Elera nodded appreciatively at Skeeve's answer before she blinked in surprise as Ludovic's various modifications were displayed. She hadn't expected to see things like that on an outwardly human body, but she should have expected that someone named the king of monsters would have sculpted his body to mimic his subjects. At Ludovic's question, she spread her fingers wide and held them out in front of her before wiggling them in a wave. She repeated the process with her feet, squishing the mud with her toes before nodding and answering, "Yes, I think that I have all my parts." She pauses as she sweeps her gaze across the surroundings before adding, "I thought the world would look a lot more evil with the seal in place. Foreboding clouds blocking heaven's gaze and things like that."

As Ziklag came down out of the tunnel, the others could notice him touching his face, stretching his face muscles, clapping himself on the arms, and other such unusual gestures.

"For me, leave mortality all on its own - corporeality is strange and interesting."  He commented  "Unnn nervinnng.  These sounds vibrate my face.  How odd!"

23:00, Today: Ziklag rolled 15 using 1d20.  Perception (aiding Elera, as he's walking with her).

"Everything does indeed seem to be in place." Thaddeus responded to Ludovic whilst looking down at his body.

Thaddeus rolled 6 using 1d20+4

All the various augments closed up and hid away. Overall he looked as human as can be. "I am so very excited for everyone. There is such depth to the nobility they can have, and such vast villainy."

"It may be rough starting but but no divine has a better chance at personal growth than we."

Shadowdale stays back at watches the others ready to act if need be.

The party is in a long-disused graveyard, having exited the central mausoleum.  There is no longer any sign of the tunnel from which they entered; the small stone building is a single room with no sign of another passage.

What were once tombstones are now faded fragments, and the mud has been churned and resettled - most of the graves have been dug up at one time or another over the centuries.  There is no sign that anyone has been here in years, probably decades.

At what was once the cemetery's south entrance is a dirt road running east to west that shows infrequent but regular traffic.  Travelers on foot and by cart have passed within the last couple of days.

It will rain within the hour.

"Appropriate", chcuckled Skeeve, mostly to himself, as he took in the tombstones and the air of disuse, adding "But hopefully not prophetic" as he began to poke behind the broken stones and weeds.

After a few moments his head pops up and he peers at the other deities taken mortal form, "Any thoughts on how low a profile we keep. After centuries cut off from mortal thoughts, we might be - dare I say - a bit out of touch..."

Confident that he will hear enough of the debate, he cautiously moved to study the tracks, to see if might glean who was travelling where, and why

Elera watches the overcast sky with hopeful anticipation before she returns her focus to Skeeve. She looks to the other mortal deities and adds, "I think that we should at least attempt to pass as local mortals even if we don't know enough to do it well. We'll get better at doing so with every interaction that occurs as we learn what they behave like. I am also leery of drawing the attention of our enemy before we have found allies. For now, our best shield is our obscurity." She begins following Skeeve towards the road as she continues, "We should try to find shelter and water for our bodies. After all, I doubt that you will enjoy the rain as much as I will."

At those remarks Skeeve glanced upwards, brow furrowed, “Such concerns had not crossed my mind; the weather, I mean. If the traffic is heading mainly one way, I say we head that way.”

“It may indicate a town”, he added doubtfully. In truth, east was no worse then west from what he thought they might garner from the road, but he would look
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Fri 13 Jan 2023.

Elera wiggles her hand side to side as she answers, “I think we’re going to get ran out of the first town we visit no matter what; we are too clearly outsiders with no idea how to act. I’d prefer that we get run out of a small village rather than a larger town. Less people to chase us and less risk that we must kill our pursuers in order to escape.” She looks back to the rest of the group to see if they have any thoughts on the matter.

Ludovic frowned looking at the disturbed graves. "To rob the dead of their monument is to invoke ignorance on the following generation. They earned their rest and someone tilled the graves like a lost crop." He took a knee and removed a sample of the soil. Hopefully it could go to a spell but it was doubtful the graverobbers would still be alive for that spell to find a touch of justice.

"You are, without a doubt, correct. And in the end we know we will be betrayed. We can only truly count on each other. Even with monsters I cant keep them around for very long at all for now. So, small town it is?"

"Though I would like to return here much later. The way may be weak but if we make a ... landing spot? We may be able to sneak more aid through. After all, we have never had any help on this side."

Elera turned to walk backwards and face Ludovic as she responded, "Korada was rather cryptic, but he implied that things would be easier once the first task was completed. Maybe that meant that heaven would be able to send something here again while the seal is weakened?" Her hands pause in their gesturing as she considers her next words and then says, "In any case, you're probably right that it's worth returning here to check if something changes after the task is done."

"Also," He held up one finger. "We could come back to the gate later to build it up. Having a base of operations away from others may just be a boon. Nearly all religion starts in a graveyard anyway."

Elera looks slightly concerned as she says, "Just remember not to start an actual religion. I think it would be a shame if we lost you to the seal."

He posed like a hero, fists on hips! "Alchemy lab, Divine is the last thing they think when dealing with an alchemist. Physical science has no room for the fluffery and puffery of faith. PISHAW! I do say."

At Ludovic's pose and exaggerated rejection of religion, Elera laughs before she says, "Of course, I'm sorry to have made the mistake." She pauses and schools her expression into faux seriousness before she continues, "Absolutely no divinity here either. Why, I just punch people. How could anyone possibly mistake that for something worth worshipping."

Shadowdale stood looking around.
The weather is not an issues to me but I think for others it would be.  We need to keep a low profile.  Learn the ways of this place but Elera is right we going to make mistakes.  So acting little, speaking little, watching and learn.  Maybe find a town drunk.  Nobody believes them anyway.

He then goes off to study the tracks.

OOC:
06:00, Today: Shadowdale Greenleaf rolled 18 using 1d20+7.  Survival: Study tracks.

Ziklag smirked at Ludovic's airs.  "That is wise.  Meanwhile, all my powers stem from my distant Efreeti ancestors.  I don't even come close to granting true wishes, how could I be more than my ancestors, let alone a god?"

He moved over next to Shadowdale and gazed at the tracks he was apparently trying to study.  "Looks like a road to me."  He commented helpfully.

The most recent tracks were made by a cart pulled by two horses heading west, three days back.

The tracks before that are a pair of Large humanoids - likely ogres - heading east the same day.

Two days before that, another horse-drawn cart heading east, accompanied by at least two Small humanoids and a Medium animal (canid or felid).

The other wheel tracks and footprints are too old to separate out, but more are headed east than west.

Shadowdale looks up at Ziklag.
We where all gods once.  Or we would not be here.  We all been made semi mortal.  So you are just as good or bad as the rest of us in your own way.  Nothing personal but trying to be dumb in front of the god of fools is not really going to work.  So what is your area of interest.

He looks back at the tracks.

Carts heading both east and west and Ogres east.  I would go for west.  Two less ogres that way.

Elera frowns slightly at Shadowdale's comment to Ziklag, she thought it had been clear that all of them were jesting. None of them could really have expected anyone to forget the fact that Ziklag peeled himself off of a flag or that they were all deities. However, she lets her thoughts go unremarked as Shadowdale moved to discuss his findings. She added her agreement, "I really think that we'll all enjoy not having to escape a pair of ogres. Besides, I would rather not have them deliver news about the arrival of troublemakers back to their king so soon. My vote is that we head west."

Ziklag smiled regardless of the dressing down.  "My earlier comment was interjecting to Elera and Ludovic - having plausible reasons for our abilities and the ability to keep others from recognizing us as gods is important to our mission.  Failing to do so is the only real way to fail our mission..."

"As for the latter comment, that was for levity's sake.  Who'd have expected a humorless god of fools.  Such a waste!"  He laughed aloud.  "Since you are the god of fools, I'll answer your question, though I pretty thoroughly implied it just a few minutes ago.  I'm focusing from everything that sets human hearts alight to the positive emotions - love and luck for me.  In terms of mortal affairs, I'm interested in the arcane and in communicating with people.  Even choleric ones!"

The amount he had said washed over him briefly.  "Going forward, it would be wise for us not to make those distinctions, though.  Even privately - who knows when someone or something might over hear?  Perhaps we should refer to 'nobles' and 'commoners,' or 'ancestors' and 'the living' - anything to disguise our meaning in a way that leads to quick misunderstandings."

</DarkGreen>...

... And west sounds good to me, too.</DarkGreen>"  He concluded.

"West", muttered Skeeve to himself, "Full of portents that would be. Yes, indeed"

He moved into the lee of the wall, cleaning his whiskers ferociously, "West. West, we must go"

Head cocked to one side, he chittered suddenly, watching the tombstones

Elera watched as Skeeve began to intently observe the tombstone. Had he seen something that the others hadn't? Finally, with a majority opinion reached, she says, "That decides it then? If the Thaddeus and Ludovic don't have any pressing objections or new information, then let us be off. We have a long way to go and then a long way to run as we escape our pursuers." She moves to begin slowly walking backwards along the westward path, giving the last two a chance to voice any dissent.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Sat 14 Jan 2023.

"West it is." He just pulled out a number of small vials and what not to begin a few alchemical processes. Much of the alchemy he could do didn't need a lab, but a lab would be nice. A lab would be grand. But that is something that could wait.

"This is going to be grand."