Randal listens to Lyla’s story, filing away the details for use later. “You do know a lot about what happened here, it has been hard to get that much information. So it seems things are repeating themselves, are murders next?  I do agree Sier has something to do with it, or at least knows more than he is willing to share.  But what do we have to do with it?  I have no connections to this town, I am just passing through, looking for a place to lay low.”

Randal pauses and gives Lyla a long look “And what of your family, Lyla.  What is your connection to the town?”

Lyla responds to Randal but hopes Tess will still answer the questions about her mother.

"Here to lay low? What are you laying low from? And if you don't mind sharing, where are you passing through to? I suppose you could say I'm here to lay low myself. I also came to look for information - it certainly did take some effort to find out all of that, and I hope I'm not making a mistake by sharing it. But in the right circumstances, it can be easy to find information when you seek it, even from those who don't intend to put themselves in a vulnerable position by sharing knowledge. There's still more for us to find out from this little town though, and I don't intend to leave until I find satisfactory answers."

Tess again shakes her head as if shaking bad memories, finally replying to Ryla, apparently oblivious to Randall’s comment about laying low.  Staring blankly at the ground.  “My mother was pregnant and my father was someone who shouldn’t have been with her.  I thought she came here to run away from the capitol, from prying eyes and gossip.  But I don’t know… really I know less now than when I came, except what Sier told me.  He’s got to know more.    But I don’t think my mother had any… magic.  And my father….no. 

why is sier stuck in that odd place?   I know we had a horrible experience- but I think we need to face him and the Tree.  I say we go back there, offer to help him with whatever he wants from that hole, if he will open up and tell us everything he knows.  

 But- let’s go in the morning.   Perhaps the light of Oruthia will help illuminate our path.    I’m for resting- and securing the door very well!”  

“You do not need to worry about sharing with us, your information and your secrets are safe with me.” Randal replies to Lyla with a small smile. “Did I say laying low?  Everyone is hiding from something, I guess.  Well, truth be told, my last job in the Capitol did not go as well as it could and I thought it may be better to find greener pastures, so to speak.  An old friend told me of Rivulestice once and I thought I would visit.  I actually have no idea where I am going next”  He looks over at Tess “I agree.  Sier knows more than he is letting on.  We should pay him a visit tomorrow.”

"Alright. We will rest for tonight and confront the elf tomorrow."

Lyla starts walking back to the house they were planning to stay in, and I'm happy to timeskip unless there is anything else we need to cover first. 

(Sounds good).  Tess will help with securing the door, and will take a watch.  

Returning from the graveyard to their temporary shelter, the three meet nobody on the way. Hardly surprising, considering the part of the village they're in. There are a couple more hours before the sun sets, during which they clean the house, perhaps, or consider whether they should, and how they would, eat dinner. While eating the preserved rations each had left from their travels is perfectly fine, if they are interested in fresher courses, they might set to buy from Dyve in the tavern, or basic ingredients from Tokvald in the trading centre from which they could cook their own simple, yet eventually cheaper meal.

If they did go back to the more populated areas of the village, the three might see many of the village's residents heading to a place on the northern side of the village. Following them or asking anyone where they're headed will reveal that people are heading to cleanse themselves in the Rivulet's waters before Oruthia's Festival, in the village's humble bathhouse. The bathhouse is slightly larger than the average Rivulestician house: a building built partly on land from stone, and partly in the river from pitch-coated wood. Divided in the middle to separate men and women. If any of the three chooses to go inside, they'll find that the interior of the building is just a large space in which one can bathe. The building might offer privacy by dividing between genders, but no privacy for those of similar gender within. The Rivulet's waters are very clean and easy to see through, a source of embarrassment for many. It is not uncommon to bathe in the middle of the day or at midnight when most people are either working or asleep and the chambers are mostly empty. Now, just before sundown, especially today, is especially busy.

Had the characters gone to the village, and whether or not they went to see and/or bathe in the bathhouse, when they return to the house they chose to sleep in this night, it doesn't take too long before eventually, they're asleep. If they so choose, they might even try to take watches, one of the three staying awake while the others are sleeping, but as they are three, it would be too difficult to cover a full night. Some or all would have to take long watches, during which it is hard to stay awake, alone. At some point, sleep would catch up to them all.

(OOC: You may mark a long rest if any of you need it. In addition, any questions, something to do or say that you haven't already or regarding the above, feel free to ask/say/do. If needed, we'll run what's needed in parallel to what's next.)

The 1st of Oruthia's Jurisdiction over the Summer (first day of the first ninday, the Summer Solstice and Oruthia's Festival, or the Summer Festival)... ?

When you wake up, something is amiss. The hard surface beneath your bedroll isn't the cold stone of the house in which you fell asleep, but a slightly warm, soft bed. Neither are you in your bedroll, anymore. Instead, a thin blanket covers your body. It would be a comfortable situation, and it was; before you realised this isn't where you went to sleep. You might flinch, jump out of bed, wary and perhaps confused. A quick glance reveals your belongings on the ground near the bed, and you are now... back in your room, at the 'Living Tree' inn. Or so it seems, at least. Going out the door, you find the others, looking just as confused, or alarmed, as you are.

Walking through the short corridor, cleaning the last of the sleep dust off your face. Normally, one would still be a little sleepy right after waking up, but in this situation, you don't feel sleepy at all. Opening the door to the main room reveals the same round-square room you've been to multiple times. Sier isn't here, however, and neither is his chair. Instead, the walls are painted, similar yet not identical to your dream two nights ago. 

On the wall in front of you, the single door-less room, instead of a snowy field and two armies clashing, the painting depicts a young woman, perhaps your age, perhaps even younger. Her hair is long and blond, but her face is all smeared. As if the painter decided to erase that which they drew by running their hand over the wet paint. She lies on a simple wooden bed in a wooden room, her hands on her belly, which is as great with young as one's belly can be.

On the wall to your right, the one with the door none of you passed through, the painting depicts a large castle, with one tall tower. At the top of the tower, through a window, a young maiden looks down to the earth, her eyes following a young man who looks back at her. His mouth is open as if frozen while speaking, singing or calling to the maiden at the top of the tower. The door is integrated into the painting, painted grey and makes out the castle itself. 

On the wall to your left, where the door that should lead outside is, a painting of a forest with tall trees. But this time, the trees look like it's Autumn, and all the leaves are in red, orange and brown colours, some still on the trees but many now covering the earth beneath the trees. The trunks of the trees, however, are all red. Deep red, a colour unnatural to all trees any of you know. As if someone painted them that colour. Notably, the door is ajar.

Lastly, behind you, the painting has barely changed. The interior of a house, with a couch in the centre. Even the two burned spots are still there, where the black-haired girl's parents used to be. The only difference, you quickly note, is the absence of the black-haired girl herself. She is neither in that painting, nor any of the others, nor anywhere else you can see.

“This is madness” Randal speaks in almost a whisper, mind still in a hazy mist of confusion.  He looks at the others “We went to sleep by the cemetery, you remember that right?  And these paintings, these are new, not the same as before.”  Randal makes a slow walk around the room, taking a closer look at the paintings, looking for anything that he may remember.  He pays special attention to the picture of the castle. “Sier, Sier, are you here?” he calls out loudly across the room.  

Perception: 17.

.

Tess looks around with a start.  “Another dream?  Or real this time?   Where is the girl? The door is ajar…”.  Tess opens the door cautiously, peeking out.  

"Not this again... we weren't even sleeping in the inn this time. What happened last time? I think I woke up just after walking out the front door." Lyla follows Tess, peeking through the open door. "Do either of you remember if anything happened after that before you also woke up?"

She then slides a sword out and points the tip of it to the castle door on the other side of the room. "Any guesses as to where that leads? Or why the little people aren't moving about and yelling threats at us yet?"

She continues to herself: "Gosh, I don't even know if you're real or if I'm talking to myself. If I were really in the tree, where are the sick people? Where's that elf?" 

Even as the door opens, nobody's screaming at any of you. Neither is Sier answering. Standing right at the doorstep, Lyla and Tess can see - Randal too if he chooses to - the village as it would normally be when exiting the Living Tree inn. The street, however, is completely empty. The sun shines brightly and intensely. It is noon, or maybe just before noon. It is not that hot, however. If anything, it is quite pleasant. Best weather any of you have felt since arriving at Rivulestice - be it in reality, a dream or whatever else.

Randal: 

“You are not talking to yourself.  I am just as real as you, but I don’t know how we got here” Randal replies to Lyla. The old elf did not answer his calls.  Randal glances out the door that Lyla and Tess have pushed open, then turns his attention back to the castle, brow furrowed in thought and confusion as he seems to search for a memory. “No idea where this goes, but perhaps we should try this door this time.” Randal reaches out and tentatively tries to open the door.

The door, however, is locked, and therefore does not open. Strangely, Randal does not see any keyhole or anything else that will allow one to unlock it. Perhaps it is locked from the other side, simply jammed, or something else entirely. 

Upon seeing Randal unable to open the door, Lyla would go over and have a look. Assuming she similarly doesn't spot a way to unlock it, she would then go back to the other door and open it wider.

"Well, unless something significant happened after I exited last time, I suppose we may as well walk out again. There doesn't seem to be any reason not to, and it appears there's nothing else we can do here anyway." She pauses, eyeing the wooden walls. "Well actually, I can see one thing we could do..."

Lyla digs through her equipment and produces a tinderbox. There is a mischievous glint to her expression, but mostly she seems to be seriously weighing up the decision, and silently asking whether the idea is obviously foolish or if it could be a good idea.

“This is odd, it is locked, but there is no keyhole” Randal examines the door as Lyla looks as well, then turns to the open door “We can just leave, find Ireen or Dromi.”  He thinks of the weather outside “The weather seems a little off, though. Much different than yesterday.  What is going on in this place?”  Randal turns to Lyla as she pulls out a tinderbox “I am not so sure that is a good idea inside of a tree, but it is tempting.”

Tess says”Hmm.  Maybe wait on that..  I can’t imagine what Seir would do if we burned his tree.  Although I don’t know if it’s his tree at all… here.   I think exploring the village and trying to find others is a better idea- of course- since the door is open- this may be what we’re supposed to do by whomever put us here…”.  She shudders.   “Let’s go find Dromi, or Ireen.”

"Alright, outside first it is." Lyla shrugs, throws the little box back in her bag and confidently steps outside. She takes in as much detail as she can see while waiting at the doorstep - either for the others to come out, or to find herself asleep and waking up somewhere else. 

Tess follows her outside- also carefully looking around to see what has changed from her memory of the village.  

The moment Lyla's foot touches the ground outside, the dust, earth and small rocks in front of her begin to rise in two waist-height spinning columns. The small, tornado-like red columns slowly pull more dust, earth and rocks toward them. Rather than getting bigger, however, the columns only get denser, and eventually, take the shape of small creatures. Merely a few seconds passed, and now, right in front of Lyla stand two strange creatures, each about the height of her waist. Their body is made mostly of dust and small stones, that aren't even completely still within their bodies, occasionally breaking their form in an area, only to be sucked back in immediately after, yet they appear alive as any animal would, rather than a still-standing statue.

As for their shape, the two resemble a Humanoid form, but they are pretty different from any Humanoid race you've ever seen. Their arms are long and skinny as tendrils, their fingers likewise long and skinny, sharp, long claws at the end. Their legs are proportionally short and thin, as well. Their heads are proportional to their torso, although elongated in comparison to the oval Human's, and the size of each organ on the face is very different from a Human's. Tiny eyes, sunken deep into their head. A large mouth, their teeth surprisingly are not extraordinary. Their ears are elongated and pointy. Lastly, their noses are very long and look nearly as sharp as their claws, though you doubt stabbing someone with one's nose is a pleasant thing... though when it comes to creatures the likes you've never seen before, who knows? The most extraordinary feature you can see is two wings on each of their backs, which resemble the wings of a bat. They're a bit small in comparison to the rest of their bodies, but although the two stand on the ground you are pretty sure they could fly if they chose to.

"Woah there!" Calls one, his voice hoarse but high-pitched. "Where do you think you're going? Where does she think she's going?" He asks the second one.
"If I had to guess looks like she's trying to go outside. What do you think?" Answers the second, his voice nearly indistinguishable from the first's. 
"I think they thought we think that just because she is gone they can leave." The way he said she clearly doesn't refer to Lyla or Tess, and also, seems to harbour some miniature form of respect.
The second one nods along. "We can't allow that, though, can we? She will be furious if she returns and finds out we let them go. She might kill us, or worse."
"Step back!" Barks the first. "Just wait inside until she comes back, and she'll decide how to deal with you."
"But what if they refuse and try to go outside? What then will we do?" The second asks the first, giggling as he does.
"I'm afraid we'll have to kill them, won't we? That would be our only choice, after all, to prevent them from going out before she declared they're ready." You get the feeling the two don't find killing you a bad option. If anything, it looks like the two, menacingly grinning and chuckling, want you to provoke them.

(OOC: My photoshop skills are bad, so imagine this... a little redder, but just a bit.)

Tess recoils in horror and shock from the sight of the creatures.  “Who is SHe?” She asks- “and what gives her, or you, the authority to tell us we cannot leave?  What is going on here?”