In reply to Nym Eveningfall (msg # 137):

"Heheheheheh, I'm 22."

"Oh," Sonori responded, thoughtfully. So people unusually skilled people (which was not necessarily the same as unusually powerful people), but not seers, or whatever the heck she now was. So she couldn't learn from their past experience. But nonetheless, it brought her all the more strongly to the conclusion that somehow she, like the unusually skilled people previously, was intended for this quest. "Okay. Thank you."

She wondered about the boy. Would he have had a similar ability had he touched any of the Stones? Could she maybe develop his ability?

For that matter, if she touched a stone multiple times, what would happen? Would she have another vision? Would it be a repeat of the same vision? Would it do nothing at all?

Which led her to wonder, if she touched multiple stones at the same time, what would happen? Would they interfere with each other? Would they enhance the effect, allowing her a longer vision or perhaps even one that added further clarity?

Probably it was best to start with the first idea, she decided. Find a place to spend some time meditating and concentrating and see if maybe somehow she could sense the stones. Two were nearby, so that might help, if she could somehow attune herself in that way. If her ability did potentially overlap with that boy's ability.

"I'm just assuming that the Locate Object spells wouldn't work on the Stones, or on the connecting element that completes the Pestle. Otherwise, they would long ago have been found, I would think. Can you confirm that from your past experience, Zarmatan? Or is that something we should explore?"


She also nodded to Neliwen, "Or we could escape into the water, if people have a way of breathing water. None of them followed me into the water."

The elf nodded at Nym's indication he would be able to cast the spell himself, given more time to gather the necessary experience. She gave the gnome a warm smile at her suggestion to escape through water. "Of course that would be an option, when there is water present. The mountains, and the desert even more so, lack large bodies of water. It might be more sensible to take the shape of a burrowing creature then." she clarified, not wishing to dissuade the seer, just making sure she was aware of the facts.

"It would be possible to take the form the mythical Avariel to fly away, but I don't know of any burrowing humanoids. Alter self is limited by your natural form. I have a few more options than others but not as many as a troll would for instance. And Polymorph is expensive in general. And well beyond my abilities."

Zarmatan looked at Sonori and nodded. "Finding the stones by magical means is near impossible....Locate object has no hope. The only way i have even come close is using a wish spell, and even then it was not totally accurate. Thats when i realised that if we look for the effects and not the stone, we'd have more of a hope."

Sonori nodded to Neliwen and Yacob, responding, "True, water is everywhere, so it won't work everywhere. There are plenty of races who breath water, though."

Then she looked up at AO, nodding thoughtfully. "I think I will go meditate for a while until we're close to ready to go. See if... well, if I can figure this out a bit more. Is there a good place in the area?"

"Rest as long as you wish, Sonori. I am looking forward to traveling with you." Neliwen said with a gentle smile, then turned back where Zarmatan was dicussing his thoughts with the companions.

"A group as large and diverse as this, is very likely going to attract a lot of attention. Perhaps we should stay off the roads well traveled and send only a handful of people into towns to replenish our resources. - What do you think?" she asked the group, curious if they had tried anything like that already in the past.

  "I doubt that will help. The enemy knows what we all look like. A disguise self and some basic acting might help for some of us, but Nino and I carry to much magic now. They would just follow the folks in town back out to the rest of us in a best case scenario. Worst case they would attack Nino and I while the rest were in town and kill us and set an ambush for the rest of you. Kill you all and take the Earth Stone from Kell. Either we attack their face, sneak around their back, or stay together either way. Because when they come and they will it will take the lot of us together to best them." he pauses and looks to Sonori "Yeah aquatic elves and strange little prophet gnomes. Now that would be an interesting tactic. Turn ourselves into aquatic elves. Exact replica versions so chasing the one with the stone would be harder. Not impossible mind you just harder. Kell, Nino, and I would radiate massive amounts of magic. Maybe enough to confuse them. This could be useful. If I can figure out a way to extend the duration a good bit. One casting. Hmm......."

Kell suggests "or change us to Sahuagin or Aboleths, or at least their seeming. A race they would not wish to interact with. As for flying mounts, some underground species have trained Dire Bats as riding mounts. They can handle a humanoid-sized rider, even one as large as myself."

Nodding thoughtfully the Lurue worshipper considered Kell's thoughts on the matter. "I fear, going by the words of Zarmatan, their interaction with any race is limited to an interrogation at sword point."

Neliwen sighed at Yacob's intense reply to her suggestion, clearly this one felt he had the answer to everything. "Thank you for sharing your thoughts to the issue this frankly. But are you not contradicting yourself? On the one hand side we should not separate, even for the short time to gather supplies, but in the same breath you say appearing as identical creatures would confuse the enemy. As long as we stay together it would not make a difference since we would all suffer the same fate." the elf commented Yacob's argument.

"Besides, not everyone would be able to change their appearance by magic or mundane means to make your idea a viable option. That said, who is able to use magic to change shape or appearance?" she asked the gathered companions.

I have to agree with Yacob in this case. Our best chance for survival is going to be to stay together.  Too many bad things can happen if we split up for any significant length of time.

Nym continues after a moment of thought and looks at Neliwen.

The use of magic to change one's appearance can be detected and sometimes that detection doesn't have anything to do with magic.  I can somewhat hide my true profession but at some point I will be forced to reveal it to those I don't want to know it.  Even if we were able to do so without detection something else could easily happen that forces us to abandon any such disguise or pretense.

Nym pauses for a second before continuing.

There will be times when we can and have to hide our appearances and the number of us travelling together for safety.  However, for the most part, we are going to be better off by not doing so.

"The identical thing would likely only work once. And the water stone would be the time to split up because none of us are as well acquainted with water or the area. Getting locals to be guides and pair them up would be best."

Sonori nodded politely to Neliwen, "And I look forward to traveling with you."

She looked for a good spot to meditate, and when she found it, sat down cross-legged. She closed her eyes, first trying to focus on just calmly breathing. Then she tried to think of the stones near her, earth and heart. How they were similar, and how they were different. Then she tried to see if she could focus on just one, hoping perhaps she could sense it, perhaps even sense the direction it was in, or even the location. If someone else had been able to do that in the past, then she felt she should at least try, as she had some sort of weird interaction with the stones when she touched them.

Zarmatan listened to the group in silence, absently looking at the group, his gaze occasionally lingering on Sonori. When there was a pause, he spoke. "I respect you think that seperation may be able to fool them, but these generals are no fools. Now that one has seen you, they will know what to look for. And no offence, but a silver dragon shaped humanoid, a dwarf with a big black glove and a goliath...even on your own you will stick out. No, you'll be safer together. Smaller groups, if even one of the daughters find you, your as good as dead. As a group, you have a chance. My advice....pick which stone, don't dwell on the decision and go."

Neliwen was quietly waiting for the senior members of the group to come to a decision.

Coming into the room, only hearing the last few comments,  Rivka nevertheless spoke up

"We weren't here for most of this discussion,  I'd wager, but judging from what was just said, I'll vote to stick together.   As a professional guide, I'd never let a team I'm escorting divide up their group,  especially in unknown territory.   And I've heard to old bardic tavern song "Never Split The Party" so often that i could probably sing it myself.  If my vote counts, I'll vote to stick together. "

Nym smiles at Rivka and then looks at Neliwen.

Neliwen, your vote counts just as much as mine or Yacob's or Rivka's.  For what it is worth I don't think we should split up at all.  We are going to need each other's knowledge, skill, expertise, and even each other's company before this is over with.

Neliwen looked at the different people at the table, each of them strong-headed. "My point was not to split up in general, but to stay away from towns and settlements unless necessary to replenish supplies. That would be the only occasion when a smaller group would go shopping." she clarified, feeling misunderstood. "A group this diverse _will_ be recognized the second we walk through a city gate. Some of us can change our appearance, which is an advantage we could have made use of, if we do not split up, then that option is not viable." the elf explained.

"I suggest we go to the Anauroch, at least their troops will face the same problems that we do, but we are the smaller group and easier to sustain."

"I can get into towns and get supplies." Zell said with a smile as he and Rivka came back to the group "Has it been decided where we're going? Did I hear something about Anauroch? We're not going there, are we?"

"Yes Zell the Great Desert is our current destination. We think we need more prep time for the Water Stone." is all he says and goes back to eating and pondering.

Sonori was meditating.

Rivka shrugged
"Deserts aren't my area of expertise,  but I've listened to enough tavern stories told by other rangers that i should be able to help us survive there quite well"

Kell nods. "Haven't experienced a desert before, but I hear they are best faced with multiple skins and canteens of water."

In reply to Kell (msg # 160):

Rivka chuckled
"That's definitely a step in the right direction "

"I've heard of a magical bottle that has endless water. I wonder if we can get one of those for our trip?"