004: Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> A terrific storm rips through the woods overnight, lashing rain, wind and fallen branches at Franceska's magical shelter throughout the evening (and no doubt making her companions very glad for her resourcefulness!) When the party rises from sleep, it's to find a thick morning mist and the promise of a hot, sticky day of traveling. One could also swear your little clearing is somehow emptier than before, as though there were fewer trees in your immediate vicinity.
<Julia> "Quite a bracing storm we had last night," Julia reflects as she emerges outside, bat-Thing flapping out and around after her.
<Stephanie> "Out of this world, right?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, yes," Rosemund agrees. "If we had only pitched a tent, I feel sure it would have blown away!"
<Franceska> "It does seem pretty clear the realm itself does not want us here," Franceska muses. "But we are not going to listen, of course."
<El-Cideon> "It could just be rain!" Rosemund challenges. "Perhaps it would have rained whether we were here to see it or not?"
<Franceska> "And all the extra trees?"
<Stephanie> "Or maybe the plane moved us to a spot where it rains! On purpose!"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund looks around, sees a lot of trees. "Well...I cannot vouch with certainty that we have NOT moved to another stretch of woods that looks exactly the same, because do they not all look exactly the same? But I do still hear the river. I think you are being silly."
<Julia> "A storm is a storm. Maybe it knocked over some trees?" Julia shrugs idly. "So, shall we go after that stream and follow it to our next marker?"
<Stephanie> "If it knocked over trees, where are the trees?" replies Stephanie, bouncing to her feet and grabbing her back. "Sounds good! Like a plan-like plan."
<El-Cideon> "Are there plans which do not resemble plane?" Rosemund wonders skeptically as she packs up and straps on her armor.
<Julia> "They flew away in the wind," Julia offers reasonably.
<Stephanie> "There really are," confirms Stephanie.
* Franceska forgoes the warmer clothing as she listens to the planning, and just decides to go with it. "Are we all ready, then?"
<Julia> "Yes, lets be off," Julia nods, starting to head towards the river, hoping it's not too muddy... maybe she should have gotten new boots after all.
<El-Cideon> Past the dark little grove that crouches protectively over these uplands, the forest opens up and up with a high-ceilinged canopy branching out cathedral-like far above you and a lack of undergrowth facilitating travel. It's a much brighter and inviting atmosphere than you were first greeted with, though it remains quite humid and the sunlight that does break through the tree cover struggles to burn off the fog. After several hours' travel--(more)
<El-Cideon> --you come across a small stream joining up with the river on your right. It looks perhaps a foot or two deep, easy enough for a human to wade through. A few feet from the muddy streambed, a great clamor and commotion is in progress: an unruly gathering of very small humanoids, perhaps three or four inches tall as a rule, dressed with conspicuous lack of uniformity in whatever they seem to have found on the ground--feathers, insect carapace, bark chips--mills about surrounding a tree trunk, which many of them are busily attempting to fell with tiny little axes. Those unoccupied ride a veritable army of stag beetles and sing to encourage the workers, though without any thought for common key or even song.
* Franceska feels an instinctive wariness of these tiny humanoids. "Would you like to ask them for directions?" she suggests to the others. "In exchange for cutting that tree down for them, I suppose?"
<Julia> "That's quite a catchy melody," Julia opines seemingly straight-faced. "I suppose we could, we already have an idea of where to go but perhaps they could refine it for us?"
<Stephanie> "Are they sprites?" wonders Stephanie, peering at them with interest. "Hello there, little people!"
<El-Cideon> An array of mounted sprites turns to face you (at least, those not involved in some scuffle over precisely which song they are singing). One of them, wearing a cape of what looks like cardinal down and a crown woven from a clashing array of flower petals, speaks up. "Oy, bigguns! What's news?" He sounds very cheerful.
<Stephanie> "We're just passing through!" replies Stephanie, brightly. "On the way to Lady Silverbark's court!"
<Julia> "Well since we're new here we don't really have much news," Julia admits. "Quite a storm last night, though, wasn't it?" Meanwhile Thing looks greedily at the little sprites as he flaps around.
<El-Cideon> A few of them shrink back from the aerial predator, whilst others brandish the most infinitesimal bows and spears any of you has ever seen in its direction. The leader seems unconcerned. "Oh, sure 'an it was. Came outta nowhere and blew us all over the vale, it did! But we're not lettin' a little storm keep us from our mission, right?" Those few in his army actually heeding him give a little cheer before he turns back to you. "Oh, Silverbark, is it?" He turns and spits on the ground. "Tell 'er that's from Prince Gecki."
<Stephanie> "Oho? You're at odds with her?" asks Stephanie, crouching down to get a closer look at the sprites.
<Julia> Seeing that he's upsetting them, Julia reaches up and swats at Thing. "Bad boy! Don't you get any ideas, Thing!" she tells the demonic bat that's surely thinking of picking off an isolated straggler if he can.
<El-Cideon> "She's a prissy git!" he says with an emphatic jab of his spear. "Thinks she's the boss o' everyone just 'cause she can snap 'er fingers and toss fireballs around. Well let 'er try that on us, she won't be the boss o' anyone then!"
<El-Cideon> To Julia: "Don't worry yourself, lass, we fight off owls and the like all the time."
<Franceska> Darrin prudently decides to retreat behind Franceska at those ominous words.
<Julia> "That must be very reassuring," Julia smiles sweetly down at the sprite before giving her transformed quasit a little glare. Seemingly cowed, he flies around to rest on her shoulder.
<Stephanie> Stephanie has seen fireballs before! It would take one to encompass every miniature man present?... "Yeah? How would you get her if she tried?" asks Stephanie, brightly.
<El-Cideon> "Well, well I'd climb right up that fancy dress of hers and poke her in the eye!" he says bravely. "And Marauder here would chew her little toes off," he adds, patting his mount on the head.
<Julia> "I certainly wouldn't like someone poking my eye or chewing my toes off!" Julia gasps.
<Stephanie> "Then you'd better not learn to throw fireballs around!"
<El-Cideon> "Everyone who crosses us should fear for their toes!" he confirms.
* Franceska looks extremely dubious at their prospects, for her part. "I would not suppose," she voices, rather than say anything about that, "that you have heard of any one-armed men in these parts?"
<Stephanie> Stephanie emits a little squeal, and sidles up to Rosie. "I want one! They're so adorable," she says, clutching her friend's shoulder.
<El-Cideon> "I don't think they're up for adoption," Rosemund says quietly.
<El-Cideon> He scratches his head a moment. "Oh, sure, sure, think I saw one around, years ago? Didn't speak to 'em myself, was up to my da to talk to big folk then."
<Stephanie> "I know, but- you know," mumbles Stephanie.
<Franceska> "Would you happen to remember in whose court was that man seen?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, I dunno, 'e was kinda the travelin' sort, seems to me," he says. "Went 'ere and there just to see whatever was to be seen, right? I'd ask my da what they spoke about, but my da went down the river chasin' some fish-girl he took a fancy to and never came back. River goes to Elysium, y'see." He radiates mortal terror at the name. "No one comes back from Elysium! It must be a terrible place."
<Franceska> It really must be if it's connected to this one. Franceska nods solemnly.
<Julia> "We must be wary of ending up there ourselves, then," Julia declares. "Ah, well. Since you've helped with our questions would you like some help cutting down that tree?" she offers per the original plan.
<Stephanie> "If nobody comes back, how do you know it goes to Elysium?" wonders Stephanie, before straightening up. "Well, we're gonna have to keep looking at the lady's place! Don't suppose you fellas know anyone in her court who's not a total tosser? I figure there's gotta be plenty of those," she mutters.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, sure, much obliged," he says, adding, "You big folk are great at cuttin' down trees," without any hint of accusation or disdain. "Well, that's just what we hear!" he says to Stephanie, as though he's never thought about this before. "Well, let's see here--" He counts off on his fingers as he goes along: "There's some other Lords and Ladies 'ang about in her shadow, but Lady 'orseshoe 'asn't got the sense to do more than Silverbark tells her and Bullfinch just looks as though she wants to eat you. There's this pixie acts like she's all moonstruck over this bunch that's tame enough, though...and I got word there's some mortal serving Silverbark these days? Might be they'll talk to you decent like."
<Julia> Taking out her deadly looking pick that's really used more to dissuade muggers and bandits than for actual use in battle, Julia makes her way over to the tree. "Step aside, little ones, I'll help cut it down for you," she tells them.
<El-Cideon> The little people scatter and cheer!
<El-Cideon> "Anythin' else you're lookin' for?" the Prince asks while Julia goes to work. "Got yourself some days between 'ere and there."
<Stephanie> "Wellllll, might be! You heard of a fey calling himself a Lord of feathers or some such?"
<Julia> Swinging her pick like an axe, it doesn't specifically chop but it does widen and significantly deepen the scars in the tree, each wrench as she pulls it back out adding to it. "Which way do you want it to fall? Over the river?" she asks, since she knows that side will need to have a bigger and steeper gash carved out of it to make the tree fall in that direction.
<El-Cideon> "Bullfinches got feathers?" he speculates. "But she's a Lady. Or so she says." He sounds unconvinced. "Oh, they've all got these fancy names. One of them fools goin' by name of Peregrin at some point, there was a Lady Shrike, and I think that's a bird? And Lord Blackbird--oh sure, sure, over the river. Marchin' north, we are!"
<Julia> Julia thus gets to work on that side!
<Stephanie> "Where're you headed off to? Are you on a quest?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, yeah," he says. "Gotta reclaim my old da's acorn crown. Some pixies stole it a couple days past." His closest companion adds something in Sylvan, to which the prince replies, "Yeah, that and a whole bowl of punch. We were using it as a punch bowl at the time, see. It was the festival of--what day was it?" Another consultation in Sylvan. "Tuesday, right. So we've gotta go get it back, in case my da ever shows up and needs it again. We'll cut their tree houses down! Very slowly! See where they fly to hide after that. Well, unless they give us the crown back. And give us somethin' to eat, it's a long trail." One last interjection from the crowd. "Okay," the prince concedes, "maybe if it's really good beer."
<Stephanie> "How far?" asks Stephanie, considering just how much faster she could travel in an hour than these guys.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, other side o' the lake," says, pointing downstream. "Foot o' the mountains across the water."
<Stephanie> "Ah, shame! If we were headed that way, I'd give y'all a lift," says Stephanie, sadly. "Well, no sense dwellin' on that! Good luck to ya'! Don't let some rotten thief spoil your da's legacy!"
<Franceska> This time, Stephanie is the recipient of Franceska's dubious look.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, that's okay," he says, patting Marauder on the head again. "We got rides of our own! Well, unless you want the cavalry here clinging on to you the whole way," he says, adding: "They cling real good."
<El-Cideon> The tree eventually falls, to a great roar of approval from the crowd. Before the party's much superior walking speed takes them away from the gang of sprites, the prince holds something out to Julia in thanks. It's evidently a spear, though for any human it might as well be a toothpick. "You know what, I think you should have somethin' for helpin' us on our way! I like you lot, we don't get many humans around here."
<Julia> "Hah, I don't think lumberjacking is for me," Julia says, her arms feeling tired after all that work. Still, she puts her pick back in its harness and gratefully accepts the tiny spear, "Thank you very much, Prince Gecki," she beams. It could make a nice conversation piece!
<El-Cideon> Throughout the rest of the day, the river on your right swells as stream after stream joins up, until the river itself merges into a great channel that can only be the River Oceanus, wide enough that one can only strain to see the other side and the most brilliantly clear water anyone in the group has ever seen. As the sun lowers and crimson hues reflect off the water, you can hear a murmur of great excitement somewhere in the woods to your left. It sounds like a great crowd engaged in some manner of celebration.
<Franceska> "Are those elves?" Franceska murmurs, taking a proper look.
<Julia> "I can't tell by the sounds," Julia admits apologetically, looking over in that direction.
<El-Cideon> Some manner of structure looms off in the distance, incongruous amidst the forest surroundings, but the tree cover is too much to make out anything so clear as people from here. It sounds like elven, though.
<Franceska> "Sound like elves," she says dubiously.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, why do I not know the spell to make someone stop being sweaty and filthy," Rosemund says as you walk, wiping the day's exertions from her forehead.
<Julia> "Or a spell to conjure a bath?" Julia suggests. "Anyway, we need to find oak trees now, don't we? Anyone see any?"
<El-Cideon> "I see...trees," Rosemund says, looking abashed at her decided lack of skill in tree identification.
<Franceska> "I always dealt with this by not exerting myself that much," Franceska muses. "It always seemed to work. Ah, but having a proper bath at home also helped."
<El-Cideon> "Well you cannot undertake a proper quest without some measure of exertion," Rosemund replies. "You should have understood this when we left!"
<Franceska> "I was hoping you would give up before it got to this point," Franceska admits with a sigh.
<Julia> "We could always bathe in the river... it might even be a good idea before we go presenting ourselves to these lords and ladies we're looking for?" Julia suggests, tabling tree identification for the moment.
<El-Cideon> "I am not going to give up while brave souls languish in captivity!" Rosemund counters. "Ah, we could?" she says, sounding uncomfortable at Julia's suggestion.
<Stephanie> "How Arborea-like! Let's frolic in the lake like innocent fey," says Stephanie, trying to capture a giggle before it escapes.
<Franceska> "How about not."
<Julia> "Well we might not have a chance to bathe after we leave the river, and we won't give a good impression all sweaty and rumpled," Julia protests.
<El-Cideon> "Well...the water does look very clean..." Rosemund grudgingly admits.
<Stephanie> "You can watch our stuff! Make sure some pixie doesn't show up and make off with it!" says Stephanie, turning to Franceska with a bright grin.
<Franceska> "Maybe I will forget to watch your things since you love the frolicking so much?"
<Julia> "I'm at least going to wash my face, it won't take a minute," Julia decides since it's such a contentious issue, going over to kneel by the riverside and splash her face with water.
<Stephanie> "Are you against frolicking? Does having fun offend you?" wonders Stephanie, peering closely at Franceska.
<El-Cideon> "I believe it does!" Rosemund concludes.
<El-Cideon> Julia finds the water perfectly cool and supremely refreshing.
<Franceska> "Where is the fun in acting like an elf-- not you too, Rosemund!"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, really! One does not have to be an elf to condone the idea of fun," Rosemund says.
<Julia> Deciding to just give herself a dunk and then smooth out the tangles in her sweaty hair, Julia pushes her head under the water entirely before pulling back out and smoothing her jet black hair down as she gets up again. "Aaah, that was invigorating. Well, I suppose we're going on, now?"
<Franceska> "There are many things that are perfectly fun! And never require you to leave your house!"
<Stephanie> "Like what? Counting your money?"
* Franceska sniffs haughtily. "I suppose, for some. Visualizing the downfall of your enemies and their bitter tears is another."
<El-Cideon> "Consulting legal encyclopedias until the small hours of the morning is a very specific definition of fun that only applies to you," she challenges.
<Franceska> "But you cannot crush your hated enemies without that!"
* Julia feels briefly offended that she's apparently considered the maladjusted and sinister one in this group.
<El-Cideon> "You could always march against their home with an army of giant insects," Rosemund suggests, citing recent experience.
<Franceska> "No."
<Stephanie> "Challenge them to a duel!"
<Franceska> "Whyever should I expend my energy so foolishly?"
<Stephanie> "Well, it gets it over with quickly, so you don't have to spend spend day after day in your study turning into a bitter old lady in the name of revenge?"
<Julia> "Call forth the spirits of their dead loved ones to haunt and torment them?" Julia pipes up hopefully.
<Franceska> Ignoring Stephanie now, Franceska considers that proposal thoughtfully. "It sounds intriguing. Would you like to work together once we put this foolishness behind us?"
<Julia> "If we find any enemies we wish to ruin, certainly!" Julia beams happily.
<Franceska> "Excellent. I shall make us a list!"
<Stephanie> "You actually have enemies? Who wronged you?"
<Franceska> "I think it would be easier to make a list of people who haven't."
<El-Cideon> "Really, I would like to hear specifically," Rosemund says, sounding unconvinced that Franceska has genuine enemies.
<Franceska> "The government that took money that rightfully belongs to me, the nice grocers at the corner store that tried to poison me when I was five, the merchants that overcharged me until I got accredited, thieves and various lowlives, the neighbourhood boys, anyone over the age of fifty sans your aunt... elves. All the elves."
<Julia> "The grocers tried to poison you?"
<El-Cideon> "Ah, I am not actually certain of Auntie Leah's age," Rosemund points out. "She is not interested in telling me this."
<Franceska> "Ah, of course," Franceska says warily. "We do not need to tell her I said this, then." She nods at Julia. "And certainly. They are horrible, horrible people! I still remember the day I took them to court...."
<Stephanie> "Old people! And the elves! And the neighbourhood boys? They're all up there with the tax collectors and murderous shopkeepers, eh? Well, kids can be devils, I suppose..."
<El-Cideon> "Well, I believe all of this only demonstrates that you do in fact require exposure to alternate varieties of fun," Rosemund says. "None of those things are experiences that should define a person!"
<Julia> "Are you sure it wasn't an accident?" Julia asks hopefully. "I've often been nearly killed by people who only had my best interests at heart."
<Franceska> "You should not discriminate," Franceska lectures Stephanie sternly. "It does not matter if someone makes an attempt on your life or merely covers the walls of your mansion with cow manure. You must take vengeance upon them all!"
<Franceska> "If they had my best interest in heart, they certainly looked very gloomy when I survived."
<El-Cideon> From the woods to the west, a bird suddenly flaps out into view and alights on a low branch. It looks tropical, somewhat out of place in these woods, resplendent with all the tones of sunset. It eyes the group curiously, then turns to the forest behind it and *squonks* loudly, as though calling to someone or something.
* Franceska fervently hopes it's not more elves.
<Julia> "Oh! I think we lingered here too long..." Julia quickly recasts undectectable alignment on Franceska and Thing in case it ran out.
<Stephanie> "Probably got all nervous when it listened to us," muses Stephanie, stretching her hands into the air.
<Julia> "Should we run?" Julia asks nervously herself.
<Franceska> "Why?"
<Stephanie> "We ain't gonna outrun a bird, y'know."
<Julia> "They might try to poison us and do unspeakable things as we sleep."
<El-Cideon> A moment later, a woman strides into view. Evidently human, no doubt much to Franceska's relief. Round, welcoming features, broadly freckled, an avalanche of strawberry curls tumbling down her back. She is dressed in a fine emerald gown, cut low to lay bare an impressive array of cleavage, and embroidered all over with imagery of crawling vines and flowers. "Ah, forgive me if I am interrupting?" she says pleasantly. "Canterbury heard raised voices."
<Franceska> "You should not worry over that. I learned how to resist poisons, so I would--" She pauses, in her relief, and studies the woman.
<Stephanie> "Oh, it's okay! We're not busy or anything," replies Stephanie, brightly. "We're just travellers! I'm Steph. Who might you be?"
<Julia> "Ah, hello," Julia greets the redheaded woman. "We were just discussing childhood memories."
<Franceska> "Hello," she greets her, being polite to a human she has no reason to despise. "My name is Franceska Durant. How do you do?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, forgive my manners. I wasn't expecting human guests," she says, sounding pleased at the surprise. She gives a respectful curtsey. "Marina Marigold."
<Julia> "Julia Raul," Julia returns the favour of politeness.
<Stephanie> "You're a human, too! We weren't really expecting to meet other humans, but- ah, you're a magician? We've heard of you!"
<El-Cideon> "Ah, yes, we're quite rare in these parts," she says, adding with a smile, "Only good things, I hope?"
<Franceska> "Yes!"
<Stephanie> "We did hear you had a marvellous mansion?" replies Stephanie, grinning. "But not much more than that, I'm afraid. The locals seem a bit shy."
<El-Cideon> "Well, that depends on which of them you are speaking to," she says. "Some of them are very friendly. Occasionally to excess. Ah, but I digress--you have been traveling, no doubt?" she adds, studying you all.
<Franceska> "We have," Franceska agrees. "I do not suppose you could help us orient ourselves properly in these surroundings? And, perhaps, know of a proper bath nearby?"
<Julia> "Yes, we were heading for Lady Silverbark's court," Julia adds.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, yes," she says with enthusiasm. "When my parents grew our house, they installed an enchanted basin in the yard outside. Always warm and steaming, you are quite welcome to use it." To Julia: "You have business with the fairy lords?"
<Franceska> "It may not be necessary, however, if you happen to know enough about them!"
<Julia> "Yes, the one we're actually trying to find is the Lord of Midnight Feathers. He has someone from our world in his art collection who we're trying to retrieve," Julia further elaborates to the friendly and bath offering woman.
<Franceska> "A human with one arm by the name of...." Trailing off, Franceska glances at Rosemund. She never bothered to remember the name of that so-called hero.
<El-Cideon> "I know enough to suggest you be very careful what you choose to say to them," she says. "They are..." she searches for the right words. "...flighty, and easily distracted." To Julia's statement, instant recognition and a hint of scandal to her response: "Oh, you must be looking for Blackbird!"
<El-Cideon> "Marcus," Rosemund supplies.
<Julia> "Maybe!" Julia responds readily. "So you know him... and it sounds as if there's a tale to tell, too!"
<Stephanie> "Yes, that sounds about right," mutters Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Oh yes, to both," she says. "Shall we speak inside? There is food, and clean beds if need be. I can only ask you to pardon the noise, an athletic tournament seems to have sprung up in my front yard." She gives you an apologetic smile. "These things happen from time to time, like storms that spring up and then disappear, you know?"
<Stephanie> "Do you ever participate in these random festival-like things?" asks Stephanie, waving off her concerns.
<Franceska> "Yes, perfectly understandable," Franceska assures her. And she will try to keep from being scandalized even if it's made of fairies and elves.
<Julia> "Yes, there was quite a storm last night. Luckily we were all safe and warm inside the shelter Franceska made," Julia nods pleasantly.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, a skilled woodsman, is she?" Marina assumes as she leads you through the woods. "And, well, I am not a great one for sport. I take more after my parents." She waves a hand, and a series of colored light orbs gyrate about her head.
* Julia nods, well understanding the how natural it is to take after one's parents. Or even just one of them. "A scholar, then?" she asks.
<Franceska> "Magic makes life ever so easier," Franceska says with approval.
<El-Cideon> The house you soon reach is structurally an admirable example of the venerable Solata manor house--except that instead of being built, it appears to be composed of tree trunks that grew into each each other right from the ground, a roof of leaves above it all. Here and there are apertures as one would expect, windows and portals, though there's no glass in the windows, or doors to open and close. The structure is very open.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, among other talents," she says, gesturing to her gown with evident pride.
<Stephanie> "You work as a seamstress, as well?" asks Stephanie, suddenly all ears.
<Julia> "Ah, a seamstress too?" Julia smiles, stepping closer to examine the gown. "Very fine work! Such detail in those vines and flowers."
<El-Cideon> She leads you around to the back of the house--as the front, you can see from this side approach, swarms with elves engaged in all manner of competition, racing, grappling, climbing, generally dressed in little more than a loincloth. Somewhere amidst the crowd a voice of inhuman beauty breaks into song.
<El-Cideon> "Oh yes, when I can be," Marina says. "Materials can be hard to find here, as I'm sure you'd guess?"
<Franceska> Not paying the elven orgy any mind, Franceska voices, "It should not be too hard to supply you with the proper materials, if you would like."
<Stephanie> "Yes, unless it grows in the ground, there's no reliable way to get the things you need, isn't there?" asks Stephanie.
* Julia looks at the mostly naked elves and then at Marina, a faint teasing smile tugging at her lips but she manages to hold her tongue.
<El-Cideon> Set into the ground not far from the back entrance to the house is a low stone basin filled with steaming water. It could easily seat half a dozen. "Oh yes, did you bring such with you?" she asks Franceska. Marina does seem to observe the crowd with, at the very least, approval before it passes out of sight behind the bulk of the house.
<Franceska> "I did bring a change of clothing," Franceska muses. "I do not get much chances to wear them while working, but if you like them then I could try arranging for you to receive the materials that went into their making. Would that be alright?"
<El-Cideon> "Certainly, I am always eager to try out new material," she says, walking inside. Most of the ground floor is a broad, open space without interior walls separating various clumps of furniture--most of it grown from the ground, like the house itself. Marina settles at a long table heaped with food and gestures to the other chairs. The food available, one could observe, is the broadest possible array of fruits and vegetables--but only fruits and vegetables.
<Franceska> They can eat and then wash up properly. Finding this agreeable, Franceska takes a seat.
<El-Cideon> "Now, you are looking for the fairy lords?" she resumes taking up the reason for your visit. Her bird flies in and settles on her shoulder, prompting a look of some discomfort from Marina as the talons dig into bare skin.
<Stephanie> "Strictly speaking, we're looking for Marcus," replies Stephanie, slouching casually on one of the chairs.
<Julia> Sitting down, Julia expresses her gratitude, "Thank you, we haven't eaten since breakfast," she says, momentarily feeling grateful that Thing doesn't have sharp claws... at least not in his bat form. "Yes, the fairy lords are a means to that end."
<Franceska> Darrin settles on the back of her chair as she nods at the words of her companions. "We are hoping to learn of the one who took him and the circumstances behind it, before attempting to work out a way to free him."
<El-Cideon> She nods, picks up a grape from the array before her. Her familiar darts forward and plucks it from her fingers before she can eat it, however. "Ah, well, he went everywhere within Arvandor that it was possible for a person to go," Marina says. "I haven't seem him for several years, but I simply assumed his travels had taken him elsewhere. I didn't know him in great personal depth, but he seemed a nice enough person. A little sad, perhaps? But quite brave, climbing mountains and the like with one hand, and but a couple fingers to that?"
<Stephanie> Stephanie furrows her brow. "How is that... you can't... huh?"
<Franceska> "He sounds very dedicated," Franceska muses, casting her customary spell to detect poison before trying the food.
<El-Cideon> Franceska does not detect any poison. "Well, I'm sure if you're determined enough, you find a way," she says.
* Julia helps herself to some mushrooms. "You can climb a ladder with one hand if you're quick and have good balance. Maybe it's like that?" she suggests to Stephanie.
* Franceska makes sure to feed Darrin as well, now reassured.
<Stephanie> "Yeah, but- I guess those old heroes are the real deal," she mutters. "We heard he might have been caught by- well, this Lord Blackwing, I suppose," she continues, peering curiously at Marina. "What's that fellow's story?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, you should know you aren't the first ones to come looking for him recently," she says. "A band of eladrin came through just last week asking if I knew anything of his whereabouts--they're looking everywhere, it seems. They were most wroth and not keen to explain themselves in great detail, but I gather word had got out that Blackbird was keeping some manner of gallery of mortals? He disappeared before they could lay hands on him, and now they cannot find him or his captives anywhere." She shakes her head. "I always found him strange--he is an art connoisseur of all sorts, and visited me once or twice to examine my work. And, ah, some paintings I keep on the second floor. He was not impressed by any of it. Insufficient gravity to the subject matter, so I gather." She sniffs in offense.
<Franceska> "You paint as well?" Franceska asks curiously.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, no, that is not among my talents," she says. "They were commissioned from some friends of my parents from the old country."
<Julia> "It sounds as if he prefers his art to be more tactile than paintings..." Julia reflects considering what his collection is made up of.
<Stephanie> "He's done a runner? What, and his gallery as well? How d'ya move a gallery- well, if it's a gallery of people, they'll move themselves- what a brazen bastard! Excuse my wording, but he is!"
<El-Cideon> "He wanted something that conveyed...great struggle and tragedy," Marina concludes after a moment's consideration.
<Stephanie> "Don't suppose you've got some handy spell that'll find him for us?"
<Julia> "That would fit with Marcus's story," Julia nods. "He was part of a band of heroes that helped free our lands, but then were quietly driven out until they went on a crusade that it sounds as if it went badly."
<El-Cideon> "Ah, you are from Solata as well after all?" she concludes. "I thought so, it has been some time since I heard someone speak with my accent." To Stephanie, she shakes her head. "I do not think so, although I would be pleased to assist in any other way I could. Speaking with Silverbark is likely your best option--I believe the eladrin made such an attempt and found her not at all cooperative, but perhaps you shall speak more carefully than they. Or possibly sneaking into her realm and searching for him there, in case she hides him away. They are friends, after all."
<Franceska> "What about his enemies, then? Or her own?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, the fairy lords are forever squabbling amongst themselves. I am sure you can find someone who would be willing to assist an outsider looking to upset things. Silverbark is generally considered their leader by virtue of force of personality, which I know annoys Bullfinch--you will know her from her wings, a truly glorious monarch butterfly's. Or you may seek aid amongst their servants? Some of whom come to regret making hasty contracts for magical training."
<Franceska> "Would you be interested in being our guide to her realm? Or, perhaps, until such a time we are able to retrieve Marcus?"
<Stephanie> "Do it for justice! Kidnapping people for art's a villain move, you know?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, at the very least I can lead you to her realm, certainly," she says happily. Her bird suddenly flaps its wings energetically and takes flight out the door, much to Marina's annoyance.
<Franceska> "Is that your familiar?" Franceska inquires.
<El-Cideon> "Yes," she says, with a put-upon air.
<Franceska> "Are you having a fight? I apologize if we came at a bad time."
<El-Cideon> She snatches a handful of grapes and makes short work of them with as much grace as possible before the bird can come back and steal from her again.
<El-Cideon> "He is just an unseemly brute. Pay him no mind."
<Franceska> "Ah, how unfortunate," Franceska murmurs, feeding a grape to Darrin.
<Julia> "That's most kind of you, Marina," Julia says gratefully for the offer of help. "That is the best way to deal with familiars, though. Except when they're useful." Thing lets out an aggrieved little squeak in response.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, if only they chose to do so more often!"
<Franceska> "It depends on one's luck, I would wager. And how much care they took in preparing the contract ahead of time?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, he has been with me since I was a child, and I have always struggled to instill in him some basic manners. He seems to think it more his duty to train me."
<Julia> "Thing more or less forced his presence on me... still, he's been useful for a few things," Julia smiles serenely, the little bat on her shoulder scrunching its body up defensively.
<El-Cideon> "Well," she says, carefully peeling an orange, "I think it my turn to ask some questions of my guests, if they don't mind? How are you finding Arvandor thus far?"
<Franceska> She must be exceptionally lucky, then. "Things are turning up," Franceska responds diplomatically.
<Stephanie> "Aww, it's nice! We met a bunch of these little sprite-guys on the way, and they were just the best," says Stephanie, brightly. "But this elf we met slipped us the number twelve! The nerve, you know?"
<El-Cideon> "The...number twelve?" She sounds utterly baffled.
<Julia> "Well... the scenery is quite striking," Julia begins, "And we did meet some charming little sprites by the river a ways back. But yes, there was an unpleasant encounter with an elf shortly after we first arrived."
<Stephanie> "Yeah, the ol' number twelve- you don't really have taverns here, so I guess they call it something else, huh? It's when some creep slips a thing in the drink to put you to bed early."
<Julia> "He tried to put us to sleep with magic and poison," Julia elaborates. "Supposedly because he didn't trust us. What he would have done once we were defenceless... well, he has his story, but I remain dubious."
<Franceska> "And before that, he had his apple pie that put people to sleep?" Franceska reluctantly recalls. "He certainly was very focused on those skills."
<Stephanie> "I didn't think that sort of thing happened in the heavens! Sure showed me, eh?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh," she says. "Ohhh, you met Lucian and Ariost, didn't you? They have been very strange ever since I have lived here, them and their dryad grove all. They always fear any humans that move in will try to chop down all the trees." She sighs. "It might have something to do with the time humans moved in and began cutting down the trees."
<Franceska> "Yes, we did see an abandoned village in a state of disrepair not too far away from it," Franceska muses. "Made me wonder at the time what happened there."
<Julia> "Well... I did actually help those sprites cut down a tree earlier today..." Julia blushes. "Just one, though!"
<El-Cideon> "Well, I hope they did not leave you with an irredeemably poor first impression," she says, moving on. "Most people here are very civil. Perhaps there are some you just need to speak to very carefully."
<Stephanie> "I'll chop down his tree if he bothers us again," mutters Stephanie.
<Julia> "Well yes, Prince Gecki and yourself have both been very pleasant," Julia smiles.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, well, thank you for saying so," she says with a smile. "Shall I show you to your room? It does grow dark out."
<El-Cideon> ~