Khenal
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Chapter One-Hundred Sixty-Three
🕑 Added 2023-06-16 01:48:03 +0000 UTCI try not to listen in on Teemo’s thinking to himself. I think he’s better at ignoring it than I am, but the distance makes it a little easier, even if some of the things he’s thinking about get my neurons jogging. Spacial stuff that deals with mass and densities? That’s some fundamental stuff there, but I don’t want to dump my suspicions about what he’s working towards on him. I don’t even know if it’s an affinity that can be claimed.
I think he’ll be better served if I let him figure it out on his own. None of the other scions have gotten affinities just for me telling them stuff. They’ve all had to figure it out on their own. There’s a difference between knowing and understanding, I suppose.
Kinda like the difference in saying I’ll keep Rezlar more in the loop, and actually keeping him in the loop. It’s a bit more difficult with Teemo out scouting, but I really should make an effort. Right, I also really should try to take the Quartermaster on that tour, too. Hullbreak is making an effort, but I can feel him struggling to know what to do at times. Getting him a good view of how I do things would be a big help for guiding him, and might even help me identify things I’ve missed or managed to ignore.
Maybe I should take one of Violet’s scions, too. Maybe Onyx? She’s probably the one that would have the easiest time of wandering around. Legs is a bit big, Cappy is a bit uh… legless, and Nose would probably prefer to burrow than walk. I’ll let her decide who she wants to send, though, and figure out how to get Rezlar to come visit. I think I actually have a few options, surprisingly.
I haven’t been testing the limits of the whole “only communicate via a Voice” thing that the system scolded me for a while ago, but I think I have at least two loopholes to potentially (ab)use. The first is my ravens. I haven’t told them to say anything, but most of them have picked up at least a few words here and there. I’d be surprised if they haven’t learned Tarl’s name, but I’m pretty sure they have. They just prefer making a general racket to chanting his name when he shows up. I don’t think I could get actual sentences out of them, at least not without upsetting the system and getting another patch upside my non-existent head, but a word or two would probably be alright?
My other potential avenue would be my aranea and their signs. While the rules for Rocky’s arena were fine, I’m pretty sure the words were checked before going through, it felt like there was a bit of lag on them. The aranea, though, seem to have carte blanche to write whatever they want, as long as it’s what they want.
I think I’ll try signs as basically a letter. Even the rough and direct words the aranea write would probably be better received than a couple ravens yelling “Come, come!” at windows. Probably save that for emergencies.
I spend a little mana and give the aranea the vague guidelines for what I want, and I can feel that little delay again. It doesn’t seem to get rejected, and I don’t get told off, so I release the metaphorical breath I was holding, and watch what they come up with.
Come to meet
Come to learn
As was deal
The aranea seem pretty satisfied with their work. I’d like a bit more, but I think it gets the point across. I also don’t think I’ll be able to get much more detail in there, so it’ll have to do. With two written, I have Poe go deliver the messages while I get Hullbreak and Violet’s attention. Hullbreak is pretty easy to get to understand, and I can feel his albatros scion’s nervousness through the bond already. It takes a little more for Violet, but she seems excited once she understands. She first wants to send Cappy, because of course she does, but seems to understand the difficulty with that once I point out he can’t really just walk around. She decides to send Nose, and I don’t argue with her. She actually has reasons, which is great. She wanted to send Cappy because he’s already the one with the best knowledge of outside, which is fair. Legs is busy in the metalworks, which I still need to try to figure out how to get, and Onyx is trying to learn better ways to fight. She heard about Rocky’s fun, and I think she’s inspired.
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Poe
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The large raven swiftly attends his duties, though perhaps not as swiftly as he could. He must admit that he doesn’t take to the sky as often as he potentially should. Perhaps he’ll start taking some of the closer patrol expeditions, so he can keep in proper shape, yet still remain close enough to render whatever aid Lord Thedeim requests.
He soars towards the Mayoral Manor first, feeling that the Office of Dungeon Affairs is closer to Hullbreak. Flying a bit slower is different from flying inefficiently, and Poe will not excuse the latter for himself. The duty he has is an odd one, and he ponders where it would fit in the hierarchy of strange things Lord Thedeim does. He puts it moderately high on the list simply because of the novelties involved, but it doesn’t make it near the top for how unlikely it is to cause great change. Something like the hedge maze was both novel and impactful, but he expects these messages will not cause any great uproar.
His arrival seems it may have, however, as the guards point and mill once they see him. The ashen elf, Miller, greets him at the balcony with a small bow.
“Ah, Marshal Poe. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“Agreement,” answers Poe, and holds out one of the small planks in his talons. The butler accepts it as he would any other missive, and takes a glance at the words there.
“Ah, of course. I take it Dungeon Thedeim would like us there at our earliest convenience?” Poe nods, and the elf smiles. “I shall inform him. I expect he will be eager to attend.”
With that, Miller turns and enters the mansion, and Poe takes flight again. The butler has a strange air about him, one that would usually raise Poe’s suspicions, but Voice Teemo doesn’t seem to mind him. Rocky seems to think he’d be a good fight, and Poe trusts his instincts, so he is content to not try to press the odd old elf as long as he continues to be respectful.
His flight to the ODA earns some points and stares, but no shouts of alarm. He even identifies looks of respect from what adventurers notice him. He nods at them as he goes, though he doubts many can make it out from the height he soars at. He lands at the door to the ODA, and tilts his head as he ponders how to open it. The design isn’t far from the doors Lord Thedeim has in the manor, but said doors are generally more designed for hands and thumbs, not his talons. He could probably knock it open with a gust of wind, but that would be rude. With no other option, he pecks at the wood to knock.
“It’s open!” comes a voice from inside. Telar, if the expedition reports are correct, and he has no reason to doubt them. He pecks again, and hears a voice that, though not entirely new to him, is not one he immediately can identify.
“I’ll get it,” the voice says, and soon the door opens to reveal a catkin. “Welcome to the…” he trails off as he takes in the sight of the raven scion of Lord Thedeim, and turns slightly to speak back into the building.
“Uh… Tarl?”
The indicated elf looks up from his desk, and Poe can’t help but give a loud caw at seeing him. How can he not give the traditional greeting to one of Lord Thedeim’s first delvers?
Tarl stares for a few moments, then shakes his head and stands. “I’m not going to get squawked at here at work all the time, am I?” he asks with a wry smile, and Poe shakes his head and offers the message. Curious, Tarl takes it and reads it. He takes a few more moments to think, confusion on his face, before speaking.
“As was deal?”
“Mayor,” answers Poe, and Tarl is quicker to put the pieces together with that hint.
“Ah, right! He mentioned working closer together with Thedeim at the speech. Thedeim wants me there, too? Probably to help translate, what with Teemo out.”
Poe nods, and Tarl looks over at the catkin. “Can I bring my new apprentice? Berdol could use some on-the-job experience.” Poe tilts his head at the elf and considers the request. His Lord only said to bring Tarl, but not to bring only Tarl. Rezlar will certainly be bringing Miller at least. He’s also confident that the meeting isn’t intended to be anything secret. He nods, and the elf smiles, while the tabby catkin looks uncertain.
“Alright Berdol! Lets get geared up! Depending on how long the meeting takes, we might go take a look at the lava tubes, or fight a twinsnake and give it an actual danger rating!”
Poe takes flight before Berdol can answer, leaving the two inspectors to their preparations. Nova will probably be happy to see Berdol, if the two have the time to delve after the meeting, and Poe is glad the newest scion is developing a good rapport with the delver. Most of the scions have delvers they enjoy spending some time with, and Poe is certain it has helped the scions and delvers both, which both helps Lord Thedeim.
He circles in a thermal and builds altitude in preparation of flying to the small island in Hullbreak. Perhaps he can forgive himself a bit of inefficient flying, after all. He remembers how different the air was over the ocean when he and the Quartermaster fought. While he doubts they’ll have reason to repeat it, he still should take the chance to improve his flying. Hullbreak is probably not the only potential problem that could come from the sea.
Comments
Kerwas
i think jello is just a bouncy cuddlebug,
Kip the Malamute
I'm curious as to which delvers the other scions enjoy spending time with, if any. I'm assuming Rocky likes Rhonda and Freddie, and Jello just likes pretty much all of them.
AssumedPseudonym
After having read this chapter, I would not be at all surprised if Poe took it upon himself to train himself how to talk. Thedeim might have a hard limit on appointing one Voice, but if one of his Scions wants to put in the effort to learn how to do so on his own — much like how Rocky is teaching himself affinities or how Legs is learning smithing — I’m not sure there’s anything specifically prohibiting that. Besides, Thedeim’s link isn’t telepathic with Poe like it is with Teemo, so he can’t directly tell him what to say to anybody. …And yes, he will still caw at Tarl to say hi.
Herakilla
Thanks for the chapter!
The great Marshal of un-kindness flies with messages this day, and earns title of politeness. for being good birb, and knocking.
Blue Trooper
Caw!
Magnadra
Did I see a little foreshadowing at the end there? Ohh and thanks for giving Tarl an apprentice will be cool to see how dungeon inspectors learn
Alex Turff
Good to see that he is pushing the rules again!
Markell
Thediem would really do well with an Ouija board right about now.
Joshua James Feenstra
Anyone else waiting Thedium gets an avatar? Now would be the time while Teemo is unavailable. Maybe Teemo could even become more of a diplomat between dungeons and kingdoms!
Akylas
I enjoy getting more chapters from scions perspectives. I can imagine Teemo eventually figuring out how to make full on pressurized pocket dimensions full of traps just waiting for an unlucky spy
