Game: Blades of Git'riban : Primal State

"She is correct, and your own life would be at greater risk also. It is not worthless, you can still fight, can't you? Do not help the Ghaik by providing annother brain with potentially useful information. There are surely enough as it stands. By compromising this secret, you only hinder the fight against the Enslavers. Continue to help the fight instead. This is a reminder of why it is we should always--and do always fight the Ghaik. Please do not compromise our position of advantage. It did not come without great risk."

The war with the Ilthilids is just about the only thing Daraz regularly cares enough about to speak enthusiastically about, and he does so somewhat better than he would just about anything else. He refrains from criticizing the mage of hiding behind a shop counter and selling portal keys rather than actively fighting.

Diplomacy: 21

"If the... persons involved are strongly affiliated with any particular power bloc, I am not aware of it. Nor have I asked." There is something in Ya'shenn's tone of voice, in fact, that implies she may not want to know. She has had quite enough in her time of rooting out the sins of her brothers. "My own involvement in this matter is quite recent."

She looks pointedly at the wand in Schaaz-Khaal's hands. "Could you please do me the favor of pointing that at me with less vigor? It might do wonders to improve my powers of memory."

"The whose tools? Wha?! I cannot possibly hope to play along if I'm in the dark about whoever it is Schaaz-Khaal thinks--or knows you're with."

Mindlinked

I'm so pleased to meet with your approval. Ya'shenn restrains herself from saying this aloud, of course. While it's nice that the wand is no longer pointed directly at her, the psion is not inclined to relax very much.

"First, I'm aware of at least some of the story concerning how your son was discovered to be... enthralled." He would probably find out through the Rish, eventually, anyway. "It's... unusual. So much so that I would never have credited it, if the speaker hadn't believed so thoroughly in the truth of what he was saying."

At this point, the psion looks away for a long moment, as if she's clearly disturbed (and quite possibly also nauseated) by some particular thought. "It's a... smaller detail, but... I'm not sure if you're fluent in the script yourself, but I may be able to identify the specific characteristics of your son's mind-mark. If I were to... examine it further, should you wish me to. I cannot guarantee that, though. Some thought-structures remain untranslated to this day; others are merely very obscure."

"There's something I'd like to ask you, as well, Schaaz-Khaal. " She leans forward slightly in the chair. "An illithid does not... put a mark like that on Mim in passing. He had to be in the power of a ghaik for a fairly significant amount of time for that to happen." Ya'shenn wonders for a second time about Schaaz-Khaal's hair. He could attribute that to an errant fireball. "I'm sure you kept an eye on your son's activities. Was there a time when he disappeared for a while, went missing...?"

Ya'shenn takes a moment to pointedly look around the room. "I have trouble imagining it to be otherwise, really, but can I assume that you have some kind of warding against scrying, and particularly against remote viewing, in place here?"

Daraz reluctantly lowers his crossbow and store it in his cloak again. He will follow the more scholarly folk without saying anything.

Ya'shenn nods in response, but says nothing directly. It's the most she's likely to get out of the warlock at the moment, and she doesn't trust herself not to make an unnecessarily sharp remark. Instead, she says, "Perhaps you've already done this lately, but... just to be on the safe side... it wouldn't hurt to go through Mim's possessions, or anything he handled here in the building. It may not be likely, but there might be something lying around that would give us more information."

She takes her time standing, making sure not to move too suddenly, though Schaaz-Khaal does look less inclined to disintegrate her outright. "Even without directly observing his thoughts, the ghaik influencing his mind might be aware of changes to Mim's status. It depends on exactly what was done." The psion frowns in thought at this point. "Schaaz-Khaal... perhaps you know something pertaining specifically to the activities of the Tamer Creed, in and around the city? A physical mark of that kind isn't entirely unique to Tamers, but it's usually a sign of their involvement."

The thought of handling what remains of Mim makes Ya'shenn's stomach knot in disgust (again), but she says, "I'm ready to take a look at that mark."

[Check below.]

Qualith is a tactile language. A full interpretation of the script is going to require her to...

It's the sensation of the marks unnaturally carved into Mim's flesh that turns her stomach over. Ya'shenn's free hand moves to rest over her throat as her eyes close and, to the extent that Githyanki skin is capable of it, the psion's face turns visibly green. She is embarrassed about this weak stomach, especially with the thrall's own father in the same room. He is doing a fine job manifesting a proper Githyanki stoicism. He had far more reason to weep and rage than she would.

~There is no longer... immediate danger, brother. Even so, the psion's mind-voice is noticeably lacking in its usual self-assurance. ~Mim is indeed... dead. He was marked, though it would sicken you to learn where it was. Your warlock friend isn't terribly happy with me, though I think I've managed to talk him out of disintegrating me for now. I'm fairly sure every door and window in the place is locked, though.

Mighty Liberator, Ya'shenn is thinking, though she does not relay this over the telepathic link. If you could just... allow me to expire gracefully right now, out of mortal embarrassment...

The hand she's not using to 'read' the script moves to rest lightly on the table. Without opening her eyes, the Double-Edged Mind remarks: "Schaaz-Khaal, a certain... acquaintance of yours is heading in this direction. Quite possibly you could get much more of the knowledge you're looking for out of him than you will from me. Also, he probably could break down the door, magically warded or not, given sufficient motivation. You might as well let him in."

Besides Ista K'ait, Rey has not encountered anyone of particular interest thusfar, and sends his reply back to Dunamin.

Dunamin: it's Vivec - the Keys' Entrance has been unperturbed thusfar.

The nature of the mark doesn't seem too surprising, though... a bit disappointing. Ya'shenn had been hoping it would provide more detail than this.

She tries to suppress an almost uncontrollable desire to wash her hands, given that she's just touched something an illithid's tentacles spent a good deal of time touching.

"Translated, the mark is a command to literally... 'Speak.' It is a variant form, and I'm not exactly certain what that slight difference signifies. I could make several interpretations, but I'm not sure which is most correct.

"First -- the most obvious interpretation -- the mind-mark could have forced Mim to answer any question his... enslaver... put to him. Second, it might have forced him to utter what the ghaik wished him to say... to feed misinformation. Lastly..." Ya'shenn is silent for a few moments. "It might have allowed Will, or whichever ghaik is responsible for this, to listen in on Mim whenever he was actually speaking aloud.

"I'm primarily speculating, though. I wish I could tell you more." After a few seconds deep in thought, another idea occurs to her. "Schaaz-Khaal, did you see any particular behavioral changes in Mim, after he was attacked? Perhaps something that you dismissed at the time, but might not now?"

"I'm sure you know this already, but all the same... Please take a moment and think about just how much information Mim had access to. I assume the Tamers would have access to the movements of most of the Githyanki in the district... and that's just to start. I'd imagine Mim could talk quite a bit out of his customers, not to mention his proximity to you."

Repressing a grimace, the psion carefully traces out the mind-mark another time. "Schaaz-Khaal, are you able to read anything from this mark that I might have missed?"

“I suppose I was mistaken...”

Ya'shenn's recent report draws the full attention of the Rish, and he nods to the other gith.

“We hunt, then. With all these dabus on the streets, I would wager a guess that the potential ghaik is underground. Let us find an entrance to search low.”

Du'minh searches the streets for such an entrance, all the while gazing about for anybody who seem to be on the lookout.

Oh gods, the rift to the Abyssal Layer of Natural Unos is open yet again...

Rey looks at him furtively for a short second - Aura? What Aura?

I haven't placed any spells in the area, though the area itself may exude it's own unique aura.

OOC: Phew! It seems whenever Ista K'ait's around, people get low rolls - at least Dunamin got his nat. 1 out of the way now, rather than while trying to make a will save vs a ghaik attack... that's not to say that it couldn't possibly happen, but what are the odds?

Very well, the hunt is on...

In searching, Dunamin - you go headlong, I'll be hidden beside you.

OOC: is Daraz in the immediate vicinity?