Zorg's Lost Souls III

Mulligan

G'Reg listens and nods, this idiot doesn't understand, and the anime not knowing what is being said between Mulligan and the captive starts to talk to him again. "Things will go pear shaped whether you want it to or not, the fact of the matter right now is that Kelek and your band are sitting on riches that you cannot use, I could help you get at them but not for free, until that point Kelek is going to run out of payment to solve his problems, then who will lay your loyalty at the feet of?"

In reply Mulligan mentally counters with:

Barria tries her hardest to keep up with the conversation, but there are a lot of new names and roles and puppets that are people and... she starts to lose it all.  Then as G'Reg goes well... G'Reg, and then Mulligan starts chatting with him, her mind starts to wander.

As the others converse with the creepy little guy, Barria turns back towards the lake... wishing for the unicorn to come back.  She almost wonders if they should just let this guy go so that Lamore would return.  At least... she hopes she will return.

Zarak seems to be lost in thought for a moment, apparently contemplating Greginald's words. Then finally he seems to make a decision. Perhaps the gnome's persuasiveness paid off after all!

All right then. You're smart, like Kelek. Maybe smarter. Them hags could do with bein' taken down a peg or two. And who knows, maybe they'll have something' worth lootin', right?

He pauses a moment... licks his lips... glances at Mulligan again... and then continues:

That Will kid... he lives in a tree with a bunch of other kids. A tree that walks around. I saw 'em when I was trying to find a way into this lake, but round the far side, just past that second hill you can see, to the left of the clump of spruces. Sure, I seen the reward posters, but Kelek's bounty on the horn was bigger, so... I left 'em be... makin' a mental note for later. But that's cool... you can find 'im and hand 'im in if you want.

Zarak wriggles again to get comfortable, looking around at everyone in the group as he continuous to expound what he knows.

The palace... well, that's where folk go to get their wishes granted, or somethin'. Anyone that was there at the time got frozen. Some more folk been arrivin' since, but they're just waitin'... they don't know what's goin' on. Dunno much else. Fairy queen. Big pet owl in another room. Like real big. Lotsa rooms. Big garden. He shrugs again. I'd have cased the joint more if I'd had time.

Then looking at Greginald again, he asks:

That enough for ya?

     Mulligan confiscates the wooden replica horn, handing it over to Barria for safe keeping, then nods to Zarak and the rest of the group that it is good enough for him.  Mentally he provides the Orcling the best directions he can to find Nibs and again stresses not to harm the guy but there's a virtual pond of gold coins littered around him for the taking.  

     The crazy coot tells some wild stories to try to dissuade you but my own pouches are proof enough that it's easy pickings.

     Mulligan then pantomimes to the group that they may as well let their hostage go unless anyone else has more questions...

Barria tucks the wooden replica horn away and starts dreaming about this beautiful palace full of frozen people.  "What a strange idea.  But where is Kelek?" she for one didn't want to run into this brutal, manipulating man.  As she thinks this, she looks down at G'Reg and smirks, one is enough.

She shrugs towards Mulligan.  She's fine with letting the creature go, sooner rather than later really, as she is really hoping the unicorn will come back once he is gone.

With everyone apparently in agreement, Mulligan nods to Zarak to indicate that he is free to go, and Rowan unties his bonds.

Kelek's stayin' at the castle, he explains to Barria, rubbing his wrists which are now free of the ropes. He won't go nowhere else until he gets that staff.

The little orc doesn't bother to stay and exchange any further pleasantries... whatever passed between him and Mulligan, it certainly made the assassin keen to get going. With hardly a sound, Zarak slips away across the grass and into the trees.

The group take some time to wait patiently, hoping Lamorna the unicorn might return... but there is no sign of the magical creature.... just the perfect serene stillness of the pristine lake. Much like the grove of the tree-maiden, this domain seems to avoid the heavy ageing decay that lays on the rest of the forest of Thither, resisting the influence of the Hag of Regrets.

Now it seems there is a choice. If the encounter with Zarak qualifies as a completion to their fey directions, and if they trust the word of an assassin, then they could make directly for Will's tree on the other side of the lake. Alternatively, they could continue the previous plan and seek for Grandfather Gum.

(A reminder of Nib's directions)

Hmm. Directions. Nibs says as he resumes his knitting and looks to Barria. Well... Locations in this place... they don't seem to stay put, So feyfolk don't give directions by landmarks. Now, Will's tree? Let me remember... To find that what wishes to stay lost... Go to a place none can go but one... Visit the invisible... Speak to the living remains of the dead... And prevent a happy ending. Yes, I think that's it! But of course it might not be in that order. Hehe, that's fey logic for ya.

Greg makes no move to stop the sneak their as he skulls away, instead he is yet again in his own head, thinking... Then out loud. "Iggwilv must be wrapped up in this somehow. And that makes the hags all the more dangerous. I don't know why but if that assassin is right then Zybilna had care of Iggwilv's cauldron. Now the lot is trapped in some powerful Dunamancy... But why!? Why would she leave the most powerful magic item known to Zybilna's care? The thought of a moving domicile now feels all the more ominous too. I hope to the gods that it is in fact a tree and not some house with legs disguised as one."

     Mulligan drops the telepathic link with the assassin and re-forms the Group Chat with the others.  That's two psionic energy dice used total so far...  This link lasts for two hours. (sigh) I'm just spending a third point now to re-new it when it fails which gives it another... two hours.  (sigh sigh) Ok, so 4 hours and I'm sure I'll be renewing it after that.  lol

     Once the Chat is back up Mulligan explains his deal with the others.  He explains since Zarak reached out to him and was so obviously more interested in coin than anything else, that he would use Neb and his curse against the assassin.  That is what Nebs said was true, and if Zarak did what Zarak would inevitably do, then his taking of coins would curse him right alongside Nebs.

     I do feel a bit bad foisting such bad company upon Nebs.  He didn't really seem that bad a chap, actually.  But ensuring the unicorn and their horn was safe from that little orcling seemed worth it.  After all, it's not me spending eternity with him.

Barria sighs as she looks out over the lake, no unicorn in sight.  She almost got to ride one!!  The thrill... the joy... ugh.  Maybe she'll run into Lamore again at some point.  She was going to guard her mate's horn with her life.

Turning back to the others, "Alright then, let's trek around this lake and see if we can find this tree Will is in.  If we can't find him that way, we can go back to the shadow of the mountain.  Just that since we're here... let's see what we can find."

Rowan nods along with Barria and then starts humming to himself as they make their way around the lake looking for any treehouses or trees that might be suitable for homes.

     Give it time.  They offered you a great honor already, I doubt they are so fickle as to hide from you forever.

     Mulligan offers the, hopefully, consoling words to Barria as he too begins to keep an eye out for any possible Wills hiding in trees.

Greg grumbles as he walks, hoping that the exit out of this oasis of a lake hidden within Thither does not require the same dancing as was necessary to enter.

The peaceful lake mirrors the pink-painted clouds in the twilight sky as the group skirt around the shoreline. Barria watches vigilantly for any sign of the unicorn, but to her dismay the majestic creature fails to reappear. The tiny flowers that perpetually bloom at Rowan's feet in all circumstances are noticeably more colorful and vibrant in this region than anywhere previously. Mulligan feels for once that he is in a place where he could genuinely drop his guard, and even the grouchy Greginald feels a little less grouchy here, although pleased to see that leaving the area isn't as complicated as entering. Upon reaching the stand of trees nominated by Zarak, the group move away from the lake, and without encountering any magical barriers, they find themselves back in the red-tinged, autumn woods.

Without any further directions, the four travellers make their way through the surrounding area, attempting as best they can to canvass the terrain and observe for any signs of trees perambulating or people hiding. After a few long hours of wandering, they come across the following:

• Three more Wanted posters pinned to trees, featuring the image of Will of the Wild, and offering rewards as varied as "you'll win the heart of the one you love", or "I'll ensure no blade can ever break your skin", or "the power to bring the dead back to life"
• A ring of sentient toadstools in a clearing, grumbling and muttering. They barely resemble the happy, singing mushrooms from before, and when they notice the travellers nearby, they call out several rude and unrepeatable taunts, although only Greginald and Rowan can understand the fey language they employ.
• Two more rings of toadstools in clearings, identical in appearance to the mocking fungi, but of the usual mundane, non-sentient kind.
• A couple more rings of mushrooms, although of the more mundane and non-sentient, non-musical variety.
• In one area where the trees thin out somewhat, there are a number of monstrous claw prints on the forest floor. Each print spans three feet from heel to toe, and they meander through the trees for a while before ending abruptly in a single group of unusually deep prints.

Mulligan employs the powers of his banjo, seeking help or information from the nearby fauna. Most of the trees return sleepy answers of indifference, claiming not to know or care, and sounding for all the world like they've given up on life. Judging by the pervasive sense of decay in this entire realm, this isn't surprising. However his persistent enquiries finally turn up one or two helpful answers, which guides the group's navigation through the area.

Finally the searching pays off as the distant sounds of children at play filters through the trees. Following the noise, the travellers spy a small glade in a shallow valley. In the center of the glade is a smallish but healthy-looking oak tree with painted swings dangling from its branches. Four young children (and a cat) frolic at play around the base of the tree, their delighted squeals rippling like fresh sunlight through the gloomy surrounds. In the crown of the tree is nestled a ramshackle wooden treehouse. While the group observe from a distance, they see the oak tree suddenly lurch and turn, it's branches and leaves rustling loudly and the dangling swings flying outward, as the children yelp in glee. As the tree turns, it is clear that it has a face, and calls to mind the young oak tree from the Carnival, who went by the name of Northwind.

The children are two distracted by their game with the treant to notice the travellers observing them.

Greg laughs at the grumbling toadstools and repeats their insults for the others to understand, exaggerating in places to make them seem more comically vulgar. He is very wary of the clawed footprints and tries to figure out what kind of animal may have made them, particularly wary if they seem like giant chicken feet  (nature? 9).

He stops the group as the children and the tree come into sight. "I think Rowan and Barria should be our point of meeting here, they're likely to be cautious of visitors with all these bounties upon their heads. I wouldn't be surprised if they attack first and ask questions later"