(2023-11-30) Take Us To Your Leader

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Jo, having read just enough of Ben's White Squad report to see the words "Brann Bronzebeard" and "Titan ruins," races out to the Storm Peaks to find him and Bran at the White Squad camp at the Inventor's Library.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 12

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Dead animals

Brannagen putters around his little makeshift camp, cleaning up a bowl that may have had stew in it.

[Brannagen]: Lo there ser!

Ben is carrying a couple of dead rabbits by their ears. "Hey, Bran. Got more supper."

[Brannagen]: Fantastic!!

[Brannagen]: Lemme get the fire goin' again.

[Ben]: Okay. I got to — uh. I got to clean 'em. Miz Oranna ain't around, is she?

Ben looks around cautiously.

[Brannagen]: Nope, she an' Befound are scoutin' the area.

[Ben]: Okay, I will–

[Jocoza]: Ben! Bran! There you are!

[Brannagen]: Lo there Snowbird!

Brannagen smiles at Jocoza.

Ben jumps. Oh, that's not an attack gnome.

[Ben]: Cap'n! Hey!

Jocoza dismounts from her flying machine midair as she soars through the entrance. It hovers obediently.

Brannagen cheers at Jocoza!

[Jocoza]: Did I read that right? The mail isn't going messed up anymore?

[Jocoza]: You found Brann Bronzebeard?!?

[Ben]: I mean. Welcome to a Titan city I guess, ma'am? We… sort of found him?

[Brannagen]: Sorta.

[Ben]: We found a communicatin' thing.

[Ben]: And we talked to him with it.

[Brannagen]: But it was really really him! We could see 'im an' everything.

Ben nods at Bran.

[Ben]: We ain't ask where he was at, he mostly was pretty excited to ask us some stuff.

[Jocoza]: Oh, one of those hologram things, like the draenei have…

[Ben]: Yes'm.

[Brannagen]: Aye. But I canna get it ta work again.

[Brannagen]: I think he has ta be a' the other end of it.

[Jocoza]: Darn, I would've like to talk to him. But wow that's exciting. We'll have to tell King Magni right away!

[Brannagen]: Well, maybe wait until we've actually laid hands on the man.

Jocoza looks around as if seeing her surroundings for the first time. "Yes, that might be… titan city, you said? Is this part of a titan city?"

[Brannagen]: It's some kinda library, he said.

[Jocoza]: Wow, neat! Where are the books?

Ben grins and slings the dead rabbits over his shoulder. "C'mon take a look."

Brannagen points at the machines.

[Brannagen]: Nunuzac thought maybe these were some kinda… readers.

[Ben]: We are lookin' for some kind of disk, per Brann Bronzebeard. To operate the thing, maybe?

[Brannagen]: Aye, or maybe these read the disk.

[Brannagen]: An' the disk is what has the information.

Jocoza pokes a spinning wheel. "Wow, I wish I could get one of these open."

[Brannagen]: Oh I've been tryin', Snowbird.

[Brannagen]: But the Titans do not build their stuff ta be meddled with.

[Jocoza]: They look pretty solid, yeah.

[Jocoza]: I suppose we just have to be users for now, then.

[Jocoza]: Assuming you find the disk, which I'm sure you will. Cobalt found them in Uldaman, right? We're good at this.

[Ben]: We will find it, ma'am, for sure.

Brannagen nods at Ben.

[Ben]: Ain't gonna let you or Brann Bronzebeard down.

[Brannagen]: Anyway, maybe ye can shed some light on the gnome-things outside? See if they seem… ya know. Sapient. Or if they're just some kinda sentry bots.

[Jocoza]: Gnome-things?

[Brannagen]: Ye didna see the gnome-things?

[Ben]: Yeah, you seen those sentries outside?

[Brannagen]: I guess ye were in a hurry.

Jocoza blinks and pulls her goggles over her eyes.

Ben drops his rabbits by the fire as they pass.

[Jocoza]: I just sort of swooped in.

[Brannagen]: Ye did indeed.

Jocoza blinks towards the door.

[Brannagen]: Oh an' there's one.

[Brannagen]: Two.

Brannagen casually heals them as the things attack.

[Brannagen]: So whatdya think, Snowbird? Bots or gnomes?

[Jocoza]: Huh… so.

[Jocoza]: Have either of you spent much time in the Borean Tundra?

[Brannagen]: Aye, I am aware of those lil guys.

[Ben]: No, ma'am. I was stationed in the Fjord.

[Ben]: I saw the reports, though.

[Jocoza]: Hopefully, there's none of them left now, but… yes. They unearthed this 'Gearmaster' who was turning gnomes into metal.

[Brannagen]: Those ones talked though.

[Jocoza]: They talked, yes, but they said odd things.

[Jocoza]: Like about how they were going to make us perfect and… well… they were like mind-controlled?

[Brannagen]: From what I read, there seemed ta be some idea tha' gnomes started off metal, like we started off stone.

Jocoza nods. "Yes, that's what they got from the Gearmaster. No idea if it's true, but he was able to deflesh a lot of gnomes. Fortunately, we're clever and we refleshed them.

Brannagen chuckles at Jocoza.

[Brannagen]: They dinna seem particularly intelligent.

Jocoza sparks a gnome with her lightning box.

[Jocoza]: So that's my context, which brings us to these ones.

[Ben]: So are these proto-gnomes or just guard machines or what?

Jocoza shoots a rocket at a gnome.

[Brannagen]: Can ye hear us??

Brannagen waves at Library Guardian.

[Brannagen]: WE COME IN PEACE.

[Ben]: Hey, hi? Hello?

[Jocoza]: I'm not aware of any gnome outpost near here, so I don't think they're defleshed modern gnomes.

[Brannagen]: What are they doin ta those polyhedrons?

[Ben]: Hey, hold up, sir …

The ‘sir’ he is addressing is one of the Library Guardians, who is unimpressed by his manners and attacks. Ben is obliged to smash it.

[Ben]: Aw.

Brannagen peers at Library Guardian searchingly.

[Ben]: You got a leader? TAKE US TO –

[Ben]: Aw.

Brannagen sighs at Ben.

[Brannagen]: See wot I mean?

[Jocoza]: What is this floating thing?

Brannagen peers at a Databank searchingly.

Jocoza jumps, but she cannot reach it.

[Brannagen]: I sure wish I knew.

[Ben]: Maybe they ain't speak Common. Cap'n, you want to try Gnomi– oh, yeah, I dunno neither.

[Ben]: Mostly they just… float and hum, but sometimes the gnomes come and shine lights at 'em.

[Brannagen]: Oh aye, say somethin in Gnomish.

[Jocoza]: Fez ok rod mundgizber ke F tiras dyrstagist ti thorneb ok rod tiras rune riff kahs ti rand frendgalva ti t waldor drugan

[Brannagen]: What she said!

[Jocoza]: Godunmug

Ben watches expectantly.

The Library Guardians don’t appreciate being addressed in Gnomish any more than they did in Common.

[Ben]: Hey!

[Brannagen]: Okay, nope.

[Jocoza]: Nothing.

[Ben]: Is there other languages they might know? Anyone speak Titanish?

[Brannagen]: Er, not as such.

[Jocoza]: From what I heard, the team that went out to check on your cousin Walt sort of learned Titanish.

[Brannagen]: Was that yer team, ser?

[Ben]: No, that was a special operation. Nunuzac run it I think.

[Jocoza]: But temporarily, so they probably don't know it anymore. It was a machine to translate.

[Brannagen]: Ach.

[Brannagen]: I can sometimes figure out the big picture o' some o' their runes an' such, but I canna speak anythin' like.

[Jocoza]: We could see if Nunuzac remembers any of it.

Ben nods at Jo.

[Ben]: You want to explore some more? Cap'n, you got to see this place.

[Jocoza]: In the meantime, though, I'm leaning towards just machines.

[Brannagen]: I think if they were interested in talkin' they would at least be yellin some gibberish at us.

[Jocoza]: Maybe they're like… proto-gnomes? Like the earthen but more mechanical.

[Ben]: I mean if they are just machines then I ain't feel bad about smashin' as many of 'em as I had to this week.

[Brannagen]: They did make smashin' necessary.

[Ben]: … although if they are like priceless Titan relic machines….

[Jocoza]: It feels like these are what the Gearmaster was trying to make us into.

Jocoza shivers a little. "I'm glad I didn't experience that."

[Ben]: I am glad too, ma'am.

[Brannagen]: An' it is true that the first Earthen we met just ran at us swingin' too.

[Ben]: Look at this place, though, yeah? I mean look up across there!

Brannagen sighs rapturously.

[Jocoza]: Wow. *Jo gives a happy sigh.*

[Jocoza]: I guess this does clarify that the structures in the Dragonblight are Titan origin. By looks, at least.

[Brannagen]: So my question is, who did they build it for? All we know implies they were never intendin’ ta stay.

[Ben]: I dunno, it is not my field of expertise.

[Jocoza]: Very large people.

[Brannagen]: Like that lass in Uldaman maybe?

[Brannagen]: Was there a whole city of em?

[Jocoza]: Maybe? The other squad is after some kind of 'guardian' named Thorim.

[Brannagen]: I read abou' tha'!

[Jocoza]: If he's one of those old people, then maybe there are still some around that we can talk to.

[Brannagen]: Wish I could make copies o' me like that one gnome in Outland so I could be on the other squad too.

[Ben]: You reckon he is here someplace?

[Jocoza]: In the Temple of Storms, they reported. Wherever that is.

Ben cranes his neck.

[Ben]: Any of these are temples, you think? I mean there is lightning up there almost all the time.

[Brannagen]: Round dome there looks templey.

[Ben]: Templey. *Ben nods thoughtfully.*

Jocoza nods at Bran. "I was about to say, reminds me of Wyrmrest Temple."

[Brannagen]: You suppose the Titans built Wyrmrest?

[Jocoza]: That's what I'm guessing from comparison. I sort of assumed dragons did it, but seeing this…

[Ben]: Unless maybe dragons built this? But Brann Bronzebeard said all kinds of Titan stuff.

[Brannagen]: Would make sense if the Titans built the dragons a place.

[Jocoza]: The titans empowered the dragons, right? That was in one of those books Sil got into.

[Brannagen]: Aye, just so, Snowbird.

[Jocoza]: Maybe the temple was a Happy Empowerment Day gift.

Brannagen laughs at Jocoza.

Jocoza giggles.

[Brannagen]: I canna see a way inta any o' those structures though.

[Jocoza]: Maybe we just need the right keys.

[Brannagen]: Yeah, theng about these Titan places is, sometimes ye look an look fer a door, an' there's nothin — an' then ye find a rune or a stone or a crystal or somethin and whooosh a door appears outa nowhere.

Ben glances over his shoulder and down at Bran. "For real?"

[Ben]: You reckon we can find one? A rune or a crystal?

Jocoza nods at Ben. "We can look around? See if we see anything that looks special?"

[Brannagen]: Well I do hope we find somethin' tha' can get us in somewhere, aye. Drivin' me mad seein' all this an' no way ta explore it, heh heh.

[Ben]: Yes'm!

[Ben]: Look! That one's doin' it! Oh, he was.

[Ben]: Shinin' the light at the floating thing. There!

Ben points at a Library Guardian.

[Brannagen]: Strange, innit?

[Brannagen]: Oh a red light.

[Brannagen]: Sometimes they en't red.

[Jocoza]: Maybe different colors mean different things?

[Brannagen]: Well they all seem red now…

[Brannagen]: Maybe I imagined it.

[Ben]: Sure would help if we could ask 'em.

Brannagen lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.

[Jocoza]: Well, I hope red isn't 'Intruder Alert'.

[Ben]: Maybe red is angry and they are puttin' around some alarm– yeah.

Brannagen laughs at Jocoza.

Ben laughs at Jo.

Jocoza giggles.

Brannagen takes out his leatherbound journal and begins sketching some of the buildings nearby.

[Ben]: I gotta say I ain't seen anything looks like a door-crystal or whatever. Unless it is one of these polydrons.

Brannagen sketches in big sweeping strokes, mostly ignoring detail but rendering the outline and comparative scale of the structures with surprising swiftness.

Jocoza looks at Bran with curiosity. "I ought to bring my own notebook out here, sketch some of these floating things."

[Brannagen]: Ye didna bring yer notebook?!?

Jocoza laughs a little. "I was in a bit of a rush, just read that note from Ben and boom, teleportation rune."

Brannagen laughs at Jocoza.

[Ben]: I am gonna send Mizzy back some pictures.

[Ben]: Hey, is that a window? There is like a window lit up over there.

Brannagen stands perilously near the edge.

[Ben]: WHOA.

[Ben]: Uh. That's an edge.

The edge of the terrace on which they stand drops away perilously into a chasm so deep the bottom isn’t visible. Across the chasm, though, loom the rest of the Titan structures they’ve been discussing, the domes and towers and bridges, including what Ben thinks is a lit window.

[Jocoza]: Should we fly closer?

[Ben]: You want we should? Yes'm.

[Brannagen]: There is definitely some lights on.

[Jocoza]: I don't want to think about how many feathers that fall would take. *Jo peers down.*

Brannagen whistles sharply for Magni Bronzebird.

Jocoza snaps and her flying machine puffs its way over.

They land on a ledge beneath the luminous, window-like structure.

[Brannagen]: I canna tell if it's lit from inside…

[Jocoza]: It still looks like a window, but its opaque.

[Ben]: Reckon it is. It is a window. Those runes on it or…?

[Brannagen]: I think et's just decorative.

[Jocoza]: If it’s a window, maybe it's… yeah. Decoration.

[Ben]: Huh.

[Brannagen]: Titans were real big on abstract patterns.

[Ben]: Might be a door down here but it is bricked up.

[Brannagen]: Does look like there should be one aye.

Jocoza flies close enough to reach out with a tiny fist and knock.

The wall doesn't open.

[Ben]: … aw.

Brannagen chuckles at Jocoza.

[Jocoza]: It was worth a try!

[Brannagen]: Nice an' polite of ye ta try though.

They fly farther up and land on a stone bridge that cuts across one branch of the chasm.

[Ben]: Man, this place give me verdigris.

[Jocoza]: This place… I never dreamed there'd be such wonders up here, and… *Jo blinks at Ben.*

[Ben]: Hey! Hey!

[Ben]: There's a chair.

[Ben]: That definitely has got runes on it.

[Jocoza]: And it's kind of… pulsing light? Maybe we shouldn't sit on it.

Ben peers at the runes cut into the edge of the seat.

[Brannagen]: Those vine shaped things.

[Ben]: What? Oh.

Ben peers upward.

[Brannagen]: They dinna seem ta be doin' any actual structural damage.

[Jocoza]: But they're like… giant thornbushes.

[Brannagen]: I canna tell if somethin' bad happened here or if it's a strange kinda decor.

[Ben]: … where they comin' from? I ain't seen vines like 'em around here.

[Brannagen]: My bet is on decoration. Like they mean somethin'.

[Brannagen]: Because vines that big, they'd have done damage if they'd come through by accident.

[Brannagen]: But see how they dinna disturb the columns?

[Ben]: It grown over the top in a curl too, so it don't touch the chair.

[Ben]: Like just perfectly clears the top of it.

[Jocoza]: There are so many mysteries in this place.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

[Ben]: Bran, can you read any of them runes on the chair? Like, does it say someone's name or anything? 'Chair belongs to Thor' or whoever?

Brannagen settles on the enormous arm of the chair.

[Jocoza]: Thorim?

[Jocoza]: That's the one name we've got so far.

[Ben]: Thorim, that is who I meant, yeah.

Ben is on a nickname basis with Thorim, whoever he is.

[Brannagen]: Et's not a phonetic language so I wouldna be able ta piece out a name.

[Ben]: Oh.

[Ben]: What kind of language is it?

[Brannagen]: Ideographic.

[Brannagen]: The symbols each have a meanin’.

[Jocoza]: Hmm, okay.

[Jocoza]: So we'd have to know what Thorim meant, not just how it's said.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

[Jocoza]: Maybe something about Storms.

[Brannagen]: An' I dinna know tha' word.

[Brannagen]: Good guess!

[Brannagen]: Pretty sure I see "wisdom" here a few times but tha's about all I can make out.

[Ben]: Wisdom, huh?

Brannagen looks at the vines again and frowns.

[Jocoza]: Is there a titan of Wisdom?

[Brannagen]: Or maybe they en't vines…

[Jocoza]: Or a guardian of Wisdom?

[Ben]: I dunno.

[Brannagen]: They could also be… well…

[Ben]: Could be what?

[Brannagen]: Uh.

[Jocoza]: Not vines? Then what?

Ben peers at Brannagen searchingly.

[Brannagen]: Tentacles.

[Ben]: … what the fuck, Bran.

[Brannagen]: Ye asked!

Ben squints.

[Jocoza]: Spiky tentacles?!

[Jocoza]: But… it looks vinish.

[Ben]: I mean I think they are vines but now I feel pretty uncomfortable about vines.

[Brannagen]: Whatever they are, they en't alive anymore.

[Brannagen]: I find it interestin' how menacin' they look but how they have not hurt a damn thing.

[Jocoza]: Frozen here. So either a plant grew over it, or… some tentacle creature wanted to give a throne-room a hug.

[Brannagen]: Or they carved em as decoration.

[Brannagen]: Real menacin' decoration.

[Jocoza]: Or that, yeah.

[Brannagen]: Because see? They did not break one damn theng.

[Brannagen]: Just goin' around the columns reeeal careful like.

[Brannagen]: Despite lookin' like all manner o' chaos at ferst glance.

[Jocoza]: It is odd.

[Brannagen]: Maybe whoever sat on that throne wanted ta make folks feel uncomfortable.

[Ben]: Reckon when the girls are around we will have to bring the whole squad up here, Bran.

[Brannagen]: Aye!

[Jocoza]: The girls… how is your squad working out? Everyone getting along?

[Brannagen]: Aye, a great group!

[Ben]: Yes'm, top-notch.

[Jocoza]: Good, good. And Oranna's… alright?

[Ben]: She seem to be doin' okay. Befound and Auralind's new… cat-ghost get on real good.

[Jocoza]: Oh, I bet that helps!

[Brannagen]: She has her moments but she's powerin' through 'em.

[Brannagen]: She's been a real help.

[Ben]: Oranna has been a little… withdrawn, maybe? Harpies freaked her out some. But yeah, she is doin' okay, she is a good girl.

[Brannagen]: It's been nice ta go explorin' with her again.

Jocoza smiles. "It's good to hear. I was a little anxious about how she'd feel going back in the field again, but sounds like I didn't need to worry."

[Brannagen]: An' Ace too, we had some times in the Badlands a while back. Like a reunion party fer me.

Jocoza laughs. "She seems like a good teammate."

[Brannagen]: Mistwalker's the only one new ta me, and she's been great.

[Ben]: I have worked with Auralind before a few times. She is a hell of a teammate.

[Jocoza]: Oh, yes, Auralind's been through… well, I'm glad she and her new companion are meshing well with everyone.

[Brannagen]: I like havin' Ace around because I feel like she comes closest ta gettin' what the Titans mean ta me.

[Jocoza]: Oh? And what do they mean?

[Ben]: Yeah, Ace been real excited about it all, too.

[Brannagen]: But Auralind is, well, she's got that special kinda wisdom, an' she sees thengs in a diffrent way. Always helps get the full picture.

[Brannagen]: The Titans? Ta me? Well… everythin'.

[Brannagen]: Ach! On that note I need ta head back to camp and write down all me notes on this stuff before I forget it.

[Ben]: … oh I better get back to those rabbits.

Jocoza smiles at all the wonders around them. "Well, I sure hope we get to learn more about them, Bran."

[Ben]: I will keep you appraised, Cap'n.

[Jocoza]: I'm going to go back and get my notebook, and read that full report of yours.

[Ben]: You know where we are camped if you want to come back!

Ben grins at her.

Jocoza smiles at Ben. "Thanks, I always know I can count on you."

Ben salutes Jocoza with respect.