Session Fifty Two: Tea, tattoos and heart to hearts

General Summary

Captivating Messages

  Tristan approaches Emir for a sending to Elizabeth as they previously discussed in front of town. Emir shifts into Thaen, who asks Talia how Elizabeth knew about the Sickness since he'd heard it didn't come from Lucinia. Through Talia, Elizabeth explains that she was told by Gazeer Len when he tried to capture her. It was about a month before she left. Len approached her and told her he could have Tristan. However as this conversation occurred over a glass of wine Elizabeth managed to get Len drunk and escaped. Tristan convinces Thaen to send one last message that he's proud of his sister. Through Talia, Elizabeth sends her love to Tristan, and Talia to Thaen. In quori, Thaen replies back in quori that he feels the same. He then shifts back into Emi and both he and Tristan return to the Gold Dragon Inn to wake Griff, Silmer and Malak.  

This couldn't wait till morning?

Griff and Malak wonder if this was worth waking them up, but a connection between the Sporing and Sickness is again discussed. It's unclear how related they are beyond their similar but not equal symptoms and the fact they were both used by the same people. Griff reveals he was in the mountains near Kennren at the end of the war with Wrogar and Jossac. They were getting ready to leave just before the Mourning happened as if they had previous knowledge, also there were very little cases of the sickness in Aundaire. Tristan asks Griff if he saw the Mourning and if he did, if it looked similar to the Sickness. The Sporing looks like pollen spreading in the air while the Mourning was more an unnatural mist that moved in odd ways and was opaque. The boys reiterate that this could have all waited until breakfast and turn around to fall asleep.  

Pins and needles

In the morning with the rest of the group still fast asleep Griff gets lifted out of bed and thrown over Marcus's shoulder who takes him downstairs to get started on his tattoo. He mixes glistening powder with the ink and starts on Griff's arm to do some touch ups on the old tattoo. They talk about Froghemoth one of Griff's hug projects although Marcus warns him not to domesticate the beast it needs to stay feral to protect the town. They muse a bit about Marcus's family commenting his wife is scary but sweet when Marcus asks about Celine. Griff talks a bit about his grandma's passing, his "vacation" and meeting up with Teddy and Celine in Thaliost. He had already stretched his one day stay into a week when the group showed up and he went to help them. The conversation briefly goes towards the Sickness and Marcus comments it's not seen in these parts often. He does say Sickle shows up on recruitment tours once in a while but when asked admits he's never heard of Len.  

Hammering down some breakfast

The boys eventually wake up and join Griff and Marcus downstairs for some breakfast, a joke is briefly made about Tristan getting a Grace tattoo but Tristan doesn't seem receptive. Marcus explains about the meaning of Griff's tattoo, asks who is familiar with the creation myth and Tristan explains it all to the group mentioning the how the moons use their powers to enlighten chosen people. After which Marcus explains that the tattoo means you're one of the chosen people, not all of those have tattoo's though there are different ways of marking people for different callings. Griff chimes in asking about the glowing circle the group saw at the entrance of town and Marcus first confused then explains it is connected to the mark of finding. When Emir mentions the connection to the Traveler, Marcus explains that moons are also associated to certain gods but not necessarily one to one. After which Emir asks if the lantern tower is named for the traveler or the moon but Marcus is unsure, "Why not both?". Tristan asks about the gods associated to Olarune to which Marcus answers he knows of Dol Arrah. Emir asks if Marcus knows if there is any connection between the moons and the eyes, but while Marcus admits its weird how some of it overlaps he never thought about it before.   More information on The Twelve Moons Of Eberron was shared.   Silmer decides to return to his room and mentally prepare for his brother's arrival.

Malak wears his heart on his armor

Marcus looks up in the meantime at Malak and says "Rhaan is with you", he's seen books like that before. He also recognizes the symbol on Malak's armor, Myranna isn't it? Malak asks how Marcus knows about all these things and he explains they are all connected, there is more then one silver flame and Tira speaks to more people that just the keeper she told them about Myranna. The goal of them all is to protect Eberron and that Myranna helps protect people from Dal Quor. On a hunch Malak shows him the piece of Kloinjer and asks Marcus if he knows what it is, "Ah you are the one making it?! Cool!" he exclaims confirming Malak's suspicion. When Malak wonders how many people know about his "secret quest" Marcus tells him he has more allies than he realizes. Malak asks him if he knows Aria and Marcus confirms the girl with the silver eyes or, well, "eye", since she lost one. When Malak explains about the reliquary connection to Aria, Marcus promises he will do some digging to see where she went. Then he starts explaining that she left in a hurry and a man named Jasper is after her because she took ones of his guns and he wants it back. Jasper has more guns but the one Aria won off him is apparently important to Jasper Godfried (confirmed that it's Valerie's brother). Emir remembers pictures seen in the house of the Godfrieds in Fairhaven and remembers a kid with reddish hair a younger version of Kleris. When asked if Jasper has a feather Marcus is confused but does confirm it, Malak is kind of confused that Marcus seems to know about everything except feathers.  

What is his NAME!?

Marcus explains a little bit about the beginning of the tears of Miron and that the gatekeepers have been working with them since the beginning (thousands of years ago). Malak hearing this asks if Marcus every heard anything about the elf that started it all. Marcus asks about his name but Malak seems hesitant, on further pressing however he says the elf's name is Samyr Kes and Malak's father. Marcus admits it sounds familiar but nothing more, Malak also admits that his mother is actually his biological mother and not an adoptive parent (everyone gasps).  

He had a wife and baby

Griff talks about David, when he was young he was in love with him. Griff had to travel to become a Gatekeeper and they promised to wait for each other. However Griff found Godric during his travels and it took him three years to get back. By the time he made it back to Passage, he went by David and found him with a wife and a baby, they seemed very happy together. David thought Griff wouldn't come back, he made no attempt to contact David and never wrote him. This explains why Griff is now very determined to send cards and letters to his loved ones.   Griff travelled more and met Jossac in Askelios while raising Godric. They became friends and when she became a rider she asked Griff to join her. Emir asks if Vence should contact Jossac since he's seen her but Griff it's best not to poke the hornets nest. In the mean time people wonder if someone might be scrying them so Malak casts detect magic but finds nothing. Tristan asks if Malak knows what color his dads eyes were but beyond guessing they might be silver due to many trips through the flame no-one has an answer.  

He's a looker (Marcus description)

Shirtless with tattoo's on both arms of the moons of Eberron, bulky like Griff but fitter. Shaved sides with a mohawk, green skin and dark brown eyes. Dragon mark on his lower back half is covered by his pants and belt. His tats glow to Malak's eyes with the detect magic spell still up, every moon has a different magical school and one grows brighter (Barracas the one representing his dragon mark house).  

Mo shíorghrá

Tristan asks if Malak knows what color his dads eyes were but beyond guessing they might be silver due to many trips through the flame no-one has an answer. Malak sends a message to Kiasuh asking her when she sees Deallean to ask what colors his father's eyes were/are. At Kiasuh's reply "Ok? Why?" he sends another message to make sure she understands he means his real dad and not Gregory (#notmyrealdad). Kiasuh says she will and reports all is good in Flamekeep, Cody is eating her entire supply of cookies but she is being looked after and she is keeping an eye on them too. Grace has been with Cissa a lot and Corvus came by but didn't visit Kiasuh.  

Good Grief, Grace

Tristan leaves for the Orion station to check for letters and takes a stack of postcards for Griff. A letter from Grace has arrived for him and it’s a doozy. Tristan is heavily affected by the letter and walks to the place of the secret ceremony to sit against the Sentinel stone. He reads the letter more then a few times and prays for a while. Finally writing a reply he stops by the Orion office to send it before finally making it back around dinnertime. In the meantime Griff and Malak have a short conversation about Kiasuh and Celine.  

How do you do it?

Griff and Malak have a heart to heart about love. Griff has decided that he wants to go back to Celine when this is all over. But he is a bit anxious at the thought. He doesn't want to cause delay in her happiness... but would also much rather her be with him. He asks Malak how he and Kiasuh handle this. In broad strokes, Malak explains that it's all about trust.  

Oh my GODDDDDDD its Emir!!!

Emir talks buying and prices of the crystal paints with Marcus for a bit after which he walks around town and talks to Lucy about what is going on. Every now and then people (mostly teenage girls) recognize him and ask him inappropriate personal questions. In the meantime he's trying to find written histories of the Shadow Marches.  

Dinnertime

As everyone gets back in for dinner Malak notices Tristan is a little off, he asks about what happened but Tristan replies he needs to some time to process and then he will share. There is a short discussion about Tristan's dad's name which gets shut down by Emir when it's clear Tristan is getting annoyed. More is cleared up when Malak finally learns the thing is called dodacophany and not dodecahedron. Griff also chimes in further about names explaining his dad didn't go by Cornelius either but went by Quickstep, which triggers Tristan since it was the codename of one of this army teammates. This is when Malak hears Cissa's voice asking him to tell Emir she loves him. He of course obliges her and sends a reply back that it impacted Emir and they will get him back to her as soon as they can. She ends saying she is watching Emir's family and that his brothers are being unruly. This is when Emir asks about the book and how he is sending messages around and Malak briefly explains. Furthermore this triggers Malak and he explains that people can write their names in his book and if they were to approach death the book could save them Malak, Griff and Tristan do but Emir can't he says.