Game Thread Chapter 2: Vildenai

Fillyjonk · #1 Nov 9th, 2022, 05:31 PM

Out of the Woods and Into the What

Daniel Ridgeway Knight

Laisren, Damn these riddles!

The first one feels impossible, until you remember the year Oisin Doyle kept hanging around the farm, awkward and stolid, until invited to dinner, where he silently moved potatoes from his plate into his gobhole as if it were his job. It mystified all of you rowdy young boys, but your mother gave Aisling (then 17) an arch look and said,

this is a classic riddle format, out of favor now; this particular one below was penned by Jane AustenA riddle for you, darling girl:

My first displays the wealth and pomp of kings,
Lords of the earth! their luxury and ease.
Another view of man, my second brings,
Behold him there, the monarch of the seas!

Within seconds, Aisling (who is great at riddles, and where is your sister when you need her!) made a flat mouth and said, Your first is “Court,” and your second is “Ship.” Are you saying this is "Courtship?” Well, Oisin can go eat potatoes elsewhere, Mam. He is not my “dear.” Which was funny because, of course, the name Oisin means “Deer.” Your own name means “My Light,” which is what Fain calls you sometimes when—oh damn, but you are homesick. For all of them. Maybe the centaur is right and you should just go home.

But at least you understand that the first riddle must be solved in three sections, and then the three answers put together to make a single word or phrase. That rules out “Aisling” ---a single word of only two syllables---for riddle one. But you are onto something, as you believe the answer to the second riddle is “Dream.”

All agree the solution to the third is that the powerful cleric of Torm back at the temple is the dead boy’s mother.

Nukky, you aren’t terribly interested in riddles, so you lead the way back, humming. Nature is wrong though. The golden sun doesn’t rise. It stays streaming from the same exact angle through the verdant green of the canopy.

Hlin, you set out. Yes, this is the same path you took, through the same woods. And yes, that was night and this is now somehow morning. But---is it the same? Yes and no. The farther you go, the more the greens seem just---too green. The air tastes rich with more than pollen.

You offer Laisren advice and the horse shoe, and as you do so, you realize it would sell for perhaps a silver, and that’s if it was cleaned. The magic and luster are fixed to the ghost hoof of the ghost horse that walks with you, step for step, his ghost head towering above your human one, his ghost butt swaying behind you. The magic tingles your weird, fleshy toes as he steps in tandem with you.

Luckily, Laisren turns it down without noticing that what you have offered is scorched, plain metal. Maybe he still should take it? In human culture, you know from your diplomatic work, a horse shoe is considered lucky. This kid could use some luck.

You all could.

Baly, even with the kobold forging ahead, things are moving too slow and chatty for you. You alone have a weapon out. You alone seem to feel urgency. This place is wrong! The sun standing still in the sky. The too-bright colors. Wrong.

Everyone here heard about Malveen from a pilgrim who had made this trip with Canterbear. They all saw the banshee, asked their question, got an answer, and then came safely back home. And, horrible as she was, she did the same for the others---well the ones who asked. Hlin abstained, angry. But the other three all gave their item, and they got answers. Sour ones, sure, but --- not one has been proven a lie. You have never sseen or even heard of a Marda, Perhaps he is the last. You heard Nukky get the send spell he asked for. But then you--- She took one look at your earring and she lost her mind! Flew into a rage and promised death! Attacked you with butterflies!

None of this is normal! The feeling intensifies as you get closer.

A’ru, you light another torch to keep away the skeeters. If you also mean for it to keep off the Vine Guys, it works. Nothing troubles you. In fact---you hear no skeeters. Wrong. WRONG.

You and Baly want to know what Hlin was going ask before it all went bad,
and perhaps he answers, but soon after you realize you are coming to your objective. Something is wrong, though. Because just ahead --- Marda, last of your kind, you who are uniquely alone in the world---you hear music and voices and movement. The sound of a community.

You can tell the others hear it, too.

As you come out of the trees, you all see three young human women walking toward you, smiling and chatting cheery with each other. They have baskets for foraging and they are heading for the very path you are coming down. One of the girls has thick vines growing right out of her head, twining in her thick, lush hair. They all see you and they smile and wave, unconcerned.

Each ruin has been replaced by a weathered but well-kept building, and human people are about, heading to the temple, or gossiping, or grooming horses at the stable. Several small human children are chasing each other around the well, giggling. Every fourth or fifth person you see has this same hair-vine situation, and their vines are very similar to the one in the well---now very much alive and and seething around in an animated fashion, snatchign playfully at the children, who laugh and dodge.

The building closest to you is a small, round store of some kind, with its propriater, a young man, sitting outside in the sunshine quietly strumming a dulcimer.

No Canterbear. No bards. No ruins. No bones. But---This is Vildenai. Isn’t it?

Drachenspirit · #2 Nov 9th, 2022, 06:17 PM

Baly-Ho!

Baly is glad to be in civilization. Finally he can...

"Wouldn't exactly call this civilization", he says aloud as he sees the ladies with living vines as hair approaching.

He smiles back,

Dice Deception:

1d20+4

(12)+4

Total = 16

trying to look friendly as he puts his bow and arrow away.

As the women pass he says to everyone, "I've heard old elven tales of places where the Fae come right out and live alongside regular people. Never thought them true, until maybe now. This place is Fae touched."

For the moment, he can think of no other reason for what he's seeing, though he mentally reserves the right to change his mind. Softly he says, "I run away from home and somehow, things of the elves just keep finding me."

He goes straight to the young man and says, "Good day to you. How are things in Vildenai today?" He again is

Dice Deception:

1d20+4

(15)+4

Total = 19

smiling and trying to be charming.

He is also keeping his eyes peeled and his ears perked to see

Dice Perception:

1d20+3

(8)+3

Total = 11

if what he is perceiving is what is really going on here.

BestTeaMaker · #3 Nov 9th, 2022, 09:35 PM

Nukky

One blink. Two. Three.

Nukky rubs his eyes. Blinks some more. He did not see the Druid that led them here. He did not see the lively raft crew, not even the jovial shouts and cries of Barco and the Captain. What were supposed to be ruins are now lively buildings with...people? The Kobold turns around at the path they came in from. Did they perhaps turn a wrong way? No...Nukky never gets lost, he tells himself. This...this is clearly where they made camp the previous evening, no?

The trip over did feel strange, but considering what they walked away from, Nukky was just glad to see sunlight in some form. But now with this town in full view, the oddness of the sunlight peeping through the trees began to nudge at Nukky's familiarity. This felt wrong...

He watches Baly walk up to the nearby man. Nukky turns to the rest of the group. "Nukky very confused right now. Nukky will prepare something to see what funny-magicks are happening."

He waddles behind the group and begins to do a chant in druidic, waving his staff as he concentrates magical power on his self. A magical glint shimmers in Nukky's eyes as he gazes out at Vildenai, seeing if he can catch anything magical happening.

Character
Nukky

Yoshimi · #4 Nov 10th, 2022, 12:31 PM

A-ru

A'ru signals Sneech to halt. He sits atop his mastiff as the others of his party move forward to inspect this new wonder. But the marda only groans, then points his muzzle to the sky and shouts defiantly, "Fine! See if I care. Far as I'm concerned, here's as good a spot as an...whoa, Sneech, heel, stop!" But before A'ru can continue his cryptic complaint to the unchanging sky, the unusually willful Sneech has galloped to the perimeter of the village and snuffles frantically along the ground until the pair are behind what the ranger had come to know as the General Store. There, Sneech begins to search in frenzied circles, whimpering.

"Yez ain't gonna catch yer own scent, budsy-boy. We're in the right place at the wrong time. Or maybe vicey-versey."

He strokes the dog's head comfortingly, then with widening eyes he tumbles to the ground off to one side just as Sneech shakes himself then squats and proceeds to make the world right again. A'ru laughs wheezily. "Damn straight."

With business taken care of, the marda leads his companion back around to the front of the store, where he stops in front of the young human man and places his paws on his hips. "Ahoy there, Strings. What d'yez got fer sale in yer hut."

bananabadger · #5 Nov 10th, 2022, 11:06 PM

"My kentori are dying and some elders believe one of you holds some esoteric knowledge to saving them," Hlin finally answers Baly and A-ru. "If any of you have that answer, please do speak up, my elders would want to hear. The fact that Von Stelonphk, a greedy and unscrupulous, human merchant who lives up the river is dumping tainted manure into the waters to poison our tribe and force us to leave the land so he can buy it at a cheaper price--that apparently plays no role in the imminent threat to our herd. Only a magical, mysterious banshee who is also a shiny-object junkie apparently knows the truth ... as do one of you, if the elders are wise and infallible, which of course they are."

"But who am I to question them," he continues, "I can't even solve a simple riddle. Are we really just going to leave it floundering around like a fish we've pulled out of the waters and will ignore until it stinks?"

If none of his companions have a direct and immediate answer, he'll discuss the possible solutions with those who are still pondering it and believing it to be worth pondering.

When they arrive at the village, Hlin isn't surprised to see that reality has shifted again, as it has been wont to do this entire day.

He sees Nukky stop and cast some magic, Baly approach a young man, and A-ru a merchant, so Hlin approaches the young women who had waved at them.

"Hello, we are travelers. I have heard of this village of the people of verdant hair ... I've even begun trying to root my own!" he begins, hoping that leads to interest and conversation. If it does, he will follow it to its root, and if it doesn't he has another question in mind.

"By the way, I'm looking for Zelphar Daeqirelle," he begins. "Would you know where to find her?"

And he will be equally pleased if they point to an elf, a book, or a bard full of useless stories and memories like himself.

Wynamoinen · #6 Nov 11th, 2022, 06:36 PM

LaisrenAs they walk down the unexpectedly well-lit path, Laisren asks Baly to re-read the translated riddle a few more times. Laisren mouths the words along with him, in the repetition. He might not solve the riddle (let's be honest, no one thinks he's going to solve it; cannier minds than his are failing at the task), but at least he can remember it. As they get closer to their destination, Hlin shares his question. One of the companions is the solution to Hlin's troubles! Laisren looks very interested, until Hlin reveals that the solution involves secret arcane knowledge. Laisren's apparent interest fades (let's be honest, no one expects Laisren to be the bearer of knowledge; much less of the arcane sort).

Knowing that his last guess about the riddle was worse than wrong, it was absurd, he keeps his mouth closed for the rest of the walk, just shaking his head when Hlin asks for further thoughts. He collects the book back from Baly and stows it away.

When they come upon Vildenai, Laisren looks puzzled. The town is back. Or is it? "A glamour? Do you think this is real?" If it is a glamour, it's a mighty powerful one: moreso than any he's heard of. They've walked an hour, and the sun was risen the whole time. That's a lot of space over which to cast a magical web. Or maybe we're dead, or dreaming. But I feel like I'd remember falling asleep. Or dying. He keeps those bad guesses to himself as well.

Baly and A-ru stop to banter with the shopkeep near the town entrance. Laisren keeps going, as if in a dream. He gawps at the first vine-head he sees, but as he delves further into the town, a shudder runs down his spine when he sees more of them, and sees their hair matched by the now-living and -moving vine in the well. It has burrowed into their heads? Barely realizing he's seperating himself from the group, he gives the well a wide berth and Bombed any reasonable DC to learn much of anything about anything.walks towards the Temple. When last they were here, it appeared to be the site of a massacre. But now it stands. What could be there now? What fate awaited it? And when would that fate come?

Walking in a daze, you might not even think he realizes there are others around, except for the fact that his tail-hunch has stopped its twitching - Laisren must be thinking about keeping up his pretense among strangers - and he tries to hide his embarassingly-sparkly fork behind him.

OOC

Fillyjonk · #7 Nov 13th, 2022, 06:10 PM

In the Village

Laisren, what the hells is happening? You ask aloud if this is a glamour. To yourself, you ask if it is a dream, or if you are dead. Baly proposes the whole place is Fae Touched. Well, sure, that makes sense, to you of all people. Smells Bright. A little. You think of the massacre as thing that is coming, so perhaps you also consider time travel, as the Marda and the (former?) centaur do.

You walk toward the temple, avoiding the well. Everyone you pass, whether their hair is mixed with greenery or plainly human, nods and smiles. No one gives your bedazzled pitchfork a second glance. No one seems to notice your tail-bump. They just say, Well met, sir, or, Good day to you, or Lathandar keep you, friend. You know Lathandar, of course. The Morninglord, a benevolent god, mostly worshiped by humans.

This is his temple. The stained glass window that was nothing but a broken frame when Canterbear brought you here is now whole and shining with his symbol in the sunlight. A middle aged priest standing outside says, Greetings, my light! Your name means "My Light"---is he-- A girl with a basket of turnips passes, and the priest calls out to her the same greeting. Ah, just a Lathander thing, but it makes you miss Fainweyn. His name means probably. close as I can find.

Joy, gladness.

Baly, you show teeth to the trio of young women. They smile back. Hullo, says the one with beaded braids of dark hair. We’re going mushroom picking, says the leaf-hair. Want to come along? asks the pony-tailed redhead.

Fae touched? Well, yes. The colors are so bright, the greens blending into shades of green that you can’t name, and the sun stays cheerily in a mid-morning spot that casts the whole place in a golden glow.

Here’s the weirdest part: that small and piercing inner touch, like a bird claw tangled in the meat of your heart that you have felt for as long as you have been Her creature? It’s just gone. You can still access the gifts She gave. Those are yours. But Her touch, Her voice can’t get to you. Baly, is this a relief or an unease?

You walk over to the young, human man outside his small round store. He looks up from his instrument and smiles. He wears simple, well-made clothing, and his face is clear-eyed, handsome, open. All is well, here, and I hope with you? He stands and sets the Dulcimer carefully on the stool, then moves to shake your hand. If you take his, you find it firm but oddly cool. I’m Tomas. Welcome.

Hlin, you have told the party your mission, but none have an immediate answer for you. You continue to toy with the riddles as the young women talk to Baly, and then you come forward, friendly, to greet them and ask them about the middle girl’s hair-vines.

They smile. Hullo, says the one with beaded braids of dark hair. We’re going mushroom picking, says the leaf-hair. Want to come along? asks the pony-tailed redhead. The do not notice your ghost-butt.

You fall in for a moment. Still thinking of the riddle, you ask after Zelphar Daeqirelle.

They smile. Hullo, says the one with beaded braids of dark hair. We’re going mushroom picking, says the leaf-hair. Want to come along? asks the pony-tailed redhead, and they keep on moving, now entering the woods by the path that you just exited.

A’ru, to get to the area behind the general store that Canterbear had designated a latrine, you have to cross through the whole of this small trade hub. The human villagers smile and offer mild greetings. They are friendly but a little distracted, busy with their various tasks.

You pass the well, and not even the children seem curious to see a Marda riding a dog. They laugh as they dodge the playfully grabbing tendrils of the vine. Is that vine whispering to you? The branches rub and the leaves rustle, approximating speech in a strange susurration. It might be a little difficult for someone not a druid or a ranger to understand, but it is definitely speaking common. H’llloooooo thrrrrr, Mrrrrrdaaaaaa.

Sneech does the necessary and you get all the way to the young man before it hits you: that vine knows you are a Marda! Very matter of fact to see you, too.

You ask what is for sale, and Tomas seems a little confused. He steps forward to shake your hand as well. Cold, cold cold. I can't really make anything for you for you right now. I don’t think I have materials. You can go inside and look around, if you like. I’m sorry I can’t offer you much to drink or eat. I don't think I've anything on hand...

Now you and Baly both see that he has a big horrible healed wound on his neck. Like his head got chopped off and put back on.

Nukky, you cast Detect Magic, and instantly you have to clamp your big eyes shut as the whole world lights up so bright it’s blinding. When you peek out through slitted lids you see many schools at work here: Conjuration. Necromancy. Enchantment. Transmutation. The buildings gleam, the people glow, the trees shimmer, the air itself is hazy with the Weave.

In a burst of insight that is even more blinding than the magic all around you, you understand exactly what is happening. This is the Dim! The Dim! You are all still on Malveen’s demiplane, the place that you pushed into when you walked through thick and gelid air into that hut. You remember those who went inside before you, disappeared. When you came back out, there was no transition; you could easily see each other and talk back and forth through the doorway. Well, you knew there was more to her demiplane than just that hut---you all saw the Elven mansion that overlapped. Apparently she has mirrored the Wilds and Vildenai as well.

Is this a relief? One the one hand, you are still in that small pocket of a faewild she has claimed, which is where your red rock is, too. On the other hand, you are trapped in a world made entirely of the manifested pain of an evil, angry, powerful entity who has tried already once to kill you. Malveen has promised to kill Baly, keep him here forever, and apparently she did not release any of you back onto the Prime.

Wynamoinen · #8 Nov 14th, 2022, 07:23 PM

LaisrenLaisren looks at the Temple skeptically, and his manners lapse a moment as the priest greets him but he only gawps around.

He gathers his wits (such as they are) in a few hearbeats. He shakes his head and answers back. "Um, eh, sorry, father. Father?" he repeats, meaning to ask it that's the right honorific. "That's my name, you see, in the old tongue. Laisren, Light, see? Ha ha!" he fake-laughs nervously and scratches his neck. He takes a half-step forward.

"You see... you see, I'm new to the town. Sort of? If you see what I mean? I thought I had passed through before. But, I'm not so sure. I remember a temple like this. But there, the other place, um, the temple was all fallen and forlorn. Is that... that couldn't be this town, could it? The name seemed so familiar. This is Vildenai? I thought that was the name of the other place."

A sly look flashes his face for a moment, but he does his best to return it to his usual polite bemusement. "We..." he waves his hands at the other companions, "we have come from a small house, barely a shack, out in the woods yonder. I'm worried we lost our way. Do you know the place I speak of? Am I making sense? I'm afraid not."

Yoshimi · #9 Nov 15th, 2022, 06:04 PM

A-ru

A'ru tries to peer past the young man into the shop, then looks up at Baly. "Eh..." He turns his gaze back to the proprietor. "Thank yez all the same, but on second thought, I think I had enough of small cabins fer today." He turns away.

As the marda pads away from the General Store with his companion alongside, he confides, "Yeh know, Sneech, I coulda sworn that vine was talkin' to me. Next thing I know, yez'll be doin' the same. Fairyland, hmm." Sneech nuzzles A'ru's waist in acknowledgment, then tries to force his nose into the ranger's belt pouch. A'ru looks down and gently nudges the mastiff away. "All right, did I forget somethin'?" He reaches a paw into the pouch and extracts a parchment-wrapped block of dark bread infused with suet, which he places on the grass.

"Catch up to me when yer done, Hungry Jack." He ruffles the neck fur of the primal dog, who tears into the cake, then trots off toward the well. When he gets there, he gazes sharply at the vine. Crossing his arms, he says severely, "All right, yeh got my attention. Yez'd better tell me who yeh are, and how yeh know me."

bananabadger · #10 Nov 16th, 2022, 10:25 AM

"Yes," Hlin sighs. "I do want to go mushroom picking, I suppose," he sighs again as he looks toward his friends, gives a shrug, and follows the women to pick mushrooms, sighing all the way.

Drachenspirit · #11 Nov 16th, 2022, 10:47 AM

Baly-Ho!

Baly pauses as he's invited to go mushroom picking and when Hlin seems to be taking their offer he says, "Be careful there Hlin, better pass on that. Remember where we are. I once came across Harpies on a ship close to some cliffs, and that is coming to mind right now."

Listening to what's said in response to his question, Baly pauses at the young man's answer, noting it was a safe answer and revealed nothing.

He barely managed to contain his frown, but forced a smile instead. Noting the young man's recent injury, Baly inquired, "Oh. That's quite an injury you've had there. What kind of accident could cause such a thing? Is that commonplace here abouts?"

BestTeaMaker · #12 Nov 17th, 2022, 09:36 AM

Nukky

Once again Nukky rubs his eyes, this time out of disbelief in what he was seeing. Everything here was surrounded in all sorts of magics that the Kobold had to squint and rub his temples just to discern each part. The spell goes off in his mind constantly, naming practically every school of magic.

"Uuuh ok, Nukky think this not good." He thinks about what to do as he watches his friends try to communicate with the people around them. Nukky decides the best thing to do is figure out what is up with the people around them, starting with this shopseller who looks like he had his head recently lopped off then sewn back together. He taps on Aru's shoulder and tugs at Baly's pants to catch their attention. Nukky whispers "Nukky think we are in Miss Malveen's world still, be careful."

Character
Nukky

Fillyjonk · #13 Nov 17th, 2022, 02:17 PM

Vildenai in the Dim

Baly, you warn the centaur, and Tomas turns to him, smiling, The wilds can be dangerous, but I've never seen a harpy here. If you stay with Jana and her friends, I'm sure you'll be fine. The kobold tugs at you, warning that this is still The Dim and you are trapped in "Miss Malveen's world." Tomas looks quizzical. Who is Merzmalveen? Do you mean the Melve’enn family? If you're looking for them, you're lost. This is Vildenai, friend.

Hlin, you sigh. Effectively. Mournful as a centaur who has misplaced his back half, a good deal of identity, his best shot at love, and maybe also his job, a way to save his herd, and his chance to return to his home plane. The sort of sigh that reliably makes sweet young people like these say, Oh dear, are you okay? These three don't. They wander in a circle, staying close to town, humming, picking mushrooms.

Baly, you ask Tomas about his injury, and a shadow passes over his handsome face. He looks briefly distressed, and his hands go to his throat. They do not pause at the horrific wound, but slide down to his chest. A smile breaks out as he runs his hands down his own sides. You got me. I think if I had stabbed myself with a mandrel, I'd have noticed. He collects the dulcimer again and sits down, strumming and singing an old, old, old elven song in your native tongue. His accent is very good for a human.

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this Yep, Byron again.…

Laisren, The priest nods and smiles as you explain your name's meaning, and when you ask if this is Vildenai, he says, Please come in, light, all are welcome at Lathander's temple. Good day to you.

The building is fancier than any in Righ, but its not grand. There's one to Lathandar in Templetome with nine foot stained glass windows, gold scroll work everywhere. Fain has told you all about it. He wants to take you there, one day, when the Fomorian threat is routed. Hells, he wants to take you anywhere. The world, Lais, it's enormous, and there is room for us out there. If I live through this---look, you know there isn't enough farm for you and all your brothers, and Declan and Liam are both near grown. Get out of their way! You and I can be adventurers, see the world...and let the world see us. If he stands up with the wrong consort, he won't survive though...Righ will be overrun, and you will all likely perish. It can't be Róisín. It's you. Isn't it? Gah, stupid book, stupid banshee, stupid riddles!

You ask the priest about the shack, and you get the same empty smile as he says, Shall we pray together? Lathandar keep you, friend. Are you making sense? More than this guy.

A'ru, Nukky tells you that you are still stuck in Malveen's Dim. You turn down a tour of Tomas's shop, feed Sneech his cookie, and set out to see the vine. It is still thrashing lengths of itself playfully toward the gaggle of joyful, shrieking moppets. Hmf. Human children. In your experience, they can be grab-handy---downright snatchy---with a thing like you. These ones barely notice you, running in a pattern of practiced loops. You demand an introduction and an explanation, and several pieces of the vine turn and orient on you.

Hlllooooo mrrrrda. That same sighing voice teased out of friction and the breeze through its foliage. Cerrrrrm closssssrrrr? Talllllllllk eeeeezeeeeee ifffff weeeeee tuuuuuuch... It is reaching a gentle appendage toward you. There is little curl at the end, and it begins uncoiling, as if inviting you grasp it.

Nukky, these people you see going about their business are not people at all. They are---just not. They seem to be made mostly out of Conjuration and Necromancy. None of this is what you would recognize as a "spell" or even a series of definable spells. It is too large for that. It is more like a phenomenon, those inexplicable huge blooms in the Weave that caused the Planar Rifts near Righ, or gave those metal people from Eberron souls, or, hey, creates a banshee out of a dying elf's pain and despair...

Tomas is different. You see some necromancy, but it is swathed in layers and layers of Enchantment, maybe an edge of Transmutation, small bits of Illusion. He is the only human you see here that possesses what your mother called pnuema, the divine breath, and it is a submerged thread: incomplete, wavering, barely discernible.

Yoshimi · #14 Nov 18th, 2022, 04:04 PM

A-ru

Nukky's warning puts A'ru on edge, and the marda skips a few steps backward as the tendril reaches toward him, holding out an admonishing finger. "Don't yez get frisky, vine." His snout wrinkles in thought for moment, then he shrugs and says, "Yesterday's A'ru would've told yez exactly where yez could stick yer fairy tendril." He nods. "But with this and that, today's A'ru is feelin' a bit reckless. A bit!"

He senses the approach of Sneech just behind him and relaxes somewhat. Then he turns to face the square, his gaze resting on Baly talking to the shop owner. He calls out, "Eldest! A moment, Ser!"

When Baly arrives, he explains, "This vine wishes to tell me something and needs to hold my hand. I'm askin' if yez would please cut me free if it tries any funny business." With that assurance in place, he takes up his staff in his right hand, then steps up to the vine and holds out his left paw it.

Drachenspirit · #15 Nov 18th, 2022, 06:05 PM

Baly-Ho!

Baly nods to Nukky and says, "You might be right. Best answer to what's going on here as anything. Do you see her? Hiding?"

He

Dice Investigation:

1d20+6

(10)+6

Total = 16

looks around slowly for a moment, looking for that witch and then turns to hear the young man's response.

"That's, uh... nice. Thanks for... that."

When Aru calls out to him, he's glad for the distraction and nods to the young man. "Excuse me for a moment."

Going over to Aru, he almost tells him that's a bad idea, but given what he's seen and what Nukky said, he pulls out the magical dagger he fetched from an old vine place and then pulls his short sword out of its scabbard in his other hand.

He nods to Aru and says, "Go ahead." He keeps his eyes and pointy ears

Dice DM Perception Roll:

2d20+3kh1

(13, 3 (keeping 13) )+3

Total = 16

attentive to what's going on around them.

Are you confused and wondering what is going on here? Check out this YouTube video to get the scoop.