Porcelain Child/SessionSeven

In the archon's quarters in the village...
<onine> Yengo, Anona and Epheri talk into the night on what to do about the woods, the bandits and other such trials and tribulations of the Archonship. Vana stays mostly out of it preferring to stare outside.
<onine> After some time Tara enters with two buckets, one emptied of water - and the front of her dress is soaked through. It's a fair assumption by that and her expression that it may have been Magpie related.
<onine> Tara fills the pot over the firepit that you sit around grumbling something about 'that girl'
* Yengo thinks about asking if there's been trouble again, but then closes his mouth. He KNOWS that there has.
* Anona knows no such restraint. "Which 'that girl', Tara?"
<onine> Tara grumbles and finishes filling the pot. "I think you know which one, Magpie! She came running out and into the town and spilled one of the buckets ALL over me!"
<Yengo> "Ah." As he suspected.
<Anona> "Well, you never know, we're in a new town, there was a very slight chance it could have been some other girl. I wasn't betting on it, but just for argument's sake..." <br<Yengo> "I know she can be trying at times, but she means well. I just wonder how long it's been since she had to listen to what anyone told her. Well, before us."
<onine> "I still say she needs some discipline! She cant go out playing this late. And I dont like the look of that sky..."
<Yengo> "Oh, I'm not arguing there... the sky? Think it's going to storm?"
<onine> Outside the moon is slowly being covered by rainclouds.
<onine> Epheri walks onto the balcony. "Maybe not storm, but definitely rain I'd say."
* Yengo leans against the wall. "Well... wherever the bandits are, here's to hoping they'll get soaked."
<onine> "Well!" Tara says in a somewhat scolding manner. "I'm a little more worried about Magpie thank you very much!"
<onine> Which reminds me, you know that nice new Jacket you bought her? Gone.
<Anona> "I wonder what could've possessed her to run off like that. No, stupid question; she's probably looking for that silly bird of hers..."
<onine> "She does have a strange connection with that bird though Anona.." Epheri says. "Remember that sorcerer at the heptagram, what was his name? Moorindal? He had that loathsome purple rat."
<Anona> "Well, yes, having a link to an animal is hardly unknown. But I've not ever heard of a *mortal* having a true familiar. Unless it isn't really a crow, which is possible."
<onine> "It's as ANNOYING as any other crow." Tara retorts as she exits to get more water.
<Yengo> "Well, if you studied at the Heptagram, I'm sure you've seen stranger." He wonders if all those stories about blood sacrifices and ravenous demons have any truth to them.
<Anona> "Do you think we ought to go look for her, Yengo? If she IS looking for that feather-bag, she's probably headed into those woods. And maybe that "presence" isn't active all the time, but still... and aside from any danger to Magpie, I wouldn't mind seeing if we could find out what it really is ourselves.
* Yengo nods. "Yeah. I figured she'd be back by now, but it's getting late, and I don't want her out there alone after dark. I don't even want MYSELF out there after dark."
* Yengo stands up and stretches.
<Anona> "Alright... I think it would be best if Epheri stays here, in case Vana returns... or Magpie, for that matter. We can go out and search."
<onine> "But-" Epheri complains
* Anona rises and grabs her belongings - including sword and armor. Can't be TOO careful...
* Yengo buckles on his own set of rather-less-impressive armor. It can't hurt, right?
<Anona> "But me no buts, Epheri. Yengo has to go because he's First Archon, plus Magpie knows his voice well if we have to call out. I'm going because I've spent more time with the girl than you. SOMEBODY has to stay here."
<onine> "But what about Taaaaara?!"
* Yengo watches the exchange with a touch of amusement, wondering how many times it's repeated itself in the past.
<Anona> "Tara isn't an archon, nor is she Exalted. Just in case the bandits decide right now is a good time to attack, you understand."
<onine> "I wont buy that and you know it! You *always* do this to me Anona!"
<Anona> "Yes, yes I do. Look, do YOU want to be the one to tell Krennel 'oh, I COULD have saved the town, but no, I had to go help Anona look for a mortal child and her pet bird! It was MUCH more important!'"
<Anona> "If *I* go off, he doesn't expect any better from me. If YOU go off, you're in deeper trouble than you are now. It's for the best, see?" Anona concludes her dubious logic.
<onine> "Fine..." Epheri does not look happy about it.
* Yengo just shakes his head. He was betting on Anona anyway.
<onine> About now it begins to rain quite hard.
<Anona> "Good. Let's go, Yengo. Like you said... even without anything strange, the woods after dark isn't a great place to be.... oh, DAMN."
<Yengo> "Perfect timing. Let's..." he sighs. "Let's get on with it. I'm sure we've both been through worse."
* Anona heads out. Whatever happens, we'll find out!
* Yengo waves to Tara and Epheri on his own way out. "Hopefully we'll be back soon... and none of us will drown." He means it to be a joke, but who knows what's out there?
<onine> The rain pelts down on you mightily as you stumble through the almost pitch black woods, occasionally brightly lit by flashes of lightning and the sound pierced by the roar of thunder.
<onine> You reach the crevass stream and the bridge, but the bridge is gone.
<Anona> "Oh, GOODIE."
<onine> In the flashes of lightning and between the sounds of thunder and wind and rain, you can hear the sound of the planks banging against the rocks, and can see that it is broken.
<Yengo> "Damn it, I can barely see out here. I hope she's not on the other side."
* Yengo futilely tries to shield his eyes from the drenching downpour.
<Anona> "It depends on how recently this bridge was broken, I guess. But if she was on this side, wouldn't she have run back with the approaching rain?"
<Yengo> "You have a point. We haven't seen her, either... and even if she's not, we can't risk leaving her there."
[11:16] <Yengo> "You have anything that can get us across there, Anona?"
[11:18] <onine> You look down, and there is nothing but darkness and the sound of rushing water. Its quite deep, and the rocks will be very slippery, then theres the rapids...
[11:19] <Anona> "Nothing quick. Most of what I know is lengthy rituals... I might be able to jump across, but that wouldn't help you...
[11:19] <Yengo> "Well... if that's what it takes, I guess... better to leave me here than to leave her THERE..."
[11:20] * Yengo walks over to the edge, being careful in the rain, and gropes around for the bridge.
[11:21] <Anona> "Hm... do you have any rope? We could tie one end to what remains of the bridge on this side, and then tie to the other side..."
[11:21] <onine> Seems to be broke somewhere near the middle, with more on your end
[11:24] * Yengo begins pulling up the broken part of the bridge and checking his pack to see if he has any rope.
[11:26] <onine> You have rope, but nothing that would be useful enough for this situation. What you have is a little too short and thin for the task. It was enough to fix things and help you and Tara in your travels, but fixing bridges requires more hard yakka rope than this meager bundle.
[11:27] <onine> The chasm might be more, it *looks* around that in the dark.
[11:27] * Yengo grunts in annoyance. "I don't think this stuff will work, it's too flimsy. I guess you'll have to go on without me, if you think you can."
[11:28] <Anona> "I don't think I have a choice. On the bright side, at least all this rain will keep my anima from burning down the place..."
[11:29] * Yengo nods. "Okay, just be careful."
[11:30] * Anona rubs her hands together and takes a running start. At the moment of her jump, a burst of flame explodes from her soles, giving her jump just a little extra "oomph". She aims for the other side of the bridge, hoping if she's wrong about the distance she can at least grab onto the planks in approved storybook hero style.
[11:31] <Anona> (using that, also a willpower and channeling Conviction because I'm determined to jump this thing, bridge out and pouring rain BE DAMNED.)
[11:31] <onine> You are wrong about the distance you discover in mid jump...
[11:35] <onine> You slam nice and hard into the opposite wall, sliding down the planks of the broken bridge, clawing at the slippery wood madly, seeing only flashes in the lightning. Your fingers dig in and find purchase on the second last 'rung' leaving you dangling over a river roaring loudly below.
[11:36] <onine> You taste a little blood. Nose or lip. Both hurt.
[11:36] <Yengo> "Anona!" Yengo rushes to his edge of the chasm, squinting into the darkness. "Are you... all right?"
[11:39] <Anona> "Nothing that won't heal." She struggles to climb the "ladder" of the broken bridge.
[11:40] <onine> You drag yourself to a nice face-down heap in the leaves on the other side.
[11:41] * Yengo shouts through the rain. "Listen, I'm going to go back and try to find some rope or get Epheri's help or something. You can't come back the same way you got over."
[11:42] * Anona yells back: "Epheri might be able to help at this after all. Make sure everything's alright back in town; I'm going to go on. If I get into trouble, just look for a bonfire."
[11:43] <Yengo> "Just be careful! Both of you!" He turns around and begins the long trek back.
[11:47] <Anona> I start my search for Magpie, calling her name and occasionally offering exciting and innovated curses and slurs against the person of Whispering Boughs.
[11:47] <onine> Alrighty, the rain is *incredibly* heavy, as is the wind, rather fitting given the situation. You move through the town, occasionally you hear shutters banging and eventually you return to the council hall on the cliffside. A fish is drier.
[11:48] * Yengo shoves the door open with one ragged push, standing in the threshold, dripping wet. "Epheri."
[11:49] <onine> "Yengo! You're starurated!" Tara exclaims, immediately fishing for a towel - anything!
[11:50] <onine> "My lord, its really coming down out there." Epheri says standing
[11:50] * Yengo raises a hand. "No need, Tara, but thanks. I have to go back... and I'm bringing Epheri with me. The bridge we crossed to get here broke, and Anona and Magpie are on the other side."
[11:51] <onine> "I see..." Tara says...
[11:53] * Yengo offers a tired smile. "I guess Vana still hasn't come back? One of those nights, it seems."
[11:55] <onine> "I'm afraid not." Epheri says. "We seem to be losing people quickly - er... Where's Anona?!"
[11:56] <Yengo> "She jumped across the broken bridge with a charm or a spell or something. She barely made it and I don't want to risk her and Magpie coming back the same way."
[11:58] <onine> "I see what you're suggesting but ah...
[11:59] <onine> "I wont be able to do it twice safely."
[12:01] <Yengo> "Damn... well, let me go find some rope, if I can just get across once, I should be able to fix the bridge well enough that we can cross it."
[12:01] <onine> "That's doable I think."
[12:01] * Yengo steps into the room and starts tearing through the supplies he packed. Rope... he did buy some, didn't he? He SHOULD have...
[12:02] <onine> Epheri looks outside... then at her nice dress and sighs, visibly unhappy with the idea.
[12:08] <onine> Okay, you have rope, you have an earth aspect. You head back into the breech.
[12:09] * Yengo stands once more at the edgeIn the village, at their temporary quarters…
onine> Yengo, Anona and Epheri talk into the night on what to do about the woods, the bandits and other such trials and tribulations of the Archonship. Vana stays mostly out of it preferring to stare outside.
onine> After some time Tara enters with two buckets, one emptied of water - and the front of her dress is soaked through. It's a fair assumption by that and her expression that it may have been Magpie related.
onine> Tara fills the pot over the firepit that you sit around grumbling something about 'that girl'
* Yengo thinks about asking if there's been trouble again, but then closes his mouth. He KNOWS that there has.
* Anona knows no such restraint. "Which 'that girl', Tara?"
onine> Tara grumbles and finishes filling the pot. "I think you know which one, Magpie! She came running out and into the town and spilled one of the buckets ALL over me!"
Yengo> "Ah." As he suspected.
Anona> "Well, you never know, we're in a new town, there was a very slight chance it could have been some other girl. I wasn't betting on it, but just for argument's sake..."
Yengo> "I know she can be trying at times, but she means well. I just wonder how long it's been since she had to listen to what anyone told her. Well, before us."
onine> "I still say she needs some discipline! She cant go out playing this late. And I don’t like the look of that sky..."
Yengo> "Oh, I'm not arguing there... the sky? Think it's going to storm?"
onine> Outside the moon is slowly being covered by rain clouds.
onine> Epheri walks onto the balcony. "Maybe not storm, but definitely rain I'd say."
* Yengo leans against the wall. "Well... wherever the bandits are, here's to hoping they'll get soaked."
onine> "Well!" Tara says in a somewhat scolding manner. "I'm a little more worried about Magpie thank you very much!"
onine> Which reminds me, you know that nice new Jacket you bought her? Gone.
Anona> "I wonder what could've possessed her to run off like that. No, stupid question; she's probably looking for that silly bird of hers..."
onine> "She does have a strange connection with that bird though Anona.." Epheri says. "Remember that sorcerer at the Heptagram, what was his name? Moorindal? He had that loathsome purple rat."
Anona> "Well, yes, having a link to an animal is hardly unknown. But I've not ever heard of a *mortal* having a true familiar. Unless it isn't really a crow, which is possible."
onine> "It's as ANNOYING as any other crow." Tara retorts as she exits to get more water.
Yengo> "Well, if you studied at the Heptagram, I'm sure you've seen stranger." He wonders if all those stories about blood sacrifices and ravenous demons have any truth to them.
Anona> "Do you think we ought to go look for her, Yengo? If she IS looking for that feather-bag, she's probably headed into those woods. And maybe that "presence" isn't active all the time, but still... and aside from any danger to Magpie, I wouldn't mind seeing if we could find out what it really is ourselves.
* Yengo nods. "Yeah. I figured she'd be back by now, but it's getting late, and I don't want her out there alone after dark. I don't even want MYSELF out there after dark."
* Yengo stands up and stretches.
Anona> "Alright... I think it would be best if Epheri stays here, in case Vana returns... or Magpie, for that matter. We can go out and search."
onine> "But-" Epheri complains
* Anona rises and grabs her belongings - including sword and armor. Can't be TOO careful...
* Yengo buckles on his own set of rather-less-impressive armor. It can't hurt, right?
Anona> "But me no buts, Epheri. Yengo has to go because he's First Archon, plus Magpie knows his voice well if we have to call out. I'm going because I've spent more time with the girl than you. SOMEBODY has to stay here."
onine> "But what about Taaaaara?!"
* Yengo watches the exchange with a touch of amusement, wondering how many times it's repeated itself in the past.
Anona> "Tara isn't an Archon, nor is she Exalted. Just in case the bandits decide right now is a good time to attack, you understand."
onine> "I wont buy that and you know it! You *always* do this to me Anona!"
Anona> "Yes, yes I do. Look, do YOU want to be the one to tell Krennel 'oh, I COULD have saved the town, but no, I had to go help Anona look for a mortal child and her pet bird! It was MUCH more important!'"
Anona> "If *I* go off, he doesn't expect any better from me. If YOU go off, you're in deeper trouble than you are now. It's for the best, see?" Anona concludes her dubious logic.
onine> "Fine..." Epheri does not look happy about it.
* Yengo just shakes his head. He was betting on Anona anyway.
onine> About now it begins to rain quite hard.
Anona> "Good. Let's go, Yengo. Like you said... even without anything strange, the woods after dark isn't a great place to be.... oh, DAMN."
Yengo> "Perfect timing. Let's..." he sighs. "Let's get on with it. I'm sure we've both been through worse."
* Anona heads out. Whatever happens, we'll find out!
* Yengo waves to Tara and Epheri on his own way out. "Hopefully we'll be back soon... and none of us will drown." He means it to be a joke, but who knows what's out there?

Into the woods…
onine> The rain pelts down on you mightily as you stumble through the almost pitch black woods, occasionally brightly lit by flashes of lightning and the sound pierced by the roar of thunder.
onine> You reach the crevice stream and the bridge, but the bridge is gone.
Anona> "Oh, GOODIE."
onine> In the flashes of lightning and between the sounds of thunder and wind and rain, you can hear the sound of the planks banging against the rocks, and can see that it is broken.
Yengo> "Damn it, I can barely see out here. I hope she's not on the other side."
* Yengo futilely tries to shield his eyes from the drenching downpour.
Anona> "It depends on how recently this bridge was broken, I guess. But if she was on this side, wouldn't she have run back with the approaching rain?"
Yengo> "You have a point. We haven't seen her, either... and even if she's not, we can't risk leaving her there."
Yengo> "You have anything that can get us across there, Anona?"
onine> You look down, and there is nothing but darkness and the sound of rushing water. Its quite deep, and the rocks will be very slippery, then there's the rapids...
Anona> "Nothing quick. Most of what I know is lengthy rituals... I might be able to jump across, but that wouldn't help you...
Yengo> "Well... if that's what it takes, I guess... better to leave me here than to leave her THERE..."
* Yengo walks over to the edge, being careful in the rain, and gropes around for the bridge.
Anona> "Hm... do you have any rope? We could tie one end to what remains of the bridge on this side, and then tie to the other side..."
onine> Seems to be broke somewhere near the middle, with more on your end
* Yengo begins pulling up the broken part of the bridge and checking his pack to see if he has any rope.
onine> You have rope, but nothing that would be useful enough for this situation. What you have is a little too short and thin for the task. It was enough to fix things and help you and Tara in your travels, but fixing bridges requires more hard yakka rope than this meager bundle.
onine> The chasm might be more, it *looks* around that in the dark.
* Yengo grunts in annoyance. "I don't think this stuff will work, it's too flimsy. I guess you'll have to go on without me, if you think you can."
Anona> "I don't think I have a choice. On the bright side, at least all this rain will keep my anima from burning down the place..."
* Yengo nods. "Okay, just be careful."
* Anona rubs her hands together and takes a running start. At the moment of her jump, a burst of flame explodes from her soles, giving her jump just a little extra "oomph". She aims for the other side of the bridge, hoping if she's wrong about the distance she can at least grab onto the planks in approved storybook hero style.
Anona> (using that, also a willpower and channeling Conviction because I'm determined to jump this thing, bridge out and pouring rain BE DAMNED.)
onine> You are wrong about the distance you discover in mid jump...
onine> You slam nice and hard into the opposite wall, sliding down the planks of the broken bridge, clawing at the slippery wood madly, seeing only flashes in the lightning. Your fingers dig in and find purchase on the second last 'rung' leaving you dangling over a river roaring loudly below.
onine> You taste a little blood. Nose or lip. Both hurt.
Yengo> "Anona!" Yengo rushes to his edge of the chasm, squinting into the darkness. "Are you... all right?"
Anona> "Nothing that won't heal." She struggles to climb the "ladder" of the broken bridge.
onine> You drag yourself to a nice face-down heap in the leaves on the other side.
* Yengo shouts through the rain. "Listen, I'm going to go back and try to find some rope or get Epheri's help or something. You can't come back the same way you got over."
* Anona yells back "Epheri might be able to help at this after all. Make sure everything's alright back in town; I'm going to go on. If I get into trouble, just look for a bonfire."
Yengo> "Just be careful! Both of you!" He turns around and begins the long trek back.
Anona> I start my search for Magpie, calling her name and occasionally offering exciting and innovated curses and slurs against the person of Whispering Boughs.

Back at the temporary quarters in the council hall
onine> Alrighty, the rain is *incredibly* heavy, as is the wind, rather fitting given the situation. You move through the town, occasionally you hear shutters banging and eventually you return to the council hall on the cliffside. A fish is drier.
* Yengo shoves the door open with one ragged push, standing in the threshold, dripping wet. "Epheri."
onine> "Yengo! You're saturated!" Tara exclaims, immediately fishing for a towel - anything!
onine> "My lord, its really coming down out there." Epheri says standing
* Yengo raises a hand. "No need, Tara, but thanks. I have to go back... and I'm bringing Epheri with me. The bridge we crossed to get here broke, and Anona and Magpie are on the other side."
onine> "I see..." Tara says...
* Yengo offers a tired smile. "I guess Vana still hasn't come back? One of those nights, it seems."
onine> "I'm afraid not." Epheri says. "We seem to be losing people quickly - er... Where's Anona?!"
Yengo> "She jumped across the broken bridge with a charm or a spell or something. She barely made it and I don't want to risk her and Magpie coming back the same way."
onine> "I see what you're suggesting but ah...
onine> "I wont be able to do it twice safely."
Yengo> "Damn... well, let me go find some rope, if I can just get across once, I should be able to fix the bridge well enough that we can cross it."
onine> "That's doable I think."
* Yengo steps into the room and starts tearing through the supplies he packed. Rope... he did buy some, didn't he? He SHOULD have...
onine> Epheri looks outside... then at her nice dress and sighs, visibly unhappy with the idea.
onine> Okay, you have rope, you have an earth aspect. You head back into the breech.

Back at the bridge
* Yengo stands once more at the edge, fishing for his end of the bridge and pulling it up. "Should be here somewhere..."
onine> Eventually you fix the bridge with Epheri's help - she's surprisingly good at such things for a dynast. And you both trek into the woods following a call that goes something like this...
onine> "WHOMSOEVER MIGHT BE IN THESE WOODS, YOU'D BEST REVEAL YOURSELF BEFORE I BURN THE DAMNED PLACE TO THE GROUND! I, ANONA, CHOSEN OF HESIESH DEMAND IT!"
onine> It occurs to you that the woods are remarkably not on fire, and it's a little relieving.
onine> Anona herself wasn't all that far from the river, wandering probably around in circles with her superb navigation skills.
* Yengo staggers through a few low lying branches, calling out. "Anona? I brought Epheri!"
onine> "Yes, Yengo brought me into the rain, to help, looks like Tara will have to defend the village by herself!"
onine> Epheri shrugs.
* Anona yells back. "Something in this forest thinks it's playing a very funny game. I'm having a little trouble responding to it as I'd prefer..."
onine> Epheri says to Yengo. "Setting it on fire."
Anona> "Have you found a rope?"
* Yengo looks at Epheri. "I'm hardly surprised." He yells back, "Yes, the bridge is fixed for now. Have you seen Magpie?" He keeps moving toward the sound of Anona's voice.
Anona> "No... I keep getting turned around. I don't think it's just me... Even when I blaze the trees I can't keep to a straight line. Be careful!"
* Yengo frowns. If Anona is off balance and lost in here, it must be even worse for Magpie. If she was lost out here for good, he'd... "Anona, we're trying to find you, just stay up and keep talking."
onine> After *too much* time of stumbling around circling each other and yelling, you manage to rejoin each other. Had Anona's anima not been burning, its a fair chance that you would not have found her at all, the sounds seem to echo and come from different directions.
Yengo> "This is all wrong... something very strange is going on in here. Have you seen anything, Anona?" He wipes his eyes - again.
Anona> "SEEN anything, no. HEARD anything... something is laughing at us. I think. It's like the echoes of my voice are laughing."
onine> "That's weird... HELLOOOO?!" Epheri calls. Nothing.
Anona> "Well, I was demanding and cursing at it, that's probably the difference."
Anona> "AND I'M TALKING TO *YOU*, ASSHOLE!" - directed at whatever might be around.
onine> "Okay uh... YOU uh... HAVE... um... YOU ARE OF uh... UNSATISFACTORY EXPERTISE TO DEFEAT US...um... AND YOU SMELL STRANGE?!"
onine> You see Epheri grinning sheepishly in the next flash of lightning.
onine> There is little response, giggle or otherwise
Anona> "Well, it WAS doing that. Obviously it's just continuing to taunt us."
Yengo> "We've come too far to turn back now..." he pauses, gathering his breath. "And I'm not leaving Magpie here with some... some... pathetic little god." He really has no experience in insulting spirits. Usually he just tried to avoid them.
onine> "You know... she could just be staying with one of the children in the village...?"
Anona> "Epheri. Think. This is Magpie. Why would she ever choose the safer option that would make it easier for us? It's like... like... um..."
onine> "True...but..."
onine> "Often the simplest answer is the correct one."
onine> You can tell that Epheri just wants to get out of the rain.
Anona> "If you're so sure of it, go look for YOURSELF, Epheri. You seemed so ANXIOUS to come out here EARLIER..."
onine> Epheri sulks. "You didn’t have to be so mean about it..."
Yengo> "Maybe she went to see that hermit the other kids told her about... or maybe she's here." He calls her name out again, reminded that he was doing this just a day ago.
onine> You have a feeling its not going to be the last time you're doing it either...
Anona> "I don't think all this calling is going to do much good..."
onine> "It doesn't usually..."
onine> Epheri considers "Hey maybe Vana is out here with her, she disappeared off too! Maybe they'll both catch colds, that ought to teach them a lesson about coming out in the rain and cold. Speaking of which..."
onine> Epheri looks pleadingly at you.
Anona> "Exalts don't /catch/ colds, silly."
onine> Epheri fakes a sneeze. "But its coooooooold!"
Yengo> "It wouldn't be a problem if Windswept Boughs was anything but a coward." He says that with more bravado than he feels, especially after the spirits he's seen running around the Threshold.
Anona> "Meanwhile, just wandering isn't helping... but I'm not sure we'll be able to get back out easily." Anona begins to rummage in a belt-pouch, and pulls out a spherical stone, banded with brown and gold.
Anona> "Let's see here..." Anona picks out an especially distinguished piece of jewelry, and replaces the stone with the brown-and-gold sphere. (Swapping out my Stone of Quick Thought for my Labyrinthine Eye, thinking about the exit from this forest, and devoutly hoping a slightly magical forest counts as a maze for the purposes of the stone.)

Back at the bridge- again!
onine> After an insultingly short walk, you find the bridge again, haphazardly repaired by team Yengo-Epheri.
* Yengo feels guilty about maybe leaving Magpie in those woods. Not that his looking for her was helping, but...
onine> You have a fun time traipsing around with Anona in the driving rain, and eventually you feel like your bones are made of ice and your joints of lead. The center of the woods you do not find, but there is a small outcropping of rock that seems to get around.
onine> Anona, a though occurs, that 'I wont let you.'
onine> You stop. That wasn’t your mind.
Anona> Hmm. On an unrelated topic, just how big is this outcropping?
onine> Incredibly unimpressive, not much more than the size of a small car.
* Yengo stops as Anona does, curious.
Anona> "That was... strange... did you hear anything... or think anything... different just now?"
Yengo> "No." He frowns. "Did you?"
Anona> "Yes. 'I won't let you'. I think our mysterious opposition has finally deigned to give us a message. Unfortunately, it could hardly know this but strengthens my resolve!"
* Yengo grins. Seems Anona might make a good Archon yet. "Let's have a look at this rock that keeps turning up..."
* Anona taps it, pokes it, prods it, and even - once - attempts to set fire to it. You never know.
onine> It remains stubbornly NOT flaming.
Anona> "Hmm... I wonder if we could shove it, maybe...?"
* Yengo shrugs and gives the rock an experimental push with his shoulder to see if anything happens.
onine> I don’t know how to tell you this lads... but its a rock. It moves very little despite the urging.
Anona> "I guess we're left with nothing to do but come back here in the morning, after the rain..."
Anona> "or, you know, just give up on our task completely, oh boo-hoo we are so brokenhearted, oh dear," said a little too loudly.
Yengo> "Yeah... I just hope everyone else had the sense to get out of it before us." He sighs. "And it's not like this is the only problem we have to deal with."
onine> You stifle a sneeze Yengo
Yengo> "I guess we head back."

The council hall, that night.
* Anona heads back to the hall, keeping her anima at a nice and toasty low simmer for the benefit of all, and politely waiting outside for it to settle down before entering the hall herself.
onine> "Its about time too!" Epheri grumbles.
onine> You make it back to the council hall with no problems and Tara fusses over you - especially Yengo - bringing blankets and towels for you, and putting more wood on the fire.
onine> "You couldn’t find her?" She asks.
* Yengo shakes his head. "No. We couldn't find anything - kept getting turned around in the woods. I hope she's not out there." He removes and wipes down his wet armor.
onine> "I see... Vana hasn't returned either. I hope they're in cahoots, I really do."
Yengo> "Possible, I guess. Vana will take care of her." I hope, he adds.
Anona> "We can't find out much of anything until the rain stops and it's daylight again, anyway." (please do.)
onine> After some tea, you turn in for the night thankfully.

The council hall, the next day
onine> Morning breaks, and Tara is already up making breakfast. She has set your armor and gear out neatly and has kits repaired.
onine> The clouds have parted this morning and it is considerably warmer. The rain has given everything a fresh feel to it and it looks to be a nice day.
* Yengo gets up regretfully, stretching sore, aching limbs. "Feels like the rain soaked into my bones," he grumbles, bustling about.
onine> Yengo on the other hand... wake up feeling rather exhausted and congested. Looks like you have caught yourself a cold.
onine> Sniffles. Sneezes. Coughs. The works.
onine> "I knew you shouldn't have gone out in the rain Yengo, I knew it!" Tara scolds.
* Yengo nods, miserable. "What else could I do? I couldn't leave her out there." He coughs.
onine> Epheri has ditched her long dress in favor of some more appropriate travelling attire, a simple pair of brown slacks and a white shirt with black vest.
onine> "Here, drink this," Tara says gently, offering you a steaming awful-smelling cup. "I knew I'd need those herbs today, so I got some early. There's lemon in it, it'll do you some good."
* Yengo once more struggles into his armor as he gets ready, stubbornly determined to go, cold or no.
* Anona wakes and prepares much like Yengo, garbed for possible trouble. Or, realistically speaking, /probable/ trouble.
* Yengo accepts the cup, squeezing Tara's hand slightly as he takes it. "Thank you, Tara. Seems like you're always thinking of me." He gulps it down, and it does in fact make him feel a little better.
onine> "You know Yengo, you should really stay here... not trying to insult you, but you're sick enough as it is - you might not be able to do much if we do find this troublesome spirit." Epheri says cautiously.
* Yengo sighs. "I know, Epheri... but I can't let you two go alone. If something happens, I'll let you two handle it, but I accept the risk."
Magpie> A shutter bangs open, and the crow swoops in with a gust of wind, landing on the mantle of the fireplace and letting out a raucous cry. An instant later, Magpie bursts in through the door.
Anona> "Still... if you do feel worse during the day... do get some rest. We don't need to get back to Diam.... the hell?"
* Yengo turns, stifling another sneeze. "What's this?"
Magpie> Magpie is gasping for breath, her sides heaving. Her face is white, and she looks like she's been crying. She sees everyone gathered there, lets out a wail, dashes forward to bury her face in Yengo's stomach, shoulders heaving with sobs.
onine> "Magpie!" Tara cries running over to the girl
onine> "My word where did you go!" Tara grabs Magpie and hugs her *too* tight
Magpie> "Tara! I'm so sorry, it's all my faaullt!" Magpie transfers her grip, doesn't seem inclined to let go of Tara either.
* Yengo pats Magpie on the back. "There... it's all right. You're fine now... you had us worried, you know."
onine> "It doesn’t matter, I’m just so glad you're okay!
Anona> "I see you found your crow, at least."
* Magpie sniffs in a gulping sob, and rubs her nose with the back of her hand, and nods. "But Luc's -dead-,"
onine> "Who? Luc?"
Yengo> "What? What happened?"
Magpie> "It's my...I, I -dared- him to come, and he did, and then she ate him!"
Anona> "Who ate him?"
* Magpie looks suddenly turns to look at Anona, her eyes fierce and wild. "You have to burn her! Burn her all down! She ate him! She's awful!"
* Magpie takes in a deep breath. "Windswept Boughs," Magpie utters the name in a sort of cowed whisper.
Yengo> "Were you in the woods last night?" He asks the question gently, still trying to soothe the girl. "Is that where it happened?"
Anona> "Well, if Windswept Boughs is what was laughing at us when we searched the woods for you last night, I was planning to do that /anyway/..."
* Magpie nods. "It was her, I think. She smiled all the time. I think she was smiling when she ate him."
Anona> "Her? What did "she" look like?"
Magpie> "Welll...first she was a little bird. -Real- little, like this." Magpie makes a space about two or three inches long with her thumb and forefinger. "White, with silver eyes. And then, she looked like a woman. A little. Very, very white..."
Anona> "And where was this? In the woods?"
* Magpie nods. "I heard echoes, and they seemed to say, I don't know, 'come closer...' And then I followed the bird."
Anona> "I heard something like that last night, Magpie. Except I was told "I won't let you"." Anona muses further. "I wonder why Luc would be eaten but not you... she certainly went to lengths to make sure you'd come to her..."
* Yengo closes his eyes. "Sounds like the same spirit that was keeping us turned around last night." He coughs.
Magpie> "She lives in the woods. She has a pool there, with human bones. Her hair is like branches, and leaves. And her eyes are very, very black." Magpie shudders.
* Magpie hesitates for a few seconds, her face looking very drawn. "Well...I sort of, I sacrificed my favorite thing in the world, and prayed, so she'd come to me," Magpie says all in a rush. "I knew I wasn't supposed to ...but I thought, maybe if I did, she'd give me Crow back. And she did."
* Magpie didn't know Immaculate Philosophy very well, but she did know that what she had done was not only prohibited, but punishable by execution, so her face is a bit anxious as she looks up at Anona.
Anona> "Wasn't SUPPOSED to? Magpie! You... the..." Anona struggles to get her voice back under control. "Magpie, working against the proper order of the world is never proper. It is not her place to demand worship; it is not your place to give it."
* Yengo looks at Magpie, still stunned by the whole situation. The Immaculate order had always taught that it was wrong, but he'd seen far worse in the Threshold and he doesn't have the heart to scold her, not now.
Anona> "Still... as I figure we'll be killing her soon enough - if the bandits don't interfere with that - I suppose we can let the news go no further than us."
Magpie> "But she had Crow! What was I -supposed- to do? The proper order of the world should protect innocent birds, shouldn't it?" Magpie's voice is high and thin.
* Magpie sighs a little in relief.
Yengo> "She just made a mistake, Anona, and she's young. In her situation, maybe I'd do the same thing... As long as she doesn't do it again." He coughs again.
Anona> "There /are/ gods who might take your bird and be fully justified in taking so, for such is their duty. I doubt this would be the duty of any spirit of the forest, though."
Magpie> "I won't, -ever-," Magpie agrees fervently, huddling back into Tara.
* Anona smiles wanly. "Oh, don't worry, Yengo. I'm no monk myself... and, as I said, it'll all come out fine in the end I'm sure."
Yengo> "I know." He relaxes a bit even so.
Magpie> "How are you going to kill her? She was...she was very scary..."
Yengo> "I'm sure Anona and Epheri and Vana can handle her," it hurts a bit to leave himself out, but it's true. "Vana... so she wasn't with you..."
* Magpie looks surprised. "No, she wasn't. Is she not here?"
Anona> "There are ways and means to injure little gods, even if they choose to stay immaterial. Unfortunately, I haven't /yet/ mastered that... so I'll just have to go after her territory and flush her out, instead."
Magpie> "You mean burn down the trees?" Magpie shifts comfortably. "I'm not sure it's there fault...I think, they almost wanted me to go back..."
* Yengo one again sets to buckling his armor. "I don't know what I can do, but I'll try."
Anona> "But they allowed you to go on in the end, even so. Obviously, this Windswept Boughs has established some power over the local forest."
Yengo> "I mean... she's bound to materialize at some point, right?"
onine> Crow squawks indignantly
Anona> "It's MUCH harder to hide within trees and turn people around when there's no trees."
Anona> "But we'll be fair. I'll give her one chance to confront us honestly. And if she doesn't... well, we've covered that possibility."
* Magpie looks anxiously for Tara to the others and back again, obviously uncertain of which group to cling to.
* Yengo leans against the door frame and sneezes heavily. "Damned rain," he mutters.
* Magpie trots over to him and puts her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" she asks suspiciously.
* Yengo smiles. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just caught a little cold last night. I'm more worried right now about whether you're okay, and what we're going to do about this Windswept Boughs."
Magpie> "Are you sure it's a -little- cold?" Magpie isn't quite buying it.
* Yengo coughs again. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before... though I don't exactly feel GOOD..."
* Magpie looks worried. "Maybe it's a curse...you were in the woods, weren't you?"
* Yengo nods. "Yes, but I don't think it's a curse. I was just out in the rain for a long time."
* Magpie wrinkles her nose skeptically, but keeps quiet and satisfies herself by following him from room to room to make sure he hasn't keeled over and died in the interim.
* Yengo feels almost like he _could_ keel over and die, but he doubts its origin is any more sinister than the rain. Everything, as far as he can tell, seems to be in order.
Magpie> And they all wait for Anona to lead them into the forest...

The empty forest
* Anona leads them into the forest.
Anona> "Come out, come out, wherever you are..."
* Anona walks. No particular direction, but in as straight a line as can be managed.
onine> You all make your way into the woods, Epheri has her bow with a fresh set of arrows. Magpie is strangely quiet, she looks around her a little sadly, probably thinking of the mortal boy Luc.
onine> After a while past the bridge Magpie stops and looks around.
* Yengo stays close to Magpie. He still has serious reservations about bringing her along.
* Anona continues on, heedless of the others.
onine> "It's... this way... " Magpie states gesturing in a direction a little off the one Anona is taking.
* Anona adjusts her course to follow Magpie's directions.
onine> Crow does not move from Magpie's shoulder as you move deeper into the woods. You come across... a line.
* Yengo stops - a line?
onine> It's not really a line you can see, no trees, fence, markings. But you know it's there.
* Anona crosses what is undoubtedly a line of certain death.
* Yengo grits his teeth and follows, holding back another cough.
onine> You step over... and the others follow.
onine> As soon as Epheri is 'across' everything changes. You feel a bizarre euphoric feeling, leaves fall faster, and in greater numbers, soon they drop like rain, yet you move at normal speed. You watch a bug race across a leaf at lightning speed.
onine> Clouds leap across the sky like birds on the wing - and the sun moves before your eyes.
Anona> "Interesting..."
* Anona steps back over the line. Just because.
* Yengo swallows a lump that feels the size of his fist. "Yes... interesting."
onine> In a matter of seconds it reaches just below the horizon and the sky is painted red and purple and orange, then everything suddenly jerks into normal speed and you all suddenly are thrown by... inertia?
onine> You feel it wrench in your chest painfully and the euphoria ends...
onine> The whole forest is bathed in a bloody red-orange, the whole area looks like an idealistic autumn. A light breeze blows.
Anona> "What the hell just happened?"
* Yengo staggers at the blow, looking around in wonder and fear. "I... I don't know."
onine> "I.. I don’t know either.." Epheri says weakly. "Either everything was just sped up.. or we were stopped...or something else."
onine> She shrugs helplessly.
Anona> "Being stopped sounds like it, yes."
onine> "Well, changing time is physically and magically - and theoretically - impossible, so I'm inclined to agree."
onine> Magpie is looking around a little uneasy. "She didn't do this before."
* Yengo draws his sword, gazing around. "Maybe she's expecting us."
onine> Yengo you are distracted a little. By a noise off to your right, probably over the hill. Sounds like a woman's scream.
* Yengo moves quickly towards the source of the sound. "What was that?"
Anona> "What was WHAT?"
onine> You grow closer, and its definitely a woman's cries. You can hear a man's voice as well, but its too low to pick up well.
onine> You stumble up the small rise, slipping on a loose branch in the leaves. When you reach the top you can see nestled in a small section of the trees is... is.
* Yengo calls out as he draws nearer. "Who's there?"
onine> A Legion Infirmary tent.
onine> "Yengo what is it?!" Epheri calls as she follows.
Yengo> "It's... my... the tent..."
onine> Now that the rise is not blocking the sounds, you can better recognize the sounds as ones you have heard before.
* Yengo is dumbstruck.
onine> Epheri climbs up. "Tent?"
Anona> "Yengo, what are you DOING?"
Yengo> "Of course it's the tent, it's where- I..." he trails off. "You mean you don't... you can't-"
onine> You can hear the cries, just as they were all those years ago. Tara.
Anona> "You're looking very silly, is all."
Yengo> "Shut up. SHUT UP!"
Anona> "Yengo..?"
onine> "...Noooo! Please stop...! Yengo!!!!" The screams sound as if they are in your ears.
* Yengo staggers down towards the tent. Part of him knows this isn't real - how could it be? but he can't let it happen, not again...
onine> To the rest of you, he seems transfixed on a patch of trees and shrubs.
onine> "Has he gone mad?" Epheri hisses quietly to Anona. "I see nothing!"
Anona> "Neither do I. YENGO! Whatever you're seeing, it's not there! I bet it's a trick!"
* Yengo stops, blinking through the haze. "A trick... I... what... I- no, no, it can't be real..."
onine> Epheri starts to follow him. "Yengo wait..."
Anona> "It's not. Just some other trick that's being played on us while we're here. Like the sky."
onine> "Heeelp! Help me...!"
onine> You hear the man inside hit her.
* Yengo leans heavily against a nearby tree. "I... I'm sorry, it's just, I can hear everything, and it..." He clasps his hands over his ears. "STOP IT!"
onine> Your voice echoes deafeningly at least to you. When you open your eyes, the vision and the sounds are gone. You hear a giggle. You all do. Magpie is standing on the rise, a serene smile on her face, her eyes are half closed.
onine> Crow squawks and flaps away to a branch above and behind you.
onine> "Delicious is it not. Like a flower of so many colors. So delicate from something so torturous and heinous."
onine> "A savory perversion no?"
* Yengo blinks his eyes, still not quite himself. "Wha..?"
onine> Her voice is light and mocking. The usual annoying pitch in her voice is gone.
* Anona retorts, "A perversion, certainly."
onine> "You object?"
Anona> "To object would imply that I merely disapprove."
onine> "Such is to be expected. A rabbit would disapprove of a wolf, just as you disapprove now. A pity that you cannot enjoy this man. A rare event that sparks so many emotions on one complex feeling."
* Yengo pushes himself upright against the tree, glaring up at the figure on the rise. He can't manage to form the words he wants to throw at it.
onine> Magpie doesn't focus on any of you.
* Yengo breathes heavily. "I will never forgive myself for that day. I will not spare you for bringing it back to me like this."
Anona> "And I am no rabbit. Not even metaphorically."
onine> "Oh but you are. Perhaps not now, but you will be."
Anona> "Your fancy is fanciful indeed, 'wolf'."
Yengo> "Enough of your tricks."
onine> *chuckle* "Trick?"
Anona> "I believe he is referring to the... whatever-it-was. I suppose the glamour only works for one's own, memories, hmm?"
onine> "Now you begin to understand."
Anona> "I understand this will be a /far/ more satisfying experience; I had in mind only of putting down some godling grown overly haughty this day."
onine> "We shall see who is sated..."
Yengo> "Here on the Isle, all this time. You've been careful, but not careful enough."
onine> "We will reach our goal human you cannot stop it. Reunion is at hand..."
onine> At that Magpie's eyes open fully and she exhales as if she had just held her breath.
Anona> "It must be *quite* uncomfortable for you here, so close to Creation's hub. All that nasty *order*..."
onine> She looks at your strange stares. "What?"
<onine> Everyone just stares at Magpie.
* Magpie looks at them. "What?!" she asks, in her normal voice.
<onine> "Wh... what was that Magpie?" Epheri asks a little stunned It’s hazy now that you think about it, but to you it seemed normal. Now looking back on it, it *was* kinda weird.
* Magpie decides insouciance is the best course. "I dunno."
* Yengo shakes his head, leaning back against one of the trees heavily. "That makes... two of us."
* Magpie frowns, looking at him. "Are you okay? Because you don't really look okay."
<Anona> "Whatever it was... and I have my suspicions... I suggest we return. For now. If that rapid-passage of time wasn't an illusion, we should get back to see if Vana has returned... wherever she is.
<Yengo> "No... I'm... fine." He turns to Anona. "That's a good idea. We still have the other problem to deal with, after all." He coughs.
* Magpie moves over to stand by Yengo, and clutches his sleeve. She peers up at him. He still didn't look okay. His cold, probably. "So lets go back." She was a little anxious to get out of these woods anyway.
* Yengo casts a tired smile down at her. "Yeah."
<onine> "If we're even able..." Epheri says direly, looking up at the red sky.
<Anona> "We'll just have to try our best, won't we?" Anona sets off in the general direction of "away".
* Yengo follows after her, staring ahead a little glassily.
<onine> Epheri shrugs and follows. "If she can keep us out she can probably keep us in you know?"
* Magpie trots beside Yengo, casting worried looks at him whenever he so much as sniffled.
<Yengo> "If she does, she'll be sorry."
<onine> Epheri clutches her bow a little tighter. "Fair folk... they're strong right?"
<Anona> "Some of them. That's the problem with chaos. It's chaotic."
<onine> "Oh come on, how would you know Anona, you've never even seen one!"
<Anona> "No, but *I* paid attention in class, Epheri. "
* Anona rethinks that and states more honestly, "Well, MOST of the time."
<onine> "You were setting *fire* to things!"
<Anona> "You can set things on fire and listen at the same time. You have hands AND ears, don't you?"
<Magpie> "You mean, she's a...a fairy? I thought they only existed in the Threshold. Why would she even be here?"
<onine> Epheri considers the question.
* Yengo fingers the iron spoon strung around his neck absently. Might come in useful, after all. "I'm surprised she let us leave without a fight. Now that we know she's here, we could tell anyone."
<onine> "She hasn't let us leave *yet* you know, don’t count your yeddims."
<onine> "...until they've ...er..."
<onine> "...dare me? *laughter* Magpie hears a boy's voice, as does Yengo. The two Dragonbloods feel a faint change in the wind for a brief moment.
* Yengo shakes his head at Epheri's comment, then abruptly stops. "What was that?"
* Magpie scowls. "You're just a coward meany!" She shouts back into the woods.
<Anona> "... I'd hope 'she' realizes that if we aren't 'allowed' to leave the forest, there won't be a forest to leave very shortly... eh? What, Yengo?"
<Yengo> "A voice in the woods..."
* Magpie 's eyes widens. "It sounded a little like Luc. Not a _lot_, but..."
<Anona> "Like the other things you were seeing?"
<Yengo> "Maybe, I don't know..."
<onine> Magpie, as you turn your head looking for the voice you find yourself looking at the village. You look back at the others... they're not there.
* Magpie turns in a panicked circle. "Yengo, Anona!" she shouts. "Where, where are..."

Visions in a wood
<onine> There is a figure standing over by the wall, his back facing you. It looks like Luc, it wears the same clothing.
<Magpie> "Luc! Luc, you're alive!" In the sudden wash of enormous relief, Magpie forgets the taunting boy's voice she had heard. She runs over to him, to grab him by the shoulder.
<onine> You pull him around and are met with the boy's alabaster pale face. His eyes are open, and they are like black voids that seem to swallow you, just as Boughs did. You only see it for a fraction of a second before the forest returns in a blink.
<onine> To the rest of you, Magpie runs a short distance into the underbrush.
* Magpie swallows a scream, and falls to her knees, shuddering.
* Yengo takes a few halting steps after her. "Magpie, are you... all right?"
<Anona> "...the hell?"
<onine> Magpie sits on her knees before a tree. Up against the tree is (to Yengo) a boy. Pale, looks like he's been starved for weeks. Closed eyes.
* Yengo takes a step back, away from the body, uttering a short sound of shock.
* Magpie lifts her head, and sees the boy there. She shuffles frantically away from him on her hands and knees.
<Anona> "You know... Epheri, isn't it interesting that, so far, only the mortals present seem to be seeing things? I wonder...
<onine> "...if we're immune?"
<onine> The Dragonbloods see an odd mound of leaves against the treetrunk.
<Yengo> "Don't touch him, Magpie. Let's just..."
<Yengo> "Just..."
<Anona> "That's a possibility. The only other guess I have is that, if this is one of the Fair Folk... maybe our feelings aren't 'tasty' to it."
<onine> "Well... " she speaks lower. "We've had pretty good lives though, not much suffering to look back on... you know?"
<Anona> "YOU, maybe. Maybe losing my parents isn't as devastatingly heartbreaking as whatever THEY went through, but I think if it COULD have effected me, it would have."
* Magpie scrambles to her feet, lunges forward to put Yengo between her and the corpse. She peers around him. "Burn him? That would be right, wouldn't it? Anona can burn him, and then he's had a funeral and we can all go away."
<Yengo> "Yeah." He doesn't care about examining the body. He just wants the hell out of here.
* Yengo takes the girl by the hand and starts to back away, yelling, his voice angry and panicked. "What the hell are you two DOING back there?"
<onine> Epheri walks over and pokes the leaves, which seem to lose their 'humanoid' shape and fall to the ground. The mortals see the shape of Luc fade into leaves.
<Anona> "Wondering why you're getting so emotional over a pile of leaves."
<onine> "Yes, its nothing! You have to realize that." Epheri adds.
<Anona> "Hmm... I don't suppose either of you have anything made of cold-wrought iron, do you?"
* Yengo glares at Epheri. "Let's wait and see what she shows you, then maybe you won't find it so easy to say it's nothing." He turns to Anona, pulling off the spoon he has around his neck and tossing it to her. "Here."
* Anona tosses it back. "I'm not the one who's needing it, Yengo. Next time you see something... or Magpie seems to be seeing something... try poking it with the spoon. If it's real, no harm done, if it's glamour, it should be disrupted."
<Yengo> "Ah. I... I never thought of that..."