Morning at the Riptide Ranch (Everyone)

Ka'Ri paused for a moment. In truth, she had hoped one of the others would have mentioned Veshti's idea, but it looked like it fell to her.

"Um... Veshti had an idea for my cover at the party. I'm to play a rebellious cousin who then makes off with one of the wait-staff to explore the bedroom areas as it were... er, her thought was to have you play the waitstaff in question."

Sunrise's eyes widen, seemingly distracted from the argument by this development. "You would look sexy in livery," she says with a grin.

"Oh," said Thimb, perking up after the disappointment that Rik had no idea who Mother might be, "I can check for that. I can't undo it," she clarified rapidly, "but Identify would tell me. Assuming she let me touch her for a minute or eleven while I cast the spell, that is," Gwyn was 19 and already a much more accomplished wizardess than Thimb was. There was no way she would be able to cast it without her consent. She did feel a pang of envy, but, her Mother never treated her like a glass doll or denied her humanity, so, win some loose some?

"No one that Gwyn hung out with that was a Mother within the church that you know of Rik? And kidnapping Laerdya seems... risky? She's a super powerful caster who could probably fire ball this whole ranch to cinders... Speaking of powerful wizards, I'm, uh, fake apprentice to Andry right now, s-should I try to talk to her about the whole aboleth thing?" her voice wavered a bit. Andry was one of Thimb's academic crushes. The idea of trying to question her seemed impossible and thrilling.

Hamish meanwhile was leaning very hard into the rubbing because Ka'Ri had gotten just the right spot, and was oblivious to her little growl.

Sunrise nods. "Actually, yeah. That would be fantastic." She hesitates. "Technically, nobody outside the tower is supposed to know about the aboleth, but Sithani and Glen did see it, so yeah, there shouldn't be an issue with asking about it."

She frowns then. "So if Mother isn't her actual mother and isn't a reference to a clerical title... who else might Gwyn see as a mother? Neither Laerdya nor Luther thought she had that kind of relationship with anyone they knew of."

When the kitten leaves Ellowyn on the floor they sit for a moment collecting themselves and then stand noticing for the first time that there's food.

As quietly as they can the walk across the room and fill a plate with baked goods making sure to grab extra Maple pecan plaits as they smelt truly divine.

"I'm willing to assess the situation but I am not in the business of kidnapping women for their mothers but I too am not entirely comfortable leaving her with korogur either. Maybe a third option neutral ground like a temple? You mentioned the temple of sehine might that be an option bring her and perhaps the pirate if they are in love have them explain to Laerdya together or if it's just her she can have somewhere that isn't necessarily beholden to her mother. If this is a running away she could be afraid of her mother's response. Afraid to explain maybe?"

They finish and continue to eat hoping Rik doesn't get mad again.

They consider sunrises question for a moment.

"If we knew which temples exactly she visited I could ask around maybe find out who attended her the most. The temple complex seems to be the only place she was allowed unsupervised time alone."

Glen's eyes widen and his ears turn bright pink. "H-happy to help wherever I'm needed." He furtively takes an enormous gulp of coffee.

Sunrise nods thoughtfully. "Having a neutral third party who could check Gwyn for mind-magic and who could provide a safe place for her and her mother to meet that isn't Laerdya's home turf isn't a bad idea at all. Ellowyn, do you want to talk to Reverence about that?"

Then she hesitates. "In her diary... she mentions Osprem and Umberlee by name, but she never refers to Yondalla at all. Isn't that odd, if she knows the circumstances of her birth? What... what if 'Mother' isn't a person?"

"oh she might do what I do.... I hadn't considered because I've never come across someone who treat the gods like I do. But ...I well ....I have nicknames for them all and when I pray I talk to them rather than prostrate myself. I come to them as confidants and friends not as a submissive. What if she sees them as her confidants and family? I mean at least I would if I were her."

Ellowyn blushes at their own admission at how they approach the gods In front of a fellow religious person but nods emphatically at sunrises musings feeling like she is onto something.

"Yondalla is the Mother of all mothers," Rik intones seriously. "We oft teach as much at the temple."

Sunrise nods thoughtfully at this. "You suppose Yondalla would have opinions about an aboleth in the tower? Or that Gwyn would believe she would, at least?" Her frown deepens. "And I... I was always led to believe gods prefer to work in subtle ways, but in her diary Gwyn seemed to think she could tell 'Mother' about it and she'd act, like, physically act. Just hyperbole? Wishful thinking? Or is there something we don't know about her relationship with the goddess?"

"I don't know about specifics with 'dalla but I know 'lonna has been known to appear and interact with petitioners, those faithful or chosen. Perhaps it's the same for her children maybe Dalla likes to keep close with them especially if she's the mother of all mother's. Perhaps you could try asking for a divine intervention? Or at least a sign or a clue? Can't hurt to try."

That last bit is to Rik hopeful that maybe one of yondalla's priests asking might be better than a cleric from another order.

They would still ask anyway because whats one more voice added to the petition.

Glen, still blushing from ear to ear, starts to try to and and falters, then takes a slow, cleansing breath, after which the color seems to start to face from his face and ears. "Building on something that was mentioned a moment ago - maybe it's worth visiting the temple of Yondalla and meeting with a cleric there? Rik, do you know someone you could introduce us to, someone you trust? Someone who helps arrange the, er, rituals?"

"am I right in thinking that you mentioned Abbie silvergrass as the one who deals with that side of the... Umm the ritual."

They blush deeply looking firmly at the food on their plate.

"If so I know her I've done some work for her previously and don't mind making the Intros if you need to be other places father."

Rik looks nonplussed at this barrage of questions and frowns deeply. "Yondalla may do as she will," he answers in his careful, gruff way. "I cannot say what her relationship is with any of her children. Only Yondalla can know, and such a thing would be private. I well believe it is possible she could strike down this evil fish, yes, but."

Hesitating, he takes the diary copies and picks his way over the passage. "'Maybe... maybe if I tell Mother, she can fix it. She wouldn't like the thing any more than I do. She'd agree it was evil. Maybe she'd set it on fire herself. Yes. I'll tell Mother.'" Pausing, he looks around the room with a fresh frown. "This is not a girl confident that fire will rain from heaven. This reads to me like a frightened child seeking comfort. I believe there are simpler explanations here than miracles."

Turning to Glen and Ellowyn, his frown deepens. "I think I have already said that I did not believe Gwynnestri spoke often or much with Mother Abbie. Why do you wish to see her? She is very busy, and the rituals of Yondalla do not pertain to Gwynnestri's kidnapping." He peers at them both. "And why are your faces red? Are you ill?"

"Lastai save us from people embarrassed by sex," mutters Sithani under her breath. "I would point out, though, that if I went to the temple now and prayed for Umberlee to destroy the Redfang headquarters with lightning and hail, I wouldn't be very confident she'd answer either. But, on the other hand, I wouldn't choose Yondalla to burn my enemies alive, so on balance I do think 'Mother' is someone mortal. Oh, and Thimb, you make a good point about Laerdya's power, which is why it's imperative we get Gwynnestri out of Redfang power, or at the very least sever Korogur's ties with the rest of his family - she's probably intended for leverage if we're right about their endgame. We do have a choice about what we do with her, and the only thing ethics demands if we don't return her to Laerdya is that we accept not getting paid. Which is why, if we can trust the clergy of Sehanine, I agree with Ellowyn that we could house her there and get theological backup for our ultimate choice."

Glen looks at Rik, the last of any color draining from his face. "I'm fine, Rik. Just a little flustered, which is why I repeated something we'd already discussed. My apologies."

Glen shakes his head at Sithani. "You may have a choice, and the only consequence for you may be to not get paid. I don't have a choice. Like I said, I have very clear orders. I can't even consider not bringing her back without Laerdya's direct approval."

"Oh, you can," Sithani points out. "You just face the consequences of disobeying those orders."

"I will not disobey my orders."

"Even if they turn out to be wrong for the circumstances?"

"I respect and trust the wisdom of my unit for sending me here, and I will not betray that trust by refusing to follow this order, especially because I do not think it wise to leave her with people who have beaten and abused innocents and are now trying to extort the city and letting its citizens die for their own gains. I will not leave her with these people."

"Mmm. There's a difference between 'not bringing her to her mother against her will' and 'leaving her with the Redfangs'. And - forgive me - I've not met your unit. They may indeed be lovely people entirely worthy of your trust, but the rest of us aren't soldiers, and what happens if Gwynnestri really does turn out not to want to return to Laerdya?" Sithani looks over at Sunrise. "Which is another reason we need to iron out how we're getting our hands on her as soon as possible. By now the Redfangs know Thorn has been recovered by someone not them, and if they know Luther was involved then those little trinkets he gave us mean they will believe us if we say we can do a trade. The question is: is this the plan we want to go with, or does anyone have any other ideas beyond scrying everywhere in the southern caves?"

"I didn't say that anyone else had to listen to my unit. And I know you're not soldiers."

Glens gets up and stands looking at the board. He starts jotting out the various next steps they've been discussing.

• Xiloscient concert
  
• Bandit interrogation at the Wall
  
• Discuss pirate interrogation with Captain Callahan
  
• Find and question Redfangs: Brud, Somash, Rasimi. Mokoz?
  
• Stakeout?
  
• Aboleth questions for Andry
  
• Search caves?
  
• Missing messenger
  
• Tiefling gang
  
• Offer Redfangs trade deal?
  
• Alefest:
  
• Eleint 10: Feast of Doubling Dare
  
• Eleint 12: Taste of 100 Years
  
• Eleint 14: Midnight Masque
  
• Pirate leads
  

"What am I missing?" he asks, without turning away from the board.

Then what will you do if we have to oppose your precious orders? thinks Sithani.

"Check up on the missing messenger between Rik and Thorn. Work out whether those tieflings that attacked you were Redfang muscle or a third party, and if the latter, what their stake is. Possibly contact the Redfangs claiming we're authorised to make some kind of deal and see what we can find out about their goals based on what terms they will and won't accept?"

Glen fills these in on the board. "The tieflings weren't Redfang muscle. They were working independently. Sunrise talked to one of them in another language, she might be able to tell you more."

"I dunno," Ka'Ri says rubbing the back of her neck. "I don't think we're anywhere near ready to entertain discussions of any sort of deal with the Redfangs. We still don't even know their plans and there's a distinct possibility that the people making the threat don't even have any real hold over Korogur or Gwynn."

Her face is apologetic as she says it and tries to explain her position.

"Like, there's an old saying in port, don't make bets unless you got the coin or guile to back and right now, we're real short of coin and don't know the right approach to guile. We've got some time, so it might be worth getting some more solids before we make a move like that."