A Smaller Task pt2

Tivvy has settled down in the stone circle. He's rooting through his things, all careful, pulling out an assortment of items and vials. Most of the vials contain some sort of light phospheresent liquid. He's sprinkling it on the grounds, spreading it here and there. "Please, gather around and wait. Don't knock over a stone and whatever you do /don't/ mess this up for me, oi? ALl right? The Fey are... flighty."

Lawson keeps away from the areas Tivvy is sprinkling stuff on the grounds. He doesn't say anything, but it's obvious he does want to respect the wishes of Tizzy.

Staring intently, trying not to blink... Alaryn starts asking questions, "What's that made from? How long does it take to prepare? Can I buy the recipe off of you? Does it do anything other than glow?" It's like she's a four year old. In reality, she's an artificer and alchemist who has just seen something liquid and magical that she NEEDS to learn about!

Sargon moves closer until he can loom behind Tivvy. He gives a cursory glance at what he's doing, then focuses his attention on the trees, scowling and muttering under his breath about archers.

Toha moves somewhat closer, but keeps her focus largely outside the perimeter the group is creating. She stacks her hands on the head of her hammer as seems to be her custom and sweeps the horizon without visibly moving in the slightest.

"Sooooo, it's all stuff my grandfather told the Fey to give us in an event we needed it. THe city needs it. Stuff is happening. Rumors of dark riders and more. Makes you wonder, you know?"

He takes a moment, then hauls himself to his feet.

"This all fey, you know?" He points at the glimmer and glitter that's all over the grass and the stones. "Now we just...wait."

And so he waits. And when he waits, so do you.

Time passes. Twenty minutes.

And then, indeed, there's a glimmering. A faint trickle of light inm the center of the circxle.

Lawson looks as the light forms in the circle. He still scowls, but he's still somewhat fascinated by it.

Sargon forces himself to unclench his fists and relax. He whispers out of the side of his mouth, "I was starting to wonder if he was mad...but it seems he does know how to summon them."

Watching closely, Alaryn inclines her head. She nods and when Tivvy finishes, she examines the way the man poured out the liquid. And she crouches to look more closely at it. Then she reaches out and plucks a few blades of grass soaked in the liquid, tucking them in a belt pouch to examine later. Then she stands and steps back. "Okay then." she says, "I'd love to chat later on alchemical principles." she tells the man.

Toha remains focused on the potential threat from out... there, though she turns her head to look back past her sword as she notices the change in the light behind her. It isn't much, but it doesn't need to be at night. She never liked summonings. Not since the first time. Her attention returns to the outside of the circle.

He does indeed seemingly know how to summon them. In fact, it isn't long before the glimmer turns into a brilliant flash of light that reveals...!

a ...tiny flying seahorse.

WEll, it looks like one, anyway, if you've even ever SEEN a seahorse.

Then it speaks, it's voice like a thousand exploding cannons.

"WHY HAVE I BEEN CALLED,"

"WAUGH," yells Tivvy, falling over in shock. "...great one, I called because I heard tales of terrible trouble from the Fey, stories of war and dark riders! My grandfather, Walter, Tinuvy, said that if I had ever need of help, I should use these vials here in this place and it would call upon a Fey who would help us, but I seek to help, not BE helped. Tell us what troubles the Fey of these lands so that we can help bring peace!"

"...WALTER. YES, I KNOW THE HUMAN OF WHICH YOU SPEAK. HE LIVES IN THE BRIGHT PLACE NOW, OF MEADOWS AND FLOWERS."

Lawson tilts his head. he doesn't ask questions because in this case, his confusion would only be met with more confusion. Interesting though.

And now, Alaryn is stunned as she watches and studies everything. She is amazed and grins.. no beams a smile when she sees what is summoned. She might have even squeaked a bit due to cuteness. But she does her best to stay out of the way.

Sargon watches and listens to the exchange. He can't quite keep the look of amazement off of his face. But he seems to regain his calm and even nods in approval at Tivvy's manner and the question.

Toha tries to keep her attention away from the summoning itself, her fingertips screeching softly against her hammerhead, though she does jump and look back over her shoulder at the BOOMING VOICE... coming from the tiny little... Headcant.... The hell?

THe little seahorse flutters around on tiny, glittery wings of light.

"Yes, there is a war brewing. A growing malignancy amongst the Fey, turning us against each other, turning others to darkness. It has taken root and, like any blighted crop as your farmers would say, it must be cut out before it spreads too far... yet, ew do not know where it is rooted."

Lawson says, "Deception. it's much like the fey of lore. there are likely many agents before the root will be found....if this particular fey is smart."

Tivvy gives Lawson a quizzical look before shruygging and then turning towards the others. He gives a weak smile.

"YOU HAVE CALLED FOR INFORMATION, THEN. PERHAPS WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER," booms the tiny sea horse.

"Oh no," mouths Tivvy.

Stepping back a half pace, Alaryn stays silent. She's not -really- all that concerned with the difference between good and evil. She's more into law and order vs mayhem and chaos. But it sounds as if chaos is involved on the other side of things. But she leans towards Toha and murmurs softly, "Are we being hired to help the fae too?"

Sargon says, "It would seem our first quest has led to another. And who knows, if we pass this one by, if others will be given the opportunity..."

"beings need help....I say we should help them." Lawson growls out.

Toha generally means well. If she can mean well within Angoron's grace and Adom's code, she will. It isn't always so. It's *shudder* a summon, but, "We must. If we ignore it now, it will consume us, later."

"Bargains with Fey are already precarious," remarks Walter, cautiously.

"What are your terms?"

Shrugging, Alaryn shuts up. She's not against helping. She just wants to make sure all the I's are crossed, and all the T's are dotted.

Lawson looks to Walter....then nods his head....

"THERE IS A WINDOW THROUGH WHICH YOU MAY ACT. A PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH YOU MAY SURVIVE. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT. IF YOU WISH TO ASSIST THE FORCES OF LIGHT, I WILL OFFER YOU A TOKEN OF INFORMATION IN EXCHANGE. YOU WILL LEARN OF THE FOES WE FACE. DO YOU ACCEPT?"

Tivvy looks at you, worriedly. He doesn't think this is a good idea.

Lifting both eyebrows, Alaryn flicks her eyes about to the others.As far as she's concerned, it's not really much of an issue either way. She -does- ask, "IS there a reward of some sort if we involve ourselves?" Hey, she's a merchant. Compensation for goods and/or services are a part of the business.

Sargon turns to the rest of the party, lowering his head and voice to huddle to discuss. "We should learn what we can," he urges. "If the way is difficult, so much the better. I did not come on this quest for an easy time."

"I'm in." Lawson says without hesitation.

Toha finally turns from the outer world to the inner huddle and closes into it, the handle of her hammer creaking some as she holds it more in her typical walking stick fashion, "For the greater good, we should face the challenge, but we do no one any good if we charge in blind."

"I DO NOT YET KNOW HOW YOUR PERCEPTIONS WOULD ALLOW YOU TO SEE WHAT IS. ONLY THAT YOU WILL NEAR THE MALIGNANCY, A PIECE OF IT, AND BE ABLE TO EXCISE IT. THERE, N THIS DREAM WORLD, YOU WILL CURE THE FEYWILD'S NIGHTMARE."

The seahorse flutters its brilliant energy wings.

"What're we looking for?" Lawson says blunty. "Or do you know?"

"I CAN NOT TELL YOU. ONLY THAT IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS WHEN YOU SEE IT." The seahorse tells Lawson.

Sargon wrinkles his brow. There's 'not easy', and then there's 'Curing the nightmares of the feywild.' But he supposes there's nothing for it. "I'm ready." He cracks his knuckles, even though part of him doubts if they'll have something to actually fight. "For anything."

Narrowing her eyes, Alaryn shakes her head minutely. "Not exactly the way to do things. To give a task but not -tell- those you are asking to perform said task... -what- the task is. Details are important. Need to know how to plan and make arrangements to make sure it works."

"That doesn't help us. What do we do once we find it? Kill it?" Lawson asks.

Toha considers the little creature with that inscrutable face of hers, and, "Excise it. Cut it out." Sounds simple enough.

Tivvy pauses.

"Yes," he says, "I understand that this may not make sense, but they don't process the world the same way we do. You'll probably see some kind of... disharmony. Something broken, or out of synch. Like a bad note in a symphony. You'll need to find it, find what's broken, and extact it."

The seahorse says nothing, simply letting the answer be spoken for it, and then finally: "YOU WILL UNDERSTAND."

"Got it." Lawson says as he draws his sword.....twirls it in his hand and rests it on his shoulder.

Tsking softly, Alaryn shakes her head. "They are in -our- world. They are seeking our aid. This means that it is not about us trying to understand how they see the workd.... it should be about them trying to approach things in a way that lets us understand it. Otherwise they're never going to get the actual aid that they need."

But she pauses and adds, "If you all want to do this the stupid, chaotic way. Fine. I wish to register my objection formally."

Toha shoulders her hammer, head bowing slightly as she otherwise straightens. The others state their opinions and she stays momentarily silent. She's done things for reasons she doesn't understand, before, generally for the good of her tribe. Willingness isn't enthusiasm, but there it is. The silence passes with a helpful, "Noted."

Giving Alaryn a sympathetic look, Tivvy agrees. "I got no idea, ma'am. All I can tell you is that they don't always exist her ealone, and what they want to do is, well... what they want to do, however. They got their own way abvout these things. If it says you'll understand, I expect you will, but..." A shrug, helpless, follows.

The Seahorse twirls in the air, a shimmering spreading across the area encompassed by the stone circle.

Edinaz has been listening, all too quietly. He watches the Seahorse With The Voice Of Doom, and exhales. "Well, objections or no, it is done now."

Sargon watches the fairy seahorse dubiously. "This had better work," he grumbles under his breath.

"Done?" asks Alaryn. "We have agreed to do this?" she asks, glancing around. Then she snorts, "Fine. You all wanna be this way, then I will join you. I think it is a mistake. When I am proved right, I will take great pleasure in saying that I told you so. If however... I -am- wrong, then I will accept that."

Lawson says, "If you are proved right, we will be dead. But helping the light is rarely wrong." He says and turns back towards the 'shimmering'...."

Toha nods to Alaryn, "Fair'nough." she offers, then looks amongst her band, then out into the world around them. Anything different than it was a few seconds ago?

Edinaz gestures at the sparkles. "It looks like we have. In any event, we have to deal with it now, rightness of it aside." Then he too, looks outwards.

"You'll get an answer. I don't know if it'll be one you'll like. I guess I'll... waiot here?" Tivvy shrugs.

Still, with an agreement of sorts reached, you find yourself suffused in energy. You feel... like you're in transit of sort, the world shifting and bobbing. And then you're... here, but also somewhere else. It's the same stone circle, the same forest, but with the trees taller, more majestic, and all things around you more vibrant and colorful. More lively. Deeper. The sounds of the crickets here in the forest are /loud/. The seahorse is gone.

As everyone is fading out, one sound can be heard. Alaryn's voice saying, "this is -stuuuupid-..." and then she's gone. She shakes her head and as she arrives.. she draws her Dragonspitter from her belt-mounted holster.. the barrel aiming upwards. After all, firing that does not take mana from her capacitance crystals. "Alright. Since we're here. Let's do this and get home." she intones.

Lawson's glare can be felt more than seen at this point...and it's all on Alaryn. At least for a good few moments, before he hears the crickets...and begins to look around. he doesn't say anything, but he's clearly in awe....for a moment. he then looks back towards everyone. "Who can track?"

Edinaz grunts. "If its obvious, maybe." He's got a high appraisal of his own skills.

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (7)+7: 14

GAME: Lawson rolls perception: (11)+5: 16

Toha shivers slightly at the transit, but she otherwise bears things relatively well. Her answer is a rueful, "I can't." to thee trackng query, then she looks around, "Is everything more intense for you all as well?"

GAME: Alaryn rolls perception: (4)+7: 11

GAME: Toha rolls perception: (5)+6: 11

GAME: Sargon rolls perception: (8)+9: 17

Sargon breathes in deeply. He cranes his neck to take in trees and colors and everything else that looks...different. "I'm already glad we came," he says.

Seeing the vibrancy of things, Alaryn reaches into her piuch and pulls out that grass blade with the fluid on it so that she can investigate and examine how -it- appears in this land. She stops talking and merely goes into examination mode. Even with her pistol in hand.

It looks like grass, except... more;. A kind of hyper realism, exagerated in its detailings.

It's almost /too/ much.

Still, there's no clear indication on where you should go or waht you should do just yet.

Edinaz's eyes go while as he looks around slowly. He shakes his head, and after the question about tracking, starts to examine the ground, the trees, looking for a sign, looking for something.

Lawson turns his head a bit....but doesn't move as he listens. "The crickets aren't right." He then turns his head in the other direction....as if trying to find the source.

The Golem starts to drift out of the circle to see what's afoot, sweeping her gaze about, even looking skyward, though any problem she'd see in the sky would be well out of her ablity to influence.

Sargon nods in agreement with the swordsman. "The fae creature said we'd recognize the sickness..."

GAME: Lawson rolls survival: (17)+8: 25

GAME: Edinaz rolls survival: (11)+8: 19

GAME: Sargon rolls survival: (9)+8: 17

Shaking her head, Alaryn tucks her fluid sample back in her pouch and lifts her eyes to the world around her. She sweeps her gaze over the area and shakes her head. "This does not make sense. Magic works according to rules. Magic is formulae and... and.." she shakes her head once, quickly as if trying to clear cobwebs away after being punched in the nose. "This is uncontrolled, unfocused magic not following -any- rules. It's.. it shouldn't work, but it does. It's like chaos magic layered over reality."

GAME: Toha rolls survival: (18)+1: 19

Lawson says, "Welcome to Chaos magic, Alaryn. If it doesn't make sense...it's here.""

Hmmm, "I still function." Curious, since she figures her body 'has rules' and has more than a little arcane involvment in her construction, "This chaos magic is also not currently reacting to us."

So. All you have are the crickets. Crickets and disharmoiny. Bearing in mind that it was suggested that the malignancy could take the shape of a single bad note amoingst a symphony, it is perhaps the power of suggestion that has it manifesting as such.

You make your way towards the sounds, finding what appears to be a giant pond, with giant frogs.

...and giant crickets.

Hundreds of them.