[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

Ning HIDES below deck lol.

[Selina Parcellus]

[OoC: Ok, so my free time has finally recovered.  So I'm bumping this cuz we seem to be waiting for Selina to end the awkward silence with Tomeal and also Ning and Nacesh need to say something to Betimi.  Is this when Ning scurried below deck?  ]

[Bump!]

[[My apologies. I thought I had mentioned that I would be out of the country for Passover.  We just returned, as a matter of fact.]]

"Thank you for offering to free me of any debt," Tomeal replies.  "But I promised to do whatever I can to aid you and your companions at least until we return to Cantus.  It's true that when I made that promise I never dreamed I would end up traveling to another universe to fulfill the debt but never the less I'm happy to do so, especially since in doing so it has allowed me more time to spend with you."

Selina's smile seems to broaden a little more.  "And they say chivalry is dead.  Perhaps we should indeed do so."

But as Ningalu bursts into the area in his desire to hide, she jumps and the moment ends just that quickly.

[GM Marvel]

Nang will look at his only slightly older brother and visibly shivers in terror.  "Me too young to die."

Ning HIDES below deck lol.

Nang watches as his older brother seems to ignore his fearful exclamation and scurries off to hide below deck without him.  

Nang's reptilian eyes slowly shift back and forth hoping no one was looking at him to make the jump.  But moments later he is Volun-told to put the contraption on and prepare to jump. 

"Bu... but... I'm so young.  The Green Mother only just set me on my life path yesterday!"

But it's no use.  Nang is offered some liquid courage and helped into the parachute.

Simon tells Nang, "You know, you and your brother are small and could easily ride with the same chute.  But with the weather getting worse we don't have a lot of time to hold up the practice waiting for him to be found.  I might be able to make you a tincture that will calm you, if you'd like?"

"No, it might dull my senses and cause me to fumble and die horribly."  

Soon, Nang is standing by railing with his eyes closed.  He didn't want to open them but it seemed he didn't have a choice.  He wished his brother were here to help him navigate this thing he was trapped inside of but once again he was making his own path.  Nang summons all his strength and says to Simon, "Push me... I can't make my feet move."  Simon does what he's asked and gives the little kobold a nudge strong enough for him to fall out of the ship.

"I'm going to dieeeeeeee!" Nang's yells as his voice is carried away in his fall.  Suddenly the chute opens and he's flying!  After a few minutes Nang is dragged back on deck where he repeatedly kisses the beams beneath his feet.  "I'm alive! ALIVE!!"

[DC: 5 for each check: Dex: [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20, Balance: [1d20+2] = 16+2 = 18, [1d20+2] = 15+2 = 17, [1d20+2] = 11+2 = 13; That's 4 successes!]

Simon begins looking for his next volunteer...

---

 
Meanwhile, in the group's quarters...

Tomeal is also surprised when Ning scurries into the room and dives under a hammock.  "Ahhh... Ning.  Are you alright?  You seem unusually skittish, even for you."

Dog just perks his ears up and tilts its head curiously.

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

"No make Ning jump. .. Ning not given wings by Green Mother.  Kobolds that fly given wings are."

[GM Marvel]

Tomeal raises a single eyebrow and shifts his gaze toward Selina.  They were soon going to have to make this jump and they needed to gain every advantage offered to them.  But Ning wasn't a soldier that you could just order to do something.  You had to appeal to his common sense and personal values.

"I guess you're right.  It's better to just make the jump tomorrow without any practice.  That way you can be surprised and hope adrenaline will get you through any unforeseeable complications.  I AM curious what you expected when you volunteered for this trip.  Simon informed all of us that we had to jump before we left New Crobuzon.  Do you have special abilities or magic that was going to get you to the surface without the parachute?  Or do you plan to offer moral support from above the clouds?  You understand that if not for limited space, others would have come with us to help.  So taking the space of a willing participant when you must have known you have an aversion to flying kind of means you purposely put the mission in jeopardy.  But maybe you like it in this world or you find helping to rebuild your tribe too daunting so you'd rather them dwindle in number until they they're extinct.  No judgement here.  It's your people not mine.  I'm sure your tribe have many other settlements around them that will happily lend them a hand to recover from Unreth's decimation and not exploit their situation."

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

Ningalu's voice comes from behind a stack of barrels.

"No fair.. You make Ningalu feel guilty.. but me saw Selina's jump.  No one would save Ningalu like that... Ningalu would be dead... SPLAT  "

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina had to field that one, taking on an air of wounded pride.  "No one?  You think we don't care about you?  After we spent so much effort freeing you and your tribe from Unreth, you think so little of us?"

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

"You not let Ning fall?  Promise?" It is not a demand, but a frightened plea.

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina just smiles and nods approvingly "Of course we promise."

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

"Okay.. is there a harness that will fit little me.."  He sounds hopeful that there will not be one.