The Exploits of Misfit Company

Alys didn't know much more either, but when Vastra would vow to assist regardless of which direction the journey took them, she'd feel emotions bubble up. She remembered and saw Stella's eagerness to assist. Yvan attentive as always. And B was ready to get to work. She'd have to take in a deep inhale to fight back some tears from welling up. The elf would offer a genuine appreciative smile. "Of course." With a simple nod she'd gently return the maps inside the box. And instead of returning them to her desk, she'd place them in her bag of holding.

Her eyes would search the room as if something was missing and should she find their silent druid still present, she'd take some steps over. "Hi Kasha." Alys would look to her and should she allow it, the elf would gently take her hands in hers. "I know I'm asking a lot... But I do hope to have your support through this too." Her voice was soft. "We could really use your help." She'd offer a shy but encouraging smile. "I know you've been working hard with Stella, Obsidian and Aryn. Would you be willing to flex those new reading muscles at the library with us? As a team?" Alys would give her hands a bit of a squeeze if she could.

Alys would reach for her glasses in time before B commands and everything around them began to shift and change. She'd be guilty of flinching at the sound of shattered glass, but would seem to appear safely on a less used path to the city. Blinking a couple times at Bixby before following him and the others in a bit of a daze to the library.

The wizard would use her sleeve to gently try to clean her glasses, but would eventually give Vastra a shy nudge to assist her with her magic. Once the lenses were clean, Alys would take ten minutes to cast comprehend languages on them before she'd don them once again. As her eyes would flutter again to adjust to the new arrangement of languages and stimuli, she'd realize that Stella was already knee deep trying, even if it may have been in a different section and Bixby had already conquered a good heap.

At that point Alys would hop too, beginning to scramble to see what she may be able to find. Occasionally she'd hover around the others as they did their thing, asking Yvan to reach the highest of shelves, and exploring the library, looking for anything she could about the Astral Plane. Though, she'd be guilty of being curious if there would be anything that would resemble the city of Nyaleth, her mothers prison, or that could connect her maps to it, well, anything. She'd even settle for something to disprove that they didn't correlate.

(There should be enough of us and familiars to be able to all roll with Adv no? *nudgingforafriendcoughstellacough*)

Arcana: 13 + Guidance: 13 Woops, whole lotta nope there:  Correction: 1

(lol not a 50)

Kasha was extremely uncomfortable. She couldn't stand to even be in the same room with Bix, and she made absolutely no effort at all to hide it, resisting the urge to make comments and quips - but..she kept her mouth shut. 

Her attention and demeanor shifted gears immediately as Alys approached. Just being around her made Kasha smile, and this was no exception. She allowed Alys to take her hand, and waiting for her to finish before pulling her in closely and whispering into her ear..stating something that Alys would have known, or should have already known. As Kasha spoke, you could hear the smile in her voice.

"My reading muscles aren't very big..but you can count on me. No job is too big or small for a fellow Misfit. I'm in."

She pulled away and looked down to Obsidian, and he nodded, causing his foil hat to become askew. His face soured slightly.

If by some lovely chance I do get adv: 7

...Stella's trying.

Alys would gently rest her cheek against Kasha's when she'd move in to whisper "Thank you."

The elf would find Stella in a pile trying her very best and give her a hug. "Thank you."

Alys and Bixby are able to learn through research that the Astral Plane is a realm of dreams that is most commonly used as a realm that deceased spirits or especially powerful casters use as a way of traveling towards the Outer Planes, but it does have some denizens such as Alseta, the Goddess of Portals, thresholds, and the transition from one year to another. It is also home to Githyanki, Astral Dreadnoughts, Astral Dragons, and it's also possible to run into a Celestial or a Fiend that's using the Astral Plane as a method to get around.The Astral Plane is largely empty, but there are a few cities in the Astral Plane, as well as the petrified corpses of dead gods. Most travelers enter the Astral Plane through either Astral Projection or Plane Shift but for those who do not possess that kind of powerful magic, there are portals on the Material Plane that will take one there.

You learn that the city of Na'Lyeth was once a seat of power for the mindflayers that used to live in the Astral Plane until they were driven out by the Githyanki thousands and thousands of years ago. You know that there are two portals to the Astral Plane in Riisel. The first portal is in a monastery near the top of Mount Aethyl, the other is in the tower of a wizard named Ogleus the Mad.

Throughout the entirety of the time spent researching, its as if Bixby is completely at peace. Even things ranging from the smallest snags to being potentially stonewalled at times hardly phases him. For the first time in a while, the man even seems unguarded for the most part. Only the fact that helmet of teleportation staying every in easy reach gave any reasoning otherwise. Inevitably the research had to end, and once everyone had been gathered up again to share, Bixby is perhaps the first to speak; blissfully ignorant or ignoring any discomfort from Kasha.

"So our choice of entry either climbing some Mountain and perhaps being tested by whoever inhabits the monastery, or... dealing with some mad wizard who may or may not still be alive at this  point. What joy." He deadpans. "That all said, the wizard's tower does present an opportunity for you two I imagine." He looks to Alys and Vastra. "Assuming any of the wizard's work is yet there, every bit of knowledge gleaned ahead of time is another weapon to turn against whatever or whoever has your mother's soul trapped. It could even be that they have further details regarding the plane that would not be found in the city."

"Both avenues likely present danger as well as opportunity. We should put it to a vote on which portal we attempt to use."

When it came to be known that they had two options to get the the Astral Plane, one of them being scaling to the top of a mountain, Yvan's decision doesn't need much thought. The changeling's words only added to the other choice. "I... I agree with Bixby..." Yvan says when it comes to finalizing a decision. "I say we try the wizard. The possibility of Alys and Vastra being able to extract any teachings from him would benefit us in the long run... The mountains wouldn't present such an opportunity for the two of them." 

Stella nods in agreement. "Wizard tower sounds good. A little more dangerous, but I think it's worth it."

Kasha didn't care either way. She did, however stuff her face into Obsidian's left ear, and said, quietly, laced with sarcasm, "Another mom for Bix to hit on. Lucky him."

Wis Save(DC 12): 14.

Bixby raises a brow and glances over to Kasha. However, there is a moment in which seems to internally weigh the pros and cons of something in his head, before finally shaking his head and just looking expectantly to the others. The group needed a consensus on which path they would tackle, after all. No point stumbling into another social landmine, as it furthered nothing.

Research proved to be a little more straining on Alys than she had initially expected. She found herself a little overwhelmed of where to start and where to go. And perhaps there were some emotional challenges that came with it that she was trying to deny. But upon noticing Bixby so at peace, completely in his element, she found herself more keen on supporting his studies in the what way she could. Alys would do what she did best, apprentice. With Vastra perched next to him offering her assistance on their collective studies, the cleric would gather and collect all the information Stella, Yvan, Kasha and Obsidian would pull together and start sifting and funneling documents for the 'brain crew' to review. And she did it all with a soft smile on her face.

Upon drawing together the final conclusions, Alys was caught in a bit of a daze. It took until Bixby announced the summary to the group and everyone collectively imputed their opinion that she'd realize she hadn't provided one. Her eyes would hop around everyone as she'd feel some heat in her cheeks from the wait. "Oh! Um." She'd shift a little. "If we all agree that it would be in the best interest in the long run." The elf would nod. "Wizard Tower."

"It's settled then. Off to the tower we go." 

The tower of Ogleus the Mad is safely hidden in the southern region of Riisel, near the border of Symbelyne. Outside of the tower, there are four large statues of a tiefling with a staff in hand, raised towards the sky. As you head towards the doors of the tower, you hear the sounds of heavy footsteps hitting the ground as the statues come to life and attack!

Vastra:25
Statue1:16
Statue2:3
Statue3:19
Statue4:7

Well this didn't take long: 10

Meow meow: 5

Fighting already: 22

Alys would be staring up at the statue as she’d start to hear the sounds of heavy footsteps. Now wide eyed, the elf would reach for her holy water to start sprinkling on Kasha, Yvan and Stella to prepare them for what’s coming.

Casting Bless on Kasha, Yvan and Stella.

Alys initiative: 13

Hoodini would pop his head out from hiding from Alys in the comfort of Yvan’s furs, already prepared to help their Goliath.

Hoodinitiative:  11 

Kasha blinks out the water in her eyes, looking down at Obsidian.

"I don't think this is a dinosaur moment, what do you think?" Kasha asked.

Obsidian sat on his rump and meowed.

"Well, yeah, I know." she admitted. She thought.

Obsidian waited patiently for the gears to turn.

"What about a smaller dino?" she asked.

Obsidian meowed again.

"Right. Right." she remembered, thinking again. "Oh! Ok. I have an idea. Maybe cast spells this time?"

Obsidian shrugged, his tail flicking.

"Ok!"

Kasha will spend this round casting Faerie Fire, when it's her turn. DC16 DEX or get sprinkled with fluorescent butterflies of all shapes and colors.

Bixby Intiative: 21.

Yvan: 20

Kasha(22),Stella(22),Bixby(21),Vastra(19),Yvan(18),Obsidian(16),Statue1(15)(225),Hoodini(14),Alys(13),Statue2(7)(225),Statue3(7)(225)

"How unfortunate, but not unexpected." Bixby said quietly to himself while rolling the wrist at his side in preparation. However, rather than make some gestures or grabs a blade, he kept his distance, and quite casually stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You there with the horns. Though you perhaps cannot grasp the full meaning of my words, know that it is your destiny to fail at the one purpose you were made for, rendering you quite pointless in every since of the word." He said with word laced with magic to subtle to note... until its too late. Just as it may be too late to keep shadows that had been creeping up the statues forms from getting a hold of the statues, and gum up the works. For not a word or gesture preluded their summoning.

Bonus Action: Using Unsettling Words on Statue(1), reducing its next saving throw by 3.

Action: Cast (1st level)Bane(DC 15) on Statues(1, 2, 3), augmented with Psychic Sorcery (DC 1: 6)... eliminating all components.