Kaelie/Srinoja the Shadow

Srinoja Shadow and Gweth Talk

At some point the general gweth was given the delight of some thoughts from Srinoja. As it began.

Your mind hears Srinoja thinking, "You have interesting friends, if I dare say so. If this reflection is not a falsehood, I have many questions. Slivers."

During one meeting with the pirate Srinoja (in her living years) she was curious about a core I had obtained and asked if she could take it with her and have her "people" inspect it. I handed over the item with the understanding it would be returned with a report, if any, of what was found. Clearly, that never happened.

You hear your mental voice echo to Srinoja, "You still have my core thieving pirate you."

Shortly after sending this thought I went to the Empath Guild in Crossing where I joined with Dantia, Sothios, Zynell, Telamont, and Kretona. As we were discussing the gweth chatter I was (as were all paying attention ) shocked by this:

A single shadow, only a number of hands tall, strolls into the room, independent of a source. It struts directly up to Kaelie, and places an object into her hand, offers a small wave to Dantia, and then disappears as if never there at all.
As I looked into my hand, there was my core.

In response to the return of the item we did share a private back and forth exchange that I will share.

You hear your mental voice echo to Srinoja, "Clever little thing you are, but I do thank you for the return of the core. Is there something I can assist you with in return?"
Your mind hears Srinoja thinking, "to you" "I must know the truth, as I have seen so many sequences of events. Fragments, like distorted mirrors. I know not what happened, what may have happened, or what will have happened. Strange distortions."
You hear your mental voice echo to Srinoja, "The truth as it stood before you died and were captured in the mind of Sivroch. Do you remember any of that? Perhaps we can sort out sequences once we discern where your true memory ends and the falsehood begins."
Your mind hears Srinoja thinking, "<to you>" "I remember that. I also remember the truth in which I killed Sivroch, ripped her disgusting heart out, and fed it to a kraken that I summoned with my will."
Your mind hears Srinoja thinking, "<to you>" "Similarly, I remember sitting on a beach, laughing at all of you, the Lich included, while sipping a delightful cocktail with tropical fruit."
You hear your mental voice echo to Srinoja, "That does rather sound like you. Contrary and all for you until the bitter end. That bit of it wouldn't surprise either side."
You hear your mental voice echo to Srinoja, "Well you can be sure that cocktail isn't what is causing this fractured moment. Perhaps the lich heard your laughter and thought to make a joke back at you."

That ended our gweth banter. However, it did not end our communication. And I say "our" because my assumption here is is that our "Shadow" was Srinoja. It all happened a bit like this.

Kretona asks, "Anyone seen the Gnome?"
Shadows flicker at the edges of the room. Six distinct shadows, all resembling an identical Gnome, peer outward, waving silently.
You ask, "Sortof?"
You say, "Great. Six shadows."
(Dantia peers back at the six shadows, looking them over one by one before settling on one of the two in the middle.)
You ask, "A shadow of a gnome, rather?"
Kretona asks, "Six Gnomes, or one Gnome reflected six times?"
You say to Dantia, "I'll take the outside."
The shadows appear to be pantomiming something strange and nonsensical, as if attempting to convey a complicated thought wordlessly.
(Zynell watches the shadow intently)
(Dantia squints at the series of shadows.)
You say, "So yes. We can see you. Or the shadow of you."
You say, "You don't need to be frantic. You're not making sense."
(Dantia says to the shadows, "If you are trying to communicate, why do you not use the gweth as you were? Or are you and the voice we are hearing two separate things?")
Sothios says, "She is letting us know she is about."
(Zynell waves her shadows hand at the shadow)
You say to Dantia, "Maybe a light source on the shadow? We can illuminate and yank the little gnome out."
Sothios says, "The shadows are her way of letting you know she wont be found unless she wants to be."
You say, "Trying to get our attention, but without making sense. Now that she knows she isn't invisible she can calm down and try to communicate."
Dantia says to Sothios, "It looks like she's trying to convey a thought, not just say hello. A simple wave would have sufficed."
The shadows coalesce into a single Gnome, peering curiously at Kaelie, unsure of what might result.
(Kaelie crooks her finger and kneels down.)
The shadow shrugs and steps toward Kaelie, very curious itself.
You quietly say, "Not going to try and hurt you. Just want to figure out what you need or are trying to say."
The figure makes its way over to Kaelie, and reaches out a hand -- that passes through her.
(Kaelie winces, smiles sadly and tries to grasp.)
You quietly say, "There has to be a way to bring you from the shadows.
The figure steps over toward Kretona, offering her hand in a high five.
The figure attempts to slap her hand against Kretona's, but is unable to make contact.
Dantia asks, "Shadows, are you the same as the Srinoja we are hearing on the gweth?"
Kretona draws his knife and makes a thin cut across one of his hands.
Kretona removes a glaes tail knife ensnared in the constricting tentacles of a demonbone kraken from his tail.
Kretona asks, "Maybe an offering of blood?"
(Kretona smears his hand on the floor.)
You say, "It's hard to tell if you want to come out of the shadows."
(Kretona begins drawing a circle, slightly larger than a Gnome.)
Kretona draws his knife and makes a thin cut across one of his hands.
(Kretona is making the lines thicker.)
You ask Kretona, "Really? Here? In the empath guild?"
Kretona says, "I didn't ask her to come here."
Dantia quietly says to you, "You would have thought we had enough blood here already."
The shadow offers a shrug, appearing very confused.
You ask, "Shadow can we shine light to bring you out?"
Kretona says, "Stand in the circle."
Dantia asks, "I'm just not convinced this is the same as the Srinoja who was on gweth. Why would she keep trying to communicate like this instead of out loud?"
Kretona exclaims, "Oh!"
Kretona exclaims, "Mirror!"
Kretona exclaims, "Shadow, look in that mirror!"
(Zynell shows the mirror to the shadow)
Kretona says, "Stand in the circle I drew also."
You ask, "Wait! What are you all doing?"
Kretona says, "I am going to go somewhere in an airship."
Kretona asks, "What are you doing?"
You ask Kretona, "With what? A diminutive shadow that high-fives you with a shadow hand?"
(Zynell passes the mirror through the shadow)
You say, "Good luck with that."
Zynell waves a square gold-framed mirror with an oval handle around.
The mirror passes through the shadow, and comes out the other side, as if nothing is there.
You say, "Well. That worked."
You get a shimmering gaethzen orchid from inside your gossamer cloak.
(Zynell sets the blessed mirror down in the shadow)
(Kaelie rubs the orchid so that it glows bright and tries to hold it over the shadow to see if the figure appears.)
You exclaim, "If she appears, grab her!"
You wave your gaethzen orchid around.
(Kaelie holds out the glowing orchid hoping to entice the shadow into the light.)
Dantia says to you, "I wish we had any one of those extraplanar researchers here. This is beyond my paygrade."
The shadow offers a shrug and tries to touch the orchid. Nothing happens.
Dantia says to you, "It was a good thought."
Dantia asks, "Has anyone tried walking through it?"
Dantia quietly says, "Not it."
Kretona says, "I volunteer."
Dantia says, "I vote Kaelie."
You say, "I'll do it."
(Sothios puts his hand through the middle of the shadow and out the other side)
Dantia says, "It's hand passes through everything."
(Kaelie walks toward the shadow, slowly, her hands out infront of her incase it becomes solid.)
Dantia leans over and whispers, "I will kill you if you become Srinoja."
You whisper to Dantia, "YOU volunteered me!"
Kaelie walks straight through the shadow.
You ask, "You're not a ghost, there has to be the solid form somewhere. Do you know where that is?"
The cream and gold owl hoots, "Isn't light antithetical to a shadow? Shouldn't you be trying to lower the light level?"
Dantia says, "I'm not going to stand in a dark room with the shadow of Srinoja."
You say to Dantia, "Fair point that. But so far this shadow hasn't shown malice."
Kretona says, "I will."
Kretona asks, "Where is a dark room?"
Zynell says, "That sounds like an interesting time."
Kretona says, "I know a place."
Kretona says, "Cold and dark."
Dantia says to Kretona, "Step right outside and wait for the guards to escort you there."
You say to Kretona, "Tell them you know Dantia, she has a get out of jail free card apparently."
Dantia asks, "Shadow, are you trying to tell us something?"
Kretona says, "Highfive if you want to go somewhere cold and dark."
Kretona raises his hand.
The shadow abruptly blinks, and disappears.
Dantia exclaims to Kretona, "You scared it off!"
You say to Kretona, "Nice going, filth."

That is the last we saw of the "shadow". From what I gather I was not the only one to be in communication with Srinoja. She was reaching out to several with different tone or tenor to her messages. This is only my portion of what I witnessed and heard. I do have thoughts on her state of being. As long as she is dead or a shadow it is going to be very difficult to hang her for her offenses.