Log:These Boots Were Made for Worldwalking, Scene 3

2013/04/18 	 Elion Ellbeth Ghost-2 Lia Lorelei Sukeban Titan 3

Lorelei looks at the team members that have elected to go on the mission. "Well, then, as Ghost says, time is of the essence, and Goblins Newport is the place to start. Is there anything you need?"

Titan chuckles. "I clearly learn to speak either Fae or Goblin. But there's not enough time."

 Ghost says, "More firepower and more mobility. Highness, without Scrapper I doubt we can achieve our objective without resorting to destroying the boots and everything, and everyone, around them."

Sukeban shrugs, "Not really. I take it we're not being subtle this time, but I'll try not to cause too much damage."

Lorelei says, "Fae is a useful language, certainly. And Goblin for this mission maybe. I'll see if I can arrange for a translation spell."

 Lorelei says, "As for mobility. Hm. That could be a problem. Unless an old friend is available.... And firepower - you could take a few soldiers along, perhaps. Or see if you can bring in help from Colonial Bay..."

 Ghost says, "If I was back on Derwood I'd be hiring mercs. Are there such people here and is there a budget for hiring them?"

Lorelei sends for someone to cast translation spells, and rides quickly to Earth to see if Ellbeth is available.

Ellbeth enters from Sandy Bottoms Island.

[To Ellbeth] Lorelei says, "I hope you don't mind my calling on you on such short notice, but lives are at stake - possibly many."

Ellbeth agrees to help Lorelei without hesitation. "Not at all, Lorelei. I'm always pleased to help. What's the situation?"

Lorelei sums up the situation as she heads back to Undermoon with Ellbeth and Lia. "We need to get some contraband worldwalking boots from the goblins in order to put the lid back on this war. Half of them are in Goblins Newport - a hard place to take with the army, but a quick group with a teleporter should be able to get in and out with a minimum of fighting." Hopefully.

Ellbeth listens, "Do you know where in Goblin Newport, Lorelei? I assume that's a town. Possibly a sea port?"

Titan doesn't seem to feel the need to bring soldiers along, for whatever reason. He's just standing out of the way, keeping quiet.

Lorelei says, "It's roughly analogous to Stranraer, I think, on Nether Heartworld. It's a significant port for the goblins, walled, with a fortified harbour overlooked by a citadel. And no small about of cold iron in the defenses, I believe."

Ghost says, "Can the diviner pin-point the location of the boots more accurately, Highness?"

"Huh..." Lia responds, looking quite uncertain of herself. "...I only fear that there's more to this than we imagine, more to the deaths and the war than we know or see." Lia shakes her head, "...But if I can help you guys, I can't refuse." Lia's face runs cold when she hears about the cold iron though, but she doesn't speak. "...I'm glad I can teleport..." She mutters.

Lorelei says, "The boots seem to be inside the citadel."

Lorelei says, "But Aefindel isn't sure. The cold iron restricts her vision."

 Titan says, "All the more reason to not bring military with us, if they have cold iron."

Ellbeth says, "Are they all together? And how many pairs are there?"

Lorelei says, "4 pairs are there. 3 other pairs remain in other places. The 4 are together, as far as Aefindel can tell."

 Ghost says, "Highness, if you permit I can go across and start scouting out the location of the boots in the citadel. I'll stay well clear of any goblin presence physically."

 Lorelei says, "Of course, that sounds a good way to start."

Ghost excuses herself and heads out to find the carriage driver and a world walker guide.

Both are resting by the carriage and spring ready on Ghost's approach.

 Lia says, "So, the idea is to go in, grab the boots, and get out, hopefully while attracting as little attention as possible, right?"

 Lorelei says, "Yes, basically. The details are up to Ghost, who is leading this mission."

Ghost asks the driver to take her to a little used path some distance from any feasible goblin raid target. Once there she'll cross over and send the driver and carriage back for the others to use.

The guide returns with a message that Ghost will contact the others by messenger after they have crossed over.

 Titan says, "If all four are together, that implies they're likely in a storeroom, or the people wearing them are in a rough group."

 Lia says, "...Where is Scrapper? Should she not be accompanying us?"

 Lorelei says, "Scrapper has... reservations about this mission. She has elected not to take part."

Ghost starts a search of the Goblin citadel on the astral plane, looking for the boots to begin with.

Ghost finds Goblins Newport much as Lorelei described it: a small town with a big harbour and big walls, al the colour of rust. The citadel has four towers, one much taller than the other, serving as a watchtower on the seaward side as well as a lighthouse.

Ellbeth turns to the others in the chamber, "Who is going along?" she asks Lorelei.

The boots prove surprisingly easy to find, being at this time on the feet of four goblins in the courtyard of the citadel, being talked to by another.

Ghost moves invisibly as far as the goblins are concerned getting a first overview of the port and then looking for the citadel, which she'll assume is a big building near the center should there be one.

Lorelei says, "You, Titan, Sukeban, Lia - and Ghost is scouting and commanding. You'll have the firebird carriage, its driver and a guide too, but they're non-combatant. There was some talk of taking mercenaries but I don't know what's been decided."

Ghost listens in shamelessly. No understanding but everything is being recorded. She can get a translation later.

Titan nods. "I think we can likely handle it without bringing mercenaries."

The goblins are being given instructions in the use of the boots. They seem to be new to them, and not, for the most part, doing very well, at least yet. The instructor seems to be a ranking shaman, who rants at them impatiently. "Concentrate! Feel how the boots give your feet new ways to walk! The success of our armies depend on your ability to guide them! You must master the boots quickly before ther fae can adapt!"

This alternates with some mystical gobbledegook on how to make use of the boots which probably makes sense only to goblin shamans.

Sukeban nods, "Yeah. Don't need any more mercs."

Ghost rather thinks that training session will be going on for a whilew. She summons a messenger and instructs it to go to Titan as soon as he crosses over and relay conversation back and forth. Then she goes for a quick look through the rest of the citadel, being especially interested in determining if there are any Fae there who aren't prisoners.

About the walls, especially on the four towers, guards stand watch. They look in all directions, but especially out to sea.

Ellbeth says, "From what's been said I'm thinking the best way I can help, if the location of the boots can be fixed, is to open a gate to that spot? I can do that from anywhere up to a few thousand miles from the goblin port."

Lorelei says, "We stand now well within that range, on the same world."

Ghost finds no non-goblins in the citadel - except in chains deep in a dungeon, where several fae are locked up. She does find two goblins of note, one seemingly in charge of the citadel, and old-looking goblin, heavily wrinkled and with huge ears, and the other younger, seemingly a guest but higher ranking, bedecked in gaudy jewellery, mostly of gold. He is quartered in one of the towers but at times walks out on the wall and observes the training below.

Lorelei says, "Though you'd want to go outside the castle before trying that. This place is enchanted against teleportation."

Ghost hovers close to the younger 'guest' goblin and, cursing the lack of mana which is throwing up a barrier to her second sight, listens... carefully. Comparing that goblin's breathing sound and heartbeat to other goblins, and to Fae that she's heard previously.

The goblin sounds pretty much like the other goblins. Until he mutters to himself, in Fae, "I never thought even goblin would have so hard a time learning to use the boots!" Then he squints, peering in Ghost's direction.

Ghost thinks. o O (Oh hell.)

Ghost continues her hovering for a moment, so it doesn't seem like she's reacting to his gaze, and then sinks slowly down through the wall of the tower. .oO(Come on, just some fae like nature spirit. You've never seen me before and I'm no tall elegant Fae.) Stopping just beneath the level of the floor she listens to see if the 'goblin' is raising an alarm.

No alarm is heard.

Ghost wipes a sweaty brow with the back of her left hand when no alarm seems to be raised. And decides to stay away from that part of the citadel. So... when are the others coming? Her messenger hasn't detected Titan's presence yet.

Ellbeth says, "If time is of the essence, we should probably be on our way."

Lorelei nods. "you should be able to teleport from just beyond the gates."

Sukeban shrugs, "Ready whenever."

Lia nods, "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

The two foot high white rabbit says, "I've located the boots in Newport. There are four goblins training to use them in the courtyard. And older Shaman is doing the training, and a supposed goblin who speaks Fae to himself is watching from one of the towers. That one nearly spotted me. There are also several Fae prisoners in the dungeons.

Titan nods, and looks to the others in the room who will be making decisions about getting in and out.

Lorelei frowns at the news about the prisoners.

The rabbit suggests, "I think it would be useful to have someone sighted in the group that comes for the boots. I'm pretty sure the supposed goblin will come out and look down when the alarm is raised. And a look by someone sighted will tell us what and who he is."

Lorelei says, "I'd come myself except obviously no one would ever let me.... Do any of you have second sight, or do you need me to find someone?"

Sukeban shakes her head.

Titan shakes his head, "I do not."

Lorelei says, "One moment."

Lorelei returns with a guard in House of Aranien colours, and armour. "Elion here will accompany you. His armour should protect him from cold iron."

Lorelei says, "He's also highly skilled with the spear."

"...Hopefully the goblins won't recognize my weakness to Cold Iron..." Lia mutters. She still seems uncertain.

The rabbit switches to speaking English, but doesn't try whispering to Lorelei. Elven ears makes that pointless, "There's a hard call to be made, Highness. We can get the prisoners out but that may alert the citadel and make getting the boots more difficult or even impossible. Or go for the boots and then see if there's any chance of rescuing the prisoners. That's your decision, Highness."

Lorelei says, "The boots have to be the priority. Get them first. The prisoners if you can."

Lorelei sighs. . o O (I hate having to make the hard decisions.)

The rabbit relays the message, and after a moment says, "As you command, Highness. It's the decision I would have made."

Sukeban says, "So we're ready?"

Lia nods to Sukeban, and remains silent for the time being.

Ellbeth nods, "Yes. I will need a about a minute to prepare once outside the castle walls.

Lorelei says, "Good luck!"

Ellbeth asks the Rabbit if Ghost can find a safe point for the first teleport. She leaves her laptop where she teleports from outside the Undermpoon castle. The laptop might not be functional as a laptop but it's a teleport location she can use.

Ellbeth opens a gate through for herself and everyone going to the citadel to step through. Then she uses Clairsentience to fix a precise teleport location in the courtyard. "When I open the gate it's two way. And you can attack through it. I'll open it up so you have a shot at the trainer and the trainees, about ten metres from them." and with that, she casts the spell and opens up the gate to the courtyard.

...And at some point before everyone goes, Lia shakes her head, and seems to finally gain a certainty of what she wants, "Wait, no, I am not going. I'm not going to sit here and charge into a situation that I know absolutely nothing about beyond 'Go here, do this, or else lots of people will die'...Not that I'm doubting anyone's word, but frankly, I can't bring myself to do this without knowing about what's all happening here, or the ramifications of what will come to pass as a result. For all I know, this could /spark/ a war or worse." Lia seems taken back by what she just said, and mutters, "...I did not just say all of that..."

Titan raises a brow at Lia's reaction. "I think it's likely too late. The war has effectively already started with the increased raids by the goblins. Taking away their means of getting around will cool things off, hopefully."