OOS 97

Korrinoth 10, the party is traveling toward Eddelton to retrieve Concludion. It occurred between sessions 41 and 42. It is preceded OOS 95 and 96. 
== Transcript == 
Lei: 
she regards teer one more time and gets up and moves to the front of the carriage. “is there room up here?” 
Coachman: 
"There's space on the bench," the coachman says. "You're welcome enough to it." 
Lei: 
“thanks.” and she does so. 
Coachman: 
The driver makes a notional scoot to one side to accommodate her, shifting in his oversized coat. 
Lei: 
lei squeezes in and tries not to take up too much space, little that there is. she closes her eyes, leans back, and lets out a long sigh. 
Coachman: 
"So, what do you you hope to find out here? Eddelton isn't much of a place to go." 
Lei: 
lei doesnt open her eyes. “a friend of the one currently on the roof.” 
“have you been to eddelton?” 
Coachman: 
"Once, awhile ago." 
Lei: 
“i hope we’ve not made this journey too difficult for you.” 
Coachman: 
"No," He says, sparing a glance at Lei from the road, a single brass-colored eye gleaming from beneath the hat. "Quite easy, in fact." 
Lei: 
“glad to hear it.” 
she’s speaking like, auto-pilot pleasantries. sounds somewhat weary. 
Coachman: 
"Yeah, that's what I usually hear." He says, chuckling to himself. 
Lei: 
lei doesnt immediately respond. she focuses on the clops of the horse[s?] and gets somewhat lost in thought. 
Coachman: 
"Long road ahead yet." He continues "They all seem to be, these days." 
Lei: 
“if all three days are as eventful as this one, i imagine it will pass quickly enough.” 
a long silence. eventually lei opens her eyes and offers a hand, though she’s not sure the coachman can take it with his hands occupied. “what is your name, by the way? i’m lei, though i’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.” 
Corcis: 
The coachman places a large, gloved hand over her own without really looking "Corcis. Friends call me Cork." 
Lei: 
“nice to meet you, corcis.” shakes his hand, and then resumes leaning back with her eyes closed 
Corcis: 
Corcis grunts, but says nothing further. 
Lei: 
an hour passes and is sweetly, blissfully uneventful. lei opens her eyes and interrupts the gentle clopping of hooves. “thank you again for letting me sit up here.” 
Corcis: 
"Not a problem. It can get a bit cramped in the cab." 
Lei: 
nods "You seem incredibly calm about all of our antics." 
Corcis: 
"Eh, you see all sorts of things on the road." 
Lei: 
"Haha, like what?" weak smile 
Corcis: 
"Gnolls, Gnomes, Dinosaurs..." He muses, remembering, "Things get stranger the further West you go from here." 
Lei: 
"That seems really cool." eyes light up "Being a coachman sounds like it can be a pretty interesting job." 
Corcis: 
"I like it well enough. Get to travel on other people's copper. See things and meet people." 
Lei: 
"Have any fun stories you'd care to share?" 
Corcis: 
"More of a listener than a teller," He says. "Got any yourself?" 
Lei: 
both the legend of dark'ness and star walk immediately flash into lei's mind, and she holds back a wince. 
"what kinds of stories do you like to hear about?" 
Corcis: 
"Not really all that picky, but I suppose I favor things that have really happened to people." 
"Nosy that way, I guess." 
Lei: 
"haha, well let's see here...." she thinks for a moment, and starts counting things on her fingers. 
"one time the group in there rescued...some people from drow. one of my friends reunited recently with someone they hadn't seen in hundreds of years, and thought dead. once the group encountered a dragon on an airship. once i met a goblin and was completely horrified and now they're one of my good friends. any of those sound enticing to you?" small, somewhat distracted smile 
Corcis: 
"Oh, that was more than one story? I thought it seemed a bit scattered. Seems like you've been through a lot." 
Lei: 
“oh, yes, those were really just summaries of a small handful of stories.” 
“....i suppose i have.” 
“have never encountered a gnoll though.” 
Corcis: 
"Hyena folk. Bad manners. Get on well enough if they're fed." 
Lei: 
giggles “have you ever had one as a passenger?” 
Corcis: 
"Naw, they like to travel in packs. Ill suited for carriages." 
Lei: 
“say, you said this wasn’t your carriage, didn’t you? do you work for a carriage company of sorts, and they let you use one of their carriages?” 
“oh, um—sorry if i’m—i’m not asking too many....questions, am i?” 
Corcis: 
"I feel like from whence the coach and coachman came would have been established before leaving Wolis, but yeah, I work for a company, and it's their carriage. Owned my own once but that turned out to be a poor choice." 
"More than some but less than others. You're alright." 
"Now there's a story. Quietest fare I ever had." 
Lei: 
“oh?” interest is piqued 
Corcis: 
"A few months ago, now. A young kid. Just wanted a tour of Wolis. The richest houses. Just sat and watched and looked. Took him around the Purifiers offices, council chambers... It took all day but he paid in silver, so I didn't mind it. Never said a word but to say where to go next. Seemed troubled. Brooding. 
Lad like that is bound to cause a ruckus, but it ain't no business of mine." 
"Huh. No, not the quietest. I always forget that chap from forty years ago." Corcis' beak clacks closed as he stares into space, as if trying to fix his mind on something difficult to hold. 
"That one paid in gold." 
He trails off, still lost in remembering. 
Lei: 
“huh, that seems kind of....weird.” hearing mention of the noble district and council chambers specifically. 
“oh, what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled to by carriage?” 
“ah, sorry—you said you’re more of a listener, and here i am asking you for stories...um....” 
Corcis: 
"Everywhere's got its own charm." 
"Mostly just stay in the Elbinas region. Took a secret envoy to Auguste some years back." 
"That treaty is going to be trouble if the blockades keep up." 
Lei: 
eyes fix on corcis as she recalls the small goal written on the party list “o-oh...i haven’t—kept up to date on that news. it sounds like things aren’t going very well....unfortunately.” 
Corcis: 
"Still early, but if things escalate, Sunholme is treaty-bound to intervene." 
Lei: 
[what does renn know about the relationship between auguste, oceanside, and sunholme?] 
Gloom: 
[History Check] 
Lei: 
[19] 
Gloom: 
[Sunholme, as the capital of the Elbinas region, has a mutual defense treaty with the Empire of Auguste- it was once signed to appease the empire in its conquest, Sunholme would remain free but would not oppose the expansion of Auguste. Though the empire is on the decline and Sunholme is a powerful military state, the treaty remains in place.] 
Lei: 
“would you care to share, what sort of blockades are in place?” 
Corcis: 
"Boats, only kind of blockade there is. Land blockade would be a seige." 
Lei: 
lei doesnt respond for a short bit, absorbed in thought. 
“i should probably check up on my...on the others back there. they’ve been far too quiet at this point.” 
“thank you for the conversation, corcis. it’s been very interesting. i appreciated the stories.” 
fumbles around with what little space there is, and pulls a piece of gold out of her pocket, and offers it to him 
Corcis: 
Corcis takes the gold piece and whisks it away to an unseen pocket "Thank you kindly, miss." 
Lei: 
lei nods and goes back into the carriage. 
Plosi: 
Plosi is curled up on top of Teer’s chest, the fingers of one hand loosely wrapped around Ephemera, trying to rest while the resting’s good. 
Ephemera: 
Ephemera is being loosely held, the closest to a hug she can get in the given circumstances. 
Kiono: 
Kiono is working on her stone to grass spell on the roof of the carriage. 
Teer: 
After another hour or two passes, Teer lifts his head. 
A soft whirring sound emits from behind his mask as he sees Plosi. He wraps his arms around the gnomblin gently, and lets his head fall back against the window. 
Plosi: 
“Hey, mate.” Plosi says softly. “How’re you feeling?” 
Teer: 
"Rested. Well, aside from - I don't think my body has quite repaired itself. It seems sleep doesn't do that for me, curious." 
Lei: 
lei hears plosi address teer and her eyes jump open and she looks at teer 
Plosi: 
“Well, it... didn’t seem entirely restful.” 
Teer: 
"Hm?" 
Plosi: 
“And, and you were only out for... a while, but it’s not night yet... I’m sorry.” 
Lei: 
“i’m glad you’re awake,” she says tiredly. “do you need a potion?” 
Teer: 
Teer considers for a moment. "No, I think I'll wait and let it repair on it's own. If we think we are going to get into a fight, let me know and I'll start knocking them back." 
He reaches out and curls one of the hands he had on Plosi around Ephemera, in case she has also had things to say. 
Lei: 
nods “okay. are you okay?” 
Teer: 
"Hm? Yes, quite. I've been in worse states of disrepair. It should only take an hour." 
"Did I miss anything while I was out?" 
Lei: 
“well, kiono has been on the roof for a while.” 
Teer: 
"Ah. Is she alright?" 
Lei: 
“i doubt it. i think i made her mad. unsurprisingly.” flat 
Plosi: 
“I think I made her mad. I haven’t seen her.” 
Ephemera: 
"It was...." Ephemera sighs. "I think she was frustrated with Renn, but Squire's comment pushed her over the edge. She will... probably be okay. We should find Concludion tomorrow..." 
Plosi: 
“Is that... are we likely to find him tomorrow, or ‘we’d better find him tomorrow?’” 
Ephemera: 
"I meant the first, though the latter isn't incorrect." 
Teer: 
"It'll be good to have him back. Is it wise to check on Kiono, or should we let her have her space?" 
Plosi: 
“I think she said she’d throw herself off if anyone followed her.” 
Teer: 
"Ah, noted." 
Teer tiredly ruffles Plosi's hair. "Thank you for your assistance in my strange request." 
Ephemera: 
"About that..." 
A long, somewhat awkward pause. 
"........please don't do that again." 
Plosi: 
“...I was going to say ‘anytime.’” 
Teer: 
Teer chuckles at that. 
He rests his head again, finding it harder to keep himself as upright as usual. "I just wanted a break," he says simply. 
Ephemera: 
"=/" 
Plosi: 
“Consenting adults can knock each other unconscious if they choose to.” 
Teer: 
"I'll admit it's not tactically sound," he adds. "I'll be sure to wait until we're somewhere safer, if I do." 
Plosi: 
“Maybe avoid doing whatever you did to make Akaros ask us to get our health potions out.” 
Teer: 
Teer lifts his head slightly. "He...?" Then groans. 
"Alright. That's fair." 
Ephemera: 
"Mindscapes are... dangerous if you're not prepared. I'm glad you're safe. Or rather.... alive, not evil, and you don't appear to have gone insane." 
Teer: 
"I don't know that I would be, if not for Akaros," he says quietly. 
"I'm sorry if I worried you all." 
Plosi: 
Plosi hugs Teer’s chest. 
Ephemera: 
"Just glad you're safe." 
"You did miss a story about Kiono while you were out if you'd like to hear a summarized version of it," Ephemera says, offering a topic change if Teer wants it. 
Teer: 
"I would be interested to hear it." 
Ephemera: 
Ephemera gives a summary of the cabin trip. 
"Also don't use Anna's death as an argument winner or we may never get her to understand why it was a morally questionable decision at best," she concludes without any transition at all. 
Plosi: 
“I know, and I’m sorry.” 
“I didn’t mean to use it as a trump card like that, I’m just— frustrated.” 
Ephemera: 
"Ah, that was... for Teer. I know you know," she says gently to Plosi. 
Teer: 
"Wait, she doesn't know?" 
Plosi: 
“Oh.” Plosi says, pleasantly surprised. 
Ephemera: 
"She grew up in a death cult. Concludion is the only stranger to the village that I can recall that they didn't attempt to murder within 12 hours." 
"They killed their own Chosen One for attempting to flee." 
"Kiono fled because she found out they planned to do it again, but without the fleeing this time." 
"She believed their nonsense about destroying the world being a good thing." 
Teer: 
Teer rubs the grain of his mask. "I knew it was bad, but I didn't think... When you lay it all out like that I suppose, it makes sense." 
Ephemera: 
"I think she might have learned what friendship is? She said something about that earlier." 
Teer: 
"Oh right, we asked Azaria." 
"Friendship is people you would prefer to be around, I guess." 
"Which seems sort of like an anticlimactic end to that particular mystery, but there you have it." 
"Wait." 
"What happens if one person would prefer to be around and another doesn't? Can you do half-friendships? Or is it a mutual bond?" 
Lei: 
“no.” lei chimes in 
Teer: 
"Oh." 
Ephemera: 
"There's probably something to be said for trying to be friends anyway. It may not work out, but the other person might start wanting to be your friend." 
Akaros: 
Akaros grumbles incoherently, barely audible. 
Ephemera: 
Ephemera sends question marks in Akaros' direction. 
Teer: 
[Can I make a perception check for trying to hear something that's coming from inside me.] 
Gloom: 
[Teer and Ephy hear it easily, Squire and Lei may mistake it just for road noise.] 
Akaros: 
"Nothing." He says to them. 
Ephemera: 
Ephemera projects the tiniest hint of a smug smile to Akaros, then drops it. 
Plosi: 
“Wasn’t one of you studying ethics?” 
Ephemera: 
"??" 
Plosi: 
“It was either Teer or Leitha...” 
Teer: 
"I was reading a bit of ethics and philosophy to help pass the time at night," says Teer. "But I don't think it was really what I was looking for." 
He projects a slightly annoyed question mark at Akaros, but also drops it. 
Plosi: 
“I was just thinking, maybe you could help her get her head around the basics.” 
Ephemera: 
To Teer only, "Oh, we should probably update Lei about what..." An awkward pause. "What Lysaro said..." 
Teer: 
"I don't know. Maybe," he says to Plosi. "Kiono and I may share some common points of reference, but there's a lot I don't understand about why people do things." 
To Ephemera. "Right. Should we do that... now?" 
Lei: 
“telling her about ethics isnt enough.” 
Ephemera: 
To Teer, "Maybe not right this moment. After the topic stops being about Kiono perhaps... But not long. She'll be angry that we didn't remember to tell her immediately." 
[And then a discussion about whether that had already been done or not occurred. Regardless, Lei knows by the time session 42 begins.] 
Teer: 
"Maybe not. But we should at least try to help her understand where we're coming from." 
Lei: 
“i think it takes....caring and understanding too.” 
Teer: 
Teer gives a slight nod. 
Plosi: 
"Well, if she doesn't know any better, we'll never know if she can care." 
Ephemera: 
"She seems inclined to try. She's had some conversations with Concludion that direction." 
"Care and understanding toward her will be important." 
Plosi: 
"...That's a good point." 
Lei: 
“what’s a good point?” 
notes ephy “...oh.” 
Plosi: 
"Oh, um-- Ephy said she's inclined to try, but care and understanding towards Kiono will be important." 
Lei: 
“apparently tensions are rising with the situation regarding oceanside and auguste,” lei says suddenly. 
“last we talked about it together, i said i preferred to stay out of it, that it wasn’t any of our business to get involved.” 
“...i changed my mind.” 
“knowing war is bad and should be prevented if possible....and caring about the situation enough to want to try to do something about it...are different.” 
Ephemera: 
"She wants to get involved in the affairs of another country?" 
"Like, a whole country. First Barovia, and now an entire war cabinet in Ocesnside..." 
Lei: 
shakes her head “i don’t know if that makes sense, but....um....” 
Plosi: 
"We are saving the world." 
Lei: 
“learning ethics and wanting to act on—what??” 
looks at plosi with confusion 
Teer: 
Teer tiredly and gently takes Lei's hand and tries to guide it to Ephemera. "Please." 
Plosi: 
"Um, Ephemera seems-- exasperated." 
Ephemera: 
"Politics and punching a giant rock aren't the same thing." 
Plosi: 
"Politics is why you punch the rock." 
Lei: 
lei resists. 
sighs, looks at teer 
touches the halberd lightly, ready to pull away 
Ephemera: 
"The war is already in motion. That's all uphill," she continued, not quite realizing Lei can hear now. 
Lei: 
“politics and punching—? i think i failed to convey the point i was trying to make. never mind. i dont know what i’m talking about.” 
Plosi: 
Plosi takes Lei's free hand and looks into her eyes. "Don't ever apologize for caring." 
Ephemera: 
"Oh, hello." 
"I was just saying that trying to step into that political situation at this stage would be very difficult. Oceanside leaders already wanted a war from what I understand. That is..... very difficult." 
Lei: 
to plosi “i—that’s not what i was—um....thanks, i guess.” 
to ephemera, after a pause to keep herself in check “then maybe the group should revisit it and consider removing it from the goals list. i dont know. i wasn’t trying to bring that up now for that purpose.” 
Lei: 
removes her hand from the halberd 
Teer: 
"I don't fully understand why this war is happening in the first place. But if we can stop it, I think that's a noble goal. That being said," He looks at Lei. "We can't do everything, we can only focus on so much at a time," he says gently. "Right now, we need to focus on Varren." 
Lei: 
then after a pause groans and puts it back 
Plosi: 
"They say nothing worth doing is easy..." 
Lei: 
puts a hand on her face “i think it’s a better conversation for later. never mind.” 
Ephemera: 
"I'm very confused." 
"You said you changed your mind about wanting to try to stop the war, but... you... don't want to do that?" 
Lei: 
lei sighs “it’s been a long day. i’m sorry. i was trying to say that....it took me some time to...understand the value of that goal. it may take kiono time to....figure things out like that too.” 
Ephemera: 
"Oh. You were giving an example of yourself having a similar revelation." 
Teer: 
"Ah." 
Ephemera: 
"I thought you had just completely changed topics. Okay. That makes a little more sense." 
Teer: 
"Everyone needs to go to bed," Teer decides. 
Lei: 
“no.” sharply 
Teer: 
"Alright." 
He looks around the place. "There is literally nothing I could do about it since we're in a carriage." 
Plosi: 
"Well, eventually..." 
Ephemera: 
"It is sort of the middle of the afternoon." 
Lei: 
“no, i mean—i really hope you won’t do that again.” to teer 
“or i swear i will draw all over your arms.” 
Teer: 
"Do non-elves take siestas?" Teer asks Ephemera. 
"And - I don't plan to, Lei." 
Lei: 
lets go of ephy 
Teer: 
"Though I mean." Teer waves his hand back and forth. "If I could find a gentler way to get there, I wouldn't mind playing Halo." 
Ephemera: 
"???" 
Plosi: 
"I still can't believe I let you talk me into that." 
Teer: 
"It didn't hurt much, to be fair. I don't have a lot of sensation anymore." 
Plosi: 
"That's what I was counting on. But still, eugh." 
Teer: 
Teer pats Plosi on the shoulder reassuringly.
Category:OOS