Above & Below

"I agree, but I trust nothing here... let me send a message to see if they are home and warn them of our arrival first," Effort says.

She points her finger at the cabin twice and whispers under her breath:

"Gil, Ava.  It is Effort, the tiefling who visited you a few days ago.  My companions and I have successfully returned with the information we seek, and are en route to find one of the Sisters.  It is quite a journey and we would like to know if we would be welcome to visit your home once more this eve.  You may reply to this message..."

You sense Gil becoming confused and defensive for a moment, but Ava messages you back. Of course, you and your friends are always welcome here. Give Gil a moment.

A few moments later, Gil emerges from the front door. You see him disarming some kind of trap leading up to the front of the cottage, and he gestures for you all to approach. 

"Still alive, eh?" He doesn't smile, but nods approvingly. 

Ava is chopping some potatoes and slightly wilted cabbage for dinner, but pauses to offer you all some tea. "How has your journey been thusfar? It's good to hear you were able to get the information you were seeking."

It's been okay.  Some decent fights; killed some thugs and some undead, so that was fun.  Brask enters and gets comfortable on any chair that will fit him, or in the corner on the floor if not.

Hey, he says to Gil and Ava as he recalls the earlier conversation, Kurama reckons this world didn't use to suck so much.  Is he right?

"Huh?" Gil raises an eyebrow. "The world is...what the world is. We survive."

Ava considers the question a bit more. She looks slightly at a loss as well. "Gil is right...we haven't known much else besides this existence we've carved out for ourselves here. Do folks have it better in the towns? On the coast? I don't know. I have heard that there is one lone spot in the ocean where the clouds part, and the sun warms the water every day. Not seen it myself, of course."

Makes sense, Brask says.  Your parents say the same thing?  Not that it used to be better.  He shifts awkwardly at the thought of parents, and switches subject.  One place where the sun shines.  You never saw the sun yourselves?  That's harsh.

"That wasn't quite how I put it." Kurama began as he looked at Brask, "And it's just a conjecture, but yes, this place does seem a bit odd and... lacking...  But this oasis in the middle of the ocean does sound quite intriguing.  Do you know anyone who's made it there before?"  

"We certainly will if we don't find a way back to Osthait," Effort murmurs.  She's quite certain that if they can't find a way to contact Promise and traverse the planes, she will fight tooth and nail to find the place where the barrier between the worlds is the thinnest -- and an area where sunlight can break through the gloom seems like exactly that.

"Oh, there are old tales of fishermen coming upon the break in the clouds," Ava smiles as she throws the chopped vegetables into a skillet. "Some say they never return because they don't want to leave the warmth. Could just be stories, though. Haven't known anyone in my long life that has been there, or known anyone else who has been there."

"Supposed to be off the northern coast somewhere." Gil chimes in. "Good luck even getting that far. Nothing but frozen wasteland up there...ha! You think this area is bad? The northern coast is ice and death as far as the eye can see."

"Where there is a will, there is a way," Effort counters, though without rancor.  "I believe if we can survive an encounter with one of these Sisters, surviving the cold will be somewhat less of a challenge."

Feeling responsible to pay the two back for their continued hospitality, Effort offers to help with any chores that need doing before the party retires to rest.  Cadmael, in the meantime, keeps watch on the roof of the house, as he did before.

"Fascinating... If we're here long enough, I would very much like the opportunity to visit this place.  I'm sure it would be quite the experience." Kurama commented.

Following Effort's lead, Kurama assisted however he could around the house before eventually resting for the night.

Gil takes you up on your offer to help, and has you chop firewood for a bit after dinner while he repairs a piece of fence. Ava insists they don't need anything else, and wishes you a good night as she heads off into her room.

Everyone give me a raw d20 roll.

Kurama's Roll: 10

6

Woohoo!

Going to assume Effort rolls higher than a 1. :)

You all settle in for the evening. It's no luxury suite, but it's more comfortable than sleeping outside in the relative dangers of the forest. And after a day of hiking and fighting undead, you don't find it hard to doze off.

Brask:

 A bit of sunlight comes through the window, waking you all up. Gil is up first, and immediately heads outside with their wolf. 

Brask wakens, and growls in annoyance, but does not speak immediately.  However, when they have assembled, he will ask Ava:  I had a stupid dream.  You get stupid dreams a lot here?  Like, they're trying to make you angry or, I dunno, feel bad?  The one I had felt... like... weird.  Not my thoughts.

Kurama awoke feeling relatively refreshed all things considered and ready to continue they're journey to find the sisters.

"Has this happened before?" Kurama asked Brask after he spoke up about dreams, thinking about his own experience from a few days earlier.

"Stupid dreams...?" Ava thinks on it for a moment. "I don't know about that. Dreams always seem to know something about you, don't they? Whether or not you'd care to admit it."

Well, yeah, duh.  They're from my head.  Of course they.... never mind.  Brask grumbles and walks outside to be alone with his thoughts.

After saying your goodbyes again to Ava and Gil, you head back off on the northern road. They reveal that the fork in the road heading out to the coast is only a few hours away, and then another day's worth of travel will bring you to the edge of the continent and, you're guessing, the ruins where this Sister has taken up residence. As you step out from the woods back onto the road, you realize it's another gray, chilly day here. It's beginning to wear on you.

Cadmael spreads his wings, angling upward into the air and flapping until he reaches the treetops. He begins his survey of your surroundings as you begin your march.

(Sorry for being absentee!)

"That was a respite," Effort tells the others as they begin their journey back down the road.  As the group journeys down the road, she takes stock of her belongings, pulling out the basilisk eye she'd stored in the vial.  "Hmm... do you think this might prove useful in our interaction with the Sister?  I'm sure it has magic properties of some sort, but I've no idea of how to harness or utilize them.  It could be a bargaining chip in our favor, though," she muses to the others.

As Cadmael circles overhead, she instructs him to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Cadmael Perception: 17

There are no mice here, Cadmael's reply comes back, leaving Effort to slap her forehead in exasperation.  She takes a look around on her own, noting her owl's disinterested tone.

Effort Perception: 7

+ Guidance 3