The Grell

[Queen Solace Rayana Klojhen]

NymofDragons: She didn't quite believe that. Solace was typically good at not exaggerating how bad off things were. She handled things better than Nym would have in quite a number of situations. "Tried to eat him? I thought the grell specialized
NymofDragons: in mental attacks? I assumed a sense of smell was a basic requirement for most creatures who needed to eat to survive."

Nicho TGM: ::A dead king was a far better alternative to a king controlled by the Grell, it was a near thing. He smiles a little, not wanting to scare them more than they already were::

Solace Faryndale: Oh it did...broke him down to make him weak enough...then decided that it was hungry. Bit his shoulder. ::wrinkles her nose then sips her klah like it was no big deal anymore. was she actually getting used to this sort of thing?
Solace Faryndale: was knowing that there would be times that Nicho would come close to death something that would cease to bother her? she truly hoped not, but it seemed to be going in that direction::

NymofDragons: She looked between the two of them a moment, not really able to tell them they needed to be more careful. Nicho was strong despite his age, she knew and trusted, so if he struggled with the grell what would happen when a peasant
NymofDragons: came across one in the woods? "They have to have some sort of weakness that can prevent them from attacking people."

Solace Faryndale: Well we haven't found it yet.
Solace Faryndale: ::at least not that she knew of::

Nicho TGM: They don't have any special defenses.... besides strong mental shields. They really don't need to eat people, they just enjoy it. Thinking minds give food more flavor.

Solace Faryndale: Well then...eating you wouldn't have made a difference...they would have still been hungry. ::teasing him, smirking::

Nicho TGM: It's rare for us to travel outside out lairs though. This is a special circumstance, ordered by the emperor himself.

Solace Faryndale: ::she looks at him and blinks:: What did you just say?

Nicho TGM: Huh? I said Grell rarely travel from their lairs.

NymofDragons: "So if we sent mindless soldiers at them, they wouldn't try to eat them??" Not that Nym wanted to be the one to tell people they'd been deemed dumb enough to go after the grell. She stopped then, tilting her head. "Emperor?"

Solace Faryndale: No...you said that it's rare for "us" to travel outside the lairs...ordered by the emperor... ::looking at him strangly::

Nicho TGM: What? I didn't say anything about the emperor.... that's top secret.
Nicho TGM: ::Makes a strange face, having been conciously monitoring his own words::

Solace Faryndale: Secret? What are you talking about?
Solace Faryndale: I am beginning to think that you need more rest.

Nicho TGM: ::Slowly, as if it is harder to say such things when he thinks about it:: Only philosopher level or above even know about the emperor. And only Patriarchs know a part of the plan.
Nicho TGM: ::His eyes focusing:: We've only seen Philosophers and Workers, love.

Solace Faryndale: ::glances at Nym wondering if she's catching all this then looks back at him again. then it dawns on her, remembering what he told her the other day. he told her that he had seen into the Grell's mind and that it saw into his::
Solace Faryndale: Aw shit... Nicho...you are spouting off what the Grell knows. And if you know what their plans are by seeing into it's mind, then it knows of all of ours by seeing into yours. ::now the very person that could probably end the Grell was
Solace Faryndale: the kingdom's weakest link::

Nicho TGM: Ah, but that's the brilliance of it, love. It did, true, but it is dead, with no way to share that knowledge.

NymofDragons: "What plans? Luckily, we still haven't a clue what to do about the grell," she pointed that out and then looked to Nicho, "Is there a way to check to be sure it didn't leave you more open to mind control?"

Solace Faryndale: How do you know that it didn't send your thoughts telepathically to the other Grell before we killed it? Tell me that? Can you say that it didn't?

Nicho TGM: ::He looks at Solace:: Absolutely. I would know. It didn't have time, we were mentally locked, that's why it got physical.
Nicho TGM: ::He grins at Solace:: I also picked up a bit of useful knowledge about mind shields. Mine will be as strong as their strongest, now. It won't happen again.

Solace Faryndale: The Grell's words are getting mixed up with your own... if other members hear you babbling about plans and such, they won't understand.
Solace Faryndale: ::that didn't make her feel any better::

Nicho TGM: Not the Grell's words, the Grell's memories..... I don't know things, exactly. I "remember them."

NymofDragons: "Unless the higher ranking ones have different tricks. These things seem more advanced than just a random monster, having an emperor and apparently a plan. We don't even have a plan yet, which puts us at a disadvantage. Certainly
NymofDragons: they didn't plan a drought, though..."

Nicho TGM: ::He reaches into Solace's mind through their link, seeming to "switch on" a circuit breaker, suddenly mindless babble she hadn't even been concious of, minutia of day to day minds going about their business, is abruptly cut off as
Nicho TGM: her shields are maximized.::

Solace Faryndale: ::she winces when she heard it and then there was complete silence in her mind. nothing. could hear a pin drop. which meant...that she couldn't hear Nicho's heart either. she knew what he had just done. it almost broke her heart::

[Queen Solace Rayana Klojhen]

Nicho TGM: ::Glancing to Nym and then looking back at Solace:: You know how I "feel" the land?
Nicho TGM: ::He taps her mind, his voice and emotion clearer to her in this connection than ever before:: ~Do nae fret, love.~

Solace Faryndale: ::it was that clearity that scared her::

Nicho TGM: ::Explaining mostly for Nym's sake:: About six months before I became king, the strangest thing happened to me. I thought I was going mad.
Nicho TGM: I'd be sitting in the hall drinking klah and suddenly I was a bird, feeding its young, a deer, prancing through the field joyously, a badger peeking from his hole. I'd had some communication with creatures before, but this was like
Nicho TGM: I was them. I was a tree, feeling the cut of the axe as the orcs fouled the land. I could "feel" the orcs on my "skin" as they went their way.
Nicho TGM: It took me several weeks to reach a point where I could tune them out. Aware of it still, but no longer overwhelmed.

Solace Faryndale: ::watches him and listens, sipping her klah with a somewhat shakey hand::

Nicho TGM: ::As if speaking from prophecy, his voice changes slightly, a ripple of power hums in the air:: The king is the land.
Nicho TGM: ::He turns his brilliant eyes to Solace, his intense love for her flowing through the link:: The Queen is the heart.

NymofDragons: She nodded, not entirely able to imagine what that was like and having nothing herself to compare it to. Her eyes widened a little at the change in his voice, feeling a stir in Xia's magic at the power in it. Her head turning
NymofDragons: towards Solace at the mentioned of the queen. Yes, that felt right. She wasn't yet able to mentally fit it with the grells, however, which made her expression one of puzzlement.

Nicho TGM: ::His voice and gaze returning to normal as he glances at Nym, coming to the point:: My shields were stronger than most "humans" partly because of my Ghostmaster abilities, but mainly because of this experience. I'd learned how
Nicho TGM: to portion my mind, to contain such input, filter it and file it.
Nicho TGM: Had it not been for this, I'd have succumbed to the Grell, becoming a tool for its use.
Nicho TGM: It is also why I don't know these things, but "remember" them when something triggers the file. ::Looking at Nym:: Does any of that make sense?

Solace Faryndale: ::all of this was actually news to her. she knew that he held things she would never know about deep in the back of his mind. but to hear it explained this way was strange. but she now understood how and why::

NymofDragons: Nym nodded, understanding to a point. Partially it managed to increase her worry for the others who lived in Goldenmyst. If the grell could rival their king then most wouldn't stand a chance. "Yes, that makes sense. You filed away
NymofDragons: what you saw in his mind rather than having to bypass it to continue your fight against him. Had you had to focus on what you were seeing you might have been dinner after all.." her voice was soft, contemplative. "Or a tool. We
NymofDragons: would have known, wouldn't we? If they managed to take you over. Solace would know, if no one else."

Nicho TGM: ::Hoping to give Solace more of an idea:: Say you file a book by number in the library. You don't remember each number for each book, but if someone asks for the book, you know where it is.
Nicho TGM: Oh, I'm sure Solace would have noticed it, Nym.

Solace Faryndale: ::she nods to his explaination, but she wasn't so sure that she would have noticed anything of the sort since he cuts her off when he's engaged with any of the Grell.::

NymofDragons: Nym was more thinking that Solace would notice strange behavior that followed, Nym's own thinking more to what would happen if the grell succeeded in taking someone and tried to set up a spy in the castle. "So if we ask you
NymofDragons: questions we might be able to bring more information to your mind and find out more about whats going on?" She nodded, imagining that Solace hadn't been even remotely happy with the grell. Nym herself didn't even want to ask if Syn
NymofDragons: had been present, especially with his tendancy to sleep so frequently lately.

Nicho TGM: ::Another nod to Nym:: And yes, had I become embroiled in the Grell's mind, I'd have been a tool. But thanks to my warrior handmaiden, ::another smile at Solace:: the Grell died.

Solace Faryndale: ::she smiles a little and looks down in her klah::

Nicho TGM: Yes, perhaps something you ask will trigger another memory.

Solace Faryndale: ::she opens her mouth to say something, then shuts it again. she would have sounded like the whiney childish wife that she is. and that wouldn't do. but she sure as hell didn't like the idea of actually "trying" to trigger the
Solace Faryndale: Grell's memories from him. he wasn't a damn lab experiment!::

NymofDragons: Well, they had plenty of questions and few answers, there was plenty to choose from. "Where is the emperor?" she asked, figuring that part of the memory was easiest to reach.

Nicho TGM: ::His eyes glaze a bit as he seems to stare off.:: None but the Patriarchs know.
Nicho TGM: A Patriarch is head on the "clan." Each clan will have many Philosophers and hundreds of Workers.

Solace Faryndale: ::she looks at Nym with frightened eyes, wanting to plead with her to stop. the only thing stopping her from crying is the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her as she listened::

[Queen Solace Rayana Klojhen]

Nicho TGM: Workers are usually of standard size, Philosophers can be anywhere from slightly larger to twice or even three times as large.
Nicho TGM: (The worker being about 4x the size of a cow. 2d30. Philosophers are 2d35 to 2d50.)

NymofDragons: Nym moved her hand over to grasp Solace's at that look. "If it makes you feel better, keeping your mind opened to his. This is his brain, dear, not the Grell's. It is the grell's memories but Nicho's filing system," she whispered,
NymofDragons: speaking quickly even while she tried to listen. Hundreds of works? This was not a force they wanted in the kingdom. "If they are only scouting parties," she said once Nicho came back, "maybe having some of their number killed will
NymofDragons: convince them that this is not safe territory for them?"

Nicho TGM: ::His eyes focus again, he sighs and speaks gravely:: We've only seen small "scouting" parties at this point. It's doubtful that the full clan would move from their lair.

Drako LathenGM: ::After just arriving a few hours ago, he had already been ordered to resume his guard duties. The man obviously didn't know who he was speaking to, but after many efforts, Drako couldn't talk him into believing he had formerly
Drako LathenGM: been a commodore. A half smile crossed his face as he walked down the halls, each step bringing back a new memory. He turned his head to glance down the hall to his left after hearing a few familiar voices. He took a few steps
Drako LathenGM: forward, wondering if he should interrupt or not. He decided not to, waiting outside the door for the right time to walk in. For now, he'd just stand guard::

Solace Faryndale: ::she looks at Nym then back to Nicho. she had absolutely nothing to say at this point, only thinking how grateful she was that Nym was now second in command knowing that her being so in love and bound to Nicho that it hinders her
Solace Faryndale: from possibly doing the right thing, where Nym would always be objective::

Nicho TGM: Perhaps, Nym. Yet if they are following the Emperor's orders... ::He shrugs::
Nicho TGM: The only way to know for sure would be to raid the mind of a Patriarch.

Solace Faryndale: ::eyes go wide::

Nicho TGM: ::He looks to Solace:: Don't worry, love, that's Not the plan.

Solace Faryndale: It's never "the" plan. But you always seem to come around to what you never intend to do.

Nicho TGM: I do know that there were more than two "scouting" parties. It's more like daily "hunting" parties, foraging for the hive.

Drako LathenGM: ::He took his dagger from his belt and began twirling it in his right hand. His eyes glanced around the hall, letting out a soft laugh as he thought of a few things from the past::

Nicho TGM: I'm placing the kingdom under Red Alert.
Nicho TGM: ::Had in fact, already done so.::

NymofDragons: "There may be no choice. We can keep people in the castle but eventually the grell will be at our own front door and we still won't know how to defeat them. We know they are there but we still haven't seen any weaknesses to use
Solace Faryndale: Wonderful. ::gets up and goes to the window. seems she never really looked at the Iron Mountians until now::
NymofDragons: against them. I agree with an alert, but what about Mysthaven? People will still go to the fields and thats right beside the woods. We need to find a weakness."

Drako LathenGM: Red alert...::He whispered to himself. An eyebrow quirked as he heard the word Grell. What were they? Where did they come from and when did they get here? All questions running through his head::
Drako LathenGM: ::This was too much, he turned and walked into the door, looking at the three:: I always seem to come back at the most eventful times...

Nicho TGM: They are not immune to the elements, Nym. ::He turns, ready to snarl, then seeing who it is, he stands:: Drako, welcome home.

Drako LathenGM: T'is good to be home...I think.

Solace Faryndale: ::she knew that voice... she whirls around to see Drako standing in the doorway and squeals. talk about a change in mood. her bodyguard, her friend, her brother. she sprints across the room and hugs him tightly:: Ah! I never thought
Solace Faryndale: you would come home!

Nicho TGM: ::Smirks, seeing his love fly into another man's arms:: Yes, it's good to be home.

Drako LathenGM: ::He caught Solace in his arms and squeezed her:: And leave you without a bodyguard? You're crazy...

Solace Faryndale: Aye, I married him didn't I? :: pointing at Nicho over her shoulder with a grin::

NymofDragons: Nym startled at the male voice and turned to look at Drako with wide, and slightly uncertain, eyes. When did he come back to the kingdom and had he taken a route through the woods? Jumpy, yes, but that was to be expected all things
NymofDragons: considered. She smile managed a smile and Lapis moved over to sniff at his feet, the little white dragon still just as small as he ever was.

Drako LathenGM: ::He smiled, letting a soft laugh slip through his lips:: I trust you have all been well, but it certainly sounds like you've seen better times...

Solace Faryndale: ::she nods letting Drako go and steps back, look at Nicho for him to explain it since she was so unsure of herself at the moment::

Nicho TGM: ::He'll have one of the staff fill the Commodor in, later.::
Nicho TGM: We certainly can use ye, my friend. Hope thy sword hasn't gotten rusty.

Drako LathenGM: My sword? Rusty? ::He smirked:: Maybe a little....::He said jokingly, letting out a small laugh::

Nicho TGM: I'm nae speaking of thy sex life. ::Snorts::

Drako LathenGM: ::A guard came in with a peice of parchment. He read through it quickly, picking up only the main points:: These grell sound like....::He just sat there and nodded his head after hearing Nicho::
Drako LathenGM: ::He chuckled softly:: If your skills with the sword were as sharp as your wits maybe this wouldn't have happened ::He put down the parchment, referring to the part where Nicho was scooped up by the Grell::

NymofDragons: Her face registered a little shock at what Nicho had just said, but only for a moment before she too looked back to Drako. "Have you come across anything like them in your journeys? If we cannot find their weakness then maybe we can use
NymofDragons: weaknesses of creatures like them."

Drako LathenGM: As I was saying...::His eyes went from Nicho to Nym:: They sound like Mind Flayers...Creatures native to Telsaria...
Drako LathenGM: I've killed a handful...But had no strategy while doing so....Sometimes I think I just got lucky.

Nicho TGM: Somewhat, yes... I hadn't thought of that.

Drako LathenGM: Although...
Drako LathenGM: If I remember correctly, Mind flayers were kind of like orcs in the sense that they travelled in clans....

[Queen Solace Rayana Klojhen]

Solace Faryndale: ::well at this point she was useless. she glances to each of them then moves back to the window and just listens. seems the more she listens the more she learns anyway instead of opening her mouth all the time::

Drako LathenGM: The only thing keeping the mind flayers loyal to each clan was some type of accessory there were given at birth, a bracelet or anklet or something....But trying to get that off of them was just as hard, if not harder than killing them.

Nicho TGM: These are always loyal to clan, everything else is food.

Drako LathenGM: If the grell are anything like the mind flayers, which they seem to be, they could possibly have something on them that controls their loyalty to whomever they're following....
Drako LathenGM: ::He shrugs:: Well then other than that, I don't know what to tell you.

Nicho TGM: ::Hating to tell him there's no such luck.:: Because of drought in the plains to the south, the Grell seem to be migrating north.

Drako LathenGM: Great...
Drako LathenGM: These Grell have a big resistance to magic...don't they?

NymofDragons: "If we solve the drought then they'll go away? Maybe they were on the right track with moving water down to the south." Unless they could come up with a way to keep people from getting eaten. She looked to Drako on the matter of
NymofDragons: magic though, not thinking that part had been covered yet.

Nicho TGM: Not highly, though if such magic is mental or psionic in nature they do.

Solace Faryndale: ::still looking out the window, she speaks softly:: If there is a drought, and that is what has made them move northward, then they have a need for water, moisture. Hence why they are drawn to the river. Maybe water is a weakness.

Nicho TGM: Not a weakness, but a need we might exploit.
Nicho TGM: We must guard all river access. ::Nodding to Drako::
Nicho TGM: ::Smiles to Solace for sound thinking::

Solace Faryndale: ::her voice still low:: Seems to me that they are seeking out water and heading toward the ocean. We just happen to be in their way.

Nicho TGM: No, they don't like salt...
Nicho TGM: ::Another "memory" comes to his mind:: It burns... ::eyes widen::

NymofDragons: "There has to be a plan of sorts, though, or else the grell wouldn't have mentioned the emperor." She was in favor of being in the way, but not betting her dragon on it. "Maybe the drought sped along plans they already had....." she
NymofDragons: stopped, face lighting up when he said that. "Salt!"

Solace Faryndale: ::then she slowly turns around and looks at her husband:: And if they feed off any sort of moisture, my power is useless against them. ::cants her head at him as he goes unfocused again then blinks and looks at Nym:: He's a god damn genius.

Nicho TGM: A chilling thought...

Solace Faryndale: ::she grins:: Nicho...
Solace Faryndale: Remember when I told you that were the most wonderful man in the whole world?

NymofDragons: Nym shook her head, "Not necessarily, Solace. You can pull the water out of a place too, can't you?" She recalled Solace having done it before, but not the whys and... oh wait, she remembered now.

Nicho TGM: ::He smiles to Solace:: I could probably stand reminding.

Solace Faryndale: You just proved yourself undeniably so. ::she moves to him and places a tender loving kiss to his mouth then looks into his eyes:: You just gave up thier weakness, love.

Nicho TGM: Aye, if ye throw seawater at them....

Solace Faryndale: No, Nicho...are there not caves in those mountains that hold salt?

Nicho TGM: So the trick would be to try to lead them towards the keep.

Solace Faryndale: We have ones that hold gems and gold...there must be ones with salt.

Nicho TGM: ::He nods to Solace:: There are, there's a salt mine just north of Peter's Vinyard.

Solace Faryndale: Then we mine it.

NymofDragons: "We will need to lead them someplace though. Maybve take the salt directly to them. If we use too much salt in the fields or woods we will ruin the soil." Hopefully they wouldn't get cornered in the midst of farming land.

Nicho TGM: It's already being mined. ::A significant pause:: By the dwarves.

Solace Faryndale: Pay the dwarves.

NymofDragons: She thought a moment, "They want something... if we give them what they want then perhaps they'll give us back the salt mines?" Not that Nym knew what they wanted, truthfully, as the dwarf only eluded to things with the intention of
NymofDragons: telling Nicho himself directly. "Technically I think the dwarves were here first."

Solace Faryndale: Wait...nevermind that...it's on our land is it not?

Nicho TGM: It is, but we'd still be obligated to the Dwarves for mining it.

Solace Faryndale: Then as I said...pay them.
Solace Faryndale: As for giving them back what they think was taken from them by one of us? That is not an option since we don't know what was taken nor by who.

Nicho TGM: Aye.

NymofDragons: "What if we ask?" Nym tilted her head. "Certainly no member would prefer whatever trinket they found over the safety of the kingdom."

Nicho TGM: ::Having exhaused the supply of klah in the solar without realizing it, he abruptly changes the subject:: Enough talk for now, might I escort ye to the main hall?
Nicho TGM: :: Offering his arms to the ladies::

Solace Faryndale: Because personally I think ... ::she stops hearing Nicho and ceases her statement. seeing the look in his eyes she takes his arm without a word::