Journey Day 22 Hag Traps

Stalking through the woods beyond the Heart of the Swamp, Syval's scales glide through bushes and around tree branches, their dark coat blending with the shadowed underbrush that's dimmed by the canopy above even in full daylight. His robes are dyed a few shades lighter green and tied up past his elbows and knees so the therianthrope can move more smoothly. Absent his pack and most his possessions, the city-raised wizard could almost be mistaken for a forest native, except that he lacks the purposed movement of a well-seasoned predator. For that, he's relying on his roamer.

"Straight or left?" he whispers as he taps his bardiche against the ground and turns his nose to sniff the air.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh mai~! Well I do have some climbing rope. And since I'm a gentledragon the lady can tie me up first as long as she knows the favor will be returned." With her own robes hitched up, twisted around her belt a few times to bring them to her knees, Jyslin stalks through on sandaled feet that find it child's play to make no sound. Her nose is quite mobile upon her face as the ashen blonde with the hip-length mane continues. She has a few sacks tied to the quiver on her back, just in case. "Left. Carefully; I smell blood, and something actinic. Possibly a toxin."

They have been following trails for a while, now. They have not - yet - found a cache of anything they would consider valuable. They did find the path the trolls have taken back up into the foothills of the mountains. Now they are tracking much older trails. Trails that predate the trolls' - and hopefully the hags' - arrival at the Heart.

"Plant or animal toxin?" Syval asks as he pauses long enough to catch the scent again then continues on in the new direction with his wings pulled tight and streamlined against his back.

"Smells mineral." Jyslin offers. Organic toxins don't generally build an actinic scent or taste. There are exceptions; she can recall a scorpion beast with a powerful acid-infused poison.

With Jyslin to guide, they move further. She does not so much disable traps as she sets them off when neither of them is threatened by them. Jyslin then - with difficulty - gets them around a sinkhole of quickdirt. Not sand.

But that is where Jyslin stops, turning about, sniffing. "They stayed here ..." she murmurs, tasting the air and examining the area in detail. <OOC> Syval offers his bardiche as obligatory 10ft poking stick. <OOC> Syval carries it for multiple purposes. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li cheers in favor of that.

Following the roamer-priestess carefully, Syval moves step-in-step with Jyslin's footfalls skirting the hazardous quickdirt, and at least one trap is disabled with the aid of his long polearm as a trigger. Since settling into his hybrid form, or perhaps getting to know the blonde, he's even offered it for Jyslin to use once or twice. In spite of the startling size and appearance difference, the wizard has clearly settled himself into the role of a sponging apprentice of the far more experienced half-elf.

Syval's brow lifts when she calls a halt and he slowly lowers the waterskin that was at his lips as he looks around. "I have an art for detecting poisons, and another for magic. Neither is silent."

Huh? (Type "help" for help.) Huh? (Type "help" for help.) Syval rolls Shave (2d6+0) and gets 6 (4,2) <OOC> Syval is still clean-shaven. He didn't prepare shave the past couple days to make room for other spells. Jyslin shakes her head. "Sorry. I want to answer questions, but for right now ... I need to be lower."

That said, Jsylin closes her eyes and that silvery inner light builds around her, her body rippling and twisting until the light recedes to leave the tigress in her place. The big cat's muzzle is lowered to the ground, sniffing about, working her way back to the quickdirt pit. Her tail lashes with agitation.

Syval manages a smile with his transformed face and brushes his hand against the Selunite's shoulder. "As you please." Squinting a little at the light, the dragon-touched mage greets the return of the tigress therianthrope with one of appreciation before following after her when the sinewy striped feline wanders off. It might be the rarity of her scarcely used form, or perhaps simply the magic of watching all her clothes and belongings disappear into her - a feat still beyond the gear-laden dragonoid.

Furrowing his brow lightly as they return to the quickdirt, Syval watches warily and lightly flexes his free hand, preparing to grab for Jyslin if her footing fails her.

The tigress snuffles about frustratedly, and then turns her head, twists around, and bites hold of the butt of Syval's halberd. Then she twists back around, lining up the butt with the sinkhole of the quickdirt.

Catching the idea, Syval shifts his grip to behind the axe head and prods its pointed butt into the quickdirt, letting it sink inside inch by inch. "They buried it in the quickdirt? That's clever," the dragonoid snorts in annoyance. "I wonder how they were going to get it back out."

Syval has to push the shaft down a good bit - nearly a good four feet - before finally it strikes something solid. Something that is not dirt. And it shifts in position when prodded.

Jyslin steps away and lets herself shift, rippling back in another cascade of silver light. "They cannot die unless burned. I suspect they would just jump down in and gather it up, then be pulled out by others. The kind of hiding place they would assume no one else could explore."

Freaky indeed. But how do the heroes get things out?

"There, I found something!" the dragon finally proclaims with most of the haft buried underground, and all too gratefully wrenches the weapon back up from the clinging dirt. "Thorough, but it seems like it should be deeper somehow. If that's the bottom it couldn't even bury us upright..."

"They can't even suffocate?" he asks in surprise as the blonde priestess returns to his side. "Well whatever they hid the trolls didn't come back for. We've got shovels back at camp that can dig this up with enough time... or we could do things the fast way," he offers while flicking some dirt from his bardiche before turning to Jyslin with a bold spark in his sandy eyes.

"The fast way?" Jyslin questions. She has a feeling that whatever they have found is on a ledge or something on the side of the sinkhole, and that there is no 'floor' anywhere close. That would suit what she knows of trolls. "They can suffocate. But they will just black out. Once you get them back up they will recover, choke out whatever they breathed in, and then get back up."

One gets the impression the lady roamer has had to face trolls a good bit even before this adventure. Nasty bastards.

"You'd think something so unkillable could take the time to learn a little hygiene," Syval snorts derisively. "To think I was once worried I might be related to them..." Shaking his head free of the thought, the dragonoid surveys the woods immediately around them then turns back to Jyslin. "The fast way is one of us goes in and grabs it and the other pulls them out. As deep as it was for my bardiche, I should be able to get my feet around whatever's down there without going more than shoulder deep. We have good clothes to tie off, plenty of wood to hold, and did I see you pack some rope?" he questions with a glance to Jyslin's pack.

<OOC> Syval tries to hide a smile. Oh, and he should perhaps Bluff check here. Syval rolls Bluff (1d20+7) and gets 24 (17) Jyslin would not normally admit this, but she does because it is important right now: "I'm pretty sure I'm the strongest of the two of us. Which means I'm more likely to be able to pull you up out of there than you me." Had Jyslin worn her pack, rather than just her quiver, she definitely would have produced some rope. She keeps two whole coins of the stuff in her pack because she cares not at all for weight as another might.

Jyslin glances at the pit with a grimace. "This is going to make a terrible mess. Hopefully I can create enough water. Do try not to breath that gunk in, would you?" Jyslin then sets aside her quiver, shucks off her robe - revealing her naturally tanned and toned body with its interesting blend of noticeable athleticism and musculature along with more than merely modest curves, wearing only simple drawstring shorts and a laced-up basque beneath.

"You ready?"

"I shall try," Syval chuckles as he takes the roamer's permission to disrobe as well, unfastening his belt and sliding off his outer robe along with the pouches tied to it. Underneath, the hulking dragonoid is down to a thinner white tunic that reaches to mid-thigh, similarly exposing his tall and muscular frame to the tigress. Its back has been split in a wide V to accommodate the therianthrope's tail and fringe and taken together, the magically-infused wizard enjoys a more natural grace than typical of the larger laboring class, appearing at once supple and imposing in his verdant proportions.

Sandy eyes don't miss the chance to assess his partner in dirt-diving and Syval smiles confidently at what he sees. "Almost," he assures while crouching to retrieve a pinch of orange dust from his discarded pouch and recite an incantation. In a matter of seconds the green dragonoid, already an imposing size for humans, swells upwards and outwards to twice his height. "There, now I'm ready for a little swim," he says in a voice deep enough to rustle the leaves at their feet before flashing a toothy grin. "I think I might now be a little stronger than you, but I'm sure a Child of Selune could still pull me out in a pinch."

Reaching down to the athletic half-elf, Syval offers his arm and the enlarged shaft of his bardiche for Jyslin to grip as she pleases before stepping boldly over the quickdirt where he'd earlier felt the buried treasure.

<OOC> Syval says, "Now that I'm troll-sized this should also make it easier to lift out whatever I find. 1m duration so enough time to get up to some trouble." <OOC> Syval says, "Any scaly eye candy for Jyslin is purely coincidental." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Riiiiight. Suuuuuure it is." <OOC> Syval says, "Would you believe I expected her to decline my original idea and was ready to Enlarge Person to convince her? Quite a bit safer going 4' down when you're 12' tall." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Top of it is 4' down. No telling how far down the bottom is. Gotta get under it and lift it out against the suction of the quickdirt." <OOC> Syval says, "Aye and that's important. So every extra foot is helpful." <OOC> Syval says, "Ah, and I forgot about that actinic smell. That wasn't from around the quickdirt, right?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Close. But not in it or immediately arround it." "Hope you still fit far enough down." Jyslin quips. Did she look? Is she taking in the 'verdant beauty' of the revealed dragonoid? Probably. But Jyslin doesn't really comment on it. She just braces herself on the ground and takes hold of the half of the polearm just below the head. "We're taking a crude bath once we get you out of there, treasure or no. Get going, Syval."

The quickdirt is gritty, harsh and deceptively warm. It would feel comfortable, like a hot bath, but it gets hotter the further down Syval's bits proceed, and its grit is very harsh and abrassive, enough such that even against draconic scales he can feel it, though he is at least not taking cutting damage. Worse yet, as Syval continues further down, wiggling as the quickdirt seizes onto him and starts pulling him along, a bitter stench of a gas flows up into draconic nostrils. It is quite unpleasant, like hot death and putrefaction.

Jyslin sneezes, hands twitching and destabilizing things. "Sorry. Gawd, that stench. You OK?" she checks in.

"If not I will manage," Syval assures as he gives a slow but firm tug to check Jyslin's grip before committing himself fully to the quick dirt. His taloned feet disappear first and the dragonoid's brow furrows in surprise at the experience. "It's like hot gravel in here," he complains before snorting to clear his nostrils as he sinks past his knees and the dirt rises up his thighs. Inquisitively the delving wizard kicks his legs as if treading water to see how the gritty dirt responds. "Very hot, this may not be all natural... And it's still only the second worst thing I've smelled lately."

"Get ready to pull soon. Once I touch that treasure I want to float a moment."

<OOC> Syval says, "Almost smells like they buried a troll to guard their treasure." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or some zombies." And as the dragonoid slowly lowers himself further and further, to the point that his head is only barely above the surface - gagging on that stank - and his arms about at the level of the top of whatever it was his bardiche had found, he will feel something cold - how can anything be cold inside this hot gravel?! - and hard bite into his ankle, and a wave of sickness flows upward through his body. Quite an alien feeling indeed, since he has never gotten sick from disease before. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "3 points of claw damage and 1 level of energy drain, bestowing 1 negative level, reducing hit points by the last rolled hit die plus CON and other bonuses." <OOC> Syval says, "FYI, I was feeling for that with my feet on the way down, but assuming it sank deeper I would have kept sinking to search so we can keep this as-is." <OOC> Syval says, "Oof, that's a nasty bite. No Fort save?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's a touch result from a claw attack." <OOC> Syval says, "Harsh. That's 16 "damage" from the negative level and 3 from the claw. Effective curse or whatever that is." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's literally 'energy drain'. Undedz." <OOC> Syval says, "Well I'll kick at it on instinct. Can I muscle through the dirt enough to manage that?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You can certainly try!" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You estimate there's probably a to-hit penalty assessed, beyond the 'I cannot see what I'm trying to kick' part." <OOC> Syval says, "Of course. I'm kicking half-blind inside quick dirt and trusting the promptness to catch whatever that is before it can move out of the way." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. "Yus." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But it's better than just trying to keep sinking and doing nothing." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "As your advisor in all things game-system, I approve of this attempt." Syval rolls Unarmed Strike (1d20+16) and gets 22 (6) <OOC> Syval says, "Note: these rolls are using Lv8 Syval on the heels of the hag fight." Guardian Wight rolls Miss Chance (1d100+0) and gets 82 (82) <OOC> Syval says, "Art permitting I'm also Swifting Arcane Strike onto my kicking foot (the one not bitten) for +1 damage (and treated as magic). That's been a reflex of mine for a long while now per other fights." Syval rolls Unarmed Strike Dmg (1d3+11) and gets 12 (1) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. -4 for blind, -2 for 'restrained'. So that's a 16. And -1 for size differential. That's 15. Which is JUST what you need to hit. And it failed the 50% miss chance. Damage?" <OOC> Syval says, "That's the 12." <OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I'm sorry these numbers are low. I didn't add Enlarge Person." <OOC> Syval says, "No change to-hit but +1 damage so 13 not 12." <OOC> Syval says, "Ack where'd that pose tab go..." The dragonoid calls forth his transmutation magic and centers it on the foot not entrapped by the too-cold life-sapping claw, then twists and kicks towards what he is guessing might be the origin of said claw, getting lucky enough to nail something solidly.

"What are you thrashing about?" Jyslin protests, struggling to hold onto the shaft of the polearm as the dragonoid keeps wrestling about. She apparently has no idea what has happened to him ... yet.

"Ah!" Syval cries out in surprise as he winces, less at the bite and more at the wave of wrongness that spreads from the cold wound. Reflexively, arcana swirls around his opposite foot and he lashes out at the source while gripping his bardiche for support. "Out, out, out. There's something cold and unhappy in there."

<OOC> Syval says, "Found it, belatedly." Jyslin rolls Strength Check (1d20+22) and gets 38 (16) Jyslin mutters darkly. "Out out out he says, as if he weighs no more than a toddler." Then she sets herself, taking a deep breath, and grunts with force as she pushes with her legs and back to pull the enormous bulk of the enlarged dragonoid out of the clinging grasp of the hot gravel-like mud of the quickdirt. She manages to exert sufficient force that Syval is swiftly dragged against the hot gravel, feeling as if his very scales are almost being scraped off, and then he plops free of the suction and falls on top of Jyslin in a heap.

"Augh. OK. What the Hell is going on?" Jyslin complains from underneath. "You said something cold ... in there? But you said everything was hot?"

Kicking and scrambling as he can to help, Syval pays little heed to the discomfort until he's released from the trap and lands on hard, solid... priestess.

"Thank you," the weredragon mutters as he rolls his mud-soaked body off of Jyslin and pulls his legs away from the edge. With small bits of rock clinging to his clothes and scales, the formerly green dragon looks more like a giant holiday treat that's been rolled in crushed nuts.

"Yes it's warm in there and hotter the deeper I went, but then something cold clamped onto my foot. I gave it a kick before you pulled me out," Syval explains as he dusts off his hands and inspects his fresh wound with a frown. Already shrinking quickly away to nothing, it doesn't have the appearance of anything special. Certainly for a therianthrope of his fortitude, there's something else at play.

"The wound looks normal but it feels... wrong." The dragonoid snarls and glares back at the quick-dirt. "It feels like something just cursed me."

Jyslin takes a deep breath, then sits up and twists around to examine his injury, noting the ragging darkening of the flesh beneath and the whitening of the scales themselves where rent. "Unless I miss my guess, it must be undead." she murmurs, raising her hand and muttering a prayer to Selune as she confirms her suspicions.

"Yep. You've been hit with a life draining attack. So not only did the damned trolls hide their treasure in there where almost no one could find it, and put traps and such all around, they also either put it there because the undead already were, or they literally put the undead down there expressly to do just this. That's just disturbing as Hell." Jyslin shakes her head. "There's a prayer I can use to cure that, but I did not prepare it this morning. I promise I will tonight."

"There must be something valuable down there then," Syval concludes. After a long stare at the motionless dirt, he turns away from it with a snort. "Well if that's all it managed to do don't worry yourself. I've been feeling more vital day by day since discovering this form. A little undead drain can't match draconic hardiness. But unless you have any priestly ideas I think we're done today. We can come back tomorrow with the others and a plan," the enlarged weredragon assesses with a measure of annoyance. "At least we know the treasure will still be here when we get back."

Jyslin grunts. "To Mita Loss with that." She twists around, grabs at her robes, and pulls out from them the pair of silver-chased scimitar hilts Syval has seen in her hands many times. "Don't you stab me with that damned thing when you push it down in after me."

That seems to be about all the warning she's going to give before diving into that mess herself ... <OOC> Syval says, "She's going in head first then?"

"Pushing it in-- hey, Jyslin!" Syval calls out in surprise as the priestess thrusts herself into the dirt. Scrambling up to his knees, the moves to the edge of stable ground around it and hovers overhead as the tigress disappears head first underground. Making a grab for her ankle with one enormous hand, the dragonoid stabs the head of his bardiche into the ground behind him to help serve as an anchor then lets his arm follow her down. "Crazy tiger-elf," he grumbles softly to himself, but the young wizard can't help from smiling.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She was actually going to jump up and pike down. :)" Jyslin rolls Seek Undedz (1d20+24) and gets 30 (6) <OOC> Syval says, "Seems we've got 6s tonight." Jyslin rolls Initiative (1d20+10) and gets 11 (1) Wights rolls Initiative (1d20+1) and gets 2 (1) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hah! Pair of ones! But Jyslin wins." <OOC> Syval says, "Tied for last. Nice pair, yours is bigger." Jyslin rolls Attack Right #1 (1d20+13) and gets 18 (5) Jyslin rolls Attack Left #1 (1d20+13) and gets 30 (17) Jyslin rolls Attack Right #2 (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8) Jyslin rolls Attack left #2 (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7) Jyslin rolls Attack Right #3 (1d20+3) and gets 14 (11) Jyslin rolls Attack Left #3 (1d20+3) and gets 22 (19) Jyslin rolls Attack Left #3 (1d20+3) and gets 5 (2) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Does not confirm." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But that's 4 hits, even blind and restrained." <OOC> Syval says, "You know when you said therianthrope bondage last night I didn't realize this is what you had in mind." Jyslin rolls Damage Left #1 (2d6+6) and gets 12 (3,3) Jyslin rolls Damage Right #2 (2d6+6) and gets 15 (6,3) Jyslin rolls Damage Left #2 (2d6+6) and gets 16 (5,5) Jyslin rolls Damage Left #3 (2d6+6) and gets 13 (5,2) Jyslin rolls Seek (1d20+24) and gets 34 (10) That is indeed about all the warming she gives Syval before she bounds into the air, twists and pikes herself down into the warm quickdirt, She is quite literally holding her breath as she twists around until the suction grabs hold of her and starts helping her pull further and further beneath the surface.

The quickdirt writhes and twists, bucking as rapid movements take place within despite its heft and restraint. Flares of blue-silver light spark up through the dirt in pinpricks of intensity, and a vast pocket of that foul stench slow-belches out from the smoking earth.

And then Jyslin's very messy head finally breaks through the surface after nearly another minute. "Stick. Now."

Syval watches the writhing quickdirt with a mix of worry and awe as he 'watches' the roamer-priestess work. Casting a quick detection arcana upon himself the young wizard attempts to spectate through the curls of magic seeping out in and amongst the foul gasses. His nose wrinkles and hovering above the smell drives the dragon's eyes to water but he continues to wait it out, through the expiration of his enhancement magic and return to normal size. Unique in their group, except perhaps Neosodos, he's not afraid of his fellow therianthrope suffocating. Actually fighting whatever's down there is another matter.

When the former blonde finally breaches Syval deftly wrenches his bardiche from its place and jabs it butt first into the quick-dirt. Once he's confident Jyslin has a hold upon it, all nearly six feet of weredragon pull hard.

Syval rolls Strength (1d20+9) and gets 14 (5) <OOC> Syval says, "Dang rand(). Not even a 6." Jyslin groans as Syval finally hauls her out of the quickdirt, apparently leaving a layer or two of her skin behind in the process. Her skin is red and blotchy in protest, like a low-grade burn. But she manages to drag with her an enormous bound chest, which is then hauled up onto the earth. Jyslin then sprawls out, panting a bit as her body recovers from her time without oxygen while working that hard. She wasn't yet to suffocation, but she definitely felt the effects of fighting and struggling for that long without air to breathe.

"Benefit of my moonblades. The undead expired forcefully. And the moonblades did not much care about dirt, even that thick. Moving my arms was hard as could be." The priestess turns and coughs up some dirt, then blows out each nostril messily.

"Water. Incoming."

That's all the warning Syval gets before Jyslin raises her hands, renewing a prayer to Selune, and suddenly a torrent of water falls out of the sky and drains down upon her, the dragonoid and the chest. Over a fifty-gallon drum of water surges down upon them and then seeps into the ever-thirsty ground.

The ground will soon allow that quickdirt sinkhole to grow, as that torrent of water will expand its reach.

• Sploosh!*

Syval lands on his butt in front of the injured roamer and he has just enough time to look owlishly at the forming mass of water before it floods over him with a loud splash, soaking the muddy dragonoid from head to toe and washing away the gritty aftermath of the quick dirt. The scaled mage sighs in relief and basks in the sensation.

"Ahh, praise to Selune, that's a nice way to clean up in hot weather," he chimes and as water drips from his brow, Syval looks over his therianthrope partner, grimacing lightly at Jyslin's obvious wounds "Here, I'll move the treasure away from that stinking dirt. You take a rest and heal, that was a violent victory. How'd you even find that thing to attack it?" he asks while rising sopping wet to his feet and with casual ease lifting the chest away from the quickdirt as if it were only a tenth of its true weight.

The trunk is a lot lighter and easier to move without half the quickdirt mass on top of it, holding it down. It moves easily enough. Jyslin looks up at Syval, watching his movements while she waits for her body to - thankfully - heal from the damage the hot quickdirt has done to her skin. In about a minute she'll be fine.

"I could feel the cool of it in the hot of the quickdirt, and I swung towards that cool for all I was worth, honestly." It all sounds so much more useful than it felt at the time. But she definitely felt when the power of the undead dissipated, and that had been what she was after all along.

"The cool water felt good on my burns." Jyslin confesses honestly. Now that she's feeling better, she sits up and scoots away from the slowly liquifacting area around the quickdirt. "I know I'm being paranoid. But part of me feels like maybe we carry this back to the Heart and let Andie and Neosodos help? If the hags had the trolls put that down in there, I'm thinking I'd rather have a full-on witch on hand when we open it. And an adorable great wyrm familiar couldn't hurt."

The one skill the party lacks, honestly, is an actual rogue. No lockpicking expertise with anyone so far as anyone knows. <OOC> Syval says, "Perception to inspect the trunk for anything nefarious, and I throw on Detect Magic as well for good measure." Syval rolls Perception (1d20+16) and gets 29 (13) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Jyslin can in fact do Find Traps, but since it is specified as 'in your favored terrain', I don't feel that applies to the chest, which is not part of the terrain." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "DAMNED good thing Jyslin didn't roll that." <OOC> Syval says, "What, you think she would have rolled another 6?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. You rolled a 13." <OOC> Syval says, "Oh right, half-blessed." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which for her would be worse than a 1." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Spellcraft for me, pls?" <OOC> Syval says, "Well I just used up my good roll but here:" Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 20 (7) <OOC> Syval says, "Told you. :P" With some patient and careful inspection Syval is able to spot that there seem to be unspecified mechanisms around both the latch and the lock. He hasn't the knowledge and experience to identify exactly what they do, but they are likely to be some kind of poison, gas or acid delivery system. Most concerning, however, is that his sense for magic tells him pretty clearly there is magic inside ... but refuses to give him even the schools of that magic for identification. <OOC> Syval says, "I'd like to keep studying the magic for the strength of its aura. Can I tell that at all?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is ... pardon the pun ... muddy. There seem to be multiple magical auras, of differing strengths. And they're all so close together that it makes it nigh impossible to get a solid read right now on any one of them. But there are some pretty strong ones as well as some that are less so."

"Was it that hot? I thought the dirt scraped you up," Syval responds as he sets the chest on solid grass and squats down. The weredragon's tail lashes wide behind him as he scrutinizes the chest and its bindings, going so far as to say another incantation and focus arcana into his vision. "That's Eldritch Wyrm if you ask him," he chuckles, "and I'm of the same mind. I can carry this easily and I'd rather give our companions the full treasure experience."

"And there is definitely something at work here... There's some kind of trap on this, and a lot of magicks inside - some of them strong," he observes with a wary smile. "I think we've found our treasure, priestess."

<OOC> Syval says, "Phone." "Moonpriestess." Jyslin corrects teasingly. "And it did scrape me up. But also burned me. It was pretty hot on human skin, rather than dragon scales." But with the minute of time that damage has healed, the red blotchiness having faded back to her normal lightly golden hue. The ashen blonde gathers up her hair, twists it tightly and wrings it out. Then she coils it atop her head and pads over to scoop up her robes, sliding them down over her body and then letting her hair fall loose behind her as she works to secure her belt, sash and then her bandolier and quiver. Last she tucks her silvery scimitar handles back up inside her sleeves.

"OK. If you're hefting and toting, I'll stick on point and get us back to the Heart clearing." Jyslin offers. "And thanks for playing footman. I appreciate it."

The pair move at a measured pace, but still a decent bit faster than they did getting to the location in the first place; they're not so much searching for something as they are going back where they know to go while staying alert for any trouble along the way. Within just a couple of hours, around mid-day, the two will finally reach the large Heart clearing. Andie and Neosodos are flitting about at the Heart Pond and tree, measuring out locations with step strides and placing various items. Honoria is stretched out nearby working on isometric exercises in her silk gambeson as she chats with the other two in Maenast.

"< So, no one has reclaimed the land in all this time? But the ruins remain? >" the lady knight is asking.

After a bit Andie then answers, "< As I understand it, there are some forces that have moved in. Some love working in ruins. But none have ever tried to reclaim it or rebuild it. The moondark nights surely discourage that. >" <OOC> Syval says, "Back." <OOC> Syval sad dragon. Soaked, half-dressed Jyslin didn't last long. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, you have to store up these pleasant memories. There is such as too much of a good thing. ^_-" <OOC> Syval says, "Oh I have not nearly had too much Jyslin yet." <OOC> Syval, also a happily soaked dragon who probably looks similar. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All glisteny green?" <OOC> Syval says, "Dark, shiny green where the sun peeks through the canopy. Recall young greens are a dark hue, I'm only an age or two up from being mistakable for black."

"Small benefits. You got a nose, I got scales," Syval replies gamely as he gives Jyslin ample time to heal. Still pleasantly soaked and equally half-dressed, the dragon therianthrope is in no rush to leave.

Gathering his own robes when the priestess makes ready to leave, the wizard puts them on wet without any attempt to wring or dry himself and simply swings the chest onto one broad shoulder before thumping the ground in a ready gesture with his bardiche. At the 'footman' remark the dragon grins. "Of course, Lady Brenlas. After you," he responds with an aristocratically flowery deference. Syval drops the tone again just as quickly to add, "As a friend I'll give you a discount from my rate in Delzimmer."

Following along behind the roamer-priestess with chest in tow, the hulking weredragon proves his word and keeps up with neither complaint nor struggle hauling the well-secured chest. And while the return hike re-dirties his feet, the rest of the scaly wizard dries back to a fresh look long before they reach camp. His robes also return to their original color, and while Syval does renew it once, this last casting expires shortly before their return to the Heart, leaving him once again in High College red.

Perking at the ongoing conversation, the dragon listens curiously at first and doesn't immediately interrupt.

Despite her stretching activities and isometrics, Syval can likely tell something about that last turn of phrase made Honoria shiver. "< That, too, remains as it was? >" she offers almost mournfully.

Andie answers after a bit in a gentle but matter of fact manner, "< And so it shall until the time is right and peace is given. I am sorry, Honoria, but it is not for me, for any of us to grant that peace. >"

Honoria nods slightly, head hung low for a bit.

Jyslin watches all of this going on, unable herself to understand the Maenast. "Sorry to interrupt. Andie, do you and Neosodos need any help? I don't want to interrupt, but I thought I should mention," She turns, pointing towards Syval and his shoulder full of chest. "We found something. What? We aren't sure. But something."

Once the priestess interrupts for him, Syval steps forward and swings the chest off his shoulder, setting it down softly on the grass. "Jyslin's nose lead us to some hag treasure. The outside is trapped with something and there are several magic auras inside - too many to tell what. Just be careful around the lock and latches."

<OOC> Syval noses. Honoria turns away for a bit, seemingly dabbing at her eyes, while Andie finishes a few placements and then rejoins the other two near the chest, with Neosodos in tow as usual. "Interesting indeed. I do not have the spell to locate or identify the traps." She turns towards Jyslin. "But when you renew your spells tomorrow, you can request it. I believe it is a minor enough spell to fit your reservoir."

Jyslin nods. "I've heard mention of the spell before, but never asked for it. Identifying them ... that won't help us remove them. I don't really have that talent.

Andie smiles. "True enough. But it should warn you if they pose a threat to you, and that will tell us more than we know now, and without risking anyone's life or health."

The priestess mmms and then nods. "OK. Fair enough."

Andie glances at Neosodos and the wyrm stretches out languidly. "Alright. Fine." the wyrm comments wryly with that singsonging lyrically raspy voice of his. Then he leaps from her shoulder to the chest, scrambles down the curve, and sniffs at the lock. Then he murmurs a single word in draconic. << Magesight. >> and his eyes change color dramatically, glowing visibly as he inspects the chest from the outside.

Syval spares a glance to the lady knight then shifts to stand with his back to her for privacy as the others move closer to inspect the chest. "Careful of the trap, Elder Brother," he reminds as Neos climbs around the chest. "I'm not too worried of the mechanical trap for myself, but if we need caution I may be able to help with Art. One of the spellbooks has a spell called Bigby's Feeling Fingers. It's simple enough I should be able to learn it by morning."

<OOC> Syval chuckles quietly at grumpy Neos. "Can I Survival check with Jyslin to find him a nice berry or three on our hike?" Syval rolls Survival (1d20+7) and gets 17 (10) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin has a +24, so together you can absolutely find a few nice poisonous berries. :)" Neosodos rolls Perception (1d20+26) and gets 36 (10) Neosodos rolls C: Alchemy (1d20+22) and gets 24 (2) Neosodos rolls K: Dungeoneering (1d20+22) and gets 40 (18) <OOC> Syval says, "If it's poison you're welcome to eat it, Eldritch Wyrm. Dibs if it's acid." Neosodos rolls K: Arcana (1d20+26) and gets 31 (5) Neosodos rolls Spellcraft (1d20+26) and gets 41 (15) While everyone else is busy inspecting and assisting at the chest Honoria climbs back up to her feet and extends her hand, her shield flying to her arm and settling there. Then she too approaches, keeping back while others work. Right after she wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her gambeson.

Neosdos responds with mindspeech now, rather than spoken words, likely to avoid the risk that even his little breathing might set something off. << Acid, and neurolytic poison, enhanced with hag magic. Four point sources. >>

After about five minutes the tiny wyrm climbs back up the chest and settles comfortably. << Glad you decided not to open it in the field, Little Brother. Thanks to all my time with Andie, I can identify the magic inside as being covered by a hag curse. A very nasty and powerful one. But you were also right: there are multiple other magical sources. At least half a dozen scrolls, more than a dozen potions, and two other pieces. One I believe to be a ring, and the other an amulet. >>

Honoria speaks up after that recitation. "I cannot be sure. But we may be able to block their curse. Guardia can defend against magic. With my lance, I believe I could push open the lid while blocking with Guardia." A risky move, one assumes.

Syval sits down as Neos continues to crawl around the chest and study it, waiting for the elder pseudodragon to finish. Idly, he buffs the edge of his sapphire armband a bit, admiring how the sunlight plays off its facets. After the inspection is finished he looks back, and spares a smile to the ever helpful lady knight. "How do such curses normally find their target? I'd be a poor wizard if I couldn't magically open a chest from nine or ten paces."

<< Targeting is usually a case of 'whomsoever opens this chest without the key'. Or 'whomsoever touches these treasures after opening the chest without the key'. Unfortunately determining which of those conditions apply is very difficult if not impossible to do while detecting through the chest lid, and the muddle of other magical signatures does not help. >> Neosodos shares.

"Which means we must be prepared for both." Honoria opines. "So we prepare for the 'whomsoever opens this chest without the key' option. If that doesn't unleash the curse, then we have to figure out how to shield against it while we touch the treasures within." Because of course the lady knight approaches this like a tactical problem.

"I can easily enough summon another horse, and with some help from our lady knight," Syval adds with a glance to Honoria, "bid it to touch the treasures. That still leaves the problem of the lock and opening the chest."

Jyslin rolls Mystery Roll (1d100+0) and gets 65 (65) "Opening the chest I can do with my lance." Honoria assures.

<< I could try to open it with my magic. >> Neosodos offers, glancing at Andie.

The witch shrugs. "I did not prepare the spells for that today. I prepared for the rituals at hand, and magicks to help them and defend the Heart if the enemy returned."

"We can wait through the night before making our attempt if it's helpful," Syval offers as he looks around the group. "Or brave it today and accept the consequences." Looking to Jyslin he asks, "Do you have any spells that could bolster Honoria?"

Jyslin purses her lips. "A couple that could aid her a bit. But nothing I have can compare with what Guardia already does for her. Not really." she admits.

"You're familiar with its enchantments?" Syval asks in surprise, quirking his brow as he looks between the two blondes.

Jyslin shrugs. "I ... sorry. They're all Selunite in origin. So apparently they just sort of make instinctive sense to me." She seems, oddly, embarrassed and non-plussed by this. Clearly she did not think about it consciously, and did not know it would work that way.

The weredragon chuckles and makes a downward motion with his free hand to calm the priestess. "Be at ease. I only wondered if I missed a lecture. That's a most fine ability for a Priestess of Selune." Turning back to the armored chevalier, Syval takes Honoria's measure, then waits. "In that case then I believe the choice is yours, Honoria. You'll be the most in danger from opening it."

Neosodos rolls Open! (1d20+23) and gets 34 (11) Of course Honoria is pretty much fearless. She takes all of this as a challenge, and she would never - ever - back down from a challenge. "Let us proceed." she opines.

Jyslin does cast one spell upon Honoria, on the hope that it may help somewhat. Aid. Its benefit may be minimal, but she is doing what she can. And ignoring an odd itching sensation at the back of her mind.

Honoria gets out her lance and prepares, putting Guardia between herself and the chest.

Neosodos positions himself to the left of the chest obliquely, and stays low. Once everyone give the all-clear the tiny dragon opens his mouth and the draconic intonement, "< Open >" is uttered.

A beam of air-rippling force in a narrow cone sweeps out, striking the chest. There is a shudder, and then the lock snaps open, as about a dozen needle-like darts expel forcefully outwards. Thankfully the only people close enough to be at risk for those are Neosodos - immune to poison, thank you - and Honoria, who blocks them with Guardia. <OOC> Syval says, "Oh Selune bless you Honoria, we are too alike. XD"

Syval nods to the stalwart knight and moves himself far to the side, though not without the edge of his lip tugging uncomfortably downward. While the dragonoid might not have any magical or mundane protections beyond his own hide, he might have preferred to take on some of the risk - and challenge - himself. It makes the calm before the chest opens all the more tense.

atting the air with his wings when the needles leap out, his sandy eyes flit to the Eldritch Wyrm and Honoria, and he relaxes a little at finding them unscathed. "That's the trap bested then..." And likely the easy part.

<OOC> Syval says, "*Batting the air. You get the idea." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "I do." :) Honoria rolls Lance DEX? (1d20+18) and gets 23 (5) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oof. <OOC> Syval says, "I was curious how she planned to open a chest with a lance. For the record? +18 is enormous. Go lady knight." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She is VERY skilled with a lance." <OOC> Syval coughs. Honoria rolls How many? (1d8+0) and gets 4 (4) Honoria rolls Color #1 (1d8+0) and gets 7 (7) Honoria rolls Color #2 (1d8+0) and gets 7 (7) Honoria rolls Color #3 (1d8+0) and gets 1 (1) Honoria rolls Color #4 (1d8+0) and gets 4 (4) Honoria rolls Will Save vs. Violet #1 (1d20+14) and gets 18 (4) Honoria rolls Will Save vs. Violet #2 (1d20+14) and gets 19 (5) Honoria rolls Reflex Save vs. Red #1 (1d20+11) and gets 31 (20) Honoria rolls Reflex Save vs. Green #1 (1d20+11) and gets 21 (10) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uhm. Yerf. OK." <OOC> Syval says, "Oh dear..." <OOC> Syval says, "Dang I actually have a higher Will save (by 1). She's 3 points better in Reflex but I'm also not heavily buffed. Hopefully Guardia is giving her something on top of that." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That includes the +4 of Guardia to all saves, and the +2 from the Aid spell." <OOC> Syval says, "/Wow/. Okay my saves are awesome or else Honoria is all Fortitude..." <OOC> Syval kind of assumed Andie or Neos would intercede if they thought he stood a better chance than the lady knight's fancy armor. Either way she at least has plenty of people to look after her for whatever's about to happen. <OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing that was a chromatic orb trap of a high level." "It seems so." Honoria answers. She checks to be sure that none of the poison needles stuck anywhere problematic, and then she hunkers down again. "Everyone take cover, just in case. I am going to open the chest." She gives everyone a good ten-count - aloud, like a good soldier - and then uses her lance to push open the lid to the chest. She does manage it, but it is not a smooth operation, and she fumbles it to a crash.

When the lid crashes open a mote of light rises, corruscating through rainbow hues, and then launches itself at Honoria. The mote of light then balloons around her, enveloping the lady knight in a multi-hued shimmering sphere of light. All present can clearly see two flashes, in quick succession, of violet light across the lady knight's form, followed almost immediately by a flash of red and then one of Green.

And then the sphere is gone. And with it, so too is the lady knight.

Uh oh. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Prismatic Sphere, actually." <OOC> Syval says, "@_@" <OOC> Syval says, "Oh hey now give her back you overgrown Light Bright!" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She completely resisted the fire, and she is largely immune to the poison effect. But the Violet is Plane Shift." <OOC> Syval !_! <OOC> Syval prepares to panic, then attempt a sneaky. But first panic a bit. <OOC> Syval says, "Spellcraft check to recognize the trap please." Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 31 (18) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li thumbsup. "You don't know the spell (haven't studied it), but its description is hard to miss. <OOC> Syval says, "So I've heard of it not by name? Do I recognize the effects of that kaleidoscope of trouble?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You know the spell's name, but not it's formula. You haven't STUDIED the spell, but you recognize it." <OOC> Syval says, "Is that a yes or a no? I'm not familiar with any of the keywords you're using. I don't know "the spell" but I know it's name and its "description" but not its "formula"? I know it's not on my spell list; that much is obvious." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You have never read the actual spell, even in passing. But you recognize its description and know the name; it's pretty legendary. You have a vague understanding of its powers, but in the more mythological sense, without the specifics that having studied its actual written form would allow." <OOC> Syval says, "As someone who doesn't personally know the spell, "vague understanding of its powers" means 'this spell is really powerful and might have disintegrated her' or 'that might have been any 8th level spell effect I could imagine including turning her into a rock'? To be clear: I wouldn't know what the colors mean besides "really bad news"?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You would know that each color is a different power/effect. Your experiences with other spells would likely lead you to conclude red equals fire, green equals poison. But violet? Newp. No clue what that one means. And she got hit with that twice." <OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. That's what I wanted to know." <OOC> Syval also squints at historical spellcrafters for making green poison instead of acid. Disgruntled green dragon harumph. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li happens to agree with you. <OOC> Syval says, "What the-- orange is acid. Right then, wouldn't have guessed that." <OOC> Syval says, "And blue is turn to stone instead of cold, which is completely absent. I guess white dragons have more to complain about."

Grudgingly, Syval backs further away and ducks down near the ground, flattening out his wings for what good it may do but keeping a firm grip on his bardiche, as if he intends to bash away anything that might come his way. The green-scaled mage watches warily with tension visible in his shoulders as Honoria awkwardly works the lid of the chest with her lance, then... *crash!*

Then the rainbow mote of light pops out and rushes the lady knight. "Honoria!" Syval shouts as her sun-lit armor is consumed in a sphere of chromatic arcana, then in four bright, violent flashes - nothing. The weredragon wizard freezes on his feet, stunned and wide-eyed at where the blonde chevalier was just standing and now not so much as a scorch mark remains. There's silence at first, so much the apprentice mage forgot to breathe, then his eyelids flutter and a thought jumps to mind. "That can't be-- that was prismatic sphere, wasn't it?! Wasn't it?" He asks, turning to Andie for confirmation of what's already sunk dread into the pit of his stomach. "How in Azuth's beard did the hags learn that..."

The others all gasp in mute protest as the lady knight winks out of existence. There is real shock and horror upon Jyslin's less guarded face, and even Andie looks disturbed and upset. Little Neosodos bristles angrily. It is he who answers the question asked.

<< Yes. It was a prismatic sphere. Normally a defensive barrier spell, they apparently adapted it as a targeted attack spell, a variant on Prismatic Ray. As for how ... one assumes they did so in the normal manner of their kind, through communion with their patron, or other writings. >>

Jyslin mutters, "Is there anything ... anything you can do, Andie? There's not even a body ..." There is nothing but abject horror from the weretigress; she helped find this accursed box, and now the playful adventure of opening it has wiped away one of their number!

"I cannot undo what has been wrought. But there may yet be something that can be done. Please, everyone stay back for a few moments." Andie replies. She raises her hands, casting multiple spells in relatively quick succession. Her eyes are replaced with what might appear to be twin shining orbs of sunlight itself as she gazes magically upon the energies already dissipating.

"They did not color-shift the spell. The red flash was fire, and apparently Guardia broke that effect. The green is a powerful poison effect. But there is no sign of her soul's passage here. I believe she was still alive when the others struck. But the violet ... the violet shifted her to another plane." Andie explains. "She is in the Beyond. Somewhere."

Syval huffs in agitation from the sidelines then swings his pack off his shoulders and digs through it, quickly producing the golden statuette of the departed lady knight. "Then we need to call her back." Cupping it before him and staring down at the ancient Maenast inscription, the wizard intones, "Honoria."

Nothing.

"Honoria. Honoria!"

Still nothing and the weredragon sneers angrily as only a passing wind through the clearing answers his call. "Blasted thing..." he mutters before thrusting the relic towards Andie. "Can you scry on this or connect to her through it? It must still be linked to her."

Andie eyes the statuette consideringly, and then nods. "Put it down over here. I will have to lay a containment circle to block out other magical auras and energies so that I can follow its trace. Neosodos, we may have little time. I need you with me, directly."

As the statue is put down Andie opens her satchel, then gestures as candles and crystals come floating out of the basement on the other side of that doorway, assembling around the statue as she creates a small circle of candles and a dual-triangle pattern within defined by the points of crystals.

Magic continues to flow as Andie calls to each crystal by name, each winking with light. With gestures each candle is lit in order, and a hazy sphere forms in mid-air keeping out the influence of any other magical energies in the area - her own, Syval's, or anyone else's. Neosodos settles on Andie's shoulder tensely, and advises the others, << She is worried about what may be happening on the other plane, wherever Honoria has gone. The poison is bad. But the environments of the Beyonds can be worse. Gather everything, quickly, and prepare as if you are headed into the worst unknown you can imagine. Andie does not have magic prepared that can simply retrieve Honoria; I suspect she intends to instead reactivate shift and send all of us to her, if she can locate Honoria. >> <OOC> Syval says, "How far is our campsite from here?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No more than 400 feet. You're in the clearing, just not at the Heart." <OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. I couldn't recall how far into the trees we went before finding a good spot."

Syval promptly sets the statue where indicated then backs away to avoid interfering. There's a tiny light of relief in the worried dragonoid's eyes as Andie sets up her ritual. Even the most basic of planar magicks is far beyond an apprentice mage, dragon-touched or not. At least with the Sister present they aren't completely lost.

At Neos' instruction, the weredragon reshoulders his bardiche and bag then takes off at a run in the direction of their tents. "I'll pack the camp. Jyslin, take anything of use from the swamp house."

<OOC> Syval will grab everyone's packs and essentials as far as he can find them, especially Honoria's. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. Feline DM rolls What plane? (1d100+0) and gets 19 (19) Feline DM rolls Where on the plane? (1d100+0) and gets 93 (93) Feline DM rolls GoodBadUgly (1d3+0) and gets 1 (1) Feline DM rolls Ugly (1d20+0) and gets 10 (10) Honestly Jyslin is not sure what to grab from the house, but considering the potential threat she does run inside, up the stairs, and fetches several vials, stowing them on her person as she returns, closes the doorway, and slings the satchel over her own shoulder so that they leave nothing behind. Then she steps forward, gently resting her hand upon Andie's shoulder that is not carrying a tiny dragon. "For the record, no one is leaving us behind. Either we all go together, or we do not go at all."

Andie does not pause in her casting, but she does slowly nod her head as she continues, affirming Jyslin's declaration. She doesn't even try to pretend she had not thought of leaving the others behind. But given Jyslin's shared faith, and Syval's personal connection to the lady knight she had already assumed doing so would go quite poorly.

The spells cast are rituals, taking time. Even so, Andie is going as fast as she can, and as soon as Syval is back with the group she prompts Neosodos.

The dragon lifts his head to look at the other two. << When we arrive, do not allow yourselves to get separated. Our destination is on the planes of Faerie. >>

Andie's chanting changes in force and tempo, as gestures resume, pushing the candles outward until they now surround the entire group. Then the crystals shift. She names each in turn, their glow changing color and intensity as she prepares.

Jyslin extracts a vial of softly glowing pale blue liquid and extends it towards Syval. "If you get to her first, feed this to her. It will cancel the poison. I have one as well. We may still have to do more ... but that much we already know."

Syval runs back to the clearing laden with the group's tents and other packs stacked upon his own and lashed together with rope into a tower that rises well over his head but thankfully like their therianthrope priestess, the he barely seems to notice the weight at all. Accepting the vial as he catches his breath, the wizard carefully stows it away then adjusts his straps and takes his bradiche in hand - making ready just in case .

"That's safer than an elemental plane at least. Let's go then, and hope we're not too late," he concludes as his free hand comes to rest upon Andie's back.

Andie rolls Casting Check: Plane Shift (1d20+32) and gets 43 (11) As a last warning, Neosodos sends, << I recommend everyone inhale deeply and hold your breath. Depending on where we arrive, that could become important. Also ... hold on tightly. >>

Andie's chanting picks up tempo and volume, and shimmering energies form throughout the circle defined around them. And then Andromeda slaps her hands together sharply, a ringing clap that seems to echo around them, and wrenches her hands about as if twisting the very fabric of the air.

And each of them will feel, at their core, that wrenching inside their very being, as strands of violet anergy close around them, twisting, binding ... and then tug inward and through them ...

... as they fall into nothingness!

Another wrenching, as they all lose sight of one another, their only connection the still-echoing sensation of their touch upon one another. For each, memories flash across the mind's eye of their first one-on-one encounter with Honoria.

Syval, as the lady knight appeared for the first time, summoned from the statue within the cottage basement one night.

Neosodos as Honoria approached the tent one night to awaken Jyslin and paused, smiling at the alert little dragon, then slid him a berry she had found that day.

Jyslin as she walked towards their latrine one night and encountered Honoria on her way back, looking quite refreshed and freshly bathed in her white silk gambeson, her holy medal visible for the first time to echo Jyslin's own.

Andie as she stood upon a croft of rock, looking down at the young lady knight, explaining the plan hatched by her eldest sister to protect her against the time taht would come. This memory has a very different flavor, for this is a very different Andie. This is in fact Rashia the third.

And then the wrenching happens again. The nothingness all about is gone. They stand just as they did. The crystals and candles are gone - back in the Shaar - but the statue still stands, until it topples on its side, not quite level here. They stand amidst a clearing of sickly pink berry plants. Not far away lies a circle of cracked green stone. They stand within a shimmering ravine. Beyond this clearing the rest of the ravine is filled with lush blue-white plants. The highest stretches of the walls are bedecked with glowing and sparling green mushrooms. Even holding one's breath there is a riotous assault on the senses of sight and scent.

Syval arrives unsteadily upon his two feet after the disorienting warp deposits them in the new plane, still holding firm to Andie. His sand-hue eyes look around alertly as he tries to take in the assault of colors surrounding them, searching for any hint of danger or of a silver-armored lady knight.

The wizard's hand relaxes but doesn't quite let go as he orients himself in the clearing. << Okay to breathe? >> a voice echoes in the mind of the group, weakly as if funneled through a too-small pipe. This time it's not Neos' but Syval's.

<OOC> Syval says, "Should I use my Lv8 or Lv9 sheet for what is to come?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Might as well use Level 9." <OOC> Syval also thanks the Eldritch Wyrm for the practice, even if it's been a bit... painful. <OOC> Syval thumbs up. << Hold. >> the Eldritch Wyrm sends, reassuringly, as he then sticks out his tongue, sampling the air. After a few moments he communicates again. << Do not let go of one another. The pollens here will try to distract you, entrance you, draw you along. What is here is not evil. But it is not good, and this is not a realm for humans, nor dragons. We are invading strangers, here. >>

Jyslin too holds her breath and looks around, then crouches down and points to the ground. There beneath her finertip lies obscured bootprints. And a few crushed berries. She looks around - a tad awkward while staying in physical contact with Andie and the others - and then points to a few additional signs, indicating a direction of travel towards the edge of the clearing and the blue-white plants.

Their knightly quarry went that way.

Bending his long tail around, Syval taps Jyslin on the back while she's crouched down then gestures with his bardiche to the bindings of their packs, and then towards one of the bags. << Rope in bag. Tie us together? >>

<OOC> Syval says, "How fortuitous Jyslin recently mentioned having whole skeins of the stuff." Jyslin glances up, meeting the dragonoid's eyes, and then nods as she stands and twists around to the back of the pack, retrieving one of her own coils of a much thinner rope with a strong green tint to its off-white fibers. This is not hemp, but a jungle silk rope, like those created by the elves.

Jyslin makes Andie the center and anchor of their lines, and then ties on Syval in one direction, herself in the other, and even loops and ties around Neosodos' tiny midsection. She then pulls out rags, wetting them with the blue liquid from her flask, tying one around her own face, another around Andie's, and offers a third to Syval.

<< Most wise. Both are good precautions. Jyslin, you lead and track her. Yes? Syval, stay close beside her in case something sneaks up on her while she's watching the ground so much. >> Neosodos advises.

And off the group goes.

Syval finally releases the witch once he's securely fashioned to her and gives a smiling nod to the roamer for her help. Accepting the largest wetted rag he ties it to his head and adjusts the front to cover his mouth and nostrils. << Thank you, >> the werewizard offers for Jyslin's thoughtfulness.

Moving up with Jyslin, the dragonoid positions himself much like he had in their recent hike a world away, keeping a ready but relaxed grip on his bardiche and following in the tigresses footsteps with his eyes up.

<OOC> Syval says, "Phew, with two of us having Scent that was quick thinking. Trust the tiger-roamer to think of that." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She's cute and wise like that." <OOC> Syval says, "Good thing Andie's tied to us so we can't accidentally leave her behind." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smirks. As directed Jyslin crouches down and leads the way, her robes hiked up just a bit so they do not drag along the ground and stir things up more than necessary. The wetted rags definitely cut down the riot of scents, and manage to greatly weaken the narcotic edges of the stuff they are inhaling. Even so, there's a languid sort of cool that flows over them as they move and breathe.

The group heads away from the fallen and broken stone ring and into the forest of blue-white flowering plants in the rivine. The light above is tinted with the shimmering and brilliant green of the mushrooms. Jyslin finds more signs of what she believes was Honoria's passage, including a place where she stops again, sure signs here that something very heavy and a bit broad pierced the soil. Plants are broken and crushed, showing what was likely a fall to one knee.

The trail leads on. As they continue they will find a few other spots where collapse seems to have happened. Eventually there are clear signs Honoria was walking while using the butt of her lance as a walking staff, and leaning upon it heavily. They finally emerge from the wealth of the blue-white plants as the cold settles fiercely into hearts. Ahead lie ash-covered irregular stone steps which lead up to a cave mouth, dark and obscured, marked around its edge with shimmering blue runes.

Through the path of the ash are the sliding, unsteady marks of Honoria's struggling passage.

Syval grimaces around his mask at the trail even clear enough for him to see leading through the runed arch. << She's close. Is it trapped? >> he asks with a glance back to Andie. After their experience with the hag chest, the wizard isn't about to trust glowing fey runes.

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, nerd-sniped myself trying to figure out my new microwave for dinner." Jyslin looks up to the group. "She's in bad shape. No signs of wounds or blood. But I am worried that she has been affected." Whether by the poison of the trap spell, or by the innaturally natural scents and pollens of this place no one can tell just now.

Andie eyes the runes. "I have to get closer." she mutters. And then she proceeds up the ash-covered stairs with the other two beside her and Neosodos still upon her shoulder. She reaches into the pouch at her waist, golden glow spilling out as she clutches something within, and murmurs another incantation. Once again, her eyes taken on that appearance of twin miniature suns as she gazes across the area.

"The runes are a barrier, attuned to two things. They keep out the pollens and fumes here. They also expressly forbid the passage of anything of troll or hag magic, make, manufacture or blood." Andie gestures to the ash on the steps. "The runes are beyond ancient, and they are Faerie runes."

Jyslin asks, "Safe to pass?"

Andie can only shrug. "From what I can detect? We are, none of us, of anything the runes are meant to keep out."

Jyslin nods, and pushes forward. "Syval, if something starts, I am trusting you to yank my rope and pull me back before it's too late, if you can." And forward she advances.

Timbers clank together and leather straps creek in his pack as Syval ascends the stairs with the others. << Count on me, >> he assures Jyslin before moving up with the group and shifting in front again as they press on towards the threshold. His wings tuck and his blade comes up defensively even as his other hand takes a light grip on the rope linking their roamer back to Andie.

<OOC> Syval says, "Note to self: copy these runes for later. That would have been /handy/." "If nothing happens, follow quickly." Jyslin murmurs, just before she sprints the last several feet, bounding with that preternatural grace of hers through the cave mouth opening!

As Jyslin passes through the plane of the barrier there is a shimmer of matching blue-tinged white energy around her form, as if she is leaping through an otherwise invisible wall of light.

Most annoying, however, is that as soon as the tip of her tail has disappeared through the barrier, there is no sign of her. Just the same dark cave opening.

Syval freezes in his half ready lunge after the roamer and an audible growl comes from the green dragonoid as he tugs lightly on the rope to check that it still goes somewhere.

<OOC> Syval says, ".oO(Why do all the women keep disappearing!?)" <OOC> Syval, nettled drake. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Awww. Poor dwaggin." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What would really cheese off our weredragon wizard is if tugging on the rope brought back a severed end." <OOC> Syval would accept the rope coming back with robes but not their wearer as a compromise, but would prefer them not coming back at all. "Damnit. The cave is glamoured." Andie mutters.

<< I cannot see through it. >> Neosodos responds, adding his own frustrations.

"Enough. Together, Syval." Andie growls as her hand reaches up and lands on his shoulder. "Go."

And Andie follows Syval as he strides forwarda cross the ash-covered stairs, up to the mouth of the cave, the tingling prickle of the magical energy palpable to his draconic senses in a way such things really haven't been for him before. And as he finally strides forward, he will find himself blinded by that white glow as it forms around him and his companions. They cannot see anything of the cave that lies beyond, even as they can only barely see anything of what lies behind them as they glance back.

But after about ten seconds, all three have come through the field. And draconic eyes adjust more quickly than human, to reveal ...

... a large and well-appointed, almost homey cave. Jyslin is crouched just inside and to the left, leaving room for the others to follow, her hands inside the sleeves of her robe but having not come out with the weapons Syval knows all too well lie there. Along the right wall ten feet back lies a large cauldron very visibly not made of iron or steel, but copper, bubbling contentedly and giving off a very pleasant, earthy scent. Most of the cave is appointed as a combination of bedroom, dining room, kitchen, living room, library and apothecary all in one.

Lying on the bed towards the rear of the sixty-foot deep cave is the gleaming silvery metal-clad form of Honoria. She lies still and quiet, hands folded over her chest, her shield and shield arm uppermost. Eerily, she looks a lot like a funerary preparation.

And tottering around the kitchen space, keeping a careful eye on the crouching priestess hidden tiger is what at first seems like an incredibly wizened old woman. Yet something about that does not seem right.

"Ah, more of you. And all with that foul metal about you, save the littlest one. Though none quite so offensive as the first young lady." the seemingly old crone comments. Only aferwards will the mind realize she is not speaking Shaaren, or Maenast, but the mind is translating what she is saying nevertheless.

The old woman turns, regarding the group. "So what, now? Will you skewer and slaughter an old woman? Whatever do you hope to gain? Surely you see no riches here to satisfy your sort, whatever you may be doing in the Realms of the Winter Court."

Syval blinks his eyes clear of the dazzling glammer only to start at their cozy surroundings. Spotting Jyslin then backing to the right to leave Andie room in the center, his wings curl in behind his shoulders and the long tail at his back loops lightly around his thighs - better not to bump anything by accident. The fey crone is received with a guarded expression and the wizard is about to reply when the gleam of Honoria's armor catches his eye. The young man stares at her laying as if in a tomb, then looks over to Jyslin. << Heal her when you can, >> he bids quickly before he looks to the center of their ropework towards Andie, this time silently and dipping his head in deference.

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry to put more load on you but a fey granny in an ancient fey cave is a Dip check for a Sister first and a mercantile wizard second." Andromeda rolls Diplomacy Check? (1d20+25) and gets 45 (20) <OOC> Syval golf-claps with excited twitchy tail. Andie too takes in the room carefully, without making any moves aggressive or otherwise. Then her hand reaches out, lying gently on Jyslin's shoulder. She can tell Jyslin feels exceptionally tense and prepared for violence, and sin't upset with her for it. But now may not be the right time just yet.

"I do beg your pardon for entering unannounced. I did not see a way to alert you to our coming, and we were in hurry to find our friend." Andie gestures towards the all too still lady knight. "I do apologize for bringing iron and steel here, but we could not delay in our coming to make that adjustment. If you will allow us to gather our friend, we would be only too happy to take all of this offensive metal and leave, not to bother you again and do no harm."

The old woman listens, watching carefully. Then she walks over closer with a steaming wooden bowl in her hands, filled with a freshly-ladled stew from the bubbling cauldron. "The poor child was near to death when she stumbled in here. I dare say only my wards' distaste for hag magicks saved her life, burning it off of her before it could finish the job. 'Tis a near thing." she admits.

Andie's eyes blink, resuming their blazing golden glow. "A stasis effect?" she questions.

The old woman nods. "Indeed. That shield would not be separated from her, and I could not touch it, nor her, with all of that. She did not have time for half-measures. So I gave myself that time, and her. I had intended that I would prepare a draft to restore her, and then banish the stasis and feed it to her."

Andie considers that for a bit. "And you do all of that because the effect trying to kill her is of hags. Your nigh-immortal enemies."

The old woman gives a toothsome grin. "Well, aren't you just a smart mortal. Yes, indeed. Anyone the foul hags want dead that badly? I want to see alive so that they can cut more of the bitches down."

Andie nods at this. "Of course. And I assure you, if you allow us to take her with us we will, all of us, be only too happy to visit the same and worse on all the hags we can find."

The old woman considers the group carefully for a bit. "Well, you could stay and share a meal and a tale with an old woman ..."

Andie sighs slightly, and then shakes her head. "Sadly, I do not believe we have that kind of time. We cannot afford to be gone very long from the mortal realm. Our affairs, sadly, are not nearly so patient as your own." She does not say aloud 'there's no way in Hell we are, any of us, going to accept any food or drink while we are here in this world that we did not bring with us'. But she thinks it very loudly.

While Andie speaks, Syval reaches to his waist and moves a few small belongings between pouches, then unfastens the leather sheathe of his bardiche and slips it over the weapon's broad metal head. "And if members of the Winter Court cross our path in the mortal realm, we'll gladly return the hospitality you've shown our friend. There are at least a few less hags there than a tenday ago," he adds, hoping to both sweeten the deal and chime in politely.

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm chiming in partly to take a little weight off your OOC shoulders here. Syval I think would keep his mouth shut given the opportunity but this makes for more balanced RP." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Appreciated. :)" <OOC> Syval says, "...Oh and she was preparing stew for Honoria. That would count as accepting and oh my that would surely be a problem. o_o" <OOC> Syval says, "Just let me know if you want me to roll at any point rather than freeform things." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "It would have. Which is why Anie is making a point of 'gee, thanks, no thanks'." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But it WOULD have also healed all her internal damage. She wasn't JUST trying to screw Honoria." <OOC> Syval says, "Now faeries can evidently cross into the mortal world in places and hang around there like the one in the river I met, so would such a thing preclude her from a planar shift back home? What effect would that actually have on confining her? (IC question, I'll K:Nature for it)" Syval rolls K:Nature (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3) <OOC> Syval says, "Yeesh, nevermind. ^.^;" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Too bad you're not doubly blessed. That'd be an awesome roll, if so." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Do you have any ranks in K: Planes?" <OOC> Syval ahems. "Actually Miss Kitty-DM I'd like to submit an App Revision to pick up that trait on the justification I've got Honoria and Jyslin in the same party, Q.E.D." <OOC> Syval says, "Net, 'tis Zenemas so why study it?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. The old woman considers the group for a bit, clearly closely weighing their words and actions. "You give your word you will do no harm to the Winter Court, and be gone from these lands with all your iron and steel? And that you will make no treaty of peace with the hags?" she questions incisively.

Andie shakes her head. "We will do no harm here save in defense of our friend or our own lives, and we would prefer to do none at all. And I daresay our actions in the past forty-eight hours have assured there can be no treaty but one of open war between ourselves and the hags. We destroyed a greater coven entire."

The old woman inhales sharply at that, and finally nods. "Very well then, strangelings. A bargain made." She holds the bowl in one hand and reaches into her pocket with the other, fetching out a small white crystal which glows. This she extends towards Andie. Neosodos, however, extends himself out and takes it gingerly between his paws. "Dissolve the crystal in fire, and the stasis will end. Keep your words, strangelings, and go in peace. Ma'abren'ai meets oath with oath, on behalf the Court of Winter."

Andie withdraws her hand from Jyslin's shoulder. The weretigress glances up over her shoulder at Andie, reads her expression, and her hands come out of her sleeves empty. "'scuse me, Ma'am." she offers, and moves quickly to the back of the cave to scoop up Honoria.

"Syval, can you ... wiggle your fingers, and bring that lance along? Please?" Jyslin asks as she starts back; her hands are full, after all. But she shows no difficulty with the mass of Honoria, her armor and shield. Just a lack of actual hands for any other task. <OOC> Syval says, "Wiggle my fingers?" <OOC> Syval winces. "Aaaand she just used my name in front of a fey." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But YOU did not say your name. You didn't tell her." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But you're right. She shouldn't have done that."

Syval winces to hear his name spoken but it more than suffices to get the dragonoid's attention. Moving with care through the cave and keeping his covered bardiche on the opposite side from their host, the green-scaled wizard retrieves the metal lance and leans it on the same shoulder as his own polearm. After a quick glance for anything else which Honoria may have left behind, he moves both steel weapons to his opposite side and heads back to the cave entrance.

"Thank you for your gracious hospitality, madam," he intones with a smooth formality as he pauses in passing. "And if I may say so, the runes by your entrance are beautiful."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah. Well 11 fey knowledge, such specifics are beyond me. I know only 'don't eat, drink, or get personal'. O:)"

Syval winces to hear his name spoken but it more than suffices to get the dragonoid's attention. Moving with care through the cave and keeping his covered bardiche on the opposite side from their host, the green-scaled wizard retrieves the metal lance and leans it on the same shoulder as his own polearm. After a quick glance for anything else which Honoria may have left behind, he moves both steel weapons to his opposite side and heads back to the cave entrance.

"Thank you for your gracious hospitality, madam," he intones with a smooth formality as he pauses in passing. "And if I may say so, the runes by your entrance are enchanting."

<OOC> Syval says, "*runes by your entrance are enchanting. I had to make the pun." "Literally!" the old crone comments, and cackles gleefully, sonorously. She liked that bit of humor.

"Alright then, Daughter of Nine, be thee gone with all your curs'ed metal." the old woman offers, and Andie curtsies politely, turning as the group forms back up and heads out. She wants to know what that title was meant to be, but she does not want to hang around here long enough to find out. Time to go!

With their cloths still in place the party is able to traverse back to where they came into this realm, to the cracked pink stone circle, with little more than the disorienting narcotic effects. Nothing worse. The one difference is that upon this return trip the party is closely watched, both visibly and invisibly.

Small figures dart from one glowing mushroom to the next at the heights of the ravine, never fully coming into view. And high above the sounds of heavy footfalls crunching along snow and ice can be heard, without any sight of what is causing those footsteps. Yet none interfere with the party directly, beyond being a constant distraction and unspoken interested threat.

The casting of the return plane shift does not have the ritualized preparations as before. There is no physical anchor to follow. Instead Andie invokes something much more precious: blood. With three drops of her own blood upon a small strip of paper, she incinerates the paper as she completes the spell, reversing that otherworldly wrenching as the group is cast back across the Beyonds ... to arrive inside the Heart.

"Rinse off, immediately." Andie comments promptly. "We are covered with those spore." <OOC> Syval says, "Do I get a flashback of Andie this time? :D" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think on this for a few moments."

Syval follows warily and quiet behind Jyslin, splitting his attention between the woods around them and the unresponsive lady knight in the roamer's arms. With the fey woman at their back his posture returns to normal with tail back and wings partly open, but nothing impedes their journey back to the clearing and the return casting - disorienting as it is - ends quickly with the group back by the towering Heart Tree.

Pulling down the mask over his mouth the wizard takes a deep breath of sweet mortal forest air just as Andie gives her warning. Unhesitantly dumping his several packs, polearm, and even bardiche into a pile, Syval moves over to stand close by the other women even as one hand moves through a familiar incantation for a cleaning spell of his own. Then half-crouching before Jyslin, he looks to the roamer expectantly while reaching out to take the lady knight.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Is he bracing for another deluge? Or is he asking to take Honoria? ;)" <OOC> Syval says, "I cast Prestidigitation while walking over then put out my arms to take Honoria so Jyslin can deluge us without laying Honoria face down and drowning her." <OOC> Syval says, "So both. You know I am a dragon. That means avarice. O:)" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "Turn her head." Jyslin advices as she lays the lady knight into the dragonoid's arms. Then she murmurs a prayer to Selune, and calls forth a deluge of water down over everyone.

Neosodos and Andie do not look thrilled with cold water, but they do not complain aloud. Instead they work swiftly together to lay down an effect to neutralize anything of the Faerie Realm that followed them, so that none of that takes root here. The tiny dragon is very suspiciously moving all around and sniffing, making very sure they did not bring back any invisible hangers-on.

Once that effort is complete the group can head back to their camp and set up, including Honoria's tent erected and her bedroll laid out so that she can be put to rest.

"The hags' spell was eradicated, so there should be no poison remaining in her system. But she has clearly suffered ill as a result. We cannot afford to mix two potions inside her. So I recommend that you keep the Sweetwater draft, Syval. We will instead use a Potion of Greater Regeneration." Andie explains as everyone works together. "Neosodos, prepare to sear the crystal."

And as the crystal is seared, ending the stasis, Andie swiftly pushes open the lady knight's mouth, pours a familiar-looking glowing golden potion down her throat and works her throat by external pressure to get it to go down. Over the course of a few minutes, Honoria's body will restore itself to full health and vigor, though she is a bit slow to finally stir and awaken.

"Wha -- Where are we? Why is everyone looking at me like this?" the lady knight inquires.

Syval accepts the lady knight and tucks her carefully against his chest, ensuring her head isn't up-turned when Jyslin summons a divine bath for them all. Shutting his eyes and craning skyward himself, the dragonoid fans out his wings and lets the flood wash over him, robes, scales, and all. A fine spray of mist jets out his nostrils as the therianthrope mage relishes the mid-day wash for himself before he sets to helping the others - blasting his and their packs with cleaning arcana to cover what the waters may miss.

Leaving himself and Honoria drip-drying in the Shaaren heat, Syval carries the lady knight with him back to camp and lends his taloned hands in getting comfortably resting upon her cot. While not quite hovering around the blonde heroine, the dragonoid's eyes flit back to her pale face frequently as if expecting her to awaken or be stolen back to the First World by hidden fey.

Seated at her side with a tense sigh, the sun-lit view that greets the waking Honoria includes an uncommonly attentive - and happy - looking weredragon leaning over her. Syval's face parts into a smile of relief as all his features lighten and his tail flicks behind him with cheer. "We're at camp, everything's okay," he assures before anything else. "We opened the chest but the trap threw you into the First World - and nearly killed you. Chipira was looking out for you I think, and Andie brought you back from the fey who saved your life."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oops. I forgot to check ... Kitty DM rolls Time Dilation (1d100+0) and gets 33 (33) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, thank goodness it wasn't 88." <OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing with 88 we would have all gotten the Honoria Treatment?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. It could even have meant we showed up way the Hell back up and beyond in the past or the future." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "As it is, when we arrive back it's close to sunset, despite it only being about half an hour or so on our own personal clocks." <OOC> Syval says, "I see, I see." Huh? (Type "help" for help.) Syval rolls Time Dilation (What-If) (1d100+0) and gets 10 (10) <OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing my roll would have landed us even closer. Also does witchy numerology apply to larger numbers, like 33 is treated as two 3's or 77 is two 7s?" With context Honoria is able to figure out what 'First World' means, and stitches the rest all back together. "I remember being dazed, very confused, lost, and weak. I think I may have been dying." she admits. But all is well now? That's great! "Did anyone else get hurt?" Honoria asks.

Because of course she does.

"Now that you are conscious, the rest of us can relax. We can deal with the chest tomorrow." Jyslin offers. "I'll leave you two to chat and go help Andie. We lost a lot of time, and she has to finish her ritual before moonrise."

And just like that, the dragon and the princess are alone together. "Sorry for the trouble. I truly thought Guardia would have it handled." the lady knight confesses. <OOC> Syval says, "Where'd Jyslin sneak off to?" <OOC> Syval says, "Oh sorry, I misread her as Andie." <OOC> Syval eyerubs a bit and squints at the time.

Syval smiles up at Jyslin and nods to the roamer as she wanders off. The lady knight is in safe hands with him and the blonde is free to see to her witch. "Be at ease and rest," he bids gently. "We let you open the chest because you had at least as good a chance as any of us. Andie says Guardia did protect you from a fire spell, and given you didn't die on the spot I suspect it dampened the poison too." Unhooking his water skin, the dragonoid offers it spout first as well as a free hand to help Honoria sit up.

"Rejoice. You may be the only person in the past century to survive a prismatic wall," he adds with a grin while name-dropping the legendary arcana.

<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness Chipira really was looking out for her. In all the Beyond what are the odds of landing in the fairy world while suffering a hag poison, and then near a helpful fey?" <OOC> Syval says, "I can't think of too many other outcomes she could have survived. The poison was ready to do her in well before we shifted over, even discounting the planes that themselves would have killed her." Honoria grimaces a bit and pushes herself up, accepting the water skin and taking a long, slow sip, swishing it around in her mouth a bit before swallowing. "I never imagined their trap could be anything so ... much, as that." she confesses. "I suppose no one else did, either, or we'd have had another plan. Still ... that is pretty humbling." She looks incisively at Syval. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, we're all unharmed," the wizard reassures. Even if he's come to expect it from the selfless chevalier, the concern is heart-warming - and reassurance that they didn't bring back a fey duplicate. "The trap was only meant for one, and we were lucky in our short journey through the fairy world. You were near to an old woman of the Winter Court - or so she seemed to be - and you left more than enough trail for Jyslin to follow." Here again Syval smiles a bit as he takes back his lightened water skin, proud of the parts everyone played.

"Your remaining wounds should mend themselves shortly thanks to Andie's potion. I had no idea even with a dozen hags that hags could weave such an Art, or that they would expend it guarding a box. Surely its contents warrant study tomorrow, and then a fair portioning," the Delzmaer notes with a wink.

<OOC> Syval realizes in hindsight that being covered in steel would make it quite difficult for a fey to impersonate Honoria. <OOC> Syval says, "Note to self: Clerics are anti-fey." <OOC> Syval says, "Pure martials less-so because fey are tricky and they have awful will saves." Honoria chuckles wryly at the handsomely avaricious dragonoid. "Investigation, definitely, before any partitioning. Your story sounds horrifying and harrowing. I can only thank Selune and Chipira that I survived that madness. I confess, i avoid the faerie peoples by any means. The stories of them have always bothered me." She is in fact glad she cannot remember meeting this one who clearly rubbed Syval's scales the wrong way.

"I give them their space as well," Syval sympathizes. "The others can give you a better accounting I think; fey are common enough in the Weathering Heights to be forewarned against and any past deals I've had with them were about as deep as that river fey we briefly encountered."

"Neos did say they're not innately evil and this one did quite a lot to save you out of a shared hatred for hags - she had ancient runes about her home that barred troll and hag magick. You stumbled through a field that sucked the hag poison right out of you, to say nothing of landing in that plane at all." The dragonoid sighs heavily and scratches his neck as along with relief the gravity of things begins to settle upon him. "Honestly I thought Andie would need to use another phoenix feather..."

Honoria nods, slowly, a true look of horror on her face. She's not really sure she could put into words the price that would exact upon her, let alone the price it would exact upon her bond with Andie. A phoenix feather, for her? Not for a dozen and more braves, as a means to end a hundred generations of war, but to bring back one lone lady knight. Could that ever possibly be a scale that balanced? And that's before the things that would change forever. "Then truly, Selune and Chipira guided the events in the only way that they could."

Syval nods solemnly and sets a supportive hand upon the lady knight's shoulder. "Indeed they did." Looking skyward, the dragonoid marks the dimming horizon somewhere beyond the trees with a curious hum. "It's later than it should be from when we left... I think it's still the same day. We'll know once the stars and moon are out tonight," he considers with an idle curiosity, as if the matter were purely academic. Compared to having their treasure and the lady knight back, it could be.

"Oh and you might still be wet in places. Jyslin gave us an expeditious wash when we returned to clean off fey world pollen," Syval adds as the thought returns to him, even though his own robes have been baked nearly dry by the Shaaren heat.

Honoria smirks a bit at that. "Most seems to have dried out." she admits to Syval. "But I can feel it. I'll deal with it later." Later, like when there isn't a male - draconic or human - sitting with her and watching. "I suppose for now you should perhaps go see if Andie needs any help with her rituals. She's going to have to complete them even more quickly, now, with the time I've cost all of you." Others can say she is not responsible or to blame, but clearly there's a part of Honoria that isn't so sure about that. "Nevertheless, thank you. Thank you for bringing me back. Even if I were to die here, I would much rather that than to be exiled to the Faerie realms. I've no business there."

"I wasn't going to leave you behind - none of us were. And you've cost us nothing, that was the hags' doing and our choice to chance their trap," Syval assures with a gentle smile that nevertheless shows a few pointed teeth. "Would you like to watch? There's quite some arcana wrapped up in it," the wizard offers as he turns his head in the direction of the towering Heart Tree.

"I would. But I do not wish to interrupt. Time is short, and I would not want to see any of it wasted." Honoria answers honestly.

Taking the cue, Syval rises begrudgingly back to his feet but offers the lady knight a taloned hand. "Then come. You won't harm anything just by being nearby. If anything having your eyes while we're focused on the ritual is a boon."

<OOC> Syval says, "afk for phone." Honoria accepts the hand and rises. She checks herself, then gathers up her baraj and returns it to the hanger of her baldric. Then reaches for and fetches her lance to hand, returning its collapsed form to her belt before following Syval out of the tent.

Outside the tent and just a few trees past lies the Heart, and it is lit quite brilliantly. The barely-waned full moon has not yet arisen, but the clearing is dazzling with nearly one hundred candles. Prepared bowls lie at cardinal points. The stalking form of a massive tigress lopes along just outside the perimeter defined by the candles, and she chuffs and shakes her head at the other two in greeting as she continues her ambling patrols.

Kneeling on the tiny island at the altar there is the skyclad immortal witch born to the name of Rashia and now carrying the mantle of Andromeda - Andie - the Witch of the Fen. Curled sinuously around her shoulders lies the irridescent glittering red-gold-orange mottled scales of the Eldritch Wyrm himself, visibly glowing as he and Andie are clearly in close communion. A soft sing-song patter of a single voice is raised, as Andie works to complete the ritual as spoken in a tongue even more ancient than Honoria's native Maenast. <OOC> Syval says, "And back." <OOC> Syval says, "Whoo! I won the WILL check against Honoria. :D" <OOC> Syval says, "Or Dip I suppose. Did the green scales give me advantage?" <OOC> Syval says, "Oh! Skyclad witch. *coughs* o.o"

Syval helps the lady knight up with ease and slips out of the tent as her vanguard to the Heart. Stalking through the dim underbrush between the tree-ringed perimeter and then across the star-domed clearing, the sandy-eyed dragon slows and squints at first at the risen glow of candlelight. Then his brow pops up when he beholds the witch herself and the magicks about her.

Jyslin receives a look and a nod of acknowledgement as the tigresses passes as Syval takes the excuse to divert his eyes. Turning his attention to the circle of candles, the wizard pauses for a moment of study to recall the Sister's earlier ritual lessons, then he slings his bardiche across over his back, straightens the belt of his robes, and steps forward to help the immortal witch's casting.

<OOC> Syval says, "On the basis I helped Andie with some of the earlier ritual prep I assume she taught me enough to be useful here - whatever's involved in that." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Lesson one: never cross the circle until the ritual is done." <OOC> Syval says, "Simple enough to follow, and one I've surely had beaten into me from the college as well. We do have bonding rituals even if they're lighter fare." <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, my point is that means you can't go up and see how to help. There's a circle defined by those candles that covers most of the clearing." <OOC> Syval says, "Ah, okay. By "forward" I'd meant towards the edge of the circle, not going inside of it. Is there anything to be done from beyond it to help other than watching for trouble?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Most of the 'help' would have been the preparation beforehand. Once the circle was closed, it's all up to those inside; in this case, Andie and Neos." <OOC> Syval says, "Ah, welp surely no need to have rushed then. Mind if I tweak that last paragraph then?" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Don't mind at all. That's why I was pointing things out."

Syval helps the lady knight up with ease and slips out of the tent as her vanguard to the Heart. Stalking through the dim underbrush between the tree-ringed perimeter the sandy-eyed dragon slows and squints at first at the risen glow of candlelight from the star-domed clearing. Then his brow pops up when he beholds the witch herself and the magicks about her.

Jyslin receives a look and a nod of acknowledgement as the tigresses passes and Syval takes the excuse to divert his eyes. Turning his attention to the field of candles, the wizard pauses for a moment of study to recall the Sister's earlier ritual lessons, then he slings his bardiche over his back, straightens the belt of his robes, and seats himself with his back against a tree and his tail curled before his lap.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmph, let's say I set the bardiche down. Forgot to tweak that part of the sentence but it's not worth revising a third time." Honoria watches the ritual in process with quiet awe. "Definitely a greater working." she comments, showing she spent more than enough time with witches in her own time to recognize such things. "But that makes good sense with the intent of binding herself to the Heart, and the Heart to her. I do wish I understood more of what that will change, once complete." Even so, they have seen the changes that have come across the swamp just by breaking its tie to the hag coven; one would imagine it changing at least that much again with a bond to Andromeda.

Soil of earth in the north. A bowl of water to the east. A bladder of air to the south. A censer of fire to the west. A ceramic node containing molten magma to the northwest. A bowl of ooze to the northeast. A jar containing still-frozen crystals of ice to the southeast. A cork-sealed tube of smoke to the southwest. Each of these are called in their turn as literal drops of Andie's blood are joined with hand-ground batter of jungle leaves and vines. The sing-song of words continues to nearly the hour of moonrise.

And as the ritual comes to a close Syval will feel a ripple of power wash out from the circle and down, down into the very earth beneath his claws, as the very flavor of the swamp changes. <OOC> Syval says, "May I K:Occult to help answer Honoria's question, for whatever Andie explained to me during ritual prep?" Syval rolls K:Occult (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie's description was pretty vague, really." <OOC> Syval says, "That sounds like her. :P" <OOC> Syval says, "I swear the only time she's straightforward is when Jyslin's in her tent." <OOC> Andie shrugs. "Sorry. It's just so hard to describe. And I knew you'd know it once you felt it." <OOC> Syval +stealth check. O:)

Somewhere in the course of the ritual Syval pulls a tablet from his pack and scribes upon it, not trusting his memory alone to record the scene in all its occult majesty. "Before the Heart was hostile to us, now it feels more like it's waiting," the weredragon tries to explain. "I think she means to wake it - or befriend it. She said it will be clearer once she's done."

After a period of studious note-taking broken by quiet marveling at the enormous and intricate construction, the scaled wizard closes his tablet and then his eyes as he focuses inwards and feels for the Heart itself through his spark. The wave of arcane power flows over him and resonates with his inner light, where Charindol's touch dwells, and his scales prick as he feels the swamp's core lurch in response.

There is a brilliance to the feel of the swamp now, a richly textured vibrancy of light and possibility, shedding much of the darkness while still embracing mystery.

Honoria claps softly, gauntlets clanking. "Pretty impressive, and I do not even have the sense for it that you lot do." But through Guardia she has some awareness that it is so, without being able to feel it herself.

With the ritual completed, Andie then stretches out her hand, extinguishing the candles and lowering the warding and containment circle. Then she turns and gestures as the candles withdraw and assemble them out of the way. Then the containers of the now-consumed materials. Last up is calling her robes forth and slipping them on.

Syval smiles at the new feel of the swamp and sets a hand to the ground, savoring it before reopening his eyes. "How fitting. It feels like a dawn," he remarks as he surveys the ritual site then turns his eyes up to the night sky before rising once more. The dragonoid's tail uncurls behind him and twitches as his wings spread and furl again. The chance to rest and the magic itself have both rejuvenated the green-scaled mage, and his sandy eyes are a few shades brighter and more alert once more.

"Well woven, Sister. It was an honor to witness such a ritual and you were just in time," he calls out, noting the position of the moon.

Andie gestures the others forward, clearly assured that all is well and safe for them to do so. "Thank you, Syval. I appreciate the kind words. And you are definitely not wrong. The timing was very tight. With the Heart secured at moonrise, however, we have averted the issues I foresaw, and set back the hopes and plans of the hag coven and their patron." Unsaid is the reality that is a real boon to everyone and everything in the region.

"I am glad to see you are looking well, Honoria." Andie offers.

The lady knight bows to the witch. "Thank you for your aid in retrieval and treatment. My debt to you only grows with the day and the night."

Jyslin pads towards the center of the Heart, and then shifts back to herself once she arrives. "I am just glad no one and nothing tried to interrupt." Then she embraces Andie. "Glad everything went well." And then she produces a glistening black berry, offering it to Neosodos. "You were very patient." she teases the ancient eldritch wyrm.

Andie sighs softly. "It is quite a lot, honestly, and I would really like to just sleep. But are you sure you two can take on the watches after today?"

Honoria nods. "I am sure we can manage. Please, go. If your lovely priestess wants to join us tonight, after several hours, she would not be unwelcome. But we can handle this."

Jyslin smiles at that. "That sounds pretty good to me. Thank you both." That said, she starts steering Andie towards their tent rather than brooking any more hemming or hawing. That leaves things back down to just Syval and Honoria.

"I already got my nap. Would you mind some company?" Honoria asks.

Syval chuckles at the lady knight's wit and breathes deeply of the night air of the now emptied clearing. "Your company is most welcome. Your near death isn't weighing upon you after the potion?" he responds with a brightness in his eyes despite the surrounding darkness. The scaled wizard turns back towards camp and his tail brushes the lady knight's side. "Here, I can lead you back to camp."

Syval chuckles at the lady knight's wit and breathes deeply of the night air of the now emptied clearing. "Your company is most welcome. Your near death isn't weighing upon you after the potion?" he asks with a brightness in his eyes despite the surrounding darkness. The scaled wizard turns back aside and his tail brushes the lady knight's side. "Here, I can lead you back to camp."

<OOC> Syval says, "Same content, less redundant. Sorry, I'm still settling in a little." "I appreciate the assistance." Honoria answers, reaching out to lay a hand on a big green scaled shoulder. "Honestly, I do not really feel much like I was near death. I know I was; I recall it happening. But physically, do not feel it. And I am deeply grateful to be alive."

Once they are back and settled Honoria leans Guardia against her body and leans back against the bole of a tree. "I cannot feel it the way you can. But I think you are right; the swamp does feel different now."

Syval sets a sedate pace back to camp and takes care as they pass into woods to chart a path that's relatively clear and walkable. His wing tucks out of the way to one side, partly shading the lady knight, and once they separate the young wizard jabs his bardiche into the ground as is his custom and crouches down to unpack his tent for the night. "The fey's stasis effect must have been well-timed," he remarks with the thoughtfulness of a mage with interest piqued. "It's for the best we departed when we did. That realm had many fascinating things but I'm sure nothing there was safe to dwell on."

At the mention of the swamp, the dragon-touched apprentice quirks his brow and looks over curiously. "How does it feel to you?"

"Less creepy. Less ominous. Less negatively intent." Honoria explains. "That's the best I can explain it. It's all rather nebulous to me. I imagine far less so to you."

"A little but this is the first land I've felt any connection to. I hope to take some time later and commune with it. That seems like the green dragon thing to do," Syval replies with a light-hearted smile as he finishes clearing a patch of ground for himself and lays out his tent. "It does feel... brighter. Not happy but at peace maybe, and surely more welcoming. We'll have an easier time traversing it from now on and maybe more game will return to it too."

"I do not know much about dragons." Honoria admits. "Not much beyond the basics. But I imagine you might be right." Right, that communing with nature, with the swamp, might be informative and useful. Worthwhile 'green dragon' behavior. "More game would be good. I haven't seen much since we came inside."

Honoria relaxes, considers for a bit. "I think I want to walk out tomorrow, if we can. I want to see if the herd really did stick around to see what happened. I want them to know we succeeded. And I'd like to thank them, again, for their help." Honestly she's not even considering that she could ask one of them to stay with her. But if they are out there she would not hesitate to listen to that advice. It really would change her new world life, to have a 'real' mount equal to her needs.

"I'm sure Jyslin would enjoy the exercise," Syval grins at the thought. "And that's a good thought. They deserve to hear the good news and again our gratitude. I do suspect a few stayed behind to watch for us, probably volunteers who liked the noble knight they met. You should ask if a young one is willing to join you," the wizard suggests slyly as he knocks tent posts into the soft earth. "It should give them plenty of stories and I can't think of a more fitting mount for you."

Honoria demures shyly. "The hunnuli are amazing. They were created, according to the legends, to be the mounts of great wizards. I am sure I am little worthy of that kind of bond. Yet even so, I would be beyond humbly pleased and deeply moved to accept that gift if it were freely offered."

The dragonish mage snorts lightly. "I've met plenty of wizards about the High College and the Hunnuli have sense enough to pick you over even the archmage. Perhaps in Volthuma's time mages were able riders but Delzimmer doesn't even teach casting from horseback, and they aren't a very coordinated bunch, don't let me fool you."

Securing his tent poles into place, Syval surveys his handiwork then turns his sandy eyes back to the lady knight. "If you won't ask their help then just make vaguely known your plans and that you intend to continue in long travels. They've seen your lance and can tell the obvious without being told."

<OOC> Syval says, "An amusing and quite hazardous realization has come to me: practicing concentration checks would be stupendously dangerous so it likely isn't done at all above cantrip spells. That's enough for the barest minimum of practice but concentrating enough to cast a cantrip is a world apart from casting more serious magic, so in practical terms that's an exercise for apprentices learning not a useful drill for graduate wizards." <OOC> Syval is good to pause after that pose. His muse is ahead of him to bed. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dwaggin muse. "Sweet dreams." :) <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Cantrip through second level spells, basically. And you're not wrong." Honoria chuckles wryly. "I will try to be more forthright than all of that. If they truly are still around and seem like they are interested, I will mention that I would welcome the friendship and company. But I will not ask them to make that choice." It will be a diplomatic balancing act ... and apparently something for which the princess knight is quite prepared.

She does take the chance to tease, however. "Are you saying that you are a rare and unusual wizard, Syval of Amlar?" The tone makes the tease very clear.

"Yes I am sure you will find the right words, princess," Syval nods knowingly, then a hand comes to his mouth as the weredragon tries to stifle his laughter, seated as close as they are to Andie's double tent. "Not as a wizard, Lady Penspiras, only in things that wizards are not. I trust in your judgement to tell them apart," he replies in a clean and polished tone, playing up the nobility.

"Ah and speaking of which..." With his tent erected, the scaled wizard looks down at himself then shuts his eyes and wills his transformation away.

Honoria offers a little smile and a nod. "You are getting better at that. And it's not quite as agonizing to watch." It may never be as easy as watching Jyslin's changes, but at least the crunching is minimized, and the grunts of pain and moans of agony are minimal now.

"I will do my best to remember your unique talents lie along different paths." the lady knight teases. "I venture to say with all of the changes wrought of time, my own skills and experience are probably not as applicable as once they were." In a fight? Sure. A war? It seems such things are unheard of, now. A princess knight? Nigh unto blasphemy in the mindsets of modern Delzimmer. And they certainly would not approve.

Syval lets out a shaky breath once he's settled back into human form and gives Honoria a small nod to show he's listening. While the process has gotten faster and more comfortable the tenderness that follows still takes a few seconds to fade.

"Perhaps but I would not leave them uncounted. Your skill at arms are as useful as ever beyond city walls and the world is wide with opportunities for statecraft and diplomacy. Delzimmer lives and breathes by the spoken word," the young wizard offers as he adjusts the fit of his robes back upon his original frame. Though not quite as stretched and showy, the silken clothes fit him better this way. "And I don't think the knowledge of your own time is lost and gone, truly. Your statue survived to this day so other things must have, and we're heading from here to a village founded by your order if legends and all the red hair are true. Chipira and Selune willing, you'll find connections."

"Certainly my skill at arms still has value. But my greatest skill lies in leading others in the manners of battle I know, and it seems there are nearly none such in this time." Honoria responds. Of course she knows nothing of the Brotherhood of Athena, though she could assume there would still be knights there. But lady knights? It is called the Brotherhood, which she takes to be almost alien to her own experience.

Honoria lifts her blonde braid. "Red hair was not so common in my time. Nor blonde, for that matter. But I do look forward to a chance to see what the remnants of the Chevaliers wrought in their mountain fastness."

"If you mean pitched battles in open fields then I fear you're right, but any traveling group on the roads include plenty of guards and those who can travel mounted," Syval offers. "They aren't armored in plate steel and most fights will be bandits or monsters like we've faced, but with silver and a cause perhaps there are enough for you to form a band." Chuckling softly to himself, the therianthrope mage brushes his sapphire armband. "Once my lessons with Neosodos are further along I would like some instruction for myself if you'll spare it. Flying seems much akin to riding on horseback and you're my better with polearms."

"Red is at least more common than green," Syval grins as he brushes a bang of his own. "Red hair is common to Aramis uniquely; it's peculiar elsewhere but not a bad thing, not unless one is otherwise witch-touched. Blonde you'll see everywhere though you'll stand above the common folk regardless."

<OOC> Syval figures our sparring so far has been of the dismounted variety, not that we haven't been training at all. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Maybe with bronze and a cause." <OOC> Syval says, "Er thank you, keep that "gold and a cause". I substituted from "gold and a cause" but got the wrong metal. >_<" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "No problem. That's what editorial notes are for." :) <OOC> Syval says, "Aye but I put such attention elsewhere I should have caught that. For some reason in my head it was gold that bronze switched with, not silver. Ah well, live and learn." <OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, though if it gets me smooches maybe I should make more. <.<" "Pitched mass battles. Open fields still seem aplenty." Honoria observes wryly. Indeed she would venture to say it seems there's even less massed forest in this age than her own, though she has not exactly seen full maps to affirm taht conclusion. "I'll teach you what I can, though I know little of flying itself, and there's a whole third dimension to that, and needs to land, which do not apply to horseback." She can see the differences, imagine them, but has no training or experience with them.

"True enough. Green is one only spoken of amongst faerie and some few elves, from what I recall. Though I did not know many of their kind in my time." Honoria explains. But stories are stories, and elves have always been closely associated with woodlands and nature, all of which comes back to green. "My height was rare enough in my own time. I've no problem imagining it is as rare now. But it seems so too will be my arms and armor. Subtle will not work much for me." Nor for the green-haired wizard, it seems.

Amazing when a weretigress priestess with hip-length ash blonde hair and a redheaded witch with a tiny pseudodragon on her shoulders can pass muster more subtly than others in their party.

"Your grace and etiquette will also betray you, but that supports your claim to noble birthright," Syval notes positively. "I'm fortunate that a wizard being "touched" isn't so strange but I've no hope blending into a new town without hiding it. And you're right that your arms and armor are equally fit for your station." Running a hand through his hair, the wizard sighs unhappily as he considers, "If we want to travel discretely I'll need to dye my hair and you'll need to disguise or carry your armor. Perhaps it would be best to carry a training sword as well, or at least slide a more weather-beaten scabbard around yours."

<OOC> Syval is amused by the mental image of how we might look in disguise together. Of course it's all out the window if there's a Hunnuli. <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hah! All too true." "I would probably be well served to start dressing like Jyslin. And color my hair. Assuming I wanted to pass with minimal or no notice." That kind of thing is anything but normal and natural to Honoria, but she is at least capable of thinking of it. "And you are right: I would need to doff the armor and pack it away unseen. Hiding away Guardia would be harder." The shield would not like that.

Tough thing when arms and armor have opinions on how they are carried.

"It's quite the large shield," Syval nods, following the difficulty if not the reason for it. "Perhaps we could cover it with leather or strap it to a pack in a way that blends in; wooden and hide shields are very common. And I would advise cinching your clothes a bit more than Jyslin does for mobility. I'm convinced running and leaping around like she does in full robes is done by a Selunite blessing. I wear mine shorter because that's harder than it looks," he explains while lifting the hemmed up end of his robe for illustration.

"And perhaps Andie knows some long-lasting illusionary arts, though that was never my school of focus so I doubt I could well cast them day in and day out without suspicion..." Giving up on the notion the green-haired mage shrugs in defeat. "All the same I hope we can avoid too much company before Aramis. It's well that Cantare has made peace and disguising and hiding are distasteful, even if they might be necessary for us."