Noel jolts awake as Beren nudges him, flying up from his bedroll almost as it he had been pulled up to his feet by a string. He whips his head around in alarm before settliing on the rather imposing figure of the glowing man that had just waken him up. He goes to say something, upset that his slumber has been interrupted, but before he says anything, he notices his belongings scattered all around and begins to collect them best he can, starting with his trusty candle and his rapier, which he keeps drawn in his hand but pointed at the ground
As he looks around in the mist, unable to make out much but keenly aware that no one is there besides the three of them that were just in Madam Eva's tent, the dreams from last night start replaying in his head. Seeing his parents again, even for a moment was deeply comforting, though the lack of his plate at the table was deeply offputting and seems to him to be another omen he can't quite comprehend. And the war... might this be the tyrant that Madam Eva was referring to? The visions ring in his head as the sudden misty darkness and the dissapearence of the caravan make it all seem far more real than it did when he was deep in dreams
He takes his candle and stares into it for a moment, and the flame lights and flickers for a moment, though it doesn't emit any real light, the flame made of illusion magic instead of any real fire (Minor Illusion). It dances for a moment before shaping into a few of the images he just saw in his dream, though he neglects to recreate the final image of war, not wanting to see that kind of bloodshed again if he does not have to
He then sheathes the rapier at his side again, and begins to collect his belongings and get them organized again, talking to Beren as he does. The joyous tone he spoke with the previous night has faded, and though he clearly is trying to replicate it, he sounds uncharacteristically serious. Perhaps the reality of the situation has set in for him just a bit more than it did when it was all cards and prophecies
"It certainly seems so. I know prophecies always advance, even when you least expect it, but I did not expect something to happen so soon."
He then stands up, attaching the candle to a clip in his belt and brushing off his coat before saying:I do not beleive I've gotten the chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Noel Springwind. I've worn many hats, but I like to consider myself a storyteller. Seems now I may need to add prophecied adventurer to that list"
He looks around at the mist, barely able to make out anything other than the three of them and their scattered gear. "This is strange indeed", he continues "these mists are thicker than any fog I've ever seen. Madam's Eva's prophecy clearly does not wish to wait long before whisking us all along whatever Fate has planned for us. Besides, there's more than just these mists to worry about. Did you also get visions in your sleep last night?"
If Jack has not has awoken, he looks at him and says "Jack my friend, it seems this story's found us before we could find it. What about you? Were you haunted with visions as well?"
"Hmm," Beren doesn't give a response to Noel's remark about prophesy, realizing that if he spoke his mind the storyteller would likely not believe him. Regardless, he can't shake the feeling that this was some sort of setup--a push in the direction that will set them down the path the old crone wants them to travel.
When Noel introduces himself, Beren briefly stops eyeing his surroundings to look back at the storyteller, "I am Beren." Normally he would have given a bow, or a handshake if that was what Noel was expecting, but right now he was preoccupied with what had just happened. Such courtesies seemed unnecessary at the moment.
When the storyteller continues on with talk of the prophesy, Beren lets out a breath, causing the light behind the mask to flare up. "Whether or not this has to do with that blasted reading, it wasn't just an act of Fate that landed us here. Someone did this to us." He faces Noel again, his tone indicating some measure of confusion as he says, "Visions? No." His mind flashes to the face in the mist... but that had not been a vision. At least, he didn't consider it to be. Shaking his head he says gruffly, "Perhaps those bedrolls they so kindly supplied you with were enchanted." He pauses, crossing his arms and lowering his chin, "I had no intention of resting when I did. Some fell magic overtook me." The light behind the mask flares as if to emphasize this, "Whatever or whoever did this, I sincerely doubt it had our wellbeing in mind. I didn’t hear anything… I don’t know what happened.. I... blacked out..." He trails off, and pausing in thought for a moment before continuing. From his tone it is clear that he wasn't accustomed to admitting defeat. The fact that he hadn't even been able to put up a fight bothered him greatly. "I didn't see what happened to the rest of the caravan, and I was stripped of my weapons, when I came to." He fingers the pommel of his longsword, "I find it strange that whomever took them left them for me to find. Not to mention the fact that all of our belongings are with us." He shakes his head again, voice going hard as he says "Someone is toying with us, and I don't like it."
Turning away from the two storytellers again, he looks out towards the roads and uses Divine Sense (60ft radius). Just to make sure that they were truly alone and not in the company of some evil presence.
Never look away. Never cast judgement. And never deny. Every elf given the properly tutelage on Reverie in some form or another tended to make use of focusing principles to ease the transition. Or so Jack had vaguely remembering being told a long, long time ago. So as terribly confusing and as haunting as the meditation cycle had been, he stayed true to the teachings and found a twisted comfort in the visions. For they were a clue into his past. Or were the visions of a previous life? But then, why three of himself? 'Wait... am I drunk or drea-...?' His thoughts lost friction before ever finding completion as darkness took him.
So rare was it for Jack to physically sleep that no amount of nudging and urging appeared to have much effect on the elf. He only went from being splayed out on his bedroll to curling up about the wineskin still well in hand. "Mmmn~ Five more minutes, darling~" He mumbled and smiled in his sleep. But specific mentions of a story, however? Now that was something else that got the Eladrin's heart to thumping just right, as he'd sit up with a yawn and uttering, "I'mup, I'mup... Mmn, good part... wan' hear."
Wiping away the rest of the sleep from his eyes, he looks up smiling sleepy to the pair before sensitive nose and ears pick up the change in quality of their surroundings. At which point he'd look around with furrowed brows before glancing at his wineskin. "... I didn't drink that much did I?" He asks of noone in particular. But with a lopsided smile, he takes a hearty swig of his skin before letting out a satisfied exhale of relief. "Take it then fate decided to be a bit more proactive, eh? Heh... Aw well. S'pose we'll just have to deal with it." At that, Jack casually crawled back to his feet, gathered his things, and with after a final look around to make sure nothing was missing, nodded in satisfaction.
"Ah hah~ A road. Perfect. And where there's a road there's bound to be a town. But which way you both say? Well, I'd say that's up moe!" With a flourish, Jack brandished an index finger, and then... began waving it back between the two directions and going: "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Catch a Bugbear by the toe. If he hollers, tell him no, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!"
3.
"West, huh? Well, that sounds as good a start as any." He said with a grin. And unless there were arguments to the contrary, motion for the rest to follow as he'd start to lumber his way onto the road and head on westward by his best estimation.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Number roll: 6
On both sides of the road, visible only as ghostly shadows in the mist is the forest, the tops reaching beyond your vision leaving the road feeling claustrophobic and compact. The sun just barely visible as a dim blot in the sky above. And only providing half the expected warmth. As you each grab your scattered gear, the silence is deafening. Aside from your own voices and the myriad of small, incidental sounds you all create, you feel alone. Greatly so. Everyone except for Beren.. atleast breifly. A blip at the very edge of his senses, an evil twisted thing. It continually vanishes and reappears at the edge of Berens senses... telling him that whatever it was was somewhere in the tree's to the east before it vanished entirely, going beyond the range of his senses... whatever it was was moving away, and didn't seem to notice.
And not long into this once Jack has officially woken up and taken stock, playing his own game of chance, choosing to head westward starting to walk that direction.
the road itself was worn down in a way that indicated that not much traffic made it through this area, though it was also not completely un-used either. Many of the tree's appeared somewhere between life and death. neither completely barren, nor fully posessed of leaves.
OOC: Will wait to see what you all do before proceeding!
Looking at Beren, the joyful exuberance of his voice from the previous night now completely faded, Noel replies
"I was haunted with vision of a war... a one sided massacre is a more apt description. A truly horrendous and bloody scene". He contemplates for a moment making a comment about the other visions he had in his sleep, but still trying to decypher for himself what those visions signified, he chooses to keep them to himself. "It's a strange occurrance indeed.", Noel continues, "Leaving all of our belongings with us, especially our weapons, doesn't seem like the act of something that wishes to destroy us. But if you were forced asleep against your will...". Madam Eva's words about the tyrant she described echo in his head, as does the image of the commander of the victorious forces in the vision he was haunted with last night. The gleeful expression... perhaps Beren is right and something truly is toying with them. He then continues:
"Seems you may be right, friend. To leave us with all of our weapons (as he says this, he glances at his candle for long enough to be noticeable) and gear would be unneeded if something simply wished to destroy us. So yes, something must have done this to us, but that does not mean fate has no hand in it. We've been thurst upon the path it has set out for us.... though it seems something else is quite eager to put us on that path as well. If something or someone is playing a game with us... well... it seems we have no choice but to play"
He looks at Jack just in time to see him walking away, and begins to shout after him, but isn't lound enough to really get his attention before he wanders off into the distance. Turning back to Beren, Noel says"Well, it seems Jack has made our choice for us as to what to do next! Besides, there's no use in waiting around here. I doubt those who are gone are coming back."
With that, he begins to follow behind Jack, keeping a bit of distance and peering off into the mists around him as best as he can
(OOC: can Beren tell if it is undead/Fiend? Or is he just able to tell that it is an evil creature?)
Beren, still turned away from the other two, only half hears Noel and Jack talking. His senses are still high after what happened last night, and the burning in his limbs was growing to a sharp pain. Sensing that thing of evil, if only for a moment, only heightened that pain, triggering that all-encompassing need to destroy. So wrapped up in this sensation, Beren takes a single step eastward, in the direction the thing had disappeared to. The light behind the mask and on his hands flares, and the heat of the power causes whatever moisture that had collected on him from the mist to steam off.
Staggering, he shuts his eyes in attempt to calm himself down, causing the light behind the mask to dim. Gritting his teeth, his body quivers slightly as puts a hand to his mask. After a moment, he shakes his head, and forces himself to relax as best he can. Only then would the pain subside, even if it remained in the back of his head and in his chest, urging him to chase after that creature and destroy the foul creature.
When he turns back to Noel, the glow has returned to normal. Though when he speaks his words sound forced, "Something...was out there. An evil thing..."He lets out a breath, sending a puff of light out the lower slats in the mask. "Probably best to take the westward path. Whatever it was, it is moving east."
Seemingly regaining his former bearing, he moves to follow Jack--though his hand stays on the pommel of his longsword. As he walks he says, "I will not pretend to understand whatever visions you received, or the reasons behind them. It seems Jack either is too drunk to answer whether or not he witnessed visions himself, or he didn't hear your question." He makes a disapproving sound before saying, "Perhaps we must play for now, but once I find out who did this..."The light behind the mask flares, but he doesn't continue that sentence.
Moving us along since... this week will be excessively busy once i go to sleep....
Jack seems to be dead set on his chosen path, which for better or worse, is the opposite direction of the evil that Beren sensed. And as everyone began their trek, gear in hand the mist followed them like a sphere. Tree's that were visible moments before, disappearing only to be replaced by new trees. The path shifting only slightly more westward in the more direct sense. The tree's crept in closer, increasing that feeling of claustrophobia as the path thinned to only be just large enough to let a cart or carriage pass. And a convoy would have to proceed single-file.
A soft wind blew, and the mist billowed but didn't thin. The group was well and deep within the mist it seemed... and after roughly half an hour of walking the mist acts particularly strange.... The sphere begins to flatten in terms of visibility as a seeming... wall of mist hangs in front of the group, the road simply disappearing into it.
Jack had most certainly been half asleep at the time of questions about visions, and then soon after distracted by his own whims to pay much mind of further deliberating on the subject. However, if ever posed the question again during the lengthy trek, he'd casually deflect by saying, "Naturally. But such thing is nothing new to an elf, as I've told you before my friend. Such is the burden father CC left his children and all that." Even without the question, if noone else spoke up, then in time Jack would fill the silence with his own voice; detailing such stories as his adventures in the fey wild, a dalliance with a sorceress on a full moon, and other such tales with varying degrees of relevance to both each other and the situation at hand.
Although none of which providing any clues or answers as to how to overcome their present situation. Then they finally reach 'the wall'. "Hmm~ Reminds me of one of those fog gates this one knightly fellow told me about during my time among the courts. Though he'd described it as being more limited to an entryways and the like. Which makes this little curiosity even... curioser." He absently admits while gesturing to the wall. "And me without the right spells prepared... Tsk tsk! Oh well! No point in hmming and hawing overly much." On that note note, unless someone stopped him, Jack would try to press on through the thickened wall of mist to carry on his way down the path.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Yog - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Stars/Celestial (Libretalia)
Beren keeps his guard up as they make their way down the road. He can't shake the feeling of wrongness that this place was giving off, but he shows no signs of discomfort. He only half-listens to Jack's stories, paying more attention to his surroundings then anything else. He didn't understand how the elf was so...careless...for lack of a better description.
When they approach the wall of fog, Beren eyes it suspiciously. After what had happened last night, he wasn't too keen on diving head first into a wall of mist. Who knows what sort of enchantments the vapor conceals. Unfortunately, he too had the wrong spells prepared to determine if the mist held any magics. ...most of the spells he always had prepared were solely battle spells, as usually he had someone else with him to detect magic.
When Jack attempts to simply continue on, Beren puts an arm out in front of him, "Don't be a fool. I don't want to risk falling prey to another spell. ...I don't have the proper spells ready either, but that doesn't mean we should press on without caution."
If Jack stops, Beren will lower his arm and say, "However, I do not wish to dally here either. But, I do not think it wise for all three of us to attempt pressing forward at once. I will go on ahead, then come back if it seems safe. If I do not return within five minutes, then assume the worst and do not follow."He doesn't immediately go through, instead waiting for a confirmation that the two storytellers will not follow him. Part of him realizes that if something happens to him, he will leave these two alone and unguarded. Yet he can't bring himself to let either of them take the risk when he feels that he is the most likely to survive if something does go wrong when trying to pass through this wall.
"If this plan is not appealing to you, then I suggest that one of us prepare the proper spells, and move forward from there."
Jack had stopped, if only out of politeness, and looked at Beren with a sly smile and a raised brow. "Such a self-sacrificing soul you are." He chuckled. "Reminds me of this one fairy dragon knight I met. Fine mustache that fellow possessed, as well as quite the skill with the blade too! But, uh, such fancies aside, I am not want of my own ability to protect myself dear friend. Nor am I of a mind to let another needless risk danger on my behalf." He says frankly. "Well armored and... well armed as you are." Jack gestures up and down Beren's form.
After looking again to the wall of mist and if given a moment to think, the Eladrin sighed and shook his head. "How about this instead. If this would make everyone feel better, let us try the other direction. It's a bit of a walk for sure. But at the very least if it winds up turning out like this path too, then we can properly fight over who tries dancing across stranger borders at that time. Sound good?"
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Yog - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Stars/Celestial (Libretalia)
"If our path does not matter to you, I have nothing against changing course," Beren replies. His voice gives little away in terms of his reaction to Jack's words, and the mask prevents any expression from being revealed. "It matters little to me where we are going, as for now my purpose is to see the two of you to safety."
...if he were alone, he would likely have chased down that evil creature and wiped it from the face of the earth. Then, he would follow whatever path lead him to the next wicked thing and move forward from there. What else was there to do in this situation? As it was, he was with these two, so all he could do was ensure their safety down whatever path they chose.
Pausing for a moment, he stares at the wall of mist, "This looks to much like a cage for my liking." He doesn't say it, but he wants to press on through the mist. He just doesn't want to risk all of their lives testing whether or not the mist was dangerous. He doesn't like the idea that this fog could be trapping them here...wherever here is.
With a sigh, he looks to Noel, "If you both wish to change course, so be it. The direction does not matter to me. Otherwise, we can decide on how to deal with this wall."
Noel pauses for the moment as the group considers their magical capabilities and discusses how best to proceed through the mist in from of them. He's half inclined to walk through it and simply hope for the best, but in place this strange... perhaps it is best to act with a little more caution than that. If the group wishes to explore in another direction, he'll go along, though he has a sneaking suspicion that the mist may envelop them no matter where they tread. Still, can't hurt to explore a bit more
He himself doesn't have a spell he knows that could help them learn more about the mists either... but even if he did, should he tell the others? Noel's never been particularly open about his magic - in fact, he's kept it hidden from pretty much everyone. As he contemplates this, he looks at his trusty candle, and marvels at how long he's been able to make others think It's best that everyone think that the magic came from the candle, not from him. Channeling his spells through it has proven such an effective ruse. And if people didn't beleive... well, he has other magic for that.
Noel then glances over at Jack for a moment. The two have been friends for long enough, and as much as Noel hates to admit it, there's no way Jack is unaware of Noel secret at this point. He's never told him directly, but Noel's always had trouble hiding from those with magical gifts of their own. Usually he's been able to avoid the problem with liberal usage of his own magic, or far more simply, ensuring not to spend too much time around those who could peice the reality of the situation together. And Beren... though the two have just met, Noel gets the sense that the aasimar is not the kind to be easily fooled. Besides, he's clearly got his own connections to magic, arcane or divine, and if they are stuck here, wherever here is, for long enough, then he can't hide it forever
Noel sighs deeply, deciding that it is best to drop the guise at least for now. Wherever this is, if what Madam Eva has fortold is really about to happen... he'll need to operate at full strength without having to try to be too subtle. Besides, at least to Beren, it won't be anything out the ordinary - they just met, he'll have no way to know this is something he normally hides. And Jack... well, there's enough here to keep his attention elsewhere. Perhaps he won't think much of it. With that, he says "Unfortunately none of my magic would be of much help in figuring out what exactly that fog is either. Let's go around to the other side then and see what we can find... though I worry this fog may be more of a circle than a wall. If we can avoid walking into it though... it's for the best." With that, he takes the lead for a moment and begins walking in the opposite direction of where they came from
"Yes, a circle is what I was thinking," Beren replies to Noel, unable to shake the feeling that he was trapped inside some sort of prison. ...it wasn't a new feeling, but this somehow amplified it.
He makes no objection as Noel leads the way, even though he would have liked to walk along the wall to see how far it stretches. If they simply walk back the way they came, who knows how far they would have to go in order to tell if the fog fully encircles them. Still, he is glad that at least one of his companions had considered the risks of entering the mist before simply stepping into it.
The party, after significant discussion ultimately chooses to leave what they've seemed the 'Wall of Mist' turning heel to head eastward instead. Passing the same terrain as they had before, the ever-present silence continued to permeate the area. The sun had shifted in the sky a bit, heading more towards it's apex, and to some small degree, the visibility improved but only slightly (And additional 5 feet can be seen, while the rest blends into uniform fog) Tree's that aside from small details are indistinguishable from one another. At give-or-take thirty minutes of walking, you find yourselves back at where you had all been before, the only telltale signs being the slight disturbance in the dirt where Noel and Jack had been laying, as well as the slight streaks where their possessions had been drug before being lifted.
Passing the area, you all continue beyond the rough location where Beren had sensed some form of evil before, though the silence remains, and at this point it is sending chills up your spines... to varying degrees. So far, aside from each other you hadn't seen anyone, and only Beren had sensed something... very briefly.
Perception Checks:
Jack - 16
Noel - 12
Beren - 14
Another twenty minutes pass in this world of white and it's pallid sun, when each of you hear the sound of chuffing ahead in the mist. Faint noises of something walking on four legs, though where exactly it is in this mist is hard to tell, aside that it's somewhere in front of you.. generally. In some ways, one could describe the sound as rapid, sudden inhaling, though it sounded inhuman. At this point, whether you chose to keep walking, or had stopped in your tracks, you all noticed the sound of whatever it was had stopped not long after you had noticed it.
The chuffing increasing, soft whistles audible ahead. Whatever it was had not only stopped moving but seemed to be on alert.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Beren draws his great sword, eyeing the direction of the chuffing, "Hmm, some sort of beast. Perhaps we can circumvent it? Or we can press on. Perhaps it will simply run away if we get too close." He might not be a ranger, but he knows enough about wildlife that isn't particularly worried about animals. From his experience, most animals would run away to avoid humanoid contact. Of course, there were some that were more territorial, but, he could deal with that if it became an issue.
Survival check to see if he can identify the type of animal: 19
As best as Beren can tell, it sounds like something that uses scent to track, though out of all of it, he is able to detect that the noise sounds... forced. Like whatever was doing it wasn't supposed to be.
Noel stops in his tracks for a moment as he hears the noises faintly out in the mist. The chuffing and footsteps he quickly pins as some sort of beast, nodding along in agreement as Beren comments what he was thinking, but the whistle he's a bit more cautious about. That's not usually a noise an animal would make... perhaps there's someone riding it?
"We could try to avoid it, but with these heavy mists, we might very well run into it anyway!", he says, trying again to feign a bit more of his normal joyousness despite the rather alarming situation he finds himself in. "It's best we simply press ahead and let the cards fall how they may. Though the whistling... might there be a rider as well as a beast? Well, only one way to find out!"
With that, he presses on forward through the mist, trying to remain as quiet as he can in the hopes that, despite his words of confidence, whatever this is won't truly be able to notice them or cause them any more trouble than the trouble they clearly are already in
Stealth: 7 (ouch)
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(Ooc: the others may choose to wake up whenever they wish)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Noel jolts awake as Beren nudges him, flying up from his bedroll almost as it he had been pulled up to his feet by a string. He whips his head around in alarm before settliing on the rather imposing figure of the glowing man that had just waken him up. He goes to say something, upset that his slumber has been interrupted, but before he says anything, he notices his belongings scattered all around and begins to collect them best he can, starting with his trusty candle and his rapier, which he keeps drawn in his hand but pointed at the ground
As he looks around in the mist, unable to make out much but keenly aware that no one is there besides the three of them that were just in Madam Eva's tent, the dreams from last night start replaying in his head. Seeing his parents again, even for a moment was deeply comforting, though the lack of his plate at the table was deeply offputting and seems to him to be another omen he can't quite comprehend. And the war... might this be the tyrant that Madam Eva was referring to? The visions ring in his head as the sudden misty darkness and the dissapearence of the caravan make it all seem far more real than it did when he was deep in dreams
He takes his candle and stares into it for a moment, and the flame lights and flickers for a moment, though it doesn't emit any real light, the flame made of illusion magic instead of any real fire (Minor Illusion). It dances for a moment before shaping into a few of the images he just saw in his dream, though he neglects to recreate the final image of war, not wanting to see that kind of bloodshed again if he does not have to
He then sheathes the rapier at his side again, and begins to collect his belongings and get them organized again, talking to Beren as he does. The joyous tone he spoke with the previous night has faded, and though he clearly is trying to replicate it, he sounds uncharacteristically serious. Perhaps the reality of the situation has set in for him just a bit more than it did when it was all cards and prophecies
"It certainly seems so. I know prophecies always advance, even when you least expect it, but I did not expect something to happen so soon."
He then stands up, attaching the candle to a clip in his belt and brushing off his coat before saying: I do not beleive I've gotten the chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Noel Springwind. I've worn many hats, but I like to consider myself a storyteller. Seems now I may need to add prophecied adventurer to that list"
He looks around at the mist, barely able to make out anything other than the three of them and their scattered gear. "This is strange indeed", he continues "these mists are thicker than any fog I've ever seen. Madam's Eva's prophecy clearly does not wish to wait long before whisking us all along whatever Fate has planned for us. Besides, there's more than just these mists to worry about. Did you also get visions in your sleep last night?"
If Jack has not has awoken, he looks at him and says "Jack my friend, it seems this story's found us before we could find it. What about you? Were you haunted with visions as well?"
"Hmm," Beren doesn't give a response to Noel's remark about prophesy, realizing that if he spoke his mind the storyteller would likely not believe him. Regardless, he can't shake the feeling that this was some sort of setup--a push in the direction that will set them down the path the old crone wants them to travel.
When Noel introduces himself, Beren briefly stops eyeing his surroundings to look back at the storyteller, "I am Beren." Normally he would have given a bow, or a handshake if that was what Noel was expecting, but right now he was preoccupied with what had just happened. Such courtesies seemed unnecessary at the moment.
When the storyteller continues on with talk of the prophesy, Beren lets out a breath, causing the light behind the mask to flare up. "Whether or not this has to do with that blasted reading, it wasn't just an act of Fate that landed us here. Someone did this to us." He faces Noel again, his tone indicating some measure of confusion as he says, "Visions? No." His mind flashes to the face in the mist... but that had not been a vision. At least, he didn't consider it to be. Shaking his head he says gruffly, "Perhaps those bedrolls they so kindly supplied you with were enchanted." He pauses, crossing his arms and lowering his chin, "I had no intention of resting when I did. Some fell magic overtook me." The light behind the mask flares as if to emphasize this, "Whatever or whoever did this, I sincerely doubt it had our wellbeing in mind. I didn’t hear anything… I don’t know what happened.. I... blacked out..." He trails off, and pausing in thought for a moment before continuing. From his tone it is clear that he wasn't accustomed to admitting defeat. The fact that he hadn't even been able to put up a fight bothered him greatly. "I didn't see what happened to the rest of the caravan, and I was stripped of my weapons, when I came to." He fingers the pommel of his longsword, "I find it strange that whomever took them left them for me to find. Not to mention the fact that all of our belongings are with us." He shakes his head again, voice going hard as he says "Someone is toying with us, and I don't like it."
Turning away from the two storytellers again, he looks out towards the roads and uses Divine Sense (60ft radius). Just to make sure that they were truly alone and not in the company of some evil presence.
(Edit: I misread something so I fixed it.)
Never look away. Never cast judgement. And never deny. Every elf given the properly tutelage on Reverie in some form or another tended to make use of focusing principles to ease the transition. Or so Jack had vaguely remembering being told a long, long time ago. So as terribly confusing and as haunting as the meditation cycle had been, he stayed true to the teachings and found a twisted comfort in the visions. For they were a clue into his past. Or were the visions of a previous life? But then, why three of himself? 'Wait... am I drunk or drea-...?' His thoughts lost friction before ever finding completion as darkness took him.
So rare was it for Jack to physically sleep that no amount of nudging and urging appeared to have much effect on the elf. He only went from being splayed out on his bedroll to curling up about the wineskin still well in hand. "Mmmn~ Five more minutes, darling~" He mumbled and smiled in his sleep. But specific mentions of a story, however? Now that was something else that got the Eladrin's heart to thumping just right, as he'd sit up with a yawn and uttering, "I'mup, I'mup... Mmn, good part... wan' hear."
Wiping away the rest of the sleep from his eyes, he looks up smiling sleepy to the pair before sensitive nose and ears pick up the change in quality of their surroundings. At which point he'd look around with furrowed brows before glancing at his wineskin. "... I didn't drink that much did I?" He asks of noone in particular. But with a lopsided smile, he takes a hearty swig of his skin before letting out a satisfied exhale of relief. "Take it then fate decided to be a bit more proactive, eh? Heh... Aw well. S'pose we'll just have to deal with it." At that, Jack casually crawled back to his feet, gathered his things, and with after a final look around to make sure nothing was missing, nodded in satisfaction.
"Ah hah~ A road. Perfect. And where there's a road there's bound to be a town. But which way you both say? Well, I'd say that's up moe!" With a flourish, Jack brandished an index finger, and then... began waving it back between the two directions and going:
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Catch a Bugbear by the toe.
If he hollers, tell him no,
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!"
3.
"West, huh? Well, that sounds as good a start as any." He said with a grin. And unless there were arguments to the contrary, motion for the rest to follow as he'd start to lumber his way onto the road and head on westward by his best estimation.
Yog - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Stars/Celestial (Libretalia)
Nobody - [Feral-Tiefling]Wizard/Sorcerer - War/Draconic (HoTDQ)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Dreams/Archfey
-
Hiatus:
Xanrazan - [Earth Genasi]Bard - College of Swords(Shadowthorn's Princess of the Apocalypse)
Chance roll - - 10 + 7
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Number roll: 6
On both sides of the road, visible only as ghostly shadows in the mist is the forest, the tops reaching beyond your vision leaving the road feeling claustrophobic and compact. The sun just barely visible as a dim blot in the sky above. And only providing half the expected warmth. As you each grab your scattered gear, the silence is deafening. Aside from your own voices and the myriad of small, incidental sounds you all create, you feel alone. Greatly so. Everyone except for Beren.. atleast breifly. A blip at the very edge of his senses, an evil twisted thing. It continually vanishes and reappears at the edge of Berens senses... telling him that whatever it was was somewhere in the tree's to the east before it vanished entirely, going beyond the range of his senses... whatever it was was moving away, and didn't seem to notice.
And not long into this once Jack has officially woken up and taken stock, playing his own game of chance, choosing to head westward starting to walk that direction.
the road itself was worn down in a way that indicated that not much traffic made it through this area, though it was also not completely un-used either. Many of the tree's appeared somewhere between life and death. neither completely barren, nor fully posessed of leaves.
OOC: Will wait to see what you all do before proceeding!
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Looking at Beren, the joyful exuberance of his voice from the previous night now completely faded, Noel replies
"I was haunted with vision of a war... a one sided massacre is a more apt description. A truly horrendous and bloody scene". He contemplates for a moment making a comment about the other visions he had in his sleep, but still trying to decypher for himself what those visions signified, he chooses to keep them to himself. "It's a strange occurrance indeed.", Noel continues, "Leaving all of our belongings with us, especially our weapons, doesn't seem like the act of something that wishes to destroy us. But if you were forced asleep against your will...". Madam Eva's words about the tyrant she described echo in his head, as does the image of the commander of the victorious forces in the vision he was haunted with last night. The gleeful expression... perhaps Beren is right and something truly is toying with them. He then continues:
"Seems you may be right, friend. To leave us with all of our weapons (as he says this, he glances at his candle for long enough to be noticeable) and gear would be unneeded if something simply wished to destroy us. So yes, something must have done this to us, but that does not mean fate has no hand in it. We've been thurst upon the path it has set out for us.... though it seems something else is quite eager to put us on that path as well. If something or someone is playing a game with us... well... it seems we have no choice but to play"
He looks at Jack just in time to see him walking away, and begins to shout after him, but isn't lound enough to really get his attention before he wanders off into the distance. Turning back to Beren, Noel says "Well, it seems Jack has made our choice for us as to what to do next! Besides, there's no use in waiting around here. I doubt those who are gone are coming back."
With that, he begins to follow behind Jack, keeping a bit of distance and peering off into the mists around him as best as he can
Perception (if needed): 24
(OOC: can Beren tell if it is undead/Fiend? Or is he just able to tell that it is an evil creature?)
Beren, still turned away from the other two, only half hears Noel and Jack talking. His senses are still high after what happened last night, and the burning in his limbs was growing to a sharp pain. Sensing that thing of evil, if only for a moment, only heightened that pain, triggering that all-encompassing need to destroy. So wrapped up in this sensation, Beren takes a single step eastward, in the direction the thing had disappeared to. The light behind the mask and on his hands flares, and the heat of the power causes whatever moisture that had collected on him from the mist to steam off.
Staggering, he shuts his eyes in attempt to calm himself down, causing the light behind the mask to dim. Gritting his teeth, his body quivers slightly as puts a hand to his mask. After a moment, he shakes his head, and forces himself to relax as best he can. Only then would the pain subside, even if it remained in the back of his head and in his chest, urging him to chase after that creature and destroy the foul creature.
When he turns back to Noel, the glow has returned to normal. Though when he speaks his words sound forced, "Something...was out there. An evil thing..." He lets out a breath, sending a puff of light out the lower slats in the mask. "Probably best to take the westward path. Whatever it was, it is moving east."
Seemingly regaining his former bearing, he moves to follow Jack--though his hand stays on the pommel of his longsword. As he walks he says, "I will not pretend to understand whatever visions you received, or the reasons behind them. It seems Jack either is too drunk to answer whether or not he witnessed visions himself, or he didn't hear your question." He makes a disapproving sound before saying, "Perhaps we must play for now, but once I find out who did this..." The light behind the mask flares, but he doesn't continue that sentence.
(OOC: it is neither. Just evil.)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Moving us along since... this week will be excessively busy once i go to sleep....
Jack seems to be dead set on his chosen path, which for better or worse, is the opposite direction of the evil that Beren sensed. And as everyone began their trek, gear in hand the mist followed them like a sphere. Tree's that were visible moments before, disappearing only to be replaced by new trees. The path shifting only slightly more westward in the more direct sense. The tree's crept in closer, increasing that feeling of claustrophobia as the path thinned to only be just large enough to let a cart or carriage pass. And a convoy would have to proceed single-file.
A soft wind blew, and the mist billowed but didn't thin. The group was well and deep within the mist it seemed... and after roughly half an hour of walking the mist acts particularly strange.... The sphere begins to flatten in terms of visibility as a seeming... wall of mist hangs in front of the group, the road simply disappearing into it.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Jack had most certainly been half asleep at the time of questions about visions, and then soon after distracted by his own whims to pay much mind of further deliberating on the subject. However, if ever posed the question again during the lengthy trek, he'd casually deflect by saying, "Naturally. But such thing is nothing new to an elf, as I've told you before my friend. Such is the burden father CC left his children and all that." Even without the question, if noone else spoke up, then in time Jack would fill the silence with his own voice; detailing such stories as his adventures in the fey wild, a dalliance with a sorceress on a full moon, and other such tales with varying degrees of relevance to both each other and the situation at hand.
Although none of which providing any clues or answers as to how to overcome their present situation. Then they finally reach 'the wall'. "Hmm~ Reminds me of one of those fog gates this one knightly fellow told me about during my time among the courts. Though he'd described it as being more limited to an entryways and the like. Which makes this little curiosity even... curioser." He absently admits while gesturing to the wall. "And me without the right spells prepared... Tsk tsk! Oh well! No point in hmming and hawing overly much." On that note note, unless someone stopped him, Jack would try to press on through the thickened wall of mist to carry on his way down the path.
Yog - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Stars/Celestial (Libretalia)
Nobody - [Feral-Tiefling]Wizard/Sorcerer - War/Draconic (HoTDQ)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Dreams/Archfey
-
Hiatus:
Xanrazan - [Earth Genasi]Bard - College of Swords(Shadowthorn's Princess of the Apocalypse)
Beren keeps his guard up as they make their way down the road. He can't shake the feeling of wrongness that this place was giving off, but he shows no signs of discomfort. He only half-listens to Jack's stories, paying more attention to his surroundings then anything else. He didn't understand how the elf was so...careless...for lack of a better description.
When they approach the wall of fog, Beren eyes it suspiciously. After what had happened last night, he wasn't too keen on diving head first into a wall of mist. Who knows what sort of enchantments the vapor conceals. Unfortunately, he too had the wrong spells prepared to determine if the mist held any magics. ...most of the spells he always had prepared were solely battle spells, as usually he had someone else with him to detect magic.
When Jack attempts to simply continue on, Beren puts an arm out in front of him, "Don't be a fool. I don't want to risk falling prey to another spell. ...I don't have the proper spells ready either, but that doesn't mean we should press on without caution."
If Jack stops, Beren will lower his arm and say, "However, I do not wish to dally here either. But, I do not think it wise for all three of us to attempt pressing forward at once. I will go on ahead, then come back if it seems safe. If I do not return within five minutes, then assume the worst and do not follow." He doesn't immediately go through, instead waiting for a confirmation that the two storytellers will not follow him. Part of him realizes that if something happens to him, he will leave these two alone and unguarded. Yet he can't bring himself to let either of them take the risk when he feels that he is the most likely to survive if something does go wrong when trying to pass through this wall.
"If this plan is not appealing to you, then I suggest that one of us prepare the proper spells, and move forward from there."
Jack had stopped, if only out of politeness, and looked at Beren with a sly smile and a raised brow. "Such a self-sacrificing soul you are." He chuckled. "Reminds me of this one fairy dragon knight I met. Fine mustache that fellow possessed, as well as quite the skill with the blade too! But, uh, such fancies aside, I am not want of my own ability to protect myself dear friend. Nor am I of a mind to let another needless risk danger on my behalf." He says frankly. "Well armored and... well armed as you are." Jack gestures up and down Beren's form.
After looking again to the wall of mist and if given a moment to think, the Eladrin sighed and shook his head. "How about this instead. If this would make everyone feel better, let us try the other direction. It's a bit of a walk for sure. But at the very least if it winds up turning out like this path too, then we can properly fight over who tries dancing across stranger borders at that time. Sound good?"
Yog - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Stars/Celestial (Libretalia)
Nobody - [Feral-Tiefling]Wizard/Sorcerer - War/Draconic (HoTDQ)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Dreams/Archfey
-
Hiatus:
Xanrazan - [Earth Genasi]Bard - College of Swords(Shadowthorn's Princess of the Apocalypse)
"If our path does not matter to you, I have nothing against changing course," Beren replies. His voice gives little away in terms of his reaction to Jack's words, and the mask prevents any expression from being revealed. "It matters little to me where we are going, as for now my purpose is to see the two of you to safety."
...if he were alone, he would likely have chased down that evil creature and wiped it from the face of the earth. Then, he would follow whatever path lead him to the next wicked thing and move forward from there. What else was there to do in this situation? As it was, he was with these two, so all he could do was ensure their safety down whatever path they chose.
Pausing for a moment, he stares at the wall of mist, "This looks to much like a cage for my liking." He doesn't say it, but he wants to press on through the mist. He just doesn't want to risk all of their lives testing whether or not the mist was dangerous. He doesn't like the idea that this fog could be trapping them here...wherever here is.
With a sigh, he looks to Noel, "If you both wish to change course, so be it. The direction does not matter to me. Otherwise, we can decide on how to deal with this wall."
Noel pauses for the moment as the group considers their magical capabilities and discusses how best to proceed through the mist in from of them. He's half inclined to walk through it and simply hope for the best, but in place this strange... perhaps it is best to act with a little more caution than that. If the group wishes to explore in another direction, he'll go along, though he has a sneaking suspicion that the mist may envelop them no matter where they tread. Still, can't hurt to explore a bit more
He himself doesn't have a spell he knows that could help them learn more about the mists either... but even if he did, should he tell the others? Noel's never been particularly open about his magic - in fact, he's kept it hidden from pretty much everyone. As he contemplates this, he looks at his trusty candle, and marvels at how long he's been able to make others think It's best that everyone think that the magic came from the candle, not from him. Channeling his spells through it has proven such an effective ruse. And if people didn't beleive... well, he has other magic for that.
Noel then glances over at Jack for a moment. The two have been friends for long enough, and as much as Noel hates to admit it, there's no way Jack is unaware of Noel secret at this point. He's never told him directly, but Noel's always had trouble hiding from those with magical gifts of their own. Usually he's been able to avoid the problem with liberal usage of his own magic, or far more simply, ensuring not to spend too much time around those who could peice the reality of the situation together. And Beren... though the two have just met, Noel gets the sense that the aasimar is not the kind to be easily fooled. Besides, he's clearly got his own connections to magic, arcane or divine, and if they are stuck here, wherever here is, for long enough, then he can't hide it forever
Noel sighs deeply, deciding that it is best to drop the guise at least for now. Wherever this is, if what Madam Eva has fortold is really about to happen... he'll need to operate at full strength without having to try to be too subtle. Besides, at least to Beren, it won't be anything out the ordinary - they just met, he'll have no way to know this is something he normally hides. And Jack... well, there's enough here to keep his attention elsewhere. Perhaps he won't think much of it. With that, he says "Unfortunately none of my magic would be of much help in figuring out what exactly that fog is either. Let's go around to the other side then and see what we can find... though I worry this fog may be more of a circle than a wall. If we can avoid walking into it though... it's for the best." With that, he takes the lead for a moment and begins walking in the opposite direction of where they came from
"Yes, a circle is what I was thinking," Beren replies to Noel, unable to shake the feeling that he was trapped inside some sort of prison. ...it wasn't a new feeling, but this somehow amplified it.
He makes no objection as Noel leads the way, even though he would have liked to walk along the wall to see how far it stretches. If they simply walk back the way they came, who knows how far they would have to go in order to tell if the fog fully encircles them. Still, he is glad that at least one of his companions had considered the risks of entering the mist before simply stepping into it.
The party, after significant discussion ultimately chooses to leave what they've seemed the 'Wall of Mist' turning heel to head eastward instead. Passing the same terrain as they had before, the ever-present silence continued to permeate the area. The sun had shifted in the sky a bit, heading more towards it's apex, and to some small degree, the visibility improved but only slightly (And additional 5 feet can be seen, while the rest blends into uniform fog) Tree's that aside from small details are indistinguishable from one another. At give-or-take thirty minutes of walking, you find yourselves back at where you had all been before, the only telltale signs being the slight disturbance in the dirt where Noel and Jack had been laying, as well as the slight streaks where their possessions had been drug before being lifted.
Passing the area, you all continue beyond the rough location where Beren had sensed some form of evil before, though the silence remains, and at this point it is sending chills up your spines... to varying degrees. So far, aside from each other you hadn't seen anyone, and only Beren had sensed something... very briefly.
Perception Checks:
Jack - 16
Noel - 12
Beren - 14
Another twenty minutes pass in this world of white and it's pallid sun, when each of you hear the sound of chuffing ahead in the mist. Faint noises of something walking on four legs, though where exactly it is in this mist is hard to tell, aside that it's somewhere in front of you.. generally. In some ways, one could describe the sound as rapid, sudden inhaling, though it sounded inhuman. At this point, whether you chose to keep walking, or had stopped in your tracks, you all noticed the sound of whatever it was had stopped not long after you had noticed it.
The chuffing increasing, soft whistles audible ahead. Whatever it was had not only stopped moving but seemed to be on alert.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Beren draws his great sword, eyeing the direction of the chuffing, "Hmm, some sort of beast. Perhaps we can circumvent it? Or we can press on. Perhaps it will simply run away if we get too close." He might not be a ranger, but he knows enough about wildlife that isn't particularly worried about animals. From his experience, most animals would run away to avoid humanoid contact. Of course, there were some that were more territorial, but, he could deal with that if it became an issue.
Survival check to see if he can identify the type of animal: 19
As best as Beren can tell, it sounds like something that uses scent to track, though out of all of it, he is able to detect that the noise sounds... forced. Like whatever was doing it wasn't supposed to be.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Noel stops in his tracks for a moment as he hears the noises faintly out in the mist. The chuffing and footsteps he quickly pins as some sort of beast, nodding along in agreement as Beren comments what he was thinking, but the whistle he's a bit more cautious about. That's not usually a noise an animal would make... perhaps there's someone riding it?
"We could try to avoid it, but with these heavy mists, we might very well run into it anyway!", he says, trying again to feign a bit more of his normal joyousness despite the rather alarming situation he finds himself in. "It's best we simply press ahead and let the cards fall how they may. Though the whistling... might there be a rider as well as a beast? Well, only one way to find out!"
With that, he presses on forward through the mist, trying to remain as quiet as he can in the hopes that, despite his words of confidence, whatever this is won't truly be able to notice them or cause them any more trouble than the trouble they clearly are already in
Stealth: 7 (ouch)