Lies of a Tension
Log Info
- Title: Lies of a Tension
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Jinks, Merek, Mikilos, Serene
- Place: W02: The Wilderness
- Time: Wednesday, November 02, 2022, 10:44 PM
- Summary: Jinks is waiting out at Ashenvale when Merek and Mikilos arrive. Their 'host', the Vouivre Yaretzi-Yolotli is nowhere to be found. The ruined town and blasted wilderness have not changed. There is incessant rain. The Vouivre returns in her disguise of Mayor, Assistant and highly interactive Swiftclaw, and reluctantly reveal the results of their scrying attempts. Assisted by random, unwilling monsters who were dropped down the hole. Merek goes to investigate one of the Flesh lumps and it investigates him back. Only some frantic draconic raging on his part saves the Seer. Serene arrives, Jinks explains that they're working with the lesser of two evils, the one intent on going into politics, not the one intent on consuming the world. Serene warns them to behave as Jinks summons his loremaster, learning a few more details and most unnerving, the Flesh is somehow corrupting the weave. Informed, everyone prepares for the stragglers and waits.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* W02: The Wilderness *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The path from the village eventually narrows somewhat, with the trees on either side becoming more populous. Moss hangs from large stones that sit surrounded by beds of leaves that has accumulated over the years.
A few trails wander in varied directions though eventually even these woods will thicken. One particular trail carries with it the scent of natural brimstone...this trail wanders north and westward, where the trees grow thick once more. To the east, it's rumored that the druids have built a sacred site.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes. Mikilos 6'8" 180 Lb Dawn Elf Male Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome. Serene 6'2" 175 Lb Eldanar/Charn Female Glacier meets granite meets strawberries. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
- The Wilds of Alexandros, the ruined town of Ashenvale.
Little has changed, the town is still ground zero of a great firestorm, the surroundings charred to the ground, covered in drifts of ash and strange, fleshy lumps that occasionally move, but mostly simply exist. There are no birds, no bugs. The few signs of motion are when the flesh attacks something that has wandered too close.
Not 'too close', is a Vardo. Unusually, it appears empty. The Colourful wagon is parked at the side of the road.
A fancy gnome looking quite fit for a robbing sits in the shadow of the wagon. He's towards the back on a stump with a fire crackling strong enough to endure the rain. He had the gold-trimmed hood of his green cloak up to ward off the wet while the flames keep him warm.
Black-on-black eyes shine like marbles as he stares into the flickering conflagration. He cups his chin in overly-decorated fingers. A black bow sits in a harness on his back and mithral glitters between the open collar of his silk shirt.
Merek took his time to get there easily enough, when he does though he takes a look at what's there. He frowns pensively, wearing the hood along his features of the dark attire. "What happened here?" he asks, taking a look about a little bit.
Mikilos seldom travels by mundane means, but this happens to be one of the times, arriving by simple horse. He does seem to have avoided the worst of the rain, though weather that's a wizard thing or an elf thing is hard to say. Peering around a few moments himself, he dismounts, nodding to the others present.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8+17: (9)+8+17: 34 (Y-Y's Stealth) GAME: Jinks rolls Perception: (14)+25: 39 (vs DC34 - Success!) GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (1)+28: 29 (EPIC FAIL) (vs DC34 - Fail) GAME: Merek rolls perception: (2)+25: 27
A huge, flying, shadowy shape is high in the air, in the rain. It's growing larger and darker, heading right for the Vardo, then suddenly banks away. It was coming from the Town Centre.
The weather is miserable. Cold rain falls from a grey-black sky. Curls of mist waft on the wind, coming off the forest and roiling along the ground, condensing on the Flesh, making it glisten in unpleasant ways.
The Vardo is clearly empty, but doesn't appear damaged in any way.
"The undead cut a swathe through this town." Jinks tells Merek, only glancing up briefly from the fire at the sound of people approaching. "Leveled it and left nothing alive. Whatever it ate turned into the globs you see."
The gnome doesn't seem too concerned about the ambulatory meatballs. They're far enough away and they don't seem to notice the half-abandoned little camp. Most are all-but-entirely idle. A few work at tearing carrion with bone spikes and stretched pseudo-pods.
"Most of the oozes are a minor nuisance but there are hundreds of them. They're unscathed by fire--" he gestures a hand around at all the scorched trees and ruined building husks. "There's a tunnel, straight down, in the middle of the town. Some sort of central, controlling presence is down there... but I don't know what. I've never heard of an ooze with a hivemind before," he finishes with a sigh. "And it's shielded against magics.
"Our host is returning." The bard adds after quickly glancing up. "They're a peculiar thing. Her inclinations are not what most would consider benevolent... but they're attempting to turn over a new leaf."
Mikilos peers out at the 'flesh lumps' with a frown, keeping a respectful distance. "I can think of a set of oozes that worked towards a common goal... they paralyzed two countries, involved a fey queen, time travel bullshit, and got me decapitated by a demon lord. Not fond memories." He peers around at mention of a 'host'.
Several minutes later there are footsteps in the rain. Heavy footfalls of a huge beast, squelching into the mud of the road. Out of the misty drizzle an immense Swiftclaw appears. Upon its back are two individuals, both riding side-saddle on opposite sides. They're sheltering beneath umbrellas which is keeping the rain off them.
Not the Swiftclaw.
"Oh!" The rider in front, a woman with Orange hair and strangely slit-pupil eyes calls out. "We weren't expecting you. You should warn us."
"Yes." The second passenger echoes, staring at Jinks, then Merek, "We've met you before, right?"
The swiftclaw, whose head towers above Mikilos' horse, is staring at the horse.
"Did you say Time Travel?" The second passenger asks. Her elfin ears are for more than show.
Merek doesn't comment about time travel, instead he takes a look to the flesh while he thinks about the undead, "Perhaps holy energy," he muses, then he nods a little bit. "We probably met aye," he says to the people which look to be arriving on the swiftclaw. He offers a little wave while he peeks from the hood with draconic eyes, "Anyway."
"Only dark holy energy," the autumn themed woman, Mayor Retzi, says. "Otherwise it heals. It's living."
The mayor's assistant, Yolo, leans quite far over in her saddle, to look down at Jinks. "Where's the others? Are you bringing just males?" Her mouth wrinkles slightly in distaste.
The Swiftclaw remains still, raindrops spattering off emerald scales. It snorts.
Mikilos nods politely to the trio. Mostly the riders, but never hurts to be polite to a carnivore larger than you. "I did. Wrecked havoc with cause and effect, motivations, and exactly how old several people are now. The White Tower that allowed the effect was destroyed and lost, however." Might have been rebuilt, but no reason to go into that.
"'All travel is time travel; just in one direction at an unremarkable pace.'" Jinks recites the old joke with a ghost of a smirk. He reaches down into a shadow and tosses a few pieces of kindling and a decent-sized log into the freshly-made pit. The gnome then cups his hands into a loose fist and blows, pink most of prestidigitorial magic cleaning away the bark, sap, and dust quickly.
"I hadn't planned to come here-- but here I am," shrugs the gnome. Sitting up a little, he considers the current form of the conglomerate creature and offers a wave as an afterthought. "I have made inquiries with Goddess Dreaming's temple. If the Silver Guard answers my call you'd best act as paragons of virtue as she's a firm believer in first impressions."
He nods at Merek. "They aren't undead. Not in the blighted energy-sense, awnays, but perhaps.
"The great and good take time to rally without the threat looming immediate," he tells the women. "Give me time."
"Have you tried normal old swords and all that," Merek muses, then he lifts up his shoulders, "Anyway, there should not be difficulty in finding a way to negative energy channel in this place, I would gather that more mundane means would be better." He walks forward towards where the flesh is at, kneeling down to examine it.
GAME: Jinks casts Shadow Conjuration. Caster Level: 15 DC: 25
"Cutting and stabbing will wound them-- but also inspires regeneration and growth. Vigorous bladework can outpace it's capacity to heal," Jinks sighs again, wiping his face. "Hammer blows and hard impacts are most-effective." Turning, he watches Merek start towards the ruined town and sucks at his teeth.
"Merek," he sing-songs. A bejeweled hand reaches into his sleeve, stretching out the shadows there so that they begin to billow and expand. He waves that hand with a flourish and manifests a horse that roils half-formed in the dark of night. "It's real." He suggests, motioning for the man to climb up. "It will fly you there faster than on foot."
"Well you surprised us. We don't have time get dressed. It's rather embarrassing actually." Retzi admits, adjusting in the saddle but not dismounting. Perhaps she enjoys looking down on others.
Yolo, and oddly the Swiftclaw, listen intently to Mikilos before both their heads turn to face Jinks. Retzi continues to speak, "We looked into the Hole for you. By... well I really can't say. We did it ..."
She halts as Merek wanders away, off towards a fleshy lump five hundred yards away. "Um... um... you shouldn't do that."
The Swiftclaw snorts as a horse appears.
"It's not real." Yolo pats the rump.
There's a deep, rumbling growl that sounds exactly a large, oversized Siamese complaining. Very deep, very resonant, very unhappy, as if it recognizes that the horse is not real.
The shadow steed swiftly bears the Seer to his object of interest.
It's a lump. Dismounting for a closer examination, it is clearly meat, aged like beef jerky, or a gutted deer hanging and curing from a tree. There doesn't appear to be any organs, it seems uniform, muscle, gristle, fat, covered in a layer of congealed blood, surrounded by a concretion of soot that has soaked it up. It stinks. There are some flies stuck to it, all alive. The dead ones seem absorbed.
It quivers at Merek's presence, and then lurches, lunging in a swift movement that envelopes his head and shoulders, attempting to suck him in.
Mikilos watches Merek with a mild frown, but doesn't object. A brow quirks at the ladies mention of not being dressed, but again declines to comment. Then the lump moves, and the wizard is a bit more alert and active.
Merek seems to be caught up by the thing, and he lets out a small little sigh. He struggles a bit with it, but eventually he draws up what looks like draconic claws, moving it away and doing his best to back away from it, having what he came to get. Afterward, he climbs back up onto the steed to move along to where he was, cleaning himself off with magic.
"Don't argue with me when I'm trying to help you," Jinks challenges, lips pressed thin as he glares across the fire. The gnome seems on the verge of leaving for a moment but pulls his hood back instead, covering his face for the heartbeat it takes to turn all smiles.
"You both look supremely alluring," he promises, "I can barely keep my seat." Rings glitter in the firelight as he places a hand over his heart. "And your noble steed is great, strong, and proud.
"You could have an epoch to prepare and never look more lovely than you do now." He smiles, gestures, and then turns back to the fire.
"We just need to be better about working together," he finishes as some of the petals fall from his flowery words.
Contradictory, the ladies are dressed, wearing wilderness appropriate clothes, leather jerkin, pants, scaled boots. Green scaled boots for Yolo, orange-brown ones for Retzi. The Swiftclaw has a blanket, the double side-saddle and some baldrics.
"Oh, oh thank you." Retzi brushes her hand through her orange hair.
Yolotle also sits proudly, squaring her shoulders. Even the Swiftclaw appears mollified.
The moment doesn't last, as Merek's peril draws their attention. "Maybe a whole lot of fire will work." Yolo shouts at him.
"Maybe... no. Fire doesn't work." Retzi says, "Don't use Fire... dark man!"
The swiftclaw digs talons into the road, but remains in place.
The flesh is torn by the Seer's claws. He is successful in slashing it off him, although each cut bubbles with blood and a sickly boil erupts, turning into more flesh. He's able to retreat but it has grown larger. The shadow steed adds enough distance it stops pursuing.
Mikilos relaxes somewhat as Merek starts to return. "So they're immune to fire, and healed by positive energy. How have other energy types fared? And there was a mention of being shielded from magic? The lumps, or just whatever is down below?
"The tunnel," Jinks answers, turning to Merek. "Going down into the tunnel something is working against magics. I couldn't venture too deep. Not alone. Enhanced sound, worked. They have no eyes to be stymied by illusory magics... and this seems to somehow stretch into magics of the Shadow Plane." The gnome stands and stretches, walking around the fire and closer to the women (and mount).
"You went in. What did you find?" The maestro crosses his arms. "Be descriptive; I can reach into the Hymn to extrapolate but I need more than I have now.
"Please."
GAME: Merek casts True Seeing. Caster Level: 15 DC: 19
Merek looks back to the place where all that flesh is at, dismounting the steed while he nods, "Thanks, Jinks," then he takes the time to write sigils along in front of him, while he opens his eyes with them glowing an ethereal blue.
It's not a swiftclaw with women people riding it. It's some bizarre singular creature. The front half of a green dragon, with two long tails that become women. Sort of like nagas with humanoid female bodies. The tails become their hips, leading to a torso and a fully formed humanoid. There are some illusions to disguise it.
"We... ah... we didn't go in." Retzi says, oddly reluctant. Yolo stares at her, while the Swiftclaw shifts to keep its eyes on Jinks, the mouthful. The lightly scaled, autumn coloured woman fidgets a bit more, adjusting her seating, adjusting her hair.
"He said spirit of cooperation and honesty." Yolo says, resting a hand on the other woman's thigh.
Retzi takes a large gulp of air. "Okay. We... found some monsters in the forest, charmed them, magick'd them up and dropped them down the hole with a scrying on them to take a look around."
"Several times." Yolo adds.
"Some suggests several, yes. We did. It didn't last long. The scrying kept breaking up, we couldn't track them. It was harder and harder to find the critter, and... well they were in a pit with those things."
The swiftclaw meanwhile, stares at the Seer as he casts his spell. It snorts in alarm.
"Cold is effective." Yolo tells Mikilos, "Freeze them and beat them. The anti-magic... well, it seems the more they get bleed or get spattered, the more resistance there is to magic around them. Like the area is going dead."
She looks suddenly at Merek, "What are you doing?"
GAME: Jinks rolls Spellcraft: (4)+17: 21
"They're a vouivre, Merek," Jinks explains after nodding to accept the man's thanks. "A beautiful mutation that adds a third half." The gnome gestures between the two women 'riding' the swiftclaw. "They'd allied with a necromantic kobold dictator after being bewitched by her promises...
"But they're past that," he offers with no small amount of finality. The little dandy can be quite persuasive!
"Though... the idea of 'no more slaves' seems to need some explaining," sighs the gnome, turning around and pushing his fingers back through his loose, long hair. "You've also fed whatever it is more fodder," he observes. "So you never were able to scry it properly? Never saw it?" Turning back, he looks up between the women.
"... I can't help you with this if I die trying to root that thing out."
Mikilos nods thoughtfully at the words, blinking and taking a second look at the mention of 'vouivre'. That... explains a few things, actually.
The unmistakable sound of wings beating at the air announces Serene's arrival as Silver kills his speed, bringing the pair in for a brisk yet controlled landing. Feathers immediately ruffle as the feathered warrior reacts to his rider's stiffening, but Serene releases the reins with one hand to sink comforting fingers into Silver's neck feathers to calm him. She dismounts a moment later.
Once the paladin is fully grounded, the gryphon sidesteps a few feet. Not so much away from Serene and the gathered people of this out of the way meeting; more like one unsure of the ground here, wishing to be ready to act. Serene, for her part, studies everyone in turn... recognizing everyone save the two swiftclaw riders, each of whom are subject to a longer, more studious gaze. Finally she says, "I received your request, Jinks. I am here." Simple statements, though loaded.
The three get very fidgety, the two women pulling closer with Yolo putting her arms around Retzi. The Swiftclaw rubs one ankle against it's shin in a very human-like, nervous 'guilty'stance. It's almost a surprise when it speaks.
Its voice, her voice, is feminine and similar to the other two, despite being a few octaves deeper. She has the volume and resonance of an immense pair of lungs. She's staring directly at Merek, "You're making it very challenging for us to stay in our roles."
"Shush Yaree! Don't Speak." Yolo admonishes, looking away from Mikilos's thoughtful gaze. There's another deep grumbling-growl from the 'Swiftclaw'.
"We did manage to scry," Retzi continues, speaking loudly with the intent of steering the conversation, "The Hole goes down one hundred and eighty feet. It opens into a circular chamber. There's a huge mass of flesh in the centre of it, like a pond, and it's on the ceiling too. There's a big set of connecting tissue between them also"
"There are holes in this chambre, side passages, that have flesh in them too. One of the wolves ran to it's end. Its not an entrance or exit, more like roots growing out."
"Actually, I had a question about slaves and 'no more slaves'" Yolo interrupts, looking at Jinks, "is slavery okay as a form of punishment, for properly tried and convicted criminals?"
"Yolo!"
"Well I miss my kobolds."
"Maybe we can hire some, but Heroic Jinks has made it clear we're not allowed to make them stay." Retzi states.
Hints of their conversation were on the wind, snippets snappable by the arriving rider. The two woman and their mount immediately fall silent, staring at Serene.
Finally the spring themed one, Yolo, in green gasps, "Oh she's pretty!"
GAME: Serene rolls knowledge/religion: (9)+13: 22 (vs DC20 - Success)
Mikilos turns at the gryphon's arrival, watching with mild interest before nodding greeting to Serene. Turning attention back to the ladies, he inquires. "The Lumps, at roughly what range do they sense activity? How close can one get before they attack? And lifelong incarceration, aka slavery, is seldom proper."
"..." Jinks doesn't say anything but his exquisite gnomish features perfectly read 'perfect fucking timing' as the vouivre works in three-part harmony to dig itself a hole. Deep breath in. Slow exhale. "Serene."
The gnome half-turns. He's in front of the creature and in between it and the three less-familiar heroes. Running over him wouldn't be a problem for any present-- but maybe a one-thousand gold speed bump is enough to make people think twice.
Concerns on the matter of diplomatic relations fall to the wayside when it begins describing the tissue tunnels. The meat mound. The fleshy cravass. The black-on-black eyes have taken on grey swirls like smoked onyx spheres. He nods.
"Did you see anything moving around inside the space? A central node, clump, or knot? A brain? Discoloration...?" His voice is distant as he searches...
Merek blinks a bit at the swiftclaw, which... He then nods a bit, "I apologize, I am trying to figure out this flesh thing, well not much to speak of there, anyway." He waits, listening to everyone, and he considers. "Well, do we have any ideas? All I can think of is some kind of living rot that seems to be existing."
"But what about...?" Yolo starts to ask, before her 'sister' clamps a hand over her mouth.
"One topic at a time, Yolo, Mr. Mage." Retzi says, smiling hopefully at Serene, "Greetings. I'm the Mayor of this town, Rezti." She gestures at the blasted and burned landscape, and the crumbled shells of distant buildings down the road, "This is my assistant, Yolo, and our Swiftclaw, Yaree. We were discussing the current threat."
A large collection of fleshy lumps around the countryside, that keep growing.
"Apology accepted." Retzi dips her head in Merek's direction, "The connection between the two ponds of flesh had a discolouration at the centre. A large lump, it seemed a lot larger, and like there was more siney."
"There was something wrong when the monsters feel through." Yolo observers.
"Yes... they didn't hit as hard as we were expecting."
The Swiftclaw shifts in place, keeping an eye on Silver and the other eye on Serene.
"The little ones react when something gets within twenty feet of them. The flesh down the hole that reacts at a much greater distance." Yolo finally answers 'Mr Mage's' first question.
"Archmage Mikilostravia Abrioudelanarchie Mithralla, Lord of Estranillia, Builder Arcane, if one is feeling overly formal. 'Mikilos' is fine for most situation." Mr Mage introduces himself.
Serene offers a small, distant nod to Mikilos, but her eyes remain fixed upon the disguised creature. "As Jinks has said, I am Serene. A paladin of Eluna. I trust you know what that means." She lets this sit for a moment, visage grim as she watches the mayor for its reaction. Or various reactions, as the case may be. "I sense the darkness within you. It is, perhaps, only Maestro Jinks's claim you are upon a path of redemption that stays my hand. I recognize the trappings of Caracaroth about you which do very little to reassure me."
Off to her side, Silver returns the swiftclaw's eyeing, scratching the ground with one claw as he huffs... but he makes no further move.
"However, this threat you describe is grave, and I trust Jinks's account of the matter. You are warned, however, that I will brook no betrayal. If it is the path of redemption you seek, you had best follow it carefully and truthtully."
"Nice to meet you, Mikilos. OH! You build Arcane things? Can we order some?" Yolo says enthusiastically.
The Swiftclaw, with Rezti now, continue to warily watch Serene, and then waves her hands rapidly, "Ah... ah. I'm not a cleric anymore, I'm a mayor. Secular authority."
"We can order magic things later."
She squirms a little, remaining in the saddle, her sister is also a bit wriggly. "It is really bad. We were hoping to handle it without adventurers, but we couldn't. So, thanks for your potential assistance, Silverguard Serene."
The Swiftclaw looks at the Vardo, then swings her large head back around.
The gnome clears his throat, nodding again as he finishes listening to the vouivre's description. He's trembling as he breathes in, eyes rolling back as they seem to go from milky-onyx to smoke in his sockets.
"It's not of Ea..." he observes, his voice impossibly distant. A tiny tendril-- a ghost of a spiked pseudo-pod crawls out from the collar of his shirt, up his neck and around his cheek. "A rot... corruption that feasts and perverts without guidance." The tendril crawls into his smoke-filled socket and sprouts, branching and reaching and braching again like the groping tongue of a flatworm. "No mind to guide it..."
There's the echo of a thump from somewhere else. The gnome's sleeve has torn away and the ghost-image of lumpen, rotting flesh cascades down to pile and burble at his feet.
"There's properties... change as they touch new..." he belches as his face deforms from within. "The great and swollen might explode-- it can touch the Weave and corrupt it. Consume magic. It reaches for the Source."
"The pools resonate madness."
With the last observation the gnome collapses into a ghostly mound, meat, muscle, flesh, and bone with no organizing principles.
Jinks stands above the horror as it collapses away into quickly-dissipating smoke.
"... Mulria's sideways smile," he chokes right before turning away and retching up his dinner.
Mikilos nods. "I do build arcane things. We can talk later." The elf watches Jink's.... vision? With a frown and a hard swallow. "....drop in some Freezing Sphere's. Ice it solid. Drop in a cask of black powder with a long fuse, crack the frozen mass to pieces. Maybe sprinkle in some nethicite, if it feeds on mana."
The Swiftclaw takes a step, then another backing away from Jinks. She and her two riders stare with eyes widening in horror. Retzi is clutching at one of those discrete holy symbols on her collar that the sharp-eye'd paladin noticed. Yolo holds close to her, casting about for a weapon she doesn't have.
"Those... sound like great ideas." Retzi says finally, still staring at the aberration that was the little man, and now fading back to the gem-studded gnome.
"Actually... would you all look away for a moment, so we could get dressed properly?" Yolo asks, tugging at the saddle. "He's okay right, he doesn't do that normally?"
Mikilos immediately faces the other direction, but nods. "Very little of this could be called normal, but pretty sure he'll be okay."
"The discolored clump... stretching between the two pools," Jinks offers, leaning with one arm braced against far side of the wagon as he catches his breath. He leans forward a little and spits, trying to clear the taste of sick at least a little.
"It's not a brain but it's a central cluster... a cyst or a main nerve. That needs to be destroyed." He sighs, heavily. "Between the pools that resonate with the Void to fracture your mind. And the large clumps that will explode if they can't tear and consume...
"Help, please," he pleads.
Content her message has been at the very least received, Serene nods once to the Vouivre, then turns her attention to the bard as he taps into the weave, using himself as a vessel to impart knowledge of the threat looming in the described tunnels.. and despite herself, her hand goes to the weapon at her hip. Silver's wings unfold, beating once, twice, as if getting prepared for battle. But as the paladin's sword remains sheathed, the gryphon remains landbound when the bard's enchantment fades. Her eye twitches, once. Then her hand falls away as she walks over to Jinks, kneeling before him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hold still. Perhaps this will help." A soothing aura behind to radiate from the gauntletted hand, then flows into the gnome, settling in.
Serene is focussed on Jinks; Silver's not looking away. They don't have a mental bond or anything.
Mikilos takes a few steps backwards towards Jinks, offering a small flask that smells of wintermint and alcohol. "Clear the taste from your tongue."
Jinks' predicament offers a distraction and an opportunity the Vouivre isn't going to let go to waste. While the adventurers are occupied, and the mounts hopefully uncomprehending, Yaree moves to the front of the Vardo.
She, they, are wearing an illusion which as obvious to anyone with True Sight. Even those without would see something unusual as it strains to maintain the images of three separate forms of something that is clearly one. Retzi and Yolo fasten the harness straps around the Swiftclaw and then vanish beneath the Vardo.
The two women reappear at the side window, leaning out. "Is he okay? Do you want some tea?"
"Thanks," Jinks nods, suddenly holding a pocket square he uses to wipe his mouth before putting on a thin smile for Serene. He considers the paladin and then looks back towards Mikilos and Merek. "I have my bow and I can help to bolster your efforts... but most of my magics will be useless against this creature.
"I didn't realize it was pushing into the Weave." The gnome turns, looking across the ruined landscape through the rain. "Just give me a minute..." He's frowning as he pulls the hood of his cloak back up and goes for a walk behind the vardo.
Merek looks between all the people there, and nods a little bit. "I will need to get equipped with tools to handle all of this, for the time being I would like to study." He then pulls the dark longcoat about his frame and watches from the hood, draconic eyes curious about it all, "It's always something around here."
Serene gives Jinks a short nod, then rises as she watches him disappear briefly to gather himself. When she turns back to face the other, Mikilos, Merek, the mayor and her assistant, her eyes narrow a little bit at the change in the creature's presentation. "He will be fine. Give him a few moments while the rest of you finish explaining what you know of this abomination to me and how we might best attack it. It sounds as though my primary role will be to keep the rest of you alive while you freeze and dismantle it. But it would be best to have contingency plans."
"Jinks covered all of it, really. That's a lot more than we knew. After we finished of the wights it grew out of the hole and gradually took over." Retzi explains, sitting on the edge of the window. An awning protects her from the rain.
The mist is everywhere.
"I can't think of anything to add." Yolo admits, "the monsters didn't last very long at all. It reacts a lot quicker closer to the source."
"Fire doesn't work." The Swiftclaw rumbles, settling down on the ground. "It will try to corrupt your flesh, get inside you."
"Yaree! Don... actually that's a good point." Retzi interrupts, "They do sometimes shoot things, bones, boils. They will grab anything that lingers too long."
Yolo pops from the side window to the back window, where she can check on Jinks. She gives a rictus grin to Serene, and a slight wave. "Just a matter of waiting for the others. Want some scones?"
Scones or no, there is the waiting.
OOC
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "this is several hours coach ride from Alexandria, so not 'an easy stroll', you can have hired a ride or teleported or whatnot, been waiting a bit or bamfing in, as you will."
<OOC> Jinks can only think of Grant in Act 3 of Slither going "I'M SO HUNGRY" in chorus.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Did you want this scene to push right into the event on Sunday, Cryo, or break it up into two IC days?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I need to sleep and was gonna pose Jinks out. But I can skip that if you want it to be the same IC 'day' as the event."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "AAAAAhhhh hmmmmmmm"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "actually 'same day' would kind of work, yeh. You, Mikilos, Merek and Serene are coming I think. Cesran or Stjepan might express an interest and show up. Whomever signs on first, since capping at 5"
<OOC> Jinks is just gonna marry you for capping at 5.
<OOC> Cryosanthia tailswishes, she's only for scaleys