The Exploits of Misfit Company

"Well, let's go into town and check for scrolls first," Stella suggests.

Two cats, one Obsidian and one Katsha, trot towards Stella and sit next to her, looking up, wanting to know if they can pad along. If not, that's ok, they'll just get into trouble. The usual.

Stella nods as the request is conveyed. "Sure, you two can tag along."

Katsha beams proudly, slowly turning to Obsidian, who, in turn, rolls his eyes as if he lost a bet. She attempts to cheer him up by playfully coiling her tail around his and nuzzling his neck briefly. He reluctantly agrees and resumes his composed posture. Katsha is purring so loud you can hear it from where you're standing.

Alys would nod slowly to Stella. And as the kitties approach, the elf would offer a soft smile, taking a tentative step aside to provide room. “Y-you guys can go on without me.” She’d pause before adding. “Someone should stay.”

Yvan watches Katsha and Obsidian with an endearing look upon his face until Alys mentions staying behind. "No..." Yvan says, shaking his head. "I'll stay. I'm not as knowledgeable with magic as you all are, and you would be the one casting this spell so... It may be best you check it out before we go purchasing scrolls. Making sure we have all the necessary components and such... I need to check the perimeter anyway... Oh, and..."

He takes a step forward towards the wizard, gently taking one of her hands hands as he shifts slightly, placing down his coin pouch in her open palm a moment later. "I don't... really know what to do with all of the money Faras had given me, but this is a much better cause than anything I could purchase for myself... I hope it helps." 

Kittysha meows a few times at both of you, as if to say the perimeter is fine, it’s been taken care of, so both of you can come if you want to. 

"You two have the harvest tomorrow, remember?" Stella reminds Yvan and Alys. "We can all go after you're finished with that."

Obsidian and Katsha flop lazily on the ground, tails flicking, waiting for you guys to decide. Occasionally, they wrestle playfully while you guys discuss, otherwise, they're laying on the floor looking up at you all, observing.

Alys would shift trying to suppress the uneasiness she felt. It was a 'long trip' away... She was trying to focus on Kasha and Stella's assurance and reminder, taking comfort in Yvan's gesture. The elf would place her hand on the goliath's that was handing off his hard earned share. "We all go together then? Tomorrow." She'd agree if that was the case.

You're all able to get to the city and purchase a scroll of Hallow from Dio. Vastra also collects her Helms of Mental Protection from Dio. There's one for each party member, as well as one for Obsidian, Hoodini, and Aryn.

Yvan's cheeks go flush in embarrassment at the reminder of the harvest, and it only deepens at Alys' touch. "Right..." He clears his throat as he pulls away. "Tomorrow then. We could also see if Vastra or Bixby would like to come with... where ever he is..." He trails off for a moment, then shakes his head. "I'm still going to check the perimeter before retreating back to the manor though. I'd feel... better in doing so..." The goliath admits. He knows Kasha's animal friends are keeping their eyes out, but it never hurt to triple check, right? He brings his gaze to Stella. "If you're still willing, then we should go..." Then looks to Alys, Kasha, and Obsidian. "We'll see you all back home, okay?"

Had there been nothing else, he will give them all a nod prior to turning and heading into the woods.

For Alys:

Kasha and Obsidian looked up from playing when Yvan spoke. That was quick, she thought. Depending on what the rest were going to do, both kitties waited until either offered to join, or would get into trouble if that didn't happen.

Response:

 Shopping

"I could use some help picking out some come goodies to fill the munchie cabinets at the manor." Alys would wink before smiling shyly. Truly desiring to pick up some last minute items before heading back.

For when back at manor casting scroll:

Wis check: 16 + 2 Guidance

Alys is able to get herself some snacks before heading back. She is easily able to recite the incantation on the scroll and call forth the divine magic required to protect the manor. Later on, Alys has a dream.

Alys:

Humming and with the tip of her tongue sticking out, Kasha folded a large piece of foil in strange shapes. At times, she would look at it, and her face would droop, realizing she ****ed it up. "Dang it!" she'd curse, crumpling it up and throwing it over her shoulder, Obsidian watching it's trajectory to see if it went into the trash can or not. It didn't. He watched her try again, and he meowed. She looked at him, and then back to the new piece of foil. "Ok, i'll try that."

A couple of tries later, she seemed to get it right. She made a little one for Obsidian, too. When she tried hers on, she looked at herself in the mirror and giggled. She assumed a pirate pose and screamed, "ARRR MATEY! YE SCURVY SCALAWAGS! BRING ME MORE ORANGES, SAYS I, FOR WE! HAHA!" 

She turned to Obsidian, who was neither pleased, nor annoyed, at his little pirate hat. He meowed again. Kasha gasped. "It does NOT look like a "stupid helmet", dude! You're a pirate! Like, my little first mate!"

His shoulders sagged slightly, and he made another sound.

"Oh, stop, you do not look undignified." She turned towards the mirror again, and pretended she was thrusting a rapier at someone. "ARRR! TIS NO MAN. TIS A REMORSELESS EATING MACHINE!"

Hoping she picked all the right snacks, Alys would sneak an armful of goodies she purchased back to her room. If any one happened to see the tiptoeing elf, she looked as if she was preparing herself. Making it back to her room, she'd stop to remember to try to close the door quietly, only for her to fumble a bag of snacks from her arms. And when she went to try to snatch it up, the door would close on her butt sending her stumbling forward a little bit, stepping on the bag of chips with a loud pop. The sound would surprise her, causing the rest of the munchies to go flying. She'd wince, peeking around hoping no one saw that. Of course not Alys... She'd chuckle to herself. "Guess these are mine now!" The wizard would pick up the now conveniently opened bag of chips. "Ouu. Ketchup!" She'd pop a chip in her mouth to chew on as she'd putter around to gather the rest of the goods she scattered, eventually choosing to hold her opened bag of chips in her mouth to free up a pick up hand.

Upon her traverse across the room to retrieve a runaway Kinder Surprise, Alys would find herself in front of her vintage full length mirror. As she stood there for that moment, her pupils began to cloud over and before she knew it, she was staring back at a reflection, a vision of herself. She saw it. She felt it. And her breath escaped her.

And here stood Alys, tears trickling down her cheeks as her clouded eyes begin to clear, presenting her blue hues once more. A hippie divination wizard who shakes like a leaf and tucks her tail between her legs when things get difficult. She who flinches at loud brash noises and crumbles to dust when she fails. She who relies on the words and presence of others to patch her together and validate her worth. Weak. Sad. Lacking in self-confidence. Overflowing with emotion.

Here stood Alys.

The bag of chips would drop from her lips when she'd open her mouth to speak. "I did not take that path…" She'd blink. "I did not choose that path..." She'd swallow, staring back at herself. Alys looked tired, her hair a little messy. But as she stood there, items in hand, feeling herself fill up with doubt, the tighter she'd hug the armful to herself. This bundle of junkfood reminded her. I found a real family... Who let me stumble and fumble my way through learning... As me. Every awkward, weird, sensitive part of me... "I chose my own path!" The elf would feel her jaws clench. "And I regret nothing!" And with a flick of her wrist, Alys would lash out her magic, cracking and distorting her mirror.

Here stood Alys.

Turning on her heels, Alys would get to work. Spending the rest of her evening and magic reserves on preparing specific and individual items for her proposed project. One by one, she'd dedicate full focus of her time to personalize each one. She would not rest until she was satisfied with each one. Eventually, the elf would exhaust herself to sleep, surrounding herself in a circle of individual piles of her portion of project.

Alys would wake up in a jolt, more tears, panting and sweating in a panic. Her hands would feel around frantically as her eyes would blink rapidly in an urgent effort to gain bearings on her reality. Her blue eyes would continue to dart around in attempts to analyze her situation. The elf would desperately wrack her brain to logically conclude that this was only a nightmare. It couldn't be true. Her mother was dead. The cleric would look down at her hands. Right? She didn't know what to make of it. But it felt so real...

Her heart wouldn't calm. She couldn't calm. Alys would try her best to regulate her breathing, but couldn't. Not here. She'd secure last nights work before setting out to the only area that calmed her, and where she promised she'd be in the morning. The garden.

Vastra hadn't much time to enjoy the manor since the Misfits returned to it. She had spent most of her time casting various defense spells on the manor. But today the work was all done and the manor was now defended by multiple spells, as well as all of Kasha's animal friends, so Vastra decided to start her day with a walk around the manor. "Morning Alys, how are things?" She says as she passes by the garden and spots her unofficial apprentice.

Yvan's cheeks go flush in embarrassment at the reminder of the harvest, and it only deepens at Alys' touch. "Right..." He clears his throat as he pulls away. "Tomorrow then. We could also see if Vastra or Bixby would like to come with... where ever he is..." He trails off for a moment....

Meanwhile...

Alone at a fairly well maintained Inn somewhere in the nearby city to the manor, a completely nondescript human works away at a scroll using ink that shimmers at dried into the parchment. In one corner of his desk rested a egg-shaped sending stone, and in another, a black helm bearing a purple feathered plume. Every word written is done so meticulously, and with practiced ease, for even one mistake would undo the many hours of work.

Failure was not an option. Even though a few other like scrolls already rested in a pack set off to the side, it was not enough. The work had to continue. Though other hands has saw to other preparations since 'arriving' in the city, there yet remained more work. More parchment needing to penning. More coin likely exchanged under another face. So many things -- too many things for casual drop ins, and the one link he had was for emergencies only.

But this was fine. He could patient -- would be patient, safe in the knowledge that the necklace hanging from him would keep him safe until the promised time. Until then, he needed to wait and endure the song that would keep creeping up from time to time in the back of his head. A wondrous yet haunting tune that only seemed to be growing more frequent as the days marched on.

He needed to be patient.
The fingers had to work.
The drivers given time to travel their trade routes, and keep their ears open for the words.
The researcher slowed by previous request, but safer for it, or so he had to hope.
Well, the face he wore then had to hope. Or had it said something off? 'Do not become paranoid. Focus only on the work' The man thought as the brief pause in writing picked up once more.

And so the work would continue, but not without idle thoughts toying at the idea of hiring mercenaries for another job...

Bixby: Your researcher sends you a message. He tells you that from what he's been able to gather, the city of Myol-Ghash exists for the brightest and most powerful undead to gather and research the secrets of undeath, how to grow more powerful, achieve a more perfect state of undeath, and in the case of the especially ambitious, achieve godhood like the former lich Vecna did. Your research has also learned that as a part of the Idrexian nation, Myol-Ghash is officially under its' protection and that any assault on the city and/or its' inhabitants is treated as a crime against Idrexia at best and an act of war at worst.  Your traveling merchants have so far not heard what you requested them to keep an ear out for.