Auger hurries down to the Varelky and Snow, who have just finished packing. The three return along the door-lined hallway to the stairway, and then continue in the same direction, where Snow notices that the vines growing along the ceiling and walls which were clearly visible when he arrived are no longer there.

Hurrying along the corridor to where it turns sharply left, you see the merest trace of vines which seem to be growing backwards, or in other words, diminishing, thinning, and retreating with every passing second. Running now to the end of this corridor, and losing the race with the vines, which beat you to it, you reach a large bathing chamber with a pool in its center. In the center of the pool, what looks like a green-glowing whirlpool, at this moment 3’ in diameter and shrinking by the second, as the vines disappear backwards with a sucking sound into the spinning gyre.

(OOC: You have one round to act before it disappears, but you may each ask one clarifying question if you wish.)

Seeing the roots ahead but thinking on how the sapling had disappeared already, Auger is not sure whether or not the magic here was going to last. He moves quickly with the others, still holding on to his bundle of uniforms, even though the time had passed to use them.

Upon sighting the pool Auger grasps at the potential of this magic and though not quite understanding what he is doing or how this will work, Auger dashes forward and without hesitating enters the water. "Follow quickly!" Auger calls out before stepping into the glowing whirlpool at the center.

Py, I will summon you in a moment. Stay hidden!

Snow watches Auger race to the green glowing whirlpool with hardly a second thought and jump in.

Glancing at Varielky briefly as they travel, he shrugs, "Last time we fought the Tazellayts, we died, how could this be worse".

He then follows Auger into the pool.

Varielky could think of many fates worse than death, but it was hard to imagine any of them a result of... this. She follows after the others, with a brief prayer that all goes well just before she enters the green-glowing, already-rather-tight whirlpool.

Auger is first through the spinning gyre, and as his leg passes into it, he sees it become one with the whirlpool, twisting and compressing, much, much farther and tighter than a leg should twist. He feels himself pulled in, and his lungs fill with liquid instantly – or not liquid, but air, so thick and pungent it’s like breathing tropical water at the beaches of the Southlands, so thick, he can’t breathe at all. He feels himself blacking out, and Snow and Varielky suffer the same sensations in turn as they leap through just as the portal closes. All three succumb in moments.

+++++

Varielky regains consciousness first. It is dawn and the yellow-orange sun sends golden rays across the verdant horizon to pierce the dense multicolor canopies of thick-rooted mossy trees at the height of summer. Insects, butterflies, squirrels, hummingbirds and singing cicadas are everywhere. The air is thick with pollen, dandelion petals, microscopic insects and spores. In the near distance, a unicorn in a verdant glen turns to look the shield-maiden in the eye, then rears back and silently leaps into the sky. A lion stretched out upon a fallen log only a few yards away yawns hugely, turns to look at you, roars quietly, then goes back to sleep.

Snow and Auger regain consciousness, and both, due to familiarity with arcane powers which have allowed them to traverse this land, recognize your present environs as none other than the Fey Wild.

Snow starts to panic as the feeling of drowning hits, realising only as unconsciousness overtakes him that he isn't drowning at all.

As he wakes he takes a very deep and vocal gasp of air as he shoots upright.Trying to regulate his breathing he soon realises that he is ok, better than that in fact, he feels rested. Looking around he spots the vibrant colours and unusual fauna and flora. And he also spots Varielky already awake and Auger seemingly just waking up the same as him.

"The Fey Wild!", he says with a mixture of happiness and relief. It is then that he remembers where they had come from, and quickly looks around for the packs of books.

Varielky may wake up first, but she does so slowly, as opposed to Snow's sudden stir. It is mostly because when she opens her eyes, the sights she sees are so unexpected, she's convinced she's dreaming. A very realistic dream, maybe, but surely a dream. 

She stands up slowly, taking in the surrounding. Her dreams didn't usually seem so real, nor did they feature such natural wonder. Perhaps it was some message from a goddess of nature? Uller, or Ritha Demsha? The Red Cypress? Varielky's knowledge of these gods was sparse. Naturally, they weren't as relevant to her path, or so she thought.

When Snow wakes up, Varielky wonders if whoever is communicating with her uses Snow's appearance to convey their words. After all, she surely wouldn't have come up with that name on her own. "The Fey Wild? What is that?"

Auger stirs groggily and examines their surroundings. Nothing visual provides any particular clue to him as to where they are. Though the lion was disconcertingly close. But his connection to what resides here practically screams it at him. Yes, the Fey Wild, he thinks when Snow utters the words, as good a label as he knew for such a place. Hearing Varielky's question Auger does not really know how to answer. It is a place he has only tangentially experienced. Until now. The mists he occasionally calls to form a fog probably exist here. Somewhere. Py's true form when not occupying his wooden carvings probably resides here. Probably. Kotashin, the strange creature that had saved them not that long ago was probably from here. Probably. The truth was, with all his concentration on using the Sea of Stars and drawing powers from it, he had not been paying as much attention to this place. Belatedly he realizes that his power to speak with Baylen, and perhaps other animals, was derived here.

Despite his confusion Auger attempts to answer Varielky, "The Fey Wild is a ... different place. Apart from our world. And yet close. In parallel perhaps. Some of my powers are derived here, I am sure. I came to my powers in later life, without much training and so I do not know more than that this... different place is obviously connected to our own. We were able to come here clearly, but we will need to find help to leave I think, perhaps the Red Cypress resides here in its fashion. Perhaps it can help us. Or... water. I need to commune near some water."

Auger stands and looks around stepping away from the lion before he thinks to summon Py, who might know a lot about this place.

Snow finds the book bag hanging from a tree limb, looking weathered, its top edge dusted with tree pollen.

Py appears, looking like Py. ‘No Master. I am not from here. My kind only exist on the Lands and Seas. Like you. I know nothing more about this place.’

After some experimenting with Misty Step and Snow’s Treewild cloak, you realize that neither work here at all.

A dozen zebras trot past, neighing at you to move over as they raise their knees high and make for the glen the unicorn vacated. A light hail of perfectly green falling leaves floats down from low hanging boughs, twirling in the wake of the striped beasts’ passage before merging with the soft forest floor. 

To Py, but out loud so others can hear, Auger says, "Fly up high from here. Have a look around. Tell us about any landmarks."

Still edging away from the sleeping lion and encouraging the others to do the same, Auger looks towards Snow and says to him, "My capacity to move is blocked, as is your cloak. How can we -- do you know of a -- I'm not sure how to --" Auger pauses to try and collect himself, "How do we get back?"

Having retrieved the satchel of books and tried his Treewild Cloak to no success, Snow nods in agreement to Auger.

"This is quite a conundrum it seems. I do not know much about the Fey Wild. Beyond the fact that my cloak uses this...plane of reality...to travel, I have read fragments in books in my time", he says as he does as directed by Auger and moves away from the lion.

"I suggest we take a walk and see if we can find anyone who we can ask for...directions", he says with a smile.

"I will have a think as we walk as to what I can remember of this place".

(OOC: One roll for multiple choices of skill, pick which applies best please):
Arcana / Nature: 13+2 = 15
History: 13+4 = 17

From 'Auger's' description, definitely a dream of some kind. Varielky pinches herself, hoping to wake up, but of course, she doesn't. She'll have to see what else the vivid dream has to show her, then. 

"There was a horned horse over there, before you woke up." Varielky points to where the zebras are. "He looked at me, then flew away. The lion was awake before, too. Even if for but a moment. It didn't seem too interested in us."

Varielky shares this not because she thinks it might help, but simply because she feels like the dream, through Auger and Snow maybe, tries to direct her, but she is not familiar with this supposed 'Fey Wild' and ways to leave it, nor does she know nor see anyone to ask for directions either out of here or to some body of water. So in case one of these things she saw was a sign, she hopes 'Auger' and 'Snow' will be able to share more information... or something.

Py buzzes up and away. It takes a long time for it to clear the overhanging canopy of 300’-tall ancient hemlocks. Eventually, the fey alyasub returns. ‘Forest, for miles in every direction. A line of silver water to the south – an ocean. Hills and mountains to the north. In the foothills, a tree, much bigger than all the rest.’

When Py eventually returns Auger relays what it learned to the others. "A tree to the north, much bigger than the others," he says. "I wonder if that is our Red Cypress."

"I think heading in that direction makes the most sense. If we pass a lake or even a small stream on the way, then I can attempt my communion." Auger looks again at the sleeping lion, now a short distance away. "Or we could ask for directions I suppose."

(OOC: If the opportunity presents itself, Auger will use his ability to speak with animals (at will) to learn more of the surrounding area. And perhaps if any people appeared before them, and which way they might have gone.)

"That makes sense", Snow says in response to Auger's theory about the large tree.

"From what I have read of the Fey Wild, it seems to be another reality that exists parallel to ours. It is similar in some ways, with major locations in our material plane being mirrored here in some way. So it is quite possible that the Red Cypress from where we are from is present here. That is how my cloak works by the way, I move into the Fey Wild and travel a short distance here, then when I leave it seems as though I have travelled much further. And through obstacles that are present to us, but not here", he explains as they walk.

"The landscape, plants, animals and even people of this place are a little different to what we are used to. Stories from childhood may be a reality here, Fairies, Sprites and Pixies. But so might the nightmares, Hags and such that steal children. We should be on our guard", he carries on idly talking.

"It seems the place exudes this potent energy that everything feeds off, a sort of life force that connects it all together and gives it power and form. It is an intriguing place, one that I could happily study for some time, if time was not so pressing".

"I expect there must be ways to cross back and forth, but stumbling upon them will likely be as impossible here as it is in our plane", he carries on pondering until interrupted.

Taking in what 'Auger' and 'Snow' reveal to her, Varielky can't help but wonder. "Then, a big tree to the north would be... the poppy citadel, or the mountains above Kalahata? The Vale? How far north is it? Well, either way, none of these places are good for us. Shouldn't we head west or south?" 

Time passes as you speak and ponder, ponder and speak, and you are surprised when, some time later, you think to check the hour by noting the height of the sun above the horizon, only to find its position unchanged. If it was rising before, it has stopped doing so. The lion has awakened, spent some time on its back apparently trying to scratch an itch in its shoulder, or perhaps it just wanted to coat itself in the heady scent of the peaty forest floor. Eventually, with a deep and satisfied growl, it moved on, utterly uninterested in you and merely rolling its eyes at Auger’s greetings and entreaties. Auger is easily able to draw cheerful hellos from passing jays and sparrows, marmosets and a pair of gazelles, but none of them have answers to his questions.

Py sees no bodies of water in the immediate vicinity, although there seem to be politely bubbling brooks all around, yet rushing water such as this cannot serve Auger’s needs.

Eventually, you begin walking in a direction, maintaining your bearing with Py’s help, and, of course, the sun, which crawls up just a degree or two. At least, you think it might have crawled up a degree or two. You reach a cascading brook, over which arcs an ancient stone bridge overgrown with moss, and you are just about to cross it when suddenly a figure drops from an overhanging tree limb onto the bridge, and says in a commanding voice, both rounded and rough, in Shian, “Who goes there?!”

Yes, the voice is commanding, or at least tries to be commanding. Judge for yourself whether that goal is reached, for the voice belongs to a little elephant-person no more than three feet tall. Elvish-looking clothing composed entirely of intertwined leaves and vines, the overall effect that of a green yeoman's outfit with a feathered cap, covers the creature's body, which is more like a human's than an elephant, except for its promiscuously-eared head, which is bright aqua-colored. The creature carries a small sword on its belt, and looks at you with big, innocent eyes. It growls with the ferocity of a newborn lamb.

Auger immediately thinks of Kotashin, the little elephant friend who had worked with them in the past. Though child-like in demeanor, Kotashin had proven quite helpful, quite so when dealing with his cousin. Not a pleasant memory but Kotashin had been the one who freed them when they were held.

"I am called Auger," Auger says in simple reply to the little elephant creature. "Do you guard this bridge? We are just passing through."

Snow regards the diminutive elephant-person curiously, but as Auger takes the lead in the conversation he does not speak.

He does scan the surroundings though, to see if there are more than just one.

He makes no offensive motions.

Perception: 11+7=18

"Arger?,” the creature replies, in its gargly tenor, “Whatcha. Whatcha. Whatcha doin' here?” It turns to the shield maiden and says “Valkraky?!!? Did you come to teach me how to fight? I am trying to learn but no one ever crosses the bridge. A Knight-Defender has to defend something so…,” it shrugs, trailing off. “But it’s kinda kinda kinda boring.”

The creature turns to Snow, who sees his entire face reflected in its big soft black eyes when they circle up to regard him. “Who are you?,” it asks, as its aqua blue trunk pushes its yeoman’s cap back to get a better view.