"That is, uh... not good." Courage comments, winning (perhaps?) the understatement of the year award in the process. "Normally, I'd follow up such grim news with a joke of some kind to help keep up spirits and all that. But looking at some of the faces here, that's uh... probably not a good idea." He admits as he glanced at some of the others. Which, perhaps oddly enough, despite the grim tidings, the tiefling hardly seemed as nearly as outwardly fearful or worried about the news. Just a little somber and thoughtful at best, if the thin frown and furrowed brows were anything to go by.

"... And not to underplay our abilities, but... well.... I don't suppose this vision came with instructions on how to repair the seals by any chance? Because if not..... not sure how much assistance we could be, if'n that's why you called us back here. Though if it was just for a head's up so we can get our affairs in order, then it was certainly appreciated." He says, cracking a weak grin.

"These seals were created by powerful arcane and divine practitioners centuries ago using powerful relics that have since been scattered across the world. If you can retrieve them, you should be able to recreate the seals. In the meantime, I will contact the king and other relevant scholars, so that a defense may be prepared for this nation just in case you fail in your task and on the off-chance we may finally be able to find Turokkin's phylactery."

Stella takes a deep breath. "Okay. Big deal save the world time. This is fine," she mutters under her breath, nodding to herself. "I don't suppose we have access to any divinations that could give us a hint of the location of that phylactery, or what's awaiting us at the relics?" She glances at Alys, their resident seer.

"Aye. Just a wee walk in the park it all will be." Courage would add upon catch any of Stella's mutter. Regardless, the comment after has him glancing to Alys and Vastra both with a questioning look. Though depending on their answers, the same look is leveled on the Father. "Do -you- know of any countries in particular said to once house those sort of relics? Or whose kingdom might yet still have potent enough magics to warrant looking into first?"

Night Before
(RP ‘fluff’)

Alys would gently coax Yvan, taking him by the hand to lead him off with the team for their rest. It wasn’t the first time their gentle giant was stressed beyond exhaustion. It’s normally moments like these that haunt the dreamer for some time. Emotional tolls can hit harder than the physical ones some days, and there’s nothing like a nightmare to stir those memories up, bringing them to the forefront. The elf’s heart overflowed with empathy, desiring to remain at Yvan’s side and support him through the shadows that trail him even in the daytime.

Still far from home, Alys would find a spacious area that she’d feel confident Yvan wouldn’t feel confined in, and the closest thing that resembled either of their spaces. Slender and soft elven hands would reach up to their protectors face, cupping his cheeks. Thumbs would gently pet the darkened bags forming beneath his eyes. “It’s time to heal, Yvan.” Her voice was still tender as can be. “It’s okay.” She’d reassure gently. “Rest those tired eyes and weary muscles. Tomorrow’s a new day.” Her lips would tug into a warm smile.

Allowing her hands to move from his face, Alys bring them down his chest, taking his hands in hers again. She’d back up, leading him with her until she’d find a comfortable place to sit. Patting gently, the elf would encourage Yvan to lay down, or sit, with her and rest his head down. Should he indulge her, her smile would grow and she’d wrap her arms around him. Her fingers would run themselves through his hair, petting and playing with it. And when silence would fill the air, that’s when Alys would start to hum a melody, singing to him a gentle lullaby.

Songs Sung

Next Morning

Come the next morning, Alys was rested and could feel the rejuvenation of her magic dancing within her core. It was a new day. She hadn’t need to sleep, but found herself waking up from a comfortable slumber. Strangely so, she also found herself trying to buy extra time in that cozy warmth. Though, even the scholar knew all dreams eventually come to an end, it didn’t stop her from procrastinating to the last moment. It was time to face the next part of their adventure.

Portents: 14 | 5 

Once collected and ready, the divination wizard would look to her protector. When he was ready to take on the day, she’d accompany him out to meet with the rest of the Misfits for their update with Father Tarkus and the Prophetess.

Alys would retrieve her journal the moment the Prophetess would begin sharing what she had to say. Dexterous fingers scribbled away, accurately recounting the details shared with them. Temple on the moon. Ancient Dagon. Undead. Dracolich. Defeated physically and sealed on the moon. Phylactery never found for permanent destruction. Making progress to escape? 

As Alys noted, she was thankful for Courage to continue the conversation so that she could carry on with collecting the data for a summarized review. He brought up the most obvious question, how do they repair the seals?

Arcane and divination practitioners using powerful relics. Retrieve and recreate. 

Blue hues would look up to meet Courage’s. “With a little time I can scan memories and knowledge from my archaeology studies, as well as my divination studies to see if there’s anything I can recall.” Alys’ visage was calm and actually quite professionally focused. She’d correct her glasses. At minimum, she should be able to at least identify someone within the profession who may be able to point them in the right direction if she couldn’t come to a solution herself. 

Some rolls:

(Time for a lot of lore)

Alys:

You know that Turokkin was a red dragon that was born over two thousand years ago. Like most chromatics, Turokkin was an evil dragon who terrorized the realm and amassed a hoard of treasure. But you also know that he sought to be the highest of any dragons and studied the arcane to increase his already formidable powers. At some point, Turokkin learned the secret of lichdom and underwent the necessary rituals to become a dracolich, hiding his phylactery in some remote corner of the world so that even if someone managed to destroy his undead form, he'd return again shortly after. 600 years ago, nations from across the world formed an alliance, gathering their armies and summoning their mightiest heroes in order to defeat Turokkin and if they couldn't kill him, they could at least banish him to the moon and seal him there forever. 

There were three relics that were used to seal Turokkin, artifacts of a time from when the world was new and the knowledge that the gods had given to the mortal races was fresh in their minds. The first is the Crown of Aeglos, an ancient Elven king from the land of Ericea and became one of the symbol of the Royal Family of Ericea, being passed down through the millennia, until a disaster happened 400 years ago, where a ritual went wrong, transforming Ericea into a wild land and turning the population bestial. You know that the crown of Aeglos is still somewhere in the ruins of Ericea.

The second relic is the Ring of Maran, a ring owned by an ancient paladin of Kord, who sought to be the strongest warrior who ever lived and pursued constant battle for the sake of pursuing that goal. He fell, but not after winning many battles and leaving behind a trail of fallen enemies in his wake. Through the millennia, countless warriors of legend have taken this ring off the hands of their fallen foes, including one of the legendary heroes that fought against Turokkin. You know that it is currently held by a high-ranking official in Naraka, a nation of militaristic Dragonborn.

The third is the Staff of Myrion, a legendary sorceress that performed arcane feats that bordered on the miraculous. The staff has been sought out by many an arcane caster that wish to use it for their own ends. It is currently being held by an instructor at a college for mages in Mebelis, a republic ruled by a council of twelve witches.

Night Before:
(aka here I go going over board again djvqerio)

Yvan was exhausted beyond the meaning of the word. While he had the capability of working around the physical fatigue, the mental and emotional taxation of their mission completely knocked the wind out of him. His mind had now been muddled with everything that had happened within the dream world. For a moment, he wishes nothing more than to drift off into a peaceful sleep and let all his worries melt away, even if it lasted only the night.

It did not take much coaxing from the blonde to get him to follow behind her and the others, though he was a bit sluggish in his movements. His eyes lids were heavy, drooping with sleepiness, and he relied on her very much so in keeping him from bumping into things as they made their way. Truthfully, he didn't care much on where they ended up, just as long as he could rest his head and keep her close, that was all that mattered to him. Though, knowing the wizard, she would look for something comfortable for the both of them, and he would quietly thank her for her consideration.

When he feels her hands cup his cheeks, he melts into the touch immediately, his eyes sliding shut at her gentle caresses and soft voice. Despite the sleepiness that threatened to consume him, the corner of his lips twitch in a small drowsy smile. After Alys had situated herself, the goliath didn't need much encouragement to follow suit and rested his head upon her lap. As she runs her fingers through his hair, he feels himself drifting, the world ebbing away from the two of them, and when she begins to hum a melody, he is slowly pulled into a welcoming darkness.

Good Morning:

Yvan hadn't had many restful sleeps in his life, but when he found himself with Alys, his nights were deep and dreamless and he had always found himself rejuvenated come the mornings. He would feel a bit guilty, however, knowing the elf didn't need to rest for as long as he needed to, but she would do so for his sake. The act warms his heart and further adds onto how much he adored her. At an attempt to show his adoration, he presses sleepy kisses upon her lips and cheeks, and continues well into the morning even if it meant they were going to be late to the meeting back at the temple.

When the meeting begins and the prophetess speaks of her dreams, Yvan's brows furrow. He didn't know much about dracolich's, but by the way the father had looked and had spoken of this Turokkin (in a way he understood to boot), he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. This was a serious matter and it seemed as if they were going to be the ones to aid in fully destroying this menace for good. They just needed a bit more information.

Any help that was needed in finding certain volumes or scrolls would be given by their protector, and when Alys collects and shares the information they managed to find, Yvan's demeanor would relax slightly. Now they had an idea on where to find these relics, it was just a matter of obtaining them. "Relic hunting anyone?" He asks with a hint of jest in his tone. Yvan then turns to the father and prophetess. "Would it be possible for you to write some sort of a formal document that we could use in helping convince those who hold the relics to give it to us?"

"Yes. As I mentioned earlier, the entire realm will be notified about the weakening of the seals, so that they may make the necessary preparations should Turokkin return. Part of this will require that the authorities in Naraka and Mebelis be notified that your company will be coming to their nations for the purpose of collecting the relics. It will be necessary after all. A society as militaristic as Naraka would likely interpret it as an act of war from Riisel should a group of highly armed warriors suddenly appear in the middle of their country. And a society with as many rules and regulations as Mebelis would certainly not appreciate it."

As a newcomer to the world, Courage could offer little to aid in assistance to help piece together a starting point. But if given a general rundown of the history of some locations, then it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that the tieflings past experiences could offer some minute insights. Vastra, however, would've had to do the heavy lifting in assistance if a request for both war wizard and artificer had been made on the spot. What Alys eventually unfolds one way or another left Courage shifting his weight to a backfoot, crossing his arms over the chest, and nodding genuinely impressed by the wealth of knowledge.

Looking after from Yvan to the Father, Courage chuckles a little to himself. "Well that's a spot of good news, I suppose. Although, I don't figure they'll still be too keen on handing those off without wanting us to prove ourselves or some nonsense like that... Not that I don't blame'm. Or perhaps they'll put forth their own "champions" for the job, and save us the trouble, eh?"  He lightly elbows Stella's side on that particular note. "Not sure how fast your message will reach Naraka and Mebelis. So, while that's cooking, perhaps we set to looking for that crown first? Or... might that too be a bit of a social faux pas as well?"

"You need not worry about the speed of the message. With spells such as Sending, they will reach their destination in an instant. As for the crown of Aeglos, I'm afraid to say that Ericeans are too far gone to care about social niceties."

Stella gives Courage a faint smile at his words. "If only," she mutters dryly, though the grin still playing around her mouth suggests she's a bit more excited about the adventures ahead than her words would imply. Louder, she says, "How much do we know about the specific location of the crown, if it's in the ruins? If the answer is not much, it might be good to go get the other two while you guys do some divinations to try and narrow the area down. But if we already know where it is, we may want to go get it first--it'll look a lot better if we already successfully retrieved one of the relics when we arrive in Naraka and Mebelis to get the other two."

When the topic of locating the crown first came about, Yvan furrowed his brows once more in thought, then brought his gaze upon Alys once more. "I remember you using a spell before... when we went to go save your mother..." He frowns at the mention, but continues on. "You had used it to locate a specific object. Would it be possible to use it this time around, but for the crown? Or... are there specifics that need to be met in order to do that...?"

Alys' eyes would look up to Yvan. There was a little spark of inspiration from the groups discussion and his engagement. "Hmm..." She'd bring her hand to her face to begin patting her nose. "There are requirements depending on the spell." She'd smile softly. "Depending on the information available and proximity, could determine our approach." The elf would pull out her spellbook. As she thumbed through the pages, she'd gravitate to lean against him as she navigated the list. "With a description and/or name of the relic, I can try to Locate Object once we get close. Clairvoyance is similar." The wizard would correct her glasses. "Therefore, as per your suggestion, I can attempt to dig even deeper into the Legend Lore and/or even Contact Other Plane if there is a specific entity we think we could speak with for additional accurate and truthful information." She could start with the crown like Courage suggested too.

"Sounds all good. Probably save that last one as a last restort though. Never had much experience with it personally, but contact other planar creatures tends to lead to.... interesting results, from what I've heard." Courage gets a real far off look in his eyes after the last admission. If noone else shakes him out of it after a few moments, then Souperb eventually climbs its way back to the shoulder to hammer the tiefling's head a few times. "Ha-wha-what? A-ah! Oi! Enough of that now. I'm alright, I'm alright." Courage said mirthfully while gently shoving the homunculus off to the side.

"Now, uh... where were we? Oh yes! The spells! Let's try that Legend Lore thing first. WOrth a shot, at least. And if it doesn't work, well...we can try that other one. And if NEITHER work, well.. There's always plane E." Courage said, folding his arms and buff out his chest  a little in confidence.

"I would go with Legend Lore. An magical artifact that has existed since the time the gods were teaching mortals how to build should be covered by the spell."

Alys’ head would tilt in curiosity from Courage’s trailing off. If there was one thing she could pick up, he definitely drifted off into his own thoughts from time to time, hiding what she could only imagine to be some personal stories. A small smile would tug at the corner of her lips when Souperb would literally knock him out of his reverie. She’d place a hand over her mouth to hide her light giggle. 

Shifting her weight, the elf still leant against Yvan. It wasn’t necessary for physical support, but his warmth and presence kept her waves of anxiety at bay. It kept her mind clear to focus instead of filled with fog and doubt. So naturally, when Vastra would pipe up to provide her feedback based off of Alys’ suggestions, the young elf would beam at her mentor. She’d nod with pink cheeks and a wider smile. “Legend Lore it is.”

Blue hues would glance up to Yvan, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as she’d pop up to plant a kiss on his cheek before slipping away. The elf would skip up to Vastra, reaching a hand out to grab hers. “I’d love your help and guidance for set up.” She’d smile warmly up at her mentor before playfully starting to tug her along. “Pleaseeeee.” Remembering her manners, Alys would add with a giggle and still warmth in her cheeks.

Assuming they have access to the abundance of incense and the ivory strips required for her spell, Alys would work with Vastra to prepare the spell. Once ready, the blonde would scan the Misfits. “We want to learn more about the relics right? Specifically the crown at this time?” She’d consult with them. “Was there anything else that I might be forgetting?” Her eyes would find Courage’s for confirmation.

Once ensured and confident, Alys would tiptoe over to begin casting her spell.

Courage smiled and shook his head at the Alys; who has time and time again proven to be a lot more different then the one's he's worked with in the past. Vastra too, to a lesser extent. Before he can drift to far off onto a tangent however, Aly's question brings him back to the present. 

Still, he looks askance for a moment in thought prior to looking back again and just haplessly shrugging in answer. "Assuming that same spell can net something on those other two afterwards, it might be a good idea, uh... do that!" He said, chuckling a little in those couple words. "Even if we know whose in possession of it supposedly, a bit more, uh... magical background checking couldn't hurt none. Could even learn something they themselves might not know or be less inclined to speak of on when we eventually go meet'em. But! Crown takes priority."

Vastra takes Alys's hands as she casts Legend Lore. As the magic flows through Alys, she is mentally transported back through the millennia, seeing the gods teach mortals skills like crafting and engineering that will allow them to truly take dominion of the world that they had been given. She sees Erathis imbue some of her power into a crown, ensuring that the wearer is recognized as a monarch with authority that came directly from the gods. Alys then sees this crown being placed around the head a regal-looking Wood Elf, who is given dominion over a kingdom that exists in perfect harmony with nature. She very quickly sees this crown being passed from monarch to monarch through the millennia, each of them being the very image of royalty. She sees the wearer of this crown staring out in abject horror as their nation is consumed in an explosion of druidic energy, until the blast overtakes them and they are transformed into a bestial parody of themselves, their hair standing up like straw, their teeth and nails sharpening and elongating into fangs and claws, and their eyes betraying a look of savagery as they rule their kingdom from a palace overtaken by nature, with a crown that once symbolized divine authority now being a symbol of bestial tyranny.

The vision ends for Alys, who now knows where she can find the Crown of Aeglos.

Alys’ eyes cloud over white as her divination magic takes over and mentally transports her back through a millennia. Her physical body remains still, grounding herself with Vastra’s touch, hand still in hers, in a meditating trance while the rest of her ventures out. The young wizard allows the flow of time and threads of fate to pass by her as if she were swimming through a vast galaxy of memories. Sweet, precious memories... As treasures of past knowledge find their way into her conscious, the scholar absorbs them like a sponge.

Soon the vision would come to an end for Alys. The ebb and flow of precious forgotten memories and knowledge fade away from her reach, returning her to the present with the information she requested. The elf’s eyelids would flutter and bright blue hues would return to focus. As she took a look around the room to the others, potentially waiting on her, her cheeks grow rosy as they do. Offering a shy smile, Alys would nod. “I know where we can find the Corwn of Aeglos.” She’d finally break her silence and share the information with the group.

As Alys leaned against the goliath and skimmed through the pages of her spellbook, forest green hues followed along, glancing to and fo from the book to the wizard as she listed off spells that could also be useful in this situation. Yvan trusted her and the others judgement as he had no idea what any of those spells were, or what they did, but it seemed to be as if Courage and Vastra knew. Regardless though, there's a small soft smile that tugs at the corner of his lip noting how cute she looked and how smart she was.

The smile fades as he tries to remember that this is the starting of a big mission for them, he couldn't get distracted! But it only returns when Alys squeezes his hand and gives him a peck on the cheek. He couldn't help it!

The barbarian gives the two wizards some space as the spell gets cast, watching with bated breath in hopes this gave them the information they needed to obtain the crown relic. When he sees Alys' eyes return to blue, he finally is able to breath, and is ready to listen to what information she was able to gather.

"So it's currently in the possession of a... werewolf?" Yvan's brows furrow. "Or... some creature. Do... you all think it would be possible to revert the damages done to the kingdom? Maybe there's a source and if we get rid of it... less blood to spill..."