Graded [Frontier] See a Fae about a Tree

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki

​

Ceylan inquired about their purpose in the fae land and Haruki was instantly reminded of the forest spirit and the strangers that they had met after leaving the priest. "After we left Arborhaven we stumbled upon a fae woman in the forest and our group became trapped in a forest spirit's spell. I think it planned to eat us, but changed its mind?" Haruki remembered less of the conversation and far more of the emotions that had overwhelmed him during their brief time in the forest. "In the end it enchanted my herd's spear so that wherever I choose to lay it to rest, a tree will sprout in honor of the ones I have lost." Telling the story out loud for the first time made Haruki feel like his life had become some wild heroic tale. The thought brought a wide smile to the cervitaur's face. He had grown quite a bit.

As they set up their camp for the night, Haruki gave a firm shake of his head. "Tia has been learning all by herself." He declared. Thinking about being responsible for her mental development made his own head hurt. He wouldn't even know where to begin to teach someone anything. "It is nice that she can speak more clearly now." Looking around, Haruki took in the stillness of everything and he could see why Ceylan felt inclined not to trust the area. In all his travels with his herd, they never once came across a place that was only occupied by plant, but then again they never ventured this far south either. "My herd used to worship the forest." The cervitaur added as Eris spoke of her goddess. "I don't think we ever worshipped any gods or goddesses as you guys do." From what little he knew of human deities, they were not very helpful and could sometimes be mean. It always confused him why they did do as his herd and give thanks to the land rather than to absent idols.

At Ceylan's suggestion that she take someone with her, Mira was prepared to decline and head out, but the tall man stood up and volunteered. She spared a brief moment to look the man up and down, examining him. "We'll be safer together and be able to gather more firewood." Mira replied to Tupu's questioning as she beckoned the man follow her. She turned away from the group and started into the brush, staying knelt down as she looked for branches or twigs that might be good for the fire. "How did you end up here in the fae lands. if you don't mind me asking." Mira spared a glance at Tupu while she reached down to grab a branch.

Spoiler: Divine Senses

Ceylan would detect the following:

• The pond is cursed and radiated dark energy.
• Beyond the pond he would sense magic in excess, a mixture of dark and light energy.

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[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX | Wonton Beetlebuggo

With the 'little' abomination being taller than Ceylan, it was a bit odd to hear her call out about being tall. Still, it was good to see her getting along with Mira, instead of threatening her or trying to eat her, so Ceylan just gave her a smile. “Very tall indeed!” He was also surprised her her ability to not just learn words, but also explain that she learned them on her own. “Well done.” He praised her. That said, he wasn't sure what to reply when she asked about his legs. “Yes.” He figured he might be able to convince her he wasn't, but it wasn't worth the trouble. “But you don't have to worry about it. It'll get better in due time.” He said, trying to somewhat brush it off without lying about it.

His colleague turned out to be a very eager one, as she immediately started to talk more about her goddess. Most of which were things Ceylan had already picked up on during his studies into religion. However, there was one point that piqued his interest. The idea that demons stemmed from those that rejected her light. After all, he himself once heard a different theory. “Although I don't think it's a common interpretation, I've once heard someone theorise that it is actually Holfeel herself that did that, as she punished those that died as criminals by returning their souls to this world as monsters.” He was curious to learn her perspective on that theory. It wasn't the only thing he was curious about. “I've also once heard a strange theory that Holfeel brings in people from worlds other than ours, sometimes allowing them to retain their memories.” They were both pretty outlandish, likely no more than rumours, but interesting to discuss nonetheless.

Odd as he was, Ceylan was glad to hear Tupu, the giant half-beast, give the okay to accompany Mira. As scary as he looked, he didn't seem like a person who'd harm them. In fact, Ceylan felt like he could entrust Mira's safety with him. “You have my gratitude.” Ceylan said, watching him follow Mira. Seriously, if anyone should be off to fetch sticks on their own, it should be Ceylan. He still wasn't sure why Mira didn't think twice about entering such an ominous forest on her own, but it definitely awoke some protective daddy instincts.

More difficult to wrap his head around, was Haruki's story. “It seems I'm not the only one that got into a tricky situation with the Fae...” He muttered, trying to make sense of Haruki's story. There was one thing he hadn't figured out. “That's quite a tale, one that I'd love to hear in more detail later, but I'm still not sure how that relates to why you're here right now. Are you looking for more Fae in the hope of finding out what happened?”

As pleasant as the talks were, however, there was something gnawing at the back of Ceylan's mind and his Sixth Sense soon revealed what it was. “The lake... it's cursed, somehow. It's not as bad as what I've seen at the tree in Arborhaven, but it's still pretty bad...” As he picked up on the energies he sensed beyond the pond, he grimaced. “A mixture of dark and light energy comes from beyond it, feeling oddly similar to what I've felt before... Something's going on, that much I can say. I can't say what, I'm afraid.”

He stood up, as he took a few slow and careful steps closer to the lake, although he made sure not to get close enough for something to come out and grab him. He had some survival instinct, after all. As he walked, he spoke up to Eris. “Have you ever heard of Tethys? She's a deity that's often said to have domain over the sources of fresh water. I've once witnessed people call on her, asking to purify the lake they relied on for all their water. It's been a while, but I still remember the ritual. Would you like to conduct it with me and see if we can purify this pond through it? Considering these are the Fae lands, there might be more to it. We would be at risk of getting attacked or tricked, but I believe that, in turn, even simple actions like those might be more important than one might think.”

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
​

Eris still wasn't sure what to think of the rather large man. He hadn't left the most excellent impression of how he spoke in her mind. However, even she started to get a strange feeling about the area. However, She couldn't put her finger on what was happening around her. This whole forest seems strange to me; maybe that is why I have this weird feeling maybe? She thought to herself before scratching the back of her neck. Closing her eyes for a moment she took a few deep breaths before looking around as Haruki had returned.

"Well there are certainly a lot of gods and goddesses depending on how you look at it. However, everyone has their own ways that they follow. I just so happen to follow the Godess of Reincarnation and the guider of dead souls," Eris replied to Haruki as she then turned to Ceylan as he started to speak. Heh, I mean maybe though that doesn't sound exactly right at least not from what the book says. She though to herself as she brought her hand up to her chin for a moment.

"I mean I have heard people say that however, the scriptures contradict the first count. The book of Tidings says, 'Upon a pure crystal throne stood a woman holding a torch. Her silver hair flowed behind her in a place without wind, upon my awakening, her voice was heard in my head. Fear not child for I am Holfeel, guider, and judge. You are pure of corruption and you may continue on in the cycle." Eris recited as she closed her eyes as she spoke the words.

"So I will have to disagree with you on the demons count," She concluded as she paused for a moment as she heard the other theory the dog man had. "Oh come on that would be crazy, who would believe something like that!" She chuckled nervously as she didn't make eye contact. "Oh yeah, I heard of the name at the least as well as the domain, though I can't say I know much about any of the rituals to call upon that deity," She admitted quickly changing the subject.

"But if you know one, then I will follow," She concluded with a nod as she stood up and moved closer to the lake.


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[LadyOfStars]

Haruki



When Ceylan got up and started towards the supposedly cursed lake, Haruki quickly got up as well and followed after the canine priest. Spear in hand, he stayed close enough to be able to jump in front of the older man. "We've come south to plant the spear and tree. I don't think that I would be safe in Ryke as humans are not very respectful of nature." He shot Eris a brief glance before he looked back at the lake. "How do you know it's cursed? Looks lie regular water to me." He didn't understand how magic worked, but he knew that he was not interested in getting snared in another spell or curse or hex. So he kept his distance form the lake as well.

Back in the trees, Mira had gathered a few branches, but she was feeling a little uncertain. She kept hearing subtle noises between her footsteps and felt like something was watching her. Adding one more large stick to her collection, she turned around and quickly surveyed the area. It seemed like she was alone, so without further hesitation she started towards the campsite, but as she took her first step she felt something wrap around her ankle. "Ah!" She cried out as she quickly started to kick at whatever it was. In the darkness she couldn't see what it was, but the thing fell like a hand. "Get. Off. Me." She stomped her foot and felt her other foot be set free. Right away she broke out into a sprint , racing back to camp. "Something is in the woods! It just grabbed my ankle!" She hollered as soon as she cleared the tree line, throwing her branches down to the ground as she tried to catch her breath.

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[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX | Wonton Beetlebuggo

As much as Ceylan loved theological debates, Eris seemed to be taking some things a bit too personal. He wondered if she should take it a step further or not, but decided against it. They had more pressing problems right now. There was only one thing he wished to correct. “It was merely a theory I heard and wished to debate, not one I personally believe in.” Her rejection of the idea that Holfleel could bring in souls from other worlds was a bit different, without any scriptures to back it up. It sounded almost personal, which was odd. Then again, it wasn't that important to discuss such an odd theory right now.

With Eris and Haruki following him closer to the water, he was just thinking through how best to handle it, taking in Haruki's answer with a nod. “That's a fair assumption.” He didn't expect a tree like that to be all that safe in Ryke either. However, he was a bit surprised when Haruki showed interest in his senses. “I'm capable of picking up some things that would go unseen by regular senses. Curses and evil magic are the most prominent example. It's a bit difficult to explain, but it's often called a sixth sense and works a lot like it. Just like how you've got sight and hearing, among other senses, I've got an extra one that picks up on such things as curses. Although in this case, the silence in this area was a perfectly natural indicator that something is wrong. You'd normally hear some wildlife, insects, frogs, birds. If they're all silent, it's safe to assume something is wrong.”

He was surprised when Mira came running back, yelling about how something had grabbed her ankle. Considering she was sprinting, she hadn't been hurt by it. “Did... you leave mister Tupu behind?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, before sighing and shaking his head. “I couldn't sense anything particularly troublesome from this side of the lake, so whatever it was, it was at least something neutral or natural.” His head went back and forth from the lake to the forest. Which was more important? He wasn't sure, but he did know which he could fix right here and now. “Let's stick near the camp for now. I'll try to see if I can cleanse this lake in the meantime, so we at least won't have to worry about our water as well.”

He settled on continuing what he started first. To that extend, he'd inform Eris. “Cleansing a curse is a lot like using magic for healing at a higher intensity. Some mages might even be able to do it without any proper rituals, but I'd rather not anger the gods in such a manner. Giving some proper prayer or reading a few passages is the least we can do, after all.” He looked across the water again, when something came to mind. “Ah, just in case cleansing it might anger whatever is in it, feel free to pull me away. When I'm fully focused on cleansing the curse, I likely won't be able to react in time.”

With that bit of a safeguard entrusted to Haruki, it was time to do the deed. “Normally, it helps to heal specific targets, but with an entire lake, that'd be a bit difficult, so I like to visualize certain anchor points. If your healing is strong enough, you can join me in doing so and prepare to cast it upon this lake.” (The anchor points are the 25 targets of [Curse Cleanse].) After doing so, he took out his book [Religions of Ryke] and read a passage regarding Tethys, ending it with; “... may these waters be cleansed in your name.” Having read the passage, he would cast [Curse Cleanse] upon the lake, using the 25 points in the hopes of covering the entire lake well enough to cleanse all of it in one sweep.

B Grade Cooldowns (0/4)

• Curse Cleanse - Magic Affinity B, Magic Range C, Magic Targets C, Sixth Sense D, Healing B, Religion C - Uses divine senses to detect curses and combines religious knowledge with healing magic to cleanse them. Works on up to 25 targets within a 1000ft/300 metres range. - Grade B - 4 post Cooldown

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
​

Eris looked towards Haruki as he inquired why they thought there was something off about the lake. Though she didn't quite have the same sense as Ceylan she could sense something was off. Though that didn't matter at this point, she knew that people could sense all sorts of things if they were attuned to do so or trained. She was about to speak when the other woman Mira had run out of the forest and yelled about something grabbing her in the forest. Though she also noticed that Tupa was missing as well. What is going on in this forest? It seems like we are attacking all sorts of bad luck for one reason or another. Is this place really that cursed? She thought to herself before letting out a sigh.

"Where is our other companion? I see that he hasn't come back could he have done something? Though I suppose that is the least of our concerns for the moment. If all sides set upon us, then I think it would be best to do as Ceylan said. We should stay close to the camp for now and focus on this lake first. Once that is done, we can deal with whatever else is happening," Eris concluded as she brought her hand up to her chin as she spoke. She then paced back and forth for a moment as her silver pigtails swayed.

The young priestess nodded as Ceylan explained, she had heard about cleansing water before. Though she wasn't sure how to go about it without some kind of prayer of some kind. Folding her arms across her chest she tapped her foot for a few moments before joining Ceylan by the lake. While she figured he would have a stronger spell than she would, she wasn't about to just stand around. Worst case she could always just use retribution to bring light down on the lake.

"Well I guess we will see if this works or not," Eris stated as she closed her eyes and put the butt of her staff on the ground. "Book of Lycaran, verses 16-25. "Into the valley of darkness travel, the faithful for it is in the darkness that light can be found, for we are merely sheep lost without our Sheppard who watches over us. Ask and you shall receive the Goddess as your Sheppard so that you may walk the path of the light. For it is not lost, the night is long and the path is dark. Look to the sky for one day soon, the dawn will come. I ask that this lake be cleansed and returned to its natural cycle, Holfeel I call upon your grace." She spoke as she focused on the closest point in the lake near her.

Spoiler: Cooldown/Abilities Used

• Holfeel's Grace - Religion F, Magic E, Healing F, Divine Affinity F - Thanks to Holfeel's benevolence minor wounds can be healed and illness symptoms can be relieved for a short time. By reciting a prayer and touching the target. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

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[LadyOfStars]

Haruki​

The cervitaur leaned over Ceylan's short shoulder, watching the priest as he prepared his spell...or ritual...or whatever it was called. He spun around, startled by Mira's sudden and disruptive return. Seeing that they were missing someone was unsettling, but the people he cared for the most were all right here. There was no way Haruki would leave Ceylan and Tia, although he was sure Tia would be a far more fearsome combatant than himself. He would keep his guard up though, ready for whatever may be lurking nearby. He wouldn't admit it, but he was somewhat scared right now. Ceylan advised that he and by extension, Eris may need to be pulled back if their spell unleashed something, but he wasn't sure he would be able to protect them. Nothing would hurt him more than allowing his friends to get hurt when they were relying on him.

Mira dusted herself off and quickly rushed over to where the others were standing. She was just in time as the two religious mages began their joint incantations. She wanted to keep her eyes on the forest, but her attention was drawn to the pond.

Slowly, as if being heated, the pond started to bubble and the consistency seemed to become thicker as if the water was undergoing a change of state. Both Mira and Haruki's eyes widened and while the deer moved closer to the canine, Mira moved closer to Eris. The bubbling soon became violent as they neared the end of their chants, with the water splashing and being highly agitated. Haruki drew his spear and stepped forward with the blade pointed at the pond.

However, just when it seemed the water was about to explode and douse them all, it settled. And while it remained in a liquid state, the water did change. It was now a dark shade of green with a gross film coating the surface. Anyone that looked hard enough would see remains at the bottom of the lake. Humanoid remains.

"Wh-What is that?!" Haruki panicked as he spotted the skeletons in the water. His hooves stamped repeatedly as the cervitaur hurried back, putting some distance between himself and the water. "Why are their skeletons in the water?" He asked.

MIra was shocked, but far more controlled than the young Haruki. She stepped forward and knelt down by the water. "There are footprints leading to and from the pond." She pointed to the opposite side of the pond and there were in fact tracks that led into the larger forest. "Do you guys think it is a fae?" She looked to Eris and then to Ceylan. "Should we stay here?"

Haruki's head started to swivel in a way that only a frightened deer's would. He was scared now and didn't want them to end up in the pond. His ears were raised, listening hard.

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[Elvario]

Ceylan
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Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX | Wonton Beetlebuggo

Ceylan was surprised to see Eris joining him and even reading her own scriptures, but it was a welcome surprise. He didn't get to work with other priests or priestesses often, after all. He wasn't too worried for mister Tupu, as hew as a giant man that looked like he could easily handle himself, but he did become a bit concerned when the water started boiling. It was not supposed to do that. His tail and ears drooped as he started to doubt if he should even proceed with this ritual. That said, he decided to trust Haruki and Mira, deciding to continue and focus fully on the ritual.

The 'surprise' revealed to them after their successful purge was not a welcome one. “That's... not what I expected.” Ceylan said, sounding shocked. However, thanks to Mira being surprisingly calm, he was able to calm down a bit as well. That left Haruki, who still seemed panicked. “It's okay Haruki. The tracks are on the other side of the pond. We just have to stick together, just to be safe.” He hoped that calmed the deer kid a bit.

That said, he himself wasn't all that calm, as his mind was racing. There were two conclusions he could draw. “Either these bodies were thrown into the water for the sake of whatever curse was on it, or the curse was thrown on it to hide the body.” The implication was simple, in the first case, they'd already done the most important job. In the second case, they hadn't even touched the most dangerous part yet. Ceylan sighed. Was this going to be a repetition of what happened in Arborhaven?

“I'm sorry, Haruki, Mira, but I'm still as stubborn and foolish as I was back in Arborhaven. We shouldn't stay here, but it's difficult for me to ignore these things. I wouldn't be able to pray to the gods in earnest whilst ignoring these things.” He displayed a feint smile. “If it is any consolation, I did sense some light energy across the pond as well. Perhaps whatever is doing this, isn't the only thing in that forest and we might find an ally there. Either way, yes, I do believe this might be the work of a Fae, or perhaps a Monster.”

He sighed. “Like in Arborhaven, I won't force anyone to accompany me, but I'm planning to venture into that forest. If you wish to leave instead, it's once again the wiser option. I'd only ask you to look for mister Tupu first, before he ventures into an even more dangerous side of the forest.” He was a bit worried. He'd found odd companions and his old friend Cayde to help him out in Arborhaven, but that was very unlikely to happen here. Besides, his legs would also be a considerably challenge if he were to venture onwards alone. Even so, he'd do it. For better or worse, that was simply the kind of good boy man he was.

B Grade Cooldowns (1/4)

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
​

Eris watched as the lake started to react to the act of trying to cleanse whatever was on this lake; when it settled, she let out a sigh of relief, only for it to go away a moment later. The deer started to freak out and mentioned something about skeletons, to which Eris cocked her head a bit. Upon further inspection of the lake, she saw the remains to which she instantly fell to her knees, closing her eyes. "Merciful Holfeel, guide the souls here toward your welcoming light so they might find peace in the next cycle." She prayed for a moment before standing back up and turning to the rest of the group.

"I mean, it could be the work of a fae. They are known to lead people to their deaths from time to time, though I can't say for certain that is what happened here," she theorized, bringing her hand up to her chin for a moment, glancing around at the lake until Mira pointed out the tracks on the opposite side. To begin with, several questions need to be answered, though the reasons why the bodies were there she couldn't come up with a conclusion herself.

Starting to pace back and forth for a moment, the girl eventually let out a sigh, though she thought she might try one thing before everything gets crazy; sitting down on her knees, she placed her staff across her lap and bowed her head. Goddess Holfeel, I ask as your humble servant to shed light upon this situation with the lake. She thought to herself as activating Holfee's Union where she would sit down for several moments until Ceylan spoke up again.

"What? Are you really about to go into the forest by yourself with your leg?" Eris questioned Ceylan as she stood up and placed her hands on her hips, trying to look bigger than she was. "That would be a stupid idea, you probably would make it what, maybe a few miles a day with that leg? Not to mention, you wouldn't be able to get away if something stronger than you decided to come after you." Eris chided the dog man.

Spoiler: Cooldown/Abilities Used

• Holfeel's Union - Religion F, Divine Affinity F, Magic F - Holfeel always listens to the prayers of her followers, upon starting to pray the caster may receive communion with Holfeel, or offer up a gift to her in the hope of gaining some favor. Limited to once a day to receiving anything by the narrator's discretion. - Grade F - 0 post cooldown

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[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

Hearing Mira ask him where he came from he becomes slightly nervous but decides to just keep it vague with “I’m a fairly new traveler who’s just found himself lost in adventure.“He talks in a more upbeat manner hoping he isn’t doubted. After collecting a good amount of wood he hears branches breaking out of his vision so he sets the sticks down quietly and creeps around to the area leading him to a thick bush. He quickly kicks the bush as hard as he can which practically chops it in half. Noticing there was nothing he cursed to himself in his head and thought “I’m all over the place“ before hearing Mira freak out. Quickly turning and looking for the girl it became apparent she had continued without him which made him quickly scoop up the sticks and head deeper into the forest where Mira was.

Reaching where he heard the scream he saw it was nothing but deep forest around and becomes extremely paranoid which causes him to drop all the sticks that can’t fit in his hand which is still not too much considering his hand about a foot long. He quickly starts sniffing the air looking for the scent of Mira or the camp. Coming upon Miras scent he’s quick caught off guard by random vines wrapping around one of his legs, his chest, and his neck. Startled by the sudden entanglement but not frozen he quickly starts ripping and beating at the vines with the sticks in hand but being met with more resistance. Slowly breaking free when he starts to make a get away he’s immediately whacked with random tree branches that just seem to be popping up. He quickly keeps sprinting but gets knocked down again before he’s stuck just defending himself from on onslaught of tree branches beating down at him. Getting whacked isn't too bad at first but not it’s slowly getting more viscous him feeling a warm liquid drip down his hands and bruises start to from on his whole body which makes his adrenaline kick in and quickly locks on to the scent of the camp the only thing blocking his way was a tree that just seemed to be perfectly blocking his view of the path to the camp. He waits for a few seconds timing the attacks of the branches before quickly exploding forward into the air breaking any bushes that dare try to meet him and thinks quietly “Get lost“ before land in front of the tree blocking his path and quickly swinging his palm around into the side of the tree which blows a hole the size of his hand in the tree and makes it lean over onto another tree allowing him to even see the feint gleam of light where the camps supposed to be. Tupu hit a full on sprint before he even could think and after maybe a min of sprinting he stops standing as soon as he hits the open area and sees everyone standing somewhat huddled by the pond.

He sees Mira and smiles warmly “I’m glad to see you beat me though I lost most of my sticks“ he holds up his bleeding and bruised hand with about 7 decent sized sticks in his hand then drops them in front of him. Then turning his attention to his appearance he realize his shirt is torn into rags basically and his pants looked smeared with dirt with a few tears here and there. His arms where bruised with a few light cuts and two long but shallow cuts on his cheek and a busted lip . “Excuse my appearance it seems the trees here are very stingy about their branches.“ He goes to sit down by them but winces and stops when he tries to close his hands noticing the tree left a nail sized piece of bark halfway in his palm. He shakes his hand mentally shaking the pain off and goes to sit down by Eris giving a warm but lazy smile to the priestess before getting stuck in his mind.

Rupture Palm- F grade (0 post cooldown)

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[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: LadyOfStars saxon DSLIX Elvario
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Tia immersed herself in the comfort of Ceylans presence willfully ignorant to the comings and goings of those around her. Despite having a good two inches over the priest in height she maintained a childlike attitude, as if the height difference was non-existent. Like a big dog that still wants to lay in your lap. She had been worried about Ceylans seemingly damaged legs but he told her he would be fine despite it, and she believed him utterly.

The lull of conversation fell over them. Tia, perhaps foolishly, did not pay attention to the forests unnerving stillness nor the worried talk of Ceylan and the others. As her joy had returned with him she cared for.nothing else in the world. If she could stay with him forever, she likely would. But all things end eventually, and the paths of individual lives will drift apart from each other. She did not yet understand this. When Mira returned it knocked Tia out of her reverie. The panicked look of the women and exclamation of something having grabbed her out everyone on alert, Tia included.

Her eyes swept from side to side all the while she put her nose to the air, but just as before she found nothing. No sign of an enemy or wild animal. Just quiet. Ceylan spoke warily of things such as "curses" and "cleansing" terms she didn't understand and had heard mentioned a couple times at most. The way she understood it was a "bad feeling" though Tia couldn't begin to guess how you killed a feeling if it was hurting you. Ceylan and the female Eris approached the lakes shore intently. All she could do was watch curiously. When the others backed away from the two she battled with the idea of just staying with Ceylan but Haruki's participation led to her joining them. The two priests thrust their hands to the lake. With differing glows of magic following them along with chant's of prayer.

The lake soon reacted to their magics bubbling and reacting. To Tia it was as if the water was alive. As it changed consistency and color into a putrid color the lakes bottom could be made out. The hollow dessicated bones of people met their gaze. Haruki reacted next to her. She could see the panic on his face, the stomping of his hooves reminding her of a startled elk. The corpse of another animal usually meant a predator had come by, and so many likely meant this was a hunting ground or a nest. It had likely put them in the water to hide the danger from other prey. It only made sense Haruki would fear the potential danger. Tia came to this conclusion rather soundly, sure of it's validity. It simply made the most sense to her animalistic understanding of the world.

She patted Haruki's back rubbing softly along his fur. "Haru ok Tia here." She stayed with him till she considered him suitably comforted. She then looked to the lake curiously. Tia stooped low towards the water sniffing at it before plunging her hand into it and bringing it back out. Covered in the gross film and green water. Gazing at it she almost made to taste it, but Ceylans conversation with Mira and Eris drew her attention. She quickly skipped over to get involved. While a lot of what he was saying went right over her head she got the general gist enough to understand his plan. To put it bluntly she didn't like it at all. She had just found him again and he was already talking of going off somewhere dangerous alone!? As much as she loved him that kind of thing was how you got eaten. "No, Tia go with Ceylan! Tia kill enemy!" It seemed both Eris and Tia were in agreement as they admonished the dog man. "Ceylan weak, get eaten with no Tia." Though Eris was far more articulate. She didn't want to lose him again, this time potentially forever. Impaired as he was he would be a prime target. Tia knew cause if he was prey she would go after him first, and she couldn't allow that to happen to him.

As they spoke of their plan of action a smell reached Tia's nose. She whipped her head to the side and soon after the sound of snapping branches. Tupu emerged from the trees looking a bit worse for wear. Twigs, leaves, torn clothing and a few cuts and bruises covered him. He looked a bit sheepish as he returned to the camp. Tia walked over to him a scolding look on her face. She briefly sniffed him for any scents belonging to the enemy but was met only with the smell of the forest and his own. "Tupu late!" She pointed to the green lake filled with the remains of the dead. "Daddy find 'curse'. We go." She looked him dead in the eye, hands across her chest and offering no quarter. Strangely enough as she looked at him Tia felt a strange familiarity, or kinship? His eyes reminded her of a bear. It seemed their nature's were similar yet different. Satisfied she returned to Ceylan; Tia was now firmly acting in her role as alpha of her pack. Prepared to protect the others and kill whatever was out there. She was nothing if not consistent.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Ceylan was right, he needed to get a grip and calm down. he must've looked just as panicked as he felt because not long after, Tia was trying to reassure him as well. Now he just felt silly for having let his fear get the better of him. He was supposed to be a member of their herd, but so far they kept having to protect him and deal with his fears. Taking a few deep breaths, the young cervitaur tried to focusing on calming himself down. He was shocked, even a little confused as to why Ceylan felt that they should be going into the forest. It seemed that whatever happened after they left the canine had made him stronger? Either way he couldn't deny that he though venturing into the unknown was a bad idea. As Eris had said, Ceylan was in no condition to fight and there was no telling what they would face off against.

When Tupu showed back up, he startled Mira, catching her off guard, but she looked to the man and felt a bit of comfort in the fact that he was alright. It meant that perhaps she had just let her imagination get the best of her. "Apologies for abandoning you the way that I did, I just got startled and followed my instincts." She rose up from her position near the pond and dusted off her knees as she rejoined the group. Thinking back to the events of Arborhaven, Mira saw flashes of the fighting and the burning church. She remembered the uncertainty of it all and how even with the skilled adventurers they did have with them, she never thought that they would succeed. "Ceylan, I don't think that is a good idea." Mira protested as she approached the priest. "Unlike Arborhaven, we don't have Hildegard or Kesh and Cayde. We have a wounded priest, a priestess, a frightened deer, a little girl, and a man who is just lost." She whispered to him so that she would not offend the others with her doubt. "I think we should leave and maybe one day, after you're healed, you can return."

"I agree with her, Ceylan." Haruki declared, having heard every hushed word. He patted Tia on the top of her head. and smiled down at the girl. "It's good you're so brave, Tia, but we don't klnow what we'd be up against."

Just then, a smaller voice emerged from the tree tops. "I'd go home if I were you all." The man declared as he looked down on the group from his comfortable branch above them. I tried to scare your friends away in the forest just now, but I guess my attempts were a little too subtle." The man floated down from the tree with grace and poise, then hovered at the center of the group. "The name's Dival, I'm a soldier of the fairy queen and I'm trying to look out for you guys.. The curse upon that pond would drown any who dared to drink from it and their life force would be used to power and maintain the spell. The Fae that cast that curse isn't someone to mess with if you're a crippled priest with a motely, inexperienced crew." He cut his eyes at Ceylan and then looked around at the weaker people that he was surrounded by. "Normally I wouldn't get involved, but the last thing we need are outsiders sticking their noses where they don't belong." The small fairy looked down at the pond, resisting the urge to applaud the combined efforts that cleansed it. "I'll even show you all the safest way back to your lands."

Elvario EMIYAman DSLIX saxon​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX | Wonton Beetlebuggo

Ceylan was rather surprised at all the reactions. He gave Eris a weak smile. “I'm well aware of that, but between asking others to join me into something dangerous or going along with something foolish like that on my own, I'm not sure which of those is the worst option.” He smile turned a bit more genuine. “Though I'll not reject an offer to help.”

His attention was then drawn to the returning Tupu. “Hold on, let me look at that hand of yours.” He said, as he looked at the man's hand. It was little more than some scratches and bruises, so a very simple touch of healing should do. With a simple [Healing Prayer F] he was able to fix it right back up.

To his surprise, Tia was pretty insistent on coming along. This time around, however, he realised it wouldn't be as much of an issue. After all, there were no other races here that could expose and kill her for being a monster. At least not as easily as it would be in the inner city. Perhaps it wasn't so bad of an idea... “Alright, alright. Just make sure not to lose yourself, alright? Always stay Tia.” He wasn't sure how else to explain it to her, but her short emotional bout had made him worry that an angry enough Tia would bring out the [monster] in her in the worst ways possible.

As for Mira's concern, he had a reply ready to whisper right back at her. “I should've told you before, but that little girl is probably the strongest and most dangerous here. I'll explain it more properly later, but believe me when I say that she can stand her own if things get dangerous. I also think you're not giving mister Tupu enough credit.” He wouldn't attempt to make himself seem stronger and wasn't too sure about Eris and Haruki, but those two he definitely wished to clarify.

Although it was expected that Haruki agreed with Mira, it was a bit surprising he'd caught all her words. He figured he'd explain to Mira and Haruki alike (and to the others listening). “My legs aren't wounded, they are cursed. It's the shameful result of failing to complete a task given to me by the gods themselves. This too, might be a task set upon my path by the gods themselves. As such, I cannot chose to turn my back on it.”

The small man that suddenly revealed himself would've heard those very words as well. “As grateful as I am for you warning and care, I am afraid I cannot comply with that request.” He gestured to the lake. “You've witnessed that I have the power to cleans this Fae's curses, so it would be sinful not to use this gift and help put a stop to him.” That said, as he was talking, Ceylan wanted to measure more of whom he was dealing with, so he used [Scanning the Mood E] on the newcomer. He was mainly wondering what was driving this man. Was it some odd sense of pride? Was it genuine concern? Was he just putting up a brave front? Or... considering this was a Fae they were dealing with, was he actually lying to them, being the caster of this spell? Ceylan had grown weary enough of Fae trickery to keep the latter option at the back of his mind.

B Grade Cooldowns (2/4)
E Grade Cooldowns (0/1)

• Scanning the Mood – Magic Affinity E, Magic Range F, Magic Targets F, Appraisal E - Empathy E – Character uses their senses to pick up on the mood of up to 2 targets within a 10ft/3 metres range. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown.

F Grade Cooldowns (0/0)

• Healing Prayer – Healing F, Religion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
​

Eris opened her eyes again, hearing a familiar voice; upon looking to her right, she saw the potential murderer, What he is alive!? Why is he next to me again!? Is he going to make me his next victim? Is he the reason why the bodies are here!? Eris shouted in her head as she returned with an awkward smile before standing up and moving away slightly. Glancing once again over at the lake, she still didn't understand why someone would put a curse on this lake. Do many people come through this way? She thought to herself, bringing her hand up to her chin.

Her silver hair blew behind her as a small breeze was felt in the clearing. She was confused; this whole place was strange to her, there was a reason it was called the fae wilds. The place seemed to defy every sense of logic she had come to understand in her previous life. Well really this world in general had but, this was the icing on the cake for sure. Not to mention she had come across these people in this small area so she figured her theory about people coming through this area was probably a safe bet.

She would have continued to speak when a small voice told them they should leave. Turning to look around, she didn't see anything at first. When she took a second glance, she saw a fae had appeared to them. "I mean, if we hadn't found the lake, we probably would have been on our way, besides that isn't a way to greet people that just cleaned part of your forest," Eris pointed out as she placed her hands on her hips scolding the fae as he told them they had no reason to be here. Turning to face the others in the group, well I guess this is the crossroads of this trip I suppose. She thought to herself for a moment.

"Well I for one cannot leave the priest here without fearing he might go overboard and get himself into trouble. So I think I'm along for the rest of this trip," She concluded as she glanced over at the Fae who had appeared to them.

Mentions: LadyOfStars EMIYAman DSLIX Elvario

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: DSLIX LadyOfStars Elvario saxon
​

Tia gave Haruki an aghast look of betrayel. "B-but Haru, Tia strong!" She pouted. Dejected that her packmate didn't think her strong enough. It was the most shameful thing for an alpha to be weak after all! She sulked watching Ceylan as he conversed. Tia stared growing fascinated as he healed Tupus hand. She hadn't seen much magic in her short existence. And this was the first time she had seen Healing in particular. She could see Tupus wound knit itself back together the process reminding her of her own regenerative abilities. Her mouth hung slightly agape as she grew curious as to how it worked.

Ceylan came up to her. In her petulant state she hadn't heard his answer to her request. She prepared herself for disappointment. It reminded her of the last time they had saw each other. There was a lot she didn't understand at the time and even now there still was a lot for her to learn. But she feared the priest leaving her again. Now that she had found people to care for, she didn't want to go back to being alone anytime soon. To her surprise though he didn't deny her, in fact he agreed to let her come. With a sudden upturn of her mood she ran up to Ceylan and hugged him. All the while patting him on the head like he had once done her. It was a sweet gesture, but undercut humoursly by the fact that she was taller than him even if only by a couple inches. "Tia promise she Tia! No lose." While she didn't quite understand what he meant she swore to it anyway. Tia still didn't realize he knew as to what she really was. In her mind anyone that discovered she wasn't human would obviously attack her or run away like any animal. So long as that didn't happen it meant her impersonation of the human species was still successful.

Now in a much better mood Tia returned to the group excitedly. Psyching herself up to defend her pack. As they spoke Ceylan began to explain the reason for his debilitation. Tia tilted her head she listened not able to grasp a lot of what he meant. To her it sounded like this "Gods" thing had hurt Ceylan and that only served to make her mad. "Ceylan no feel bad. Gods hurt Ceylan. Tia hate, Tia kill them!" A wrathful expression was upon her face the tips of her hair twitching minutely. Until it was replaced by a confused look and a tilt of her head. "What Gods?" She didn't get why Ceylan had been punished nor why he wasn't mad at the perpetrator. To Tia no one was allowed to harm her pack members. The fact that she didn't even know what the concept of a God is, was self evident.

At the sound of a new voice Tia's head whipped around till she spied the small winged creature calling out to them. With a gasp she yelled out "Bug, It talk!" Pointing to the Fairy in the tree. At the Fairies warning to leave Tia shakes her head. "Sorry Bug Haru plant claw." She pointed to Haruki's enchanted spear citing the reason he and her had journeyed to the Fae Lands in the first place. Though she did nod with Ceylan. But only because she wanted to agree with him and not because she really got much of what he said only that he wanted to get rid of those bad feelings, the "Curses".

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

​

Tupu waves off Mira’s apologies with a smile “No worries I’m just glad your safe “ he snaps back to reality when Tia approaches him and meets her gaze before letting out a soft chuckle from the cold gaze of the girl and saying in a serious tone “I guess our time here is up.“ He looks at the piece of bark in his hand and yanks it out without so much as flinching and notices he stopped bleeding making him crack a slight smile thinking “I still got it” as ever since he’s came to this world he’s felt weaker than he remembers himself. His train of thought was interrupted before Ceylan approaches him and casts healing magic on him which kinda tickles him as he forces himself to hold down a giggle. Once finished he says in a uptone manner “ You have my appreciation it would’ve healed itself but regardless thank you friend” he then gives a toothy smile showing off some pearly whites with a uncanny canine look to them with a pat on the shoulder. Observing his freshly healed hand he randomly moves his fingers and opens and closes his hands “Like a fresh new hand” he says quietly to himself before hearing a voice suddenly speak from the treeline. Quickly assessing and determining whether it’s a threat or not he realizes that it’s just a miniature man with wings that boldly decided to hover in the middle of the group after admitting he was the one that caused the attack in the forest. Tupu didn’t hear anything else that the man said after he admitted that as he felt a unquenchable rage spark up in his chest which caused him to clench his teeth and try to calm his impulses. Not letting go of the feeling in his chest but just suppressing it enough to where he can hide it efficiently he gets up and tears the rag that used to be his shirt off exposing his extremely lean muscle and lets out a slight chuckle when he realizes the man offers them a chance to go home. “Scare us away you say after ruining a perfectly good suit and now offering us a way home what a bold way to introduce yourself ” he says in a calm but deeper tone than usual as he cracks a smirk while shortening the distance between him and the man slightly. Then hearing that no one else seemed to take him up on that offer he chuckles and smiles but instead of positivity it radiates malevolence “Well little fairy man you couldn’t help me get home even if I wanted your help so best make a better offer or this conversation is over.” He was letting his rage now radiate from him as his tone was insulting and venomous and his gaze was that of a beast looking at prey. Though angry Tupu was not blinded by it and prepared for a viscous attack from the fairy so he stood tall and alert unconsciously flexing all his muscles looking like a beast ready to pounce.

EMIYAman LadyOfStars Elvario saxon ​

 

[LadyOfStars]

​

As Ceylan shot down all the reasons and requests for him not to pursue the fae, Haruki couldn't help but think further on the reasoning behind the man's condition. "Ceylan..." The cervitaur started. He didn't understand this whole business with the gods that Ceylan talked about, but he could understand that Ceylan felt he had to fix everything. "I don't think the gods are testing you right now, but if they were...perhaps it is a test of pride?" Haruki glanced at the fairy who had given them a fair warning and then back to Ceylan. While he was still young and wasn't too smart, Haruki was familiar with the concept of pride. He'd seen it in his herd when young bucks tried their luck against the chief, or when some human would let the ego blind them to signs that his herd was not friendly to humans and still they entered their territory all the same. "Maybe they are seeing if you're wise enough to turn away from an enemy you might not be ready for." It didn't feel good to talk to Ceylan like this, Haruki was nervous that he would offend the small priest, and worried that maybe he was overstepping. "I know you're strong Tia, but somethings we can't do right now, we need time to get stronger and become a bigger packmaster." It seemed he was offending more peolpe than he initially thought. Haruki took a step back and looked across the pond to the forest.

​

"So the gods rejected you and now you're choosing to believe they set this powerful fae on your path as a hurdle? Isn't it just as likely that they sent me to steer you away from a danger you can't hope to compete with?" The small fairy folded his arms across his chest and titled his head as he looked at Ceylan. The little girl and the tallest male who were both choosing to accompany the priest made Dival shake his head. The hubris of mortals never ceased to amaze him. "This curse on the pond is there not out of malice, but...as a fishing net. Your people do it all the time in the lands of men don't they? Are they sought out and hunted down for setting traps for animals to feed their communities and families?" Dival looked around and noted the diversity int he group, but all the same his words applied to them all. "If it wasn't arrogance that caused the gods to spurn you then perhaps it was hypocrisy?" The fairy said with a scolding tone.

​

Mira looked around the group and took in the different responses that everyone had given to Ceylan's idea. When she met him in Arborhaven he had the same drive, it seemed whatever had happened between now and then did not change him much. She thought that was a good thing. With Tupu, Eris, and apparently Tia, Mira was sure that Ceylan could lead them safely into the forest and back out again. It seemed that the deer boy did not want to participate in their expedition and she couldn't exactly fault him for that. When thy went to save her sister, she was afraid too, but had something to fight for. ""Eris, Tupu, I'm glad you two are going to stick with us. I haven't any skill for combat or healing, so we'll need you." Mira nodded her head as a silent thank you to both parties. "Ceylan if you feel that this is the best path...then I'm with you."

Spoiler: For Ceylan

The canine priest would sense the following:
Confidence
Frustration
Rationality
Caution

DSLIX Elvario EMIYAman saxon

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX

The way Eris joined him gave him mixed feelings. It felt less of her own desire and more of a sense of duty to help him. The latter meant he'd be responsible, should anything happen to her. Was that a responsibility he wished to bare? He wasn't sure of it.

On the other hand, Tia as being Tia. Except, perhaps, more prideful and confident. It was a bit odd, but not necessarily bad. The oddest thing, however, was getting his head pet by her. How the turntables. It was kind-off hurtful to his pride, but at the same time, he didn't want to be bugging Tia about even the slightest detail. In the end, he figured it'd be easiest to just let her. Besides, she was being a good girl, as she made the promise. He hoped that she'd remember it, were things ever to boil to down to her needing remembrance.

He was a bit shocked, however, when Tia wanted to go after the gods. “Calm down, calm down.” He said, reaching up to pet her head in turn. “The gods aren't to blame here, it was my own fault. It's a bit complicated, so I'll explain it when you're a bit older, okay?” He honestly had no clue how to explain to Tia what a god was, or why being cursed by them didn't mean one should just take revenge.

The big guy, who exclusive talked in cursive had rejoined them was appreciative of the healing, which was a good thing. Ceylan was surprised by his hostility towards the fairy, but he decided it wasn't his place to interrupt them.

Instead, Ceylan took in Haruki's words. He thought them through, before showing the cervitaur a gentle smile. “You're wise, but I'm not sure if it's pride they'd be testing. After all, I wouldn't dare as much as think that I could do this alone.” Even so, the kid made a few good points, that Ceylan couldn't easily wave off.

The fairy's words didn't anger Ceylan. After all, he senses no ill intend behind them. Besides, the words were easy to refute. “If you truly believed your own words, you wouldn't have felt the need to try scare us away from here.” He was confident that the fairy knew very well the difference between fishing and using magic to drown folk in a lake. However, the fairy's other point was equally valid. “It's not that I believe that foes like these are hurdles I should overcome. It's that I believe I have no right to turn my back on them. However, you are correct, your presence might be a sign.”

He'd made up his mind as he was talking. “Then, let me at least properly introduce myself. I'm Ceylan. A High Priest of the Syncretist Church.” With that done, it was onto the key part. “I'll respect your warning and Haruki's words of wisdom, so rather than insisting on going into these woods, I will instead offer you my aid. It seems to me that you do not see eye to eye with whomever caused this curse. If that is correct, I wish to do whatever I can to help you put a stop to them, even though I fully know the risks that might entail. Should you reject my aid, I will leave peacefully, even though it pains me to know that more victims might be claimed, you are correct that it is not my prerogative to further insist.”

He gave Mira a genuine smile. Bringing her along had been a wise decision, although he also realised he couldn't help feeling concern about the idea of dragging her into something dangerous. “Thank you for backing me up, although I must admit the others have shown me the flaws in my approach. It's best to see whether our aid is accepted or not first.”

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
​

Eris looked over at the rather large man as he started to threaten the fairy, to which she glanced between the two. Deciding to take a few steps away to avoid being in between the two should something happen. Though for all she knew, it could lead to a fight sooner or later. She wasn't about to get stuck in the middle if it did kick off. "I would have to agree with Haruki in this matter, this may be a test of wisdom, but then again, it might not be one either," Eris stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

As an awkward smile appeared on her face, she put her hands up, signaling both sides of the group to slow it down. "We can argue right and wrong all day; needless to say; we are wasting time. As I see, if we either push further on or don't, whatever happens between those decisions is pointless and up for debate. Though we are wasting time," she concluded before looking at the others around her.

She then turned to Mira and nodded her head, "I have some aptitude for combat, though I wouldn't say that I'm the most useful person in a fight," she concluded with a shrug of her shoulders before turning her attention to the other priest who seemed to introduce himself once again. Though this time, it was to the fairy that had appeared to them. She then waited to see what the new arrival's next response would be.

Mentions: LadyOfStars EMIYAman DSLIX Elvario

 

[LadyOfStars]

Overcome with relief, the cervitaur let out a heavy sigh as he heard Ceylan rescind his declaration and intention of heading into the forest in search of whatever was responsible for the gruesome scene that lay before the,. He was also reassured of their friendship when the canine did not seem too upset by his opposing opinion Surely that was a sign that his words were valued, understood, and that they could again in the future share differing points of view without fear of discontent between them. Unknowingly, Haruki's stubby tail wagged behind him as a smile stretched across his face. He was going to suggest that they quickly depart, but the conversation was not done yet.

"My methods don't need your approval, beast." Dival replied sharply to Ceylan's criticism of his choices. "As i've said before, it isn't your place to interfere with the happenings of this land and as a soldier my actions cannot be my own. If you want people to stop being turned into supper for this creatures then I would suggest returning home and on your way, putting up signs to warn of the danger that awaits." The fairy spoke with a matter of fact tone and an expression plastered upon his face that showed he was now irritated. The flea bag may not have seen himself as being guided by pride, but Dival felt arrogance radiate from the would-be priest as he continued to attempt to stick his nose where it did not belong.

"Find your way out of these lands before something lesser patient finds you all." The fairy warned as he turned away from the group and started to fly across the pond to the forest.

Haruki looked to Eris who seemed quite annoyed with the round about conversation, He couldn't blame her as he too found it somewhat silly. But just as she made her protest, Dival took flight and didn't look back. "I'm sure we can follow the path..." The young buck wasted no time trying to gather up their things again and pack everything properly once more. "...we can find our way back to the waterfalls and then back to Ryke." It would be getting later soon and while the sun didn't seem to change position, they would all be getting tired and that would make travel even more difficult for them.

Mira was glad to hear that Eris could participate in combat in some way, but she was even happier that it would not come to that. Now that they had their destination determined, they needed to get moving. While the cervitaur gathered up their belongings, Mira got her and Ceylan's things as well. She wouldn't try to carry Tia this time as she didn't have the strength for it now. "Ceylan, if you need help or a break, let me know." Mira insisted with a nod of her head.

"Everyone ready?" Haruki's head perked up as he hung the last of their things on his side and turned to look over everyone else. He would wait a few minutes before he put himself at the head of the group, leading them back down the path that they had traveled thus far, to the best of his memory. The directions that Tupu had given him played in his head and he recited them backwards in the hopes that the man's guidance would get them back to where they started. Eventually the group would hear the rushing waters of the falls once more and although it wasn't home, Haruki felt a sense of ease wash over himself. As he started to place their bedrolls and such down again, he would notice that the moon was in the sky rather than the sun. "Why do you guys think the sky has been acting so strange?" His eyes shifted to look at the presumably older members of their little traveling party, curiosity written clearly across his face. "Do you think some god or goddess is trying to rewrite the stars?" Then he looked to Eris and Ceylan specifically, hoping the two of them would have answers.

Elvario saxon DSLIX EMIYAman

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa
​

Tupu softened up hearing Mira’s support of him being a protector of the group along with the girl Tia. He couldn’t help but give a warm smile with a calm “I shall make the most out of your trust”forgetting about the fairy for a minute. Then contains a slight giggle from hearing the priestess say she can help in combat. He didn’t say he didn’t believe it but he thought of seeing Eris try to wield a sword is comedy to think about. He simply walks up to her with a playful smile”A combat priestess? Then I have to ask are all the priestess under your god as feisty as you”. Though seeing the others start to backdown out of caution he clinches his teeth understanding that the enemy most be a real threat to cause this much hesitation. Unsatisfied to the idea that he won’t be able to at least punch the fairy he clinches his teeth and lets go of his anger with a heavy sigh now sporting a unsatisfactory look on his face. Which made his look even worse when the fairy decided to pay him not much mind and further shoo the group off before giving them a last warning and heads off back to wherever he came from. He then sees Haruki the most spooked out of the group to eagerly pack their things to go and sighs to see everyone else follow. Since he has even less than what he originally came with Tupu was mainly just helping others pack and decided to take Tia onto his shoulders seeing the tired expression on Mira’s face and probably expecting Tia to want to sit tall again. With smile Tupu approaches Tia and quickly lifts her up onto his shoulders but is caught off guard by the heaviness of the girl as it felt like he was lifting damn near his body weight. She felt lighter once she got on his shoulders though and continued down the path they came from mainly letting Haruki lead since he seemed eager too ducking every now and then to make sure the girl isn’t hit by a branch. Once they reach the camp Haruki starts to unpack quickly while Tupu stops and observes the water quickly forgetting about the girl on his shoulders for a minute as the moon reflects off the falls making the water shine and glisten leaving him with a sense of calm.

Elvario saxon EMIYAman LadyOfStars

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Haruki LadyOfStars | Tia EMIYAman | Eris saxon | Tupu DSLIX

Truth be told, Ceylan couldn't help himself from raising an eyebrow at Eris mentioning having an aptitude for combat. Nothing about her seemed to suggest as much, after all. He figured he'd leave her to it though, as it was clear the fairy wasn't willing to let them get involved.

The fairy was a more troublesome one. He seemed to try his best to be as hostile and unlikeable as possible, for reasons beyond Ceylan's comprehension. Yet again, the Fae were proving to be beyond his understanding. Eventually, he ended up sighing. “Thank you for your patience, and farewell.” There was no need to prat ways in an even more hostile manner, so Ceylan would leave it at that. Literally and figuratively.

There was one thing that somewhat confused Ceylan, as Haruki intended to head straight back to Ryke. “Does that mean you've already accomplished what you set out to do here? If not, we can head towards a different part of the Fae lands.” Ceylan himself had only walked into another failure, still being unable to communicate with these Fae or even get a bit of a grasp on them.

Ceylan's legs being what they were, he was indeed the first to end up getting tired and in need of a break. With healing and pure force of will, he'd hold up for a decent amount of time, but probably not enough to make it as far as Haruki would like them to go. It'd take a bit before reaching the waterfalls again.

Haruki's question was a peculiar one, which left Ceylan in thoughts for a while. “There are some deities that might do so, but it'd be a great feat, even for a deity. It'd sooner suspect either a natural phenomena or a trick of the mind. Considering we're in the Fae lands, what we see and what is real might not always coincide. All things considered, I'd need to know more about it to be able to answer your question with a bit more confidence.”

There was another reason he wasn't able to answer Haruki on the spot; as his thoughts were still stuck on the curse upon the lake and upon whatever would've put it there. On the one hand, he figured he might actually want to carve some warnings into a tree or into the stone. On the other hand, there weren't any clear paths to there, so the chance someone would stumble upon the warnings was minimal and he figured that they were neither the last nor the first that would be warned by the fairy soldier. It's a shame he couldn't meet whomever the man was working for, but considering the man's attitude, Ceylan hadn't even considered asking.

All things considered, this adventure wasn't exactly turning up as how he hoped it would. There was, however, one thing that had changed. He figured he'd been going on maimed legs for long enough. It was time to seek out one of the Cardinals of his faith to ask for if they could undo the curse upon his legs. There was only one problem with that. “I think I'll be travelling into the Republic next, to the Paizu Mountains in particular. There's a cardinal of my faith that might be able to lift the curse upon my legs.” He shared his plans, however, he'd then move to Haruki to whisper; “He'd recognise Tia for what she is and there's a fair chance he'll deal with her at first sight, so I'm afraid we'll have to split up again soon. I'm not sure how to bring it to her, but our roads will probably split again after we make it back to Ryke.”

 

[EMIYAman]

Tia
Interactions: DSLIX LadyOfStars Elvario saxon
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At Ceylans words Tia tilted her head puzzled. "Older?" Does that mean she'd have to wait to get her answer. She knew of the developmental cycle of animals and reasoned getting older meant reaching the next stage in her life cycle. Though... Tia found she didn't know what her life cycle was. She had vast knowledge of nature as it pertained to all sorts of creatures even humans, but herself? She didn't really know what kind of creature she was, all she had to go on was the behaviors compelled by her instincts. Like any animal she wished to survive, though what did survival mean for her? She "ate" but she didn't necessarily need to, it was just how she grew and learned. She could go a long time without consuming anything possibly forever, but she of course didn't want to do that. Tia frowned, introspection was not something that came easily to her.

She begrudgingly let her question to Ceylan go unanswered. "Ok, but Ceylan promise tell Tia later." Though her hunger for knowledge was not so easily cowed by a momentary refusal. Tia regarded the Fairy or "Bug" as she referred to it, with barely hidden distaste. The way he spoke to Ceylan won him no favors as anyone who crossed those she cared about would surely find. The mention of the cursed lake and its use as a hunting ground by some unseen predator only exasperated the issue. She was no prey to be caught unawares by a greater beast. She had clashed with many in the forest from the weak to the strong and she had survived them all. Tia had the general wariness of an animal when encountering another, but their was pride as well a confidence in her abilities. Her eyes were cold as she leered at the Fairy the desire to devour it growing with each second. Though she held back, for Ceylans sake just as she had promised him.

Eventually in part due to the insistence of Haruki and Mira they decided to go no further. In a interesting happenstance Ceylan had become something of a leader. With the group letting him have the last say in their decision. Only giving council, but not trying to force them any one way. Tia as always would go with whatever the priest decided she knew she could protect him whether things got bad or not. They followed back along the forest path that Tupu had originally led them through making their way to their original camp site where they had met up. Along the way Tia couldn't help but eye Haruki and his spear. Trotting up to him she looked at him with a quizzical expression. "Haru, long claw? Where put?" They had come here for him and his spear in the first place and she was remiss to forget that, in fact she couldn't. The well being of her pack was important to her and while she didn't quite understand it she did know how important this was to him. As it pertained to his herd, back when he was prey. She felt it unfortunate that Haruki had been around inherently vulnerable beings. Likely caught by a more dangerous thing than themselves. Her thoughts made a certain possessive feeling well up in her. She brought herself close to Haru leaning her body against his. He was rather tall compared to her so she only came up to a bit above his torso. "Tia protect Haru forever. Never weak, never sad, never alone again..." Her voice was gentle and caring, almost motherly even. Yet there was a promise in her words, one meant for those who would challenge them. If Haruki were to look into her eyes he would see the affection she held for him. It was the familiar gaze held by loved ones as well as something foreign, and inhuman.

Then it was broken. "Ah!?" With a yelp of surprise she was lifted into the air. So focused had she been in Haru and her thoughts she hadn't noticed Tupu come and pick her up. Much like with Mira she almost acted reflexively with violence. But the familar smell of Tupu as well as the fact that she had done this before helped her acclimate much faster. This time she was much higher in the air than before and she quickly began to enjoy it much like any other child would. Making herself comfortable she played with the mop of hair on Tupus head, while gazing at the forest from her new vantage point. In scant few moments she sat upon his shoulders as if it was natural and made no mention of it or operated like anything was out the ordinary. She piped up as Haruki and Ceylan spoke. "Forest trick, Tia think. Like bug that leaf." She said as she gazed up at the now moonlit sky. The rest of their talk goes unnoticed by Tia and by the time they make it back she is contently kicking her feet back and forth while still sitting on Tupus shoulders. Perhaps she had grown, too used to this to quickly.

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone
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Eris watched as the conversation continued even though she could tell that it was going nowhere. Both parties seemed a little too hard-headed for their own good. Turning to Haruki as he spoke Eris glanced at the others for a moment. "Looks like a decision has been made then, there is always a chance to try something else in the next cycle," Eris stated as she joined him slinging her own pack back onto her shoulders using her staff like a walking stick. To be honest she would have helped had the fairy asked for help but seeing as the other priest pushed the matter she didn't really feel a need to push it any further.

However it seem the fairy wasn't going to take the help regardless, which she couldn't blame the creature for that either. Then that was when Tupa walked up to her, which she let out a nervous chuckle, "Hahaha right, even a priestess must learn to defend herself, though I doubt you would find many," she slowly moved away from the rather large man still under the impression he was a murderer waiting for his next victim which seemed to be her in her own mind. Nope, nope not trying to die today to this world's first serial killer. She thought to herself.

Turning to observe the others who hadn't spoken yet she caught the cocked eyebrow from Ceylan. "What? I have been in a few situations where I had to fight," Eris protested, slightly puffing her checks showing her annoyance that he didn't believe her. She figured even though he had to fight from time to time it was a part of life. Following the group as the other girl was picked up by Tupa. She didn't understand the whole thing with picking people up at this point. But that was something she wouldn't think on too much.

Mentions: LadyOfStars EMIYAman DSLIX Elvario

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki

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Tupu's words made Mira wonder if he was being serious or if he was joking when he asked about feisty priestesses. Was that meant to be an attempt at flirting with Eris or was he genuinely interested in finding more woman with her personality? If so then what would his intentions be? She found herself wanting to put some distance between herself and the man, moving closer to Eris and giving the shorter woman a knowing look. "Let's stay together." She suggested in a hushed tone.

Haruki was grateful for Ceylan's willingness to continue to travel with the intention to complete the cervitaur's own personal goal, but he was doubting the logic that made him venture here in the first place. "The fae lands do not seem very welcoming to outsiders and the creatures here sound more dangerous than any human. I don't think I want to risk going any further or not being able to revisit because of those dangers." He had thought that these lands would be the perfect place to lay his ancestors to create a memorial to his tribe, but now he was not so sure.

Haruki welcomed the change of subject as Ceylan brought up his plan to travel far north, a place Haruki himself had never been to before. Knowing that there was someone who could treat Ceylan's condition warmed Haruki's heart, but to hear that he would have to leave them again drowned out any happiness he felt. His eyes went tot Tia, who would undoubtedly be heartbroken by the fact that Ceylan was planning to part from her again. She saw Ceylan as family and he was important to her, so he couldn't imagine the pain she would feel when the priest would eventually leave her behind once more. "I think she will understand when it is explained that it is for your health." Haruki didn't believe that, but he thought it might bring Ceylan some comfort. Knowing the little girl, she would likely insist she go and do so without fear of the dangers.

His gaze lingered on the small girl as he thought back to the words she said to him before they had returned to the waterfalls. The look in her eyes. Whatever Tia's true nature was, Haruki was certain that it included some sense of love and loyalty. The girl deserved to be safe and happy.

With a heavy sigh, Haruki looked towards the shining moon and spotted a flock of birds flying under its light. "Family seems to be a hard thing to hold on to." The young buck said softly.

DSLIX Elvario saxon EMIYAman

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Aftermath​

With their trip into the fae lands proving fruitless, the group returns to Ryke and the realms of men, splitting up to go their separate ways, but carrying their new connections with them.

(Thank you all so much for joining! I know this is an abrupt end and the roleplay itself was uneventful, so thank you very much for sticking around.)