Session 39.5: Malak and Cissa have tea with Tula...
Cissa walks up with a tray of empty teacups and Malak opens the door for her. They sit down on the floor between the music strewn on the ground. Pleasantries are exchanged.
Cissa looks different, it's as if every feature of her has been enhanced. And there is sort of a glow about her as if she is emitting a little light. Malak comments on that and Cissa indicates she woke up like that about a day ago. She knows what is going on but is a little vague but she indicates for most people it's not a bad thing. Malak asks if she's pregnant? She laughs and says no, it's part of being a bird. Malak muses that he has never seen any older birds.
Malak indicates he will invite another mutual friend and Cissa remarks they seem to be running in the same circles. Malak says "Tula, I have some questions would you be willing to join us". As he starts the talking Cissa sits up straight and looks very surprised.
There is a knock on the door and when Cissa indicates Malak should open the door he does. A dapper looking person with a feathered cloak and long hair stands before the door. They thank Malak for the invitation, enter the room and bows to Cissa. They move in a snakelike fashion and sit down on the floor as Malak closes the door. Cissa has turned white and greets their new guest.
Cissa looks at Malak and says "So Malak has invited you here, let's let him explain why". Malak explains that this is going a lot better than when Tula met Wrogar in the heart of the spire and elaborates on what happened there. Cissa confirms that she knows Tula but still looks a bit flabbergasted. Tula asks if they can have some tea and Cissa confirms and walks out to grab some tea, taking her time.
Malak asks how much Tula knows about the events of the recent weeks, Dal Quor, the crystal and what it was. Tula asks Malak what exactly he wants to know. Malak replies "Should I have given you the crystal?" after which Tula asks why Malak doubts them. Malak replies he doesn't but he wants to know if he did the right thing giving it back or if Tula could have used it to save Myri. Tula replies while the crystal is very powerful Tula has Myri's best interests at heart and if it could have brought Myri back Tula would have told Malak so before he gave it back. Malak asks if Tula knew Myri was in Dal Quor and when they confirm it if it's because Tula put her there or because of the sickness, they reply "Both".
This is when Cissa comes back with shaking hands and sits next to Malak after putting down the tea for everyone. Malak explains to Cissa that when Myri got sick he petitioned the church for help but they refused because she had disobeyed the church and her parents and joined the war. So Malak reached out to other sources of help and Tula answered and they are the reason that Myri is still alive.
Cissa indicates that she is glad Tula was the one who answered that plea because it could have been something a lot worse. Malak says he knows but desperate times and Cissa indicates that she understands the desperation when facing with losing a child and she wasn't judging Malak. He indicates he knows what she means and he's sorry for what happened to her.
Tula is just sipping their tea and compliments Cissa on the beverage. Cissa asks if there is a reason Malak wanted them to meet again. Malak indicates he wanted to talk to both of them about the crystal and he had a feeling it would be better to add the conversations together.
Cissa asks what Malak wants to know and he asks if she knows what it was. She indicated she knew as much as he did but that she did encounter a similar thing before. Malak says apparently there are more pieces and that he's supposed to get them. Cissa asks what he will do with them and Malak says they will most likely have to go back to Dal Quor to reunite it with the piece they gave back.
Cissa getting a little annoyed with the Couatl just sipping tea turns to Tula and asks if they would like a biscuit to which they reply that a biscuit would be very nice. So Cissa grabs a saucer of biscuits and gives it to Tula. Cissa explains when she was on her voyage she was hesitant to hand over the crystal early. The wardens saw the crystal as power to help the Eldeen Reaches. When Cissa saw what it did she could understand, the crystal was very powerful. When they reached the island they barely made it to the beach before the beast set on them. It was a frightening as they were told however it didn't attack them until they attacked it. She wished someone like Malak was there who can speak many languages. The creatures obviously wanted to speak to them however there was no one who understood it. There was no time to use magic to understand it because people were dying. The wardens were after the demon because they think the demon will hurt people and the rest of the Eldeen Reaches think the same. Once Dreas had the crystal in his hands he was one of the most powerful people in Khorvaire, the demon just exploded. Cissa says she's not sure if we did the right thing giving it to Tira, she saw the hope the wardens and people there had in their eyes knowing they had such a powerful artifact. However with us having gone to Dal Quor at least now we know that Tira exists. Malak interrupts her and says we didn't see Tira there but we were told she was. Tula confirms that Tira is indeed in Dal Quor.
Malak is triggered by something Cissa said, once it was in the hand of a druid. Cissa confirms she thought indeed it needed to be wielded by a druid and she couldn't have done what Dreas did with it. Cissa thinks the crystals can be used for good and she believes that whatever Tira wants with them will facilitate that. Malak agrees, the reason he gave it back to the keeper is that if Tira knew it would do better in the real world she wouldn't have asked for it back. Tula indeed says she needs it in Dal Quor to fight the darkness there. Cissa asks if Malak was given a time limit on finding these other parts, if we find one can we test it out before we give it back? Malak ignores the question but instead muses that if these things are so powerful if there are more why has no one heard of them ever being used? This piece was in Dal Quor so that makes sense however if the other parts are in Khorvaire why haven't we heard of it? Maybe it's because indeed only certain types of people can use the crystals and the people in possession of them don't have the skills? Malak indicates he's afraid that sickle and his band might be after the crystals, after all they were in the prismatic cave they found the first one in and they were again in a prismatic cave with Valerie and Jenny and forcing Valerie to do things with crystals. He wonders if they are already in possession of some pieces or are at least hunting for them as well.
Cissa indicate the eyes were also after the feathers so it's not just crystals. It's the reason Genti was there in the cave. Malak says he will talk to Valerie about the crystal business and talk to his mom who can do some research within the church. Malak quickly turns to Tula attempting to distract them and asks "So, what is all this son of Kes business?". Tula says he should ask his mother not them, Malak says she didn't say much about it when he asked. He indicates Tula is very knowledgeable and old being. Tula says that’s wrong and Cissa is older than them because she was there when they were hatched. Tula does say that Kes has an amazing golden Couatl and they are magnificent.
Malak asks if that's why Tula answered his call? Tula asks why he waited so long with asking them that. Malak says he didn't know his dad had a Couatl. To which Tula replies "well you also didn't know your daughter had a Couatl".
"Excuse me?" Malak quickly downs his cup of tea. "Myri had a Couatl?", "Has a Couatl" Tula replies. Malak says well he saw a Couatl in Dal Quor but he thought that was because of him and Tula reveals they are Myri's Couatl. Malak asks how long that’s been the case and Tula replies since the day she left home. When asked how that happened Tula replies that a personal question and Malak doesn't press.
Malak asks since Tula is Myri's Couatl does that mean that Tula's future death to the sickness is because of their relationship with Myri? They reply that is correct, but Myri's fate is very important. Malak just says he then owes Tula more then he thought he did. Tula indicates she means a lot to them as well so there is no thanks required.
Malak thinks about what he heard for a while before he asks Tula if they've had any dealings with this Sickle before. They indicate not directly with Sickle no, they heard rumors and Lucinia had some dealings with them but they did not attack them directly. However it does seem they have some control over who gets the sickness so it could be that they just ignored them and let the sickness do its thing.
Malak tells Tula that Lucinia cured someone which Tula confirms and asks if she could do the same thing for Myri. Tula answers that if she could have they would have brought Myri to her already and Malak confirms that was what he thought.
Cissa a little surprised asks if this also means Tula is fully aware of the trail etc to which Tula replies "Obviously". Cissa then asks Malak what he knows about the trail to which he replies that people sing a song and add more and more verses and then they get feathers. They both laugh a little and indicate it's not exactly it. Cissa explains that there are two ways, except for Malak only one since he's not a bard. To cure the sickness, twelve bards need to go on the trail each of them handpicked by Lucinia and given a feather the day they are picked. Then they are sent to Cissa with the first verse of the flight of the Silverbird. Cissa tests them, gives them the second verse and tells them where to go next. And it keeps going like this, every person in the trail only knowing the next step and the verses up till that point. These bards need to fulfill the entire trail and then something happens Cissa is not sure what and then the sickness will be cured. Tula replies it is indeed something to that effect.
Malak explain that when Vence played the part of the song he knew for Myri everyone's sickle mark started growing. Cissa explains that is because he's part of the twelve bards (from hereon known to Malak as the dodecahedron). Malak lists and Cissa confirms, "Elizabeth, Talia-Shana, Genti" that's only four though. Cissa indicates there is another travelling with Elizabeth's group but I wouldn't know them, however some of them also died on the road. The dodecahedron need to wear their feathers visibility which can make them a target. Thus they require allies, these allies also have feathers but don't have to be selected by Lucinia but they do have to go past Cissa and they can assist the bards. Allies that are mentioned are Tristan and Juliona and they muse a bit about how dull Juliona is.
Malak asks what Lucinia is doing about the people of the dodecahedron that died and Cissa confirms that she is. Tula interjects that it's not about who but about the number. The allies can also fight suffering by just being good people. The dodecahedron fulfill a task as ancient as Eberron itself and as they say this the spire shakes slightly, Tula notices and pets the wall briefly. Twelve is a very important number in Eberron they explain the only number more powerfull is thirteen but that can never be achieved. As abruptly as they interjected they sit down again and have some more tea.
Malak asks how this is all related to Miron's Tears? Cissa explains that they have a similar cause, they aren't affiliated but they help each other from time to time. Malak muses that Corvus mentioned a cure and he wonders what it is and Cissa is also eager to hear. Triggered by Corvus's name Malak asks Cissa if she will write in his Tome so that he can contact her when needed as well. She's honored and signs the tome in a very embellished way.
Malak thanks Tula for stopping by and the answers he's gotten and that it's always good to see them. Tula takes her leave asking Cissa to send their regards to their dad. To which Cissa answers "You know Eliya doesn't think he's your father right?". Tula mentions as she leaves that perhaps the other pieces can be found as or in reliquaries as Cissa remarks Hawk was a reliquarist.
Malak asks about Cissa's surprise to see Tula and she indeed says she wasn't expecting them. Malak explains what happened exactly when Tula met Wrogar. Cissa was surprised it happened in the heart of the spires but laughs and says that keepers of the spires aren't allowed to talk about what goes on inside so Wrogar can't tell anyone about it. Cissa is very amused with what happened and she and Malak joke around a bit more. Malak echoes his disbelieve at Tula being Myri's Couatl and Cissa comfort him with a hug. Malak asks how Emir is doing and she replies he is busy but it's good to see him again. She was surprised he's more involved now in things and that we saw more of Thaen upon which Malak indicates he needs to talk to him.
Cissa expresses her concern for Malak to which he replies he always survives but Cissa interrupts him saying surviving isn't living. Malak says he will live again when his little girl is back. Cissa counters asking him what will Myri feel like when she wakes up and learns her father has put his life on hold for over ten years just because of her. Malak says that’s not how he would put it, he fought hard during that time to prevent people from suffering the same fate. Cissa understands and says she found out the hard way when she learned Hawk is still around in Dal Quor and that he said she should move on. Malak says he knew but it wasn't his to share with her. Cissa says she knows and that Myri is there too after which Malak comments she could have saved Nesza and Cissa replies he's so much like Hawk. They muse about Hawk and Nesza and big Hawk a bit and joke about how her signature in his tome is worth a lot of money. They hug goodbye and Cissa goes to check on Genti.
