left and once we got there. Sheila nodded and asked if there was anything else that we needed. I asked how the process was going with the Therassic Library. Sheila told us that a group of four scribes were sent there with instructions to do exactly what we had told, along with a guard of four moderately experienced adventurers that were on retainer. I thanked her and told her that I hoped that we had even more information for the Pathfinders when we got back. Sheila thanked me and wished us well. It was obvious that she was busy.
We headed back down to the first place, to find that our order was done. We packed everything up in the extradimensional storage bags that the bikes had and after that, the enchanted backpacks that Savah and I had. The final bit, the emergency food, had to go in one of the communal bags that we used to facilitate teleports, and was strapped to the back of Savah's bike. By the time we had everything sorted out and ready to go, it was getting dark. Winter and all that. We headed out and hoped to make our way back to Sandpoint before it got too late. It was movie night after all.
We made our way up the Lost Coast Road towards Sandpoint. The roadwork that the Giants had started was certainly going well. I estimated that they had gotten almost fifteen miles. It looked like they were getting about a mile a day with the magic tools and their natural skill with stonework. At this rate, they would likely be done before the end of next month. Exactly the kind of good, fast, and quality work that would get them more jobs from the Lord-Mayor.
We had gotten most of the way back, with less music and more discussion between Savah and myself. When we were passing the Foxglove River, we came upon an encampment of what we thought were four travelers. They tried to flag us down and we slowed down. That was when we had arrows launched at us from a set of shrubs. We both veered away from the arrows path into the path of a created pit trap. We couldn't veer around it quick enough, and both of our bikes ended up in the pit. It was only ten feet deep, so the bikes didn't get all that much damage, but the groups rushed up to press their advantage.
Savah and I unloaded on them with our rifles, taking out four of them in the first round. The smell came over us after a second and we realized that all of these were ghouls. The arrows and javelins that they hurled at us bounced off of our armor fairly readily, with me getting an unlucky hit. We only managed to drop another one before their next volley. Suddenly the world changed and the pit disappeared and we were back on ground level. Three ghouls rushed us. Savah managed to drop two of them while the third rushed at me.
I dropped my rifle to hang on its sling and reached out with my gauntleted hand. My hand clamped around its neck as the palm blazed up with eldritch fire. The thing's head flopped off the top of my hand while its neck disintegrated under the force and fire. I looked at the gauntlet and looked around. There was nothing else around so I told her that I'd be thanking Faunra the next time that I remembered. Savah smiled and then noted my wound. I gripped onto the arrow and pulled quick before the fire started. Interestingly, the gauntlet didn't cause the flame to erupt immediately. Maybe it was thought based activation?
Savah went to work piling up the bodies of the undead. I focused on causing the gauntlet to burn and it did so, as the bodies slowly disintegrated under my balefire grip. After a few minutes we had burned the bodies of these ghouls and turned them to dust. I did my best to minimize the chance that either of us inhaled any of the dust. Who knows that that will end up doing. Savah gathered up all of their gear and noted that she'd have her shop full again. I told her that once the railgun is done for the plane, we'd be permanently moving both Veronica and Igor to the school workshops, so she can expand her store. Savah smiled and said that'd be fun. I told her that Igor had already started on that project.
We got everything that we could sorted and into the only place we could, the party bag. I took a minute or two to check out the bikes, and mend any damage that I could see. I'd have to give them a better assessment when we got back, but they looked to be able to get us home. It looks like the creatures in this area are starting to adapt to our abilities and tactics. I'll need to figure out how they are learning if we have ended every encounter with the other side being decimated. I wouldn't doubt it is Echidna passing these insights to her favored undead children.
We made our way back to our house and parked the bikes in the garage. The twin pseudo-pegasi were in the garage as well. Savah said that we didn't need to worry about the goods for tonight. I agreed and we headed right upstairs. Everyone was in the common room. Savah told them that we'd brief them all on what happened after we changed. Savah and I headed into the bedroom and quickly got changed. Savah then noticed the wound from the arrow. I told her that it wasn't that bad but she just yelled at me. I told her that I'd asked Dame Rebekah to check it out when we went in to the common room.
When we got back, the three pairs asked what had kept us. Savah stared at me and I told everyone what had happened, including my suspicions that there was a divine force that was giving hints to the local undead. Erica started to ask who and Vaeren clasped his hand over her mouth. He told her that we do not mention that name in this household, and that he would explain why later. Erica seemed to be mollified a little. Dame Rebekah cast a cantrip to see if there was any disease (which there wasn't) and did some minor healing to ensure that there would be no lasting damage. I thanked her and asked everyone if they were ready for movie night. I started up the next movie in our series. Thor.
Not surprisingly, there were a lot fewer questions about this movie. One of the questions that was asked was if this was a proper rendition about my deity. I laughed and said no, it wasn't, but that it was okay, since it wasn't seen as sacrilege. Dame Rebekah said that this confused her, as she was used to faiths being insulted by parodies. I told her that from everything that I had seen, it was like her having a story about another entity that just happened to have the same name from the same culture. Not that they were the same, but there were things wrong and right. Chelger said that Ásgarðr looked very beautiful. I thanked him, but said that I didn't think that this was an accurate rendition either.
Dame Rebekah and Chelger said that they had to leave, as they had to get up early. Savah and I wished them both well, and walked them to their steeds. As we headed in, Savah snapped to attention. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that Bailey had told her that he had seen something trying to sneak up on the property, but that it fled quickly. I told her that I could hold off on the trip and try to find out what it was that was trying to infiltrate our property. Savah said that Bailey would keep watch, and we could figure it out tomorrow.
Savah and I went back upstairs and headed to bed. We wished good night to Vaeren, Erica, Oren and Arika on the way. When we were in the room, Savah smacked my arm and asked if I was crazy about the arrow. I told her that it was only a graze, and that it had even stopped bleeding before we left the ghouls. Savah told me that I needed to be more careful anyway, that I shouldn't be that inconsiderate with my life. I apologized again and told her that I didn't worry about it at the time, because I didn't think that it could actually be a problem. I told her that I would definitely be more cautious in the future. We settled in for the night and she held me tight.