003: History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> "Oh, and now you summon undead abominations into our home!" the stricken elf cries out after ducking a wild swing from Julia's surprise ally. "I see I was right to doubt you, outsiders!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: Stephanie
<Julia> "At least I can count on them not to try and kill me!" Julia retorts.
<Franceska> "It bothers me as well!" Franceska is forced to admit, holding her nose. "But not as much as elves that do what you tried!"
<Stephanie> "Get off me, you damn bird!" snaps Stephanie, bouncing to her feet in a hurry, then bounding towards the elf. "Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing!
<Julia> With the eagle long gone, Thing flies down to invisibly claw at the elf instead!
<Julia> roll 1d20+13 charge/invis
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+13 charge/invis and gets 30."12 [1d20=17]
<Julia> roll 1d3-1 and fort save vs poison
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d3-1 and fort save vs poison and gets 2."12 [1d3=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5-5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+5-5 and gets 7."12 [1d20=7]
<Julia> roll 1d4 dex damage
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d4 dex damage and gets 1."12 [1d4=1]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Elf/Fran are up (eagle bolted)
<El-Cideon> Assaulted everywhere, the elf tries to focus on singing a helpful illusion into existence--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 concentration
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15 concentration and gets 34."12 [1d20=19]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4+3 mirror image
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d4+3 mirror image and gets 7."12 [1d4=4]
<Franceska> Utterly disgusted at the task she must perform, Franceska summons summons necromantic energy into her hand and then reaches out to tap the elf.
<El-Cideon> --and suddenly where one elf stood there are now many!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+6 touch
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+6 touch and gets 21."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Franceska> roll 1d8+5 inflict
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8+5 inflict and gets 8."12 [1d8=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: also everyone in melee range who doesn't immune sleep, roll fort
<Julia> roll 1d20+3 Thing fort, immune to poison if relevant
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+3 Thing fort, immune to poison if relevant and gets 22."12 [1d20=19]
<Stephanie> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Stephanie rolls 1d20+8 and gets 9."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 Rosey and gets 17."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> Dark energy scours away his flesh--while Stephanie finds herself collapsing to the ground again before she can strike a blow! (OOC: Stephanie is asleep for 1 minute)
<El-Cideon> OOC: Darrin if he's doing anything, then Rose
<Franceska> "What are you doing?!" Franceska exclaims in dismay, near that point where she would tear her hair out. Picking up on her desires, Darrin swoops down to try and claw their lethargic companion some more.
<El-Cideon> "What is this awful smell, anyway?" Rosemund wonders as she swings away. "Men aren't supposed to wear perfume!"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 and gets 14."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 and gets 28."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 crit?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 crit? and gets 11."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+4 no crit
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+4 no crit and gets 8."12 [1d8=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8 MI
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8 MI and gets 3."12 [1d8=3]
<El-Cideon> One of the fake elves winks out of existence!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia and friend
<Julia> Acting before her zombie ogre, Julia first tries to unweave the magic of those mirror images!
<Julia> roll 1d20+8 dispel magic
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+8 dispel magic and gets 20."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> All his extra selves blink out and he's left alone once again!
<Julia> It's Zombie crushing time!
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 flanking
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 flanking and gets 18."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> OOC: whiff
<Stephanie> "I'll pluck you dry, bird!" scowls Stephanie, stumbling back to her feet. "And put your hat on my- my hat, and I'll have a hat-hat!"
<El-Cideon> He tries to get in a quick stab as Stephanie rises to her feet again!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12-5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12-5 and gets 20."12 [1d20=13]
<Franceska> "This is your gratitude?!" Franceska exclaims, deeply offended. "Darrin, it is alright to let her fall to the terrible elf's terrible charms next time!"
<Stephanie> OOC: AC=21
<El-Cideon> OOC: okay. Doing more than standing up? That's only a move action.
<Stephanie> "You stay out of this, elf!" snaps Stephanie, swinging the good ol' rock-in-a-sock and belting him over the head.
<Stephanie> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Stephanie rolls 1d20+14 and gets 24."12 [1d20=10]
<Stephanie> roll 1d6+6+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Stephanie rolls 1d6+6+4d6 and gets 24."12 [1d6=4][4d6=2, 1, 5, 6]
<El-Cideon> OOC: I'm still waking up, clearly!
<Stephanie> OOC: Subdual, btw
<El-Cideon> With a pained grunt, he weaves awkwardly in place, barely standing on his feet!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing
<Julia> Thing has no such compunctions as Stephanie has, and lets out a gleeful shriek as he goes to town on the elf with claws and teeth!
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 claw
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 claw and gets 12."12 [1d20=1]
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 claw
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 claw and gets 24."12 [1d20=13]
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 bite and gets 23."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> OOC: latter two hit
<Julia> roll 1d3-1 claw and DC 16 fort for more poison
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d3-1 claw and DC 16 fort for more poison and gets 1."12 [1d3=2]
<Julia> roll 1d4-1 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d4-1 bite and gets 2."12 [1d4=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5-5 fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+5-5 fort and gets 17."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> A gnaw and a poke is just too much for him, and he collapses to the ground! The sweet-smelling cloud lingers on in his vicinity for a few more seconds, though.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
* Franceska sniffs, and steps away from the foul-smelling elf.
<Julia> The ogre raises its club high up for a killing blow, but a gesture from Julia stops him. "Well, for all the fuss it's not as if my big abomination did anything useful," she pouts, dismissing the zombie.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund looks eager to give the fallen elf a good kick, but thinks better of hanging about in the cloud and darts back a ways. "What a rude man!"
<Stephanie> "What's his problem, anyway? Going all mental like that," mutters Stephanie, holding her palm up to her nose and stepping away. "Can I nap now? Is that okay?"
<Julia> Thing flies over to Julia's shoulder and whispers in her ear, prompting a look of realisation. "Ah! I see, it's because he can tell if we're not the same sort of good as he is, and since we're not - except possibly Rosemund and Stephanie, he wanted to kill us," she explains.
<Franceska> "Elf," Franceska repeats, as that explains everything. Glancing at Rosemund, she muses, "Should we interrogate him?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, that's nonsense!" Rosemund declares. "I do not see what we had done to offend anybody."
<El-Cideon> "Interrogate...how?" she adds, sounding uneasy.
<Julia> "He can just tell. It's magic," Julia shakes her head. "I have a spell that can make us seem... well, if not good, at least not evil. How about I use it on myself, Thing, and Franceska?"
* Franceska shrugs. "I am not an elf expert. Is anyone?"
<El-Cideon> "Probably the elves?" Rosemund adds.
<Franceska> "Cannot be trusted," Franceska immediately responds.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I admit today has been a very awkward introduction to elves for me...but they cannot all be the same, can they? Any group of people has all sorts of personalities, I think?"
<Julia> "It does make everything he told us before suspect, doesn't it?" Julia admits, casting Undetectable Alignment first on herself and Thing, and then on Franceska should she be willing.
<Stephanie> "Hang on. Why d'ya need a spell for that?" asks Stephanie. "Just, you know, be good, you know?"
* Franceska nods at Julia in agreement, having no issues with any spells that don't harm her.
<Julia> "That's easy for you to say," Julia replies serenely.
<Franceska> "It was easy for him to say as well while he stabbed you."
<El-Cideon> "Oh, it is not that difficult," Rosemund says. "You just need to think about others more than you do yourself."
<Julia> "I think about others a great deal," Julia insists, "But according to Thing I'm still not good on the cosmic scale of worthiness."
* Franceska gives Rosemund a strange look before clearing her throat. "Be that as it may. We should ask for directions. Would it be too much to hope one of you two knows the right way to do that?"
<Julia> "If he was dead I could wring the secrets from his bones..." Julia ponders aloud, perhaps inappropriately given the other topic.
<Stephanie> "He gave us directions, didn't he? Let's go find this wizard chick," replies Stephanie, rolling her shoulders. "Interrogations are so messy."
<El-Cideon> "Oh, ah, perhaps if we find a dead person, Julia, but..." Rosemund says carefully, "Perhaps we should not make people dead just to ask them questions?"
<Franceska> "It is a bit in bad taste, yes."
<Julia> "No, I suppose not. So, into the forest?" she asks. "Thing says the eagle flew away so it might have gone to get help which won't be inclined to ask us any questions before trying to kill us."
<Stephanie> "Yeah, see, that's why I gave him a headache instead of taking his head, right?" replies Stephanie, cheerily. "So if he gets his buddies after us they'll probably be all civilized about tying us up and chucking us back to the Prime."
<Julia> "Clever thinking," Julia approves.
<Franceska> "It was not so we could question him properly?" Franceska asks, disappointed herself. "I see. Yes, we may as well walk into the trap or follow his earlier lies."
<El-Cideon> It is currently afternoon, and what can be seen of the sky through the tree cover suggests the sun is beginning its descent. Immediately in front of you, the forest is thick and tangled with undergrowth. Passable, but it would be slow going. The opposite bank of the river hosts only open fields at present.
<Stephanie> "Aww, don't get so picky!" replies Stephanie. "I got a good feeling about this!"
<Franceska> "Then you can go first. Rosemund and I will be in the back."
<Julia> "I'll be safest in the middle, I hope," Julia says, falling into formation.
<Stephanie> Stephanie puckers up her lips. "Then you can go first. Rosemund and I will be in the back," she says, imitating Franceska. "Sure, sure, we'd do it that way even if we were going to the bloody embroidery class, right?" she replies, starting off.
* Franceska shakes her head sadly, telling Rosemund, "She gets tricked by the elf twice and learns nothing of the dangers."
<El-Cideon> The stretch of forest you enter is wilder than before--a tangle of shrubs, vines, and fallen logs slows movement and the growing darkness would make navigation a chore if you didn't at least have the sound the of running water on your right to keep you on track. After an hour of trudging through this grim grove, you reach a small clearing, thirty feet wide. A man sits on a great fallen oak, talking quietly to an eagle perched on his forearm. He looks like an elf, and talks like an elf, but his visible skin is covered all over with a mossy fuzz. He has long hair the color of freshly turned soil, and eyes that are just pools of night. He stands up at your arrival. "Kept us waiting a long walk didn't they?" he says to the eagle in accented Common, before addressing his visitors. "The forest disagrees with you, doesn't it?"
<Stephanie> "I don't mind it. 'snice. All green, makes me feel like napping the day away," replies Stephanie, brightly. "But I'm a city girl at heart, won't deny."
<Julia> "I prefer more developed areas, or at least more spacious ones," Julia admits freely, though her eyes are narrowed.
* Franceska looks aghast at all the fuzz, and that moss can't possibly be hygienic. Still, looking like an elf means that he will get ignored lest she say something mean and jeopardize Rosemund's self-appointed mission.
<El-Cideon> "No doubt. Perhaps you should return there?" he suggests. "I know that Lucian attacked you. I have not made it a habit to gainsay his judgement, so I must presume whatever your motivations for being here are, they have no roots in the common good. I must ask that you leave Arvandor."
<El-Cideon> He gestures for the eagle to take flight, and it hops away to a tree branch some feet away. The man crosses his arms before him and examines you all critically. His attire is a gown of leaves that seemingly merges into the undergrowth beneath him.
<Julia> "No," Julia replies crisply and clearly. "We are here on an errand of mercy, and will not be dissuaded by hostile and malicious natives."
<Stephanie> "Yeah!"
<Franceska> "Who is the lord of midnight feathers?" Franceska asks, since it looks like it would dissolve into another fight and they'd never get any questioning done.
<El-Cideon> "It is hostile and malicious to defend one's home?" he says skeptically. "I feel sure if you had explained such motives clearly and truthfully, you would have been spared previous violence." Franceska's question seems more intriguing to him: "Why do you ask?"
<Franceska> "I will answer your question after you have answered mine. I asked first, after all."
<Julia> "We offered no threat, and our friendship and patience as repaid with deception and violence. Yes, I stand by my words," Julia asserts firmly.
<Stephanie> "Yeah!"
<El-Cideon> "Am I in your home?" he says to Franceska, sounding irritated. "Did I walk into your sterile city manor and demand to be informed about whatever pretentiously-named stranger crossed my mind? I did not. *You* are in *my* home, and as a guest you shall explain your presence before I feel obliged to answer your query."
<Stephanie> "Hey, we didn't want to just march in! We looked for the bell!"
<El-Cideon> "You would be hard-pressed to find any metalworker in this realm," he says to Stephanie. "You will find a dire shortage of bells."
<Stephanie> "So, um, how do we announce ourselves? Politely?" replies Stephanie, rubbing her head. "Can we start again?"
<Julia> "Someone managed to make Lucian's sword," Julia responds tartly.
<Franceska> Elves. Franceska stifles a sigh. "Alright. First, let us get some facts straight. If you do not wish to have unwanted visitors from the human lands, take care to remove portals here or place people near them to direct visitors away. Second, the hospitality of drugging and otherwise inducing a helpless state in visiting women is punishable by law in our home, but, of course, you may do as
<Franceska> you wish in your own. Third, we are on a fact-finding mission to locate this feathered lord and find out why he captured a self-described human hero as his pet. Is that enough for you to actually tell us anything of use?"
<El-Cideon> "That is correct!" Rosemund adds. "We are only here to rescue someone who has been imprisoned. Surely you would agree it is a virtuous endeavor to free the unjustly imprisoned?"
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll diplo, Fran? Rose will aid
<Franceska> "Yes, yes," Franceska mutters tiredly. "And if he broke any laws I am certain the concept of ransom exists."
<Franceska> roll 1d20+14-4
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+14-4 and gets 29."12 [1d20=19]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+3 Rosey and gets 15."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> He's silent for an unnervingly long time. "You should know no harm would have come to you had Lucian succeeded," he says. "You would have woke to find yourselves returned to your own world, divested of your weapons. We don't mean to invite confrontation, but we do have a history with uninvited visitors which has left us perhaps excessively wary. You are from Solata, yes? You should understand a reluctance to entertain meddling outsiders? We may be civil if your cause is as just as declared."
<Julia> For the moment, Julia decides not to throw more fuel on the fire. Franceska and Rosemund seem to be having more success.
<Franceska> "We are from Solata," Franceska decides to grudgingly admit. "In any case, how about we agree to disagree on the suitability of the means and methods Lucian would have taken and move on to our task. Can you help us find out the circumstances behind the imprisonment of our quarry? Unless he did something truly objectionable, we would like to take him back with us and leave in a way that
<Franceska> satisfies everyone involved."
<El-Cideon> "Who is this man that you are seeking?" he asks. "As for this 'Lord of midnight feathers'...Sounds like a fairy name," he concludes with some distaste. "They always have to be the Shining Lady Grand Holly Bush or some such thing. Ever so dramatic. They are all a little mad, if you ask me."
* Franceska turns to Rosemund expectantly.
<Stephanie> "He's this hero from a couple decades back! Fought against devils and demons and corrupt nobles and all that!" replies Stephanie, brightening up. "We know exactly which one he was?" she asks, momentarily glancing at Rosemund as well.
<Julia> "Only that he was a companion of Galina Merowyn," Julia says.
<Stephanie> "Could've been a she, now that I think it."
<Julia> "Could be, prophecy was vague."
<El-Cideon> "I am afraid that we do not know *exactly* which one he was," Rosemund admits. "Oh, but we have all their names--" Rosemund rattles off the list of heroes know to have left with Galina, until she reaches Marcus Massif. At which point the man nods in obvious recognition.
<Franceska> A 'he' after all. She had that suspicion.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, Marcus. The one-armed warrior? Or so he was when I met him. He used to walk these woods, but I've not seen him in years. I presumed he'd sought challenges in other lands."
<Stephanie> "Well, long story short, we heard this pretty-reliable prophecy. Well, we think it's reliable. Seems it is, if he were here," replies Stephanie. "You know why some wacko fairy would want to kidnap a big, strong, handsome warrior hero?"
<Franceska> "According to prophecy, he is...." Clearing her throat, Franceska recites, "Cast by chance to the land of elven eternity, the lord of midnight feathers claims me as his own. In his glorious prison, I live as art." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "The reference to art ring any bells? Metaphorically, of course, since you lack them here."
<El-Cideon> "I suspect it is beyond the wisest of souls to discern why they do much of anything, but I know that some of them are fond of taking mortal servants. They offer the mortal knowledge or great magic or beauty or whatever fleeting passion seems to strike their fancy, and I suspect forget all about their bargain as soon as their servant has resigned himself to seven years of scrubbing floors. It could be your man fell afoul of such a deal? Although from what I know of him, I should expect he would know better." In response to Franceska: "They are very flamboyant. I am sure you will find more than one committed aesthete amongst their number. I have some recollection of one of their lords being a collector in some fashion, but I do not associate with them more than I must and could not provide a name."
<Julia> "Are they spread all across Arborea or do they have lands where they congregate?" Julia asks now that things are going more helpfully.
* Franceska finally shows a trace of her frustration. She reins it in, however, and listens on as Julia puts them back on a more productive track.
<El-Cideon> "You could try Lady Silverbark's court," he offers. "She is the closest thing to a leader amongst the local fairies that I know of, which is to say that she is bigger and louder and more domineering than the others. She is some days travel away, however, and if you can find the information you need from someone more knowledgeable along the way, so much the better for you to not meet her."
<Stephanie> "Is she the type that likes it when people get all up in her face? Or, you know, is she into servility?" wonders Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "I would not expect defiance to be rewarded," he says.
<Stephanie> Stephanie sniffs.
<Julia> "Very well, can you point us the way to go so we can find her, please?" Julia asks politely.
<El-Cideon> "Follow the stream and it will soon merge with River Oceanus. The river will pool in a great lake amidst the plains below these hills before passing on to other realms. Cross the river and head east. Look for oak trees within rings of blossoms. Follow these into uplands swathed in flowers. I cannot tell you more specifically wherein this area she presently calls home, however."
<Julia> "Thank you, hopefully that will be enough for us," Julia nods, grateful at least that after all the hostility they finally got somewhere. "Shall we be off, then?"
<Franceska> "Okay." So they will need to walk through this hellish land for a few more days at least? "We should be going, yes."
<El-Cideon> He looks up. "Night falls soon. Although I would not be at all surprised should you refuse our hospitality at this point, should you need to rest for the night, this grove would be safe." He grudgingly adds, "Good fortune," before disappearing into the woods.
<Julia> "Lets keep going a few more hours," Julia suggests.
<Stephanie> "That sounds so good! You're alright, Mr. Mossman!" calls Stephanie, before turning to Julia with a faint pout. "Through the dark, when night hits? Well, ok. If you want."
<Franceska> "Staying here would serve to show us if we were lied to," Franceska muses. "Better find out now than after walking for several more days. And I have a hut."
<Julia> "Oh, alright then. I'll get started on a fire and making some dinner for us, then," Julia concedes.
* Franceska takes a bit of time to find the best place for her hut before summoning it into being.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, but you know I can summon whatever food we might need," Rosemund adds, before quickly adding, "But of course I am sure it would not be near so tasty as whatever you might cook for us."
<Julia> "I have pride in my cooking," Julia says, "We can save summoned food for lunch and any other time we aren't stopping to camp?"
<Stephanie> "I'll go see if I can find us something fresh," determines Stephanie, spinning a knife it one hand and turning to peer through the woods.
<El-Cideon> "Of course!" Rosemund says, happy to have not given offense. "Please give us your best."
<El-Cideon> ~

<Julia> roll 1d20+13 just how good a cook am I?
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+13 just how good a cook am I? and gets 25."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> You fucking loved it and asked for seconds.