Crimson Sands of Time

Uriel:

Moving over the strangely still and solid water, Uriel reaches out and tries to gently pull the crown loose.  If it comes away easily, he will take it and return to shore.

Its sharp needles make the crown difficult to handle without gloves or gauntlets. The pricking of the needles isn’t severe enough to deal damage, but a character can’t grasp the crown with bare hands for longer than 1 minute before the discomfort becomes unbearable.

After a moment holding the crown, Uriel hears a gentle voice on the wind:

"The beginning of Whenever

The end of Ever After

The start of an Age

The finale of every Moment

The first in History"

You hear a beautiful melody, played by a woodwind instrument, with a drum accompaniment. It is very quiet at first. The player is an expert musician,  and the music enhances the magic and beauty of this place, peaceful and tranquil. The drum almost sounds like a heartbeat.

You are not certain where the music is coming from, it seems from everywhere, and nowhere. You are not even certain if the others hear it.

Drain:

A tall elf dressed in black stops at the sign by the gate.  He glances briefly at the sign; he can recognize the script but can't read it.  Despite his appearance he never learned elvish.  There is some shame in him and he pulls his cowl over his head and steps on.  His hands absently double check his weapons.  This must be the place....maybe he could find out who he was.  He will approach those drinking tea.  "I was told this was the place I could find answers....perhaps someone can point me in the right direction?   Who rules this place?"

A well-dressed noble elf responds, "I, for one, was given to understand a fairy if some great power named Zybilna resided here, but these gentle folk insist we shoukd wait for their mistresses, three, to return. Whomever they might be, it seems they have taken Ober the duties of making arrangements for the granting of wishes. I cant say I blame her for delegating. That's how it goes, you know: once offer a hand and the world will bend your ear for a century."

Looking around the group, you note the gentle folk in reference are a band of musical badgers, while other guests include a headless dwarf and a brown bear, a farmer with a carnivorous handheld pumpkin and a woman surrounded by stacks kf paper and a flying quill.

<they've already been squeezed if yiu want to look back a few pages. I csn roleplay them indefinitely, but they onky know so much. They just came looking for wishes. The badgers haven't really been addressed much, but it is true that they will discourage e try into the castle, though they do nothing to stop it.>

Uriel:

Listening to the words on the wind, Uriel meditates a moment and returns an axiom in the Tongue of the Sun and Moon, "Every new beginning is some other beginning's end."   Uriel places a small figurine of a tall sailing ship he recently carved into the now-empty hand made of water, not willing to take something without giving something in return.

(Woodcarver's Tools with proficiency:  16 )

Reaching land, Uriel carefully positions the prickly crown on his head on the outside of his hood.  The problem of the thorns solved, he heads towards the castle.  About to bypass the main door for the steps so as to avoid troubling the ones gathered in that area, Uriel sees an interesting figure.  He moves that direction and addresses the well-dressed noble elf, "Greetings, traveler, I am Uriel of the Sy’Tel’Quessir.  Are you new to this palace as well?"

"I don't know if I'd say new, not complaining, mind. But, in truth, it has been some while we've been waiting for these venerated ladies who now seem to operate the goings on in this realm of Prismeer." The elf explains before a badger playing a viola pipes up "What fine ladies they are. Their names should be Sweetness, Kindness, and Charity, for all the good they do!”

<I don't wish to omit these details you may not have read regarding some things within the garden, so here they are again>

A gleaming greataxe is embedded in a withered tree stump near a bend in the stream.

Many of the trees in the garden bear glittering gold and silver fruit.

Another badger who plays a dukc9mer speaks next, "you should stay a while and enjoy some tea and cakes. The ladies shall be along shortly."

Drain: 

Drain pauses to watch the new comer, glancing at the crown on his head.  He also looks around to see if he can see the source of the music.

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

Trisk follows Tesservett into the room with 4 doors and vases of white roses.

"Should we keep following the hart motif? It might lead us somewhere."

Trisk tries to stifle another yawn.

"I could use some respite."

 <In case you missed it, please set a long rest. This was scheduled simultaneously with the level up from the Doomvault. >

<the doors with harts and lions are presently locked, you'll find. You entered via an unmarked door>

So, Teteevess has a rose. There are two unmarked doors: one straight, one to the right,  plua a third to the left marked with a lion. A carpet runs the length of the room, roses on tables at both ends. Do we try a door? Climb up a wall? What do we do?

Quote from Burgen_Badluk >>

Drain: 

Drain pauses to watch the new comer, glancing at the crown on his head.  He also looks around to see if he can see the source of the music.

 <the music would be @shimshon123 's pc>

"What do you think Tesservett, try the door straight ahead to try and go deeper into the castle or branch off to the right?"

Trisk wants Tesservett and himself to stick together while exploring the castle and will agree with whichever direction he picks.

While the wizards cinsider the doors, the rug grows impatient. Ignoring Tetrevess, it rears up and attempts to engulf Trisk. 

Grapple: 9

On a hit, Trisk is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, blinded, and at risk of suffocating, In addition, at the start of each turn, Trisk takes 10 bludgeoning damage.

Uriel:

With one elf responding to his question, but another just studying him, Uriel is reminded why he is less at home with social interactions than sailing the seas.

Nodding at the two as well as the other figures nearby, Uriel says, “I will see what I may find in the castle.  Any of you are welcome to come with me, or stay here and wait as you like.”

The sylvan elf assesses the people arrayed before him as he makes the invitation, curious as to who might have the toughness to be an asset in the coming events (Passive Insight 20).

From out of nowhere, a tiny 3 foot tall disheveled girl appears. She is maybe 6 years of age and moves with unnatural speed. She was hiding. (Stealth 27)
Two thorny daggers in her hand, she attacks the rug, winking at Tesservett
17 to hit, 11 magic piercing damage, 33 to hit (crit: 29 sneak attack damage) 

T looks at the rug in horror, and says “Lie down, will you!”. He attempts to hand his rose to Tris and get another one, using mage hand to help.

“. Take the rose It might calm the rug”.  To the elf, he says-  “ I do think we should stick together.  Dying alone is overrated.  I say we try the lion door.  But I have no idea about the riddle yet.   You ok Trisk?”.   

momentarily ignoring the rug situation, Tetrevess continues..

“Sorry, did we meet before?  I am Tetrevess Tomescribe, I think,  still.  Nice to meet you, if you are friendly.  If not I suppose we will find out.”. A brown-bearded man dressed in scholarly robes, he gives a smile, then looks back at the rug with concern.  “A nice pattern, hate to damage it, and only doing what it is supposed to.”. he says 

Trisk takes the white rose from Tesservett and offers it to the rug.

"Please, we just wanted to explore the castle. Perhaps you can help us by acting as a guide? Wouldn't you like to get out of this room and see more of the castle yourself?"

Persuasion: 18 

Drain:

Drain bows to Uriel.  "I will go to this castle.  I seek some answers, and have heard that wishes are granted here."

(ooc:  Are we at the same location as the carpet attack?  Can we see it or hear the commotion?)

Note on magic items 

Take 3 free uncommon magic items, per above. 

The tiny child, waits to see what the rug will do next, apparently angry at it for attacking Trisk. She wears a beige non descript dress, it is dirty and looks like it has not been cleaned in quite some time. Her hair is long and disheveled, and has shades of red, brown, yellow and green, her eyes are huge green, and almost glowing with life. She has tiny hooves instead of feet, and they are grass-stained. She carries a tiny silver piccolo, wears no armor. She appears to be fey, likely some sort of Eladrin heritage, but she appears to be quite unusual. Unlike the last time Trisk saw Piccolo, she appears to not be burdened by the curse from the Doomvault. Some of the creatures here seem to know her.

There was an unsettling aspect to their beauty. Her appearance seems to captivate, almost mesmerize you. When she moved, she had a graceful fluidity, almost as if she was dancing rather than walking. Some of her movements are so quick, they are hard to follow.