Graded [Overgrown Marshes] The Hag of the Overgrown Marshes

[saxon]

Nissa
​

Nissa then went through a fear episode as the strange ability took effect; when she snapped out of it, the lizard still had her. "Simply put lizard man, I took a bet on her being a threat, we don't have time to really argue with the supplies at stake now do we? As the very interesting blonde said earlier, once this mission is complete, we can all go our separate ways." Nissa concluded before turning to 'kate' as she now spoke up.

"Ah but you adventurer types trust your employers do you not? Therefore wouldn't she be an employer? Also, Kate, you seemed to the only one not really affected by what I did. Compared to how you reacted when we first ran into each other, that seems off for your character. Adrenaline maybe?" Nissa pointed out before shrugging her shoulders, she felt no need to persue that further as she wasn't about to be lectured by her out of anyone here.

Scylla was in front of her as a poof of some appeared. Nissa cocked her eyebrow at the witch. "If you want to burn something, burn the whole swamp down with it," Nissa replied with a shrug of her shoulders; not sensing a threat, she retrieved her blade and put it back in the scabbard as the witch attended to the bunny.

Now turning to Clarice, "However, you are interesting I daresay that you are the most interesting one of the group," Nissa paused for a second as she walked around the girl. "What was that some kind of mind control ability? I have to say that was a first, though I will have to keep my eye on you," She smirked before clasping her hands behind her back as the wail was heard.

"Ah that is right on cue, the banshee smells death no doubt she will be here in a moment. If you want to save the bunny we best dispatch her quickly," Nissa suggested drawing her blade still coated in the bunny's blood.



mentions:
Elvario RavenSong The Last Curse Skyhunter TheSimianMind Develius

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes

Mentions: Baharius Develius | Scylla RavenSong | Cayde The Last Curse | Kesh Skyhunter | Clarice TheSimianMind | Nissa saxon

(Black-and white icons are defeated. Red ones are severely injured.)
(Kesh's current location would be where she's at if she doesn't give chase. If she does, she'd be right behind Clarice.)

Although Clarice was correct in her assumption that leaving the leaches be wasn't the healthiest option, they hadn't spread disease far enough through-out the Ratkin to slow her down (perhaps they competed with too many already present diseases). As Kesh was the first to hear the Banshee, thanks to her heightened hearing, it was impossible for Clarice to start running towards it before Kesh picked up on the sound. (OOC, contradiction in timeline.) In the end, Kesh ended up missing Clarice by a hair due to being distracted by the sudden sound of the wailing Banshee, after which Clarice took her chance to sprint off in the direction Kesh' looked at, before another swing could come her way. Kesh was able to give chase and would eventually catch up (OOC, higher speed+acrobatics to better deal with the rough terrain) enough to scratch at Clarice's back (just before the latter would reach the Banshee) if she were willing to do so.

Scylla could feel the bunny's heartbeat, now that she was keeping her close to her chest. Thanks to her environment control, it kept going and the rabbit's body temperature stopped decreasing. However, her assumption was correct. If she'd stay with the rabbit this way, she'd be at the mercy of whatever danger could be heading their way. In turn, if she wouldn't, she'd likely leave this bunny to die. Would she be willing to risk her own safety for the sake of saving a stranger, no matter how cute and fully they might be? The only potential upside to this story, was that if this was truly a were-rabbit, as everyone still suspected, the bunny might be slowly regenerating on their own and recover in time, if she was kept in a stable enough situation.

Chandra Jarmil
​

Kalina was surprised by how the biggest, scariest, lizardiest of them all turned out the most pacifist and reasonable at the moment. It made her rethink some of the biases she had towards him when they first met, that much was sure.

Whilst Clarice wasn't able to see through her disguise, she would be able to mention the sexual assault. (OOC: disguise vs. investigation is a tie, without any narrative advantage, the best Clarice would get is suspicion. Alternate Identity D also allows for visual changes. Only base physical dimensions (such as Kalina still being very tall in all her alternate identities) and base physical features (like tails and wings) are exempted from such changes. It's somewhat unclear what level of changes counts as 'base', but it seems hinted towards the large and highly noticeable features (tails, wings), so I'm ruling as a narrator that minor features like the fang feature would be included in strong enough Alternate Identities just like hair colour and eye colour would be and would hold up under F grade scrutiny, in this particular case especially so in combination with disguise.) Kalina had her reply ready. “I had eyes on him for most of the time, he was shooting bolts at the Boggearts alongside me. I'm pretty sure whatever happened must have been due to that pet rat of his.” She had no particular love for the rat, enough so to use what little she did spot to throw the rat under the bus, as she did like the alchemist enough to try clear this one up. Other than that, Kalina didn't think Clarice worthy of any more words. Besides, the girl was running head-first towards the sounds of trouble. For as clever as she was trying to be, she was acting pretty suicidal.

Kalina smirked at the comment Nissa made. She realised she'd screwed up a little, but at least she had an excuse to use. “Why would I be surprised to see a monster act according to their nature?” She bit back, using [Deception E] to add some verbal venom to her words. “If we go by the same logic that you use for saying we should slay the bunny, I believe it would be wisest to slay you as well. Both of you might turn out to be abiding a chance to kill us, after all. So by the same contra-logic of awaiting further proof of hostility, the bunny is spared and so are you. I can't promise it'll stay that way for you though, if you pull a stunt like that again.” She didn't understand how foolish a fellow monster could be. If any of those in the group had any sense of danger, they knew how dangerous most monsters were and how reasonable it would be to slay Nissa on the spot. It's why Kalina herself went through such lengths to hide her nature. Yet here they were... Perhaps her threat would make her fellow monster act a bit wiser, although she doubted it.

As the Banshee approached, a thick mist proceeded her. Combined with the sun setting, it didn't take long before anyone to see little more than what was directly front of them (about two squares). Those with heightened senses or other abilities would only see marginally better. Furthermore, Clarice, whom was closes to the Banshee due to running towards it, would be the first see the creature itself in the midsts of the mists. The moment it locked eyes with her, Clarice would feel a splitting headache go through her, as if the creature's pain and rage tried to make their way into Clarice. Amidst the wailing of the banshee, she'd be able to make up some words, repeated over and over in-between the bouts of incoherent wailing.

Banshee

​

Spoiler: Banshee

“My child... give him to me... my child... give him back.. my child.. bring him back... my child... return him... my child... give him back...”

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Skyhunter saxon TheSimianMind Develius RavenSong Elvario ​

Even as Kesh left his embrace, Cayde still stood rooted in place. His head fell into his hands as the prickly hot anger dissipated, embarrassment quickly taking its place. He'd just let loose a wave of raw emotion in front of complete strangers! What would they think of him now? He could deal with their skepticism, but if this one slip-up had made him out to be the weak one, another one of those dreaded episodes was bound to happen again. Cayde shuddered at the thought; he couldn't let anyone see him like that again - he couldn't let Kesh see him like that again. He'd have to be better, and he knew very well the first step wouldn't be standing here, wallowing in self-pity. That's not what Zane taught him, and that's not what he was about to teach Kesh. Cayde sighed and rubbed the weariness out of his eyes before slowly reuniting with the others. He scrapped the thought of doing so with his mask on. Hiding from his fears was another thing Zane hadn't taught him.

Only then would Cayde notice had dark it had gotten. He peered into the sky inquisitively, wondering how fast time had slipped by. From the group's tricky introductions, to the battle against the boggarts, all the way to his little tantrum, Cayde had thought it'd been maybe a couple of hours, yet the darkness encroaching on him suggested it might be the start of the evening. The gnarly trees only seemed to make it darker, causing a lump to form in his throat, "Spooky," Cayde snickered to himself, although his pace had subconsciously quickened, "At this rate, I won't be able to-" The ghastly wails hit him before his thoughts could finish. Only a banshee could make such ominous sounds, and much to his horror, it'd appeared way earlier than he'd expected. There was no reason not to rush now, and so, with his hair standing on end, Cayde did.

It wouldn't be long until Cayde finally caught up with the others. He missed most of the conversation, including the reveal that Clarice was behind his vision, but from what he could see, it seemed the group had reached a consensus to spare the bunny. Knowing they came together to agree on something brought a slight smile to his face, though the contents of the conversation wiped it just as quickly. He glazed over the touchy parts, though mentally giving Kate a big thanks for sticking up for him, and decided to break up the scuffle between the latter and Nissa. Truth be told, he was already getting a bit tired of trying to diffuse Nissa's arguments.

"Hey," Cayde meekly called out as he stepped back into the opening, "Just had a bit of a cry, but I'm all good now." He tried a chuckle, but it sounded more like he was clearing his throat, "Look, I should be the one getting slain for subjecting you all to my...thoughts. I'm sorry you guys had to see that." He sighed, passing a hand through his hair, "Still, I made a promise to improve, and for that to happen, I need all of you with me. I can't let you try to kill each other, not when we're this far. Even if some of you are basically begging for it..." He looked at Nissa for that particular comment but continued his monologue regardless, "All I'm asking is for us to focus on the bigger picture. Then, when we're done with this, we're free - we can all go our separate ways. And if that includes killing someone, I guess you've got a lot to look forward to, huh?"

With that said, Cayde turned his gaze over to Abha. "First things first, I think we should have someone stay behind to look after our friend here. She's in a very vulnerable state, one that we put her in, so at the very least, we should ensure she stays in a stable condition. I doubt the Banshee will go after her, but whoever stays has to keep some distance. Far enough to let us deal with the monster, yet close enough to call out to us if something goes wrong." He stated, glancing back at Kesh and Scylla. They seemed the most nurturing of the bunch, plus he had no doubt one of them would want to stay at the fluffy paladin's side. "If she's truly the were-rabbit we're looking for, it's best if we keep her away from anything that can cause her to freak out. Otherwise, she'll turn, and who knows what'll happen next..."

Cayde knew very well what would happen next. Someone had forced it into his head, and it'd been playing on repeat ever since. He shook the memory out of his head and tried to focus on the now. That was something he'd have to deal with in his nightmares. "Anyways, the Banshee's out in the dark. But not to worry, I can craft up some torches for us. Just keep an eye out for some fallen branches. The greener, the longer, the better." Unlike Aston, he doubted there'd be any resin and pinecones readily available for his bushcraft torches, but alcohol and cloth would be an acceptable substitute.

"That's all, but I need you to remember one thing," He said, holding up one finger in attention, "The Banshee's probably not going to be as docile as Abha, but if there's an opportunity to solve this without violence, I'd say we should at least consider it. If we can't reason with her, then I'm sure you'll all know what to do." As he awaited their input, he'd reach into his pack and prepare his tools for the crafting ahead.

 

[Develius]

​

---

Mentions:
Elvario (Aba Chandra) | RavenSong (Scylla) | saxon (Nissa) | The Last Curse (Clayde) |
​

---

As Baharius readied himself for the next fight at hand, he paused for a moment to rest his eyes back on the fallen bunny. He knew that leaving her here would guarantee death at the hands of the horrors lurking within the swamp, even if she was stabilizing herself in her deep rest. Yet out of everyone here, the saurian felt the most guilty about what transpired. He claimed they were not going to harm her and yet harm came to her anyways; from their own party no less. He had failed to keep his promise, however loose that may be. However, there was one thing he thought he could do, at the very least, to make up for his party's shortcomings. Lumbering slowly forward, he'd approach Scylla with his head lowered in respect.

"I would like to offer myself as the paladin's guardian." he proposed lowly to the witch, while taking occasional glances down at Abha, "I failed to assure her that no harm would come by our hands. The fault is mine... and I want to rectify the damage as much as I can. Yet I do not trust anyone here in keeping her out of harm's way, aside from you. But you've already done much to stabilize her condition; I would hate to see you be burdened with her any longer. Thus I declare myself responsible in safeguarding her life with my own and assure that she leaves this swamp alive to see civilization. You have my word."

He softly placed his massive clawed hand on the witch's shoulder and nodded. "And thank you."

Stating his piece, he walked over to the paladin and stood guard; as his long webbed tail wrapped around her perimeter to act as a safety barrier. He was going to see her out of this cursed place, no matter the cost. It was the least he could do.

As Cayde proceeded to pass out torches, the saurian took one just as the fog began to roll in ominously over the party. Aside from just a foot or two, Baharius could barely see anything within the thick cloud of mist washing over them. Wisely, he used the butt-end of the torch to draw a circle in the mud around the unconscious paladin. That way he will know precisely where she is... or worse, where she SHOULD be, if he were to move out of range.

Nissa would state about dispatching the banshee quickly if they were to save the rabbit, with the alchemist quickly stating:

"The Banshee's probably not going to be as docile as Abha, but if there's an opportunity to solve this without violence, I'd say we should at least consider it. If we can't reason with her, then I'm sure you'll all know what to do." As he awaited their input, he'd reach into his pack and prepare his tools for the crafting ahead.

Baharius seemed rather surprised that at least one of the party members utilized his previous strategy in this instance. Glad to see he wasn't entirely alone in his stance, aside from Scylla perhaps. Nevertheless, he gave an affirming grunt of approval. Knowing nothing about banshees aside from what he heard, he had to make sure he was braced for anything. The creature's bloodcurdling screams certainly didn't bring him much confidence in the matter, yet he kept his nerve secure for now. With a torch in one hand and his blade in another, the saurian general stood his guard and awaited for her immediate arrival.

 

[RavenSong]

Eye’s wide with surprise, Scylla felt she had managed to at least stabalize the rabbit paladins condition. “Very good, little bunny!” She said with relief as she caressed the bunnys fluffy little face. “You’re going to be okay, we just need to find you-“

Scylla suddenly looked over to see Kesh dashing towards Clarice, throwing her backpack aside with most of the necessary supplied they’d brought for this herbalist expedition. “Clarice, wait!” She called out, but not nearly loud enough for her to hear.

“Oh, dear.” She sighed.

Her attention then turned to Cayde who had suggested what kind of further care should be administered. She considered his expertise, after all, he appeared like a plague doctor. Perhaps he’d dealt with many of these cases. She’d assume.

Scylla would nod in agreement, looking back down towards the fallen bunny paladin in her arms, “Very well, i dont mind staying behind, however, since i can most clearly navigate through these swamps, especialy with this thickening mist it’d be in your interests to have me, Cayde.”

Just then, the Saurian appraoched her, a bit intimidated by Baharius' sheer size and large teeth. Yet, the witch would shed all form of discomfort when he began to speak, and even offer his help for the paladins care. What was more was his sense of duty and honor to his word. Scylla found that quite knightly of him. “Dearest, Baharius you are one in a million in this cursed place!" The witch beamed, "I accept your offer, i will try not to be too long."

The eerie screams would grow in volume, and now a creepy mist was beginning to engulf the entire area, surely this is some kind of aura magic. She thought, but before the mist could thicken she quickly went to where Clarice had dropped thier supplies, and carried them back to the bunny. Opening up their pack she pulled out the bedroll, and placed the bunny paladin comfortably within. With a final glance, then looking up at Baharius, Scylla had lost most of her vision to the thick fog, but followed Caydes voice. “Hello? hello? Cayde?” she said as her hands in front of her tried to swat away at the dense mist. Once she found Cayde, she'd ask, "Did you see where Clarice went? I think your rat friend ran after her, and now we can't find them." Looking in the direction the other two had taken to. “..so it appears we’ve both lost our companions to the mist then. I agree with your suggestion to attempt to speak to this Banshee when we meet her..” Her tone became a bit more impatiient as she began to lose her vision due to the mist. "..lets hope this resident doesn't eat them first, though."

She then patted Cayde on the shoulder nonchalantly, "Oh! and its okay to cry, I do it all the time! As you can see?" She was still trying to just forget about earlier, shrugging she attempted a smile. "Maybe we should forget about the past? Maybe start over? After your little moment back there. Didn't seem like something someone I had drawn you out to be would do. So I'm giving you a second chance."

When another shriek emitted from the ever growing pitch black atmosphere the witch seemed to withdraw all of her limbs closer to her body.


(1. Move, 2 up, 1 right, 1 up 2. None 3. none.)

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh's attempt to make her point didn't exactly pan out, the Ratkin growled while her fists shook at her sides in frustration, going to chase down the sick individual that hid behind a mask of a conceitedness. But that scream that she ran towards, it scared Kesh. She gulped deeply and decided not to follow suit. That would be idiotic of her to do, besides she'd rather not run towards the danger.

The Ratkin saw Cayde with a few other characters, that Scylla and Baharius. Before she walked after them, she saw the bag that Clairice had dropped and picked it up smiling, she thought digging through it to see if she could steal anything but decided now was not the time and walked over to the group seeing the witch, " Your friend dropped this. " Kesh's voice wasn't exactly a happy one but she gave Scylla the bag anyways, looking to the rest of the group, Kesh already beginning to feel useless again, she didn't have much in terms of advanced skills but she wanted to help. " What can i do to help-assist? " She asked, wanting some guidance as pressed her hands together with a nervous smile.

 

[TheSimianMind]

Creepy wailing and fog so thick you could slice it with a butter knife? Huh. This banshee must be related to the ghost of Red Beard; they share a predilection for stagecraft, fog, and spooky noises and -

Hold up, Red Beard’s ghost was just a guy in a pirate costume! Maybe, just maybe, this banshee is also a guy with ready access to dry ice wearing a mask. That’s sensational news! Clarice ain’t slowing down for a monster that has a small chance of being a guy wearing a mask - not when there’s a much larger chance that an eye-gouging rat-thing hopped up on enough drugs to stock a modest dispensary is pursuing her with the intent to cave her skull in! That’s not to imply that Clarice recognizes Kesh’s combat ability; she merely doubts that she could best Kesh, Cayde, and Kate simultaneously right now. It has been a long and stressful day and the environment doesn’t compliment her bag of tricks. She could do with some shut-eye.

Unable to see more than a few feet in front of her and engaged in such frivolous lines of thought, Clarice nearly bowls the banshee over in her hasty withdrawal. Only by the grace of some divine force did she manage to stop short of the banshee.

Upon observing the banshee, Clarice stifles the urge to shout, “Zoinks! It’s the Ghost of the Grandma Werther!” and pick up right where she left off: fleeing from her problems with all the celerity her legs can provide. Bizarrely, however, the temptation to turn tail and continue running is fleeting. She feels more connected to vengeful spirits than an amateur spirit medium on account of her past life, and even though this one doesn’t quite qualify as a vengeful spirit by her definition, it is still a manifestation of grief and pain that once was the soul of a human.

The banshee locks eyes with Clarice. Wrath and anguish, misdirected and impotent, flood Clarice’s mind. In that moment, she cannot help but admire the spirit’s candor (and pointedly - perhaps even desperately - try to ignore the grotesque, vomit-inducing physical state of the thing). Despite the headache that afflicts her, pure emotion, heartfelt and unabashed, cascades over her, for she will not be swept away by the undertow. To look away or to accept these emotions as her own would grant the spirit a measure of control over her, no doubt. No, only one real choice lies before her. With a dash of inspiration, an arcane sign, and the stubbornness of a mule, Clarice seeks to dam the flow. Wincing from the secondhand pain that wracks her body, Clarice raises her gauntlet to her mask and presses her fingers against cold, unyielding metal. She finds her mind much more pliant as she turns the Kingmaker on herself.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Action 1 - Clarice casts Kingmaker (E) on herself. Duration: 1 Minute]

With an exercise of power, Clarice breaks the tide. Her eyes are immaculate pearls of void energy as she banishes the bestial snarl plastered across her face. The banshee’s Empathic Projection shall clash with the Supernatural Tranquility of Clarice’s reprogrammed mind. In the wake of this change, the banshee might find Clarice as passionate as a plant. Then again, it might not even get that far if it relies on emotion to distinguish between creatures.

Now, there isn’t one iota of emotion in Clarice’s voice. When she speaks, her face is absolutely neutral.

You are lost.

A wayward soul cursed by the violent nature of its demise and the hellish thoughts that seized it as it breathed its last to forever wander the mist. While Clarice might break the banshee’s hold on her with her own power, breaking its curse with magical might alone lies far outside of what she is currently capable of.

This calls for a more insidious approach.

Focus on your child. Remember how sweetly he smiled. Remember how you held him in your arms and marveled at the beauty and promise of the life you created.

Common but memorable events to a mother. Clarice is hedging her bets and bluffing for all she’s worth. In this regard, her composure is as much a boon as a bane: her poker face is unrivaled but she can’t sell her pitch.

Focus on yourself. Feel the warmth of his tiny hands as they grab your fingers. Feel your heart swell as you watch him grow.

A logical transition, moving from the child to the mother while referencing the same sensory stimulation: a warm touch. The contrast between the warmth, life, pride, and joy of the spirit’s past life might prove jarring enough to disrupt the hate that has consumed it, if only for a little while.

Remember who you are - you who would do anything to protect him. Feel your love for him well within you - a love so strong that it transcends death.

Repetition and reframing. Clarice hoped her droning monotone might have a sedating effect on the creature.

Show your child one more kindness: show us the mother he loves.

Finally, the imperative: an attempt to summon the spirit as it once was, not as it is.

And if it did not respond favorably, Clarice would simply have to track downthe item binding it to this world and destroy it with impunity.

 

[saxon]

Nissa​

Nissa rolled her eyes at kate's comment. "Right, right and that fear suddenly just disappears sure, sure." Nissa replied as she was going to speak again as the wailing got much closer to them. Turning to face the direction that the sound was coming from, she smirked as she looked once again at her blood-coated blade before glancing over at the others.

She didn't care much for the rabbit, to be honest as she saw it the threat was taken care of for now, though apparently the others were getting lost in the fog. Why are they always so useless? Though I suppose their hearing isn't as great as mine is. Only that stupid rat is probably on par. She though to herself before making an audible sigh not really caring how loud it was.

"Perhaps it would help if you used your ears, if you want to find this banshee before it finds the others I would suggest we go to the source of the sound." Nissa suggested before starting to follow the sound of the wailing, though she had no intention on fighting this creature if it came down to it alone. Even she wasn't that stupid, though she was preparing for a fight right off the bat just to be safe.

(Moves as far up as possible for this round.)
mentions:
Elvario RavenSong The Last Curse Skyhunter TheSimianMind Develius

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes

Mentions: Baharius Develius | Scylla RavenSong | Cayde The Last Curse | Kesh Skyhunter | Clarice TheSimianMind | Nissa saxon

(Black-and white icons are defeated. Red ones are severely injured.)
(Location of Cayde & friends was a bit unclear, as they're supposed to be together, yet indicated heading in different directions. Putting them halfway seemed the most sensible.)

As the mist thickened around them, it started to not just draw out their vision, but even sound started to feel muffled and dampened. Only the piercing screeches of the Banshee were able to sound through without sounding muffled or somehow far off.

Cayde (and others) would be able to get some branches by cutting them off from the nearby trees, as the ones fallen to the ground were too soaked in swamp water to burn well. (Although there might also be torches among the supplies taken from Clarice, if they could find those.) The light from the torches would be visible through the mists, but it didn't allow them to look much further. It did, however, ensure they didn't also have to bother with the darkness. Kalina, despite not needing a torch, decided to take one as well, not wishing to stand out more than she already did.

Baharius decided to take bunny-sitting duty upon himself. However, he decided to focus fully on standing guard with only his tail around the bunny, which would slowly yet steadily allow her body temperature to start dropping again, especially as the night was colder than it'd been during the day. Luckily enough, Scylla was wise enough to return with some of Scylla's supplies and tucked the bunny into a bedroll. It'd allow her to retain what little warmth her own body still gave off much better.

Kesh was quick to join Scylla and Cayde, managing to use her higher senses to find her way through the mist a bit easier than the others. Overcoming her instincts, she even handed Clarice's bag to Scylla. They ended up finding their way around half-way towards the Banshee, as the mist made it difficult to locate things and they only had each-others muffled voices and feint torchlight to go by.

Nissa, unlike the others, decided to try moving as far north as she could. Although the mist and encroaching darkness hindered her and sounds alone didn't help her avoid lose roots or muddy pits, she did manage to make it all the way to Clarice. She was just in time to spot Clarice initiate her self-mind-control.

Clarice, meanwhile, had decided upon an interesting course of action, as she subjected herself to her own mind-control. She was correct in her assumption, as with the vanishing of her emotions, she became little more than a plant to Banshee. The downside of that, was that her words didn't ring through either. The first words seemed to come through, but as it went on in an emotionless way, the Banshee was quick to no longer even notice Clarice.

Banshee

​

Spoiler: Banshee

“My child... give him to me... my child... give him back.. my child.. bring him back... my child... return him... my child... give him back...”

It'd fallen back to the same routine as before, screeching way louder than Clarice could talk, until it spotted Nissa's approach. She raised one of her hands towards Nissa. “Child of death... return him to me! Return him!” The Banshee screamed, as Nissa would feel hatred flood into her mind, enough to cause a splitting headache. However, oddly enough, she'd also see images of sorts... perhaps it was her undead nature that allowed her to connect with another undead creature, but there was something... the problem was, it was all too unclear to make out. She'd have to be brave enough to embrace the feeling of her head being split in two and to fully focus on these emotions and the pain that were directed at her. Either that, or she'd have to try block it out instead, hoping it'd stop the pain and discomfort.

Chandra Jarmil
​

Kalina, meanwhile, had joined up with Kesh, Scylla and Cayde. “I'm assuming none of you knows how to put a Banshee to rest?” She said, after she managed to find them. “I've heard rumours that they cannot be harmed by weapons and even resist some magic, so if that's true, I've got no clue how to deal with it.” She was feeling quite useless, having no clue about what they were up against and no means to deal with it.

As they were talking, however, Baharius would suddenly see Scylla return from the mist. She came from the other side of the tree, but there had been enough time past to assume she could've just gone around it. She looked a bit panicked. “I'm sorry, I've changed my mind. I can't just leave the bunny behind. Besides, you're strong, you'd be a better match against something as frightening as the Banshee.” Scylla was smart enough to ensure that Scylla, Cayde and Kalina wouldn't hear her talk. However, she hadn't accounted for one tiny detail. Kesh, would, all of a sudden, hear Scylla's voice from near Baharius, despite seeing Scylla stand besides her. She couldn't make out all the words, as the mist muffled them too much, but she could hear that there was something odd going on.

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

The Ratkin stood before the group while she fiddled with her hands, trying to see how she could be useful. She didn't have many talents that would help, Cayde was a better alchemist than Kesh, she herself had weaker healing compared to Scylla, she was fast sure but that could only get you so far. Although she did hear something weird, Kesh's ears perked up and her head swung up, she could hear Scylla despite her being with them right here. Kesh moved over to the witch and pulled on her sleeve with a raised brow before looking at Cayde and pointing towards where she heard the talking. Kesh then did a Ratkin Frontflip [Acrobatics E] and landed in front of Chandra (Kalina) with her hands on her hips and a worried look on her face. " I hear the witch's voice by the large lizard guy. " Kesh pointed in the direction of where she could hear the voice. " It's strange. I can't hear everything they say but they speak weird-odd. " The Ratkin spoke taking Chandra's hand gently into hers, her eyes a bit worried. " You must believe me. You are weird. You do things I bet we can't see or know. " Kesh stated, which was a weird way of trying to get someone onto your side. Either way that last sentence was a strange one to be said at the least, like Kesh was trying to say she knew Chandra wasn't who she said she was, which Kesh had doubts about the strange shy girl, but she wasn't too sure.

Then something hit Kesh, her eyes widen as she released Chandra's hand, " The rabbit! " Kesh didn't even realize Chandra's hand was cold like a corpse's if that was the case. Kesh turned heel and ran in the direction of both Baharius and Abha, making her way around a tree to see Baharius and Abha there in a clearing with the fake Scylla, Kesh knew it! She knew she heard Scylla! " Large-big lizard guy, Balthazar! " Kesh called with fearful eyes, pointing at the new Scylla, " That isn't the witch, Stella! " Kesh told the large lizard, " That's a sus imposter thing! " Kesh was sure, she just saw the real Scylla. " Stella is with us over there and I heard a talking but couldn't hear it right then I came here and now I see-spot the faker-imposter. " Kesh tried to explain to the large lizard. " And I'm not a faker-imposter because I can do this! " Kesh then hopped up and backflipped, landing on her feet performing a Ratkin Backflip before having her arms out staring at the massive Sarian.

 

[Develius]

​

---

Mentions:
Elvario (Imposter "Scylla" and Aba) | RavenSong (Scylla) | Skyhunter (Kesh) |
​

---

Baharius' offer to stay behind was gladly accepted by Scylla, who quickly placed the bunny into a bedroll before disappearing into the mist with the others. The saurian was once again completely alone, guarding the unconscious paladin diligently like a dragon to its horde of treasures. Only the faint ambience and the piercing cacophony of the banshee's screams madly crying in the distance accompanied his stay. Despite this somewhat unnerving ambience, the beast did not move an inch from his spot; simply scanning the few feet that he could see directly in front of him and sniffing the air instinctually. His blade was in his right hand, ready to be wielded in the event something tried to attack him. While he hoped they would return sooner rather than later, Baharius would wait for as long it takes.

Yet after what felt to be no more than a few minutes, he would find Scylla return to him in a rather panicked state. It seemed a bit odd that she would return this soon, but nonetheless he rose his head cautiously to meet her's. "What's wrong?" he asked in a concerned tone. Scylla stated how she had a change of heart and that she just couldn't leave the bunny behind. He offered that Baharius would be better off fighting the opponent in the mist. The saurian initially cocked his brow at her response, seemingly confused at her offer. He knew she was also rather attached to the rabbit herself, but for her to drop everything this soon just to be with her? He was inclined to believe her judgement - after all he did state how she was the only other person in the group to take care of the paladin.

Even so, Baharius didn't dare move from his spot; his body tensing up just ever so slightly in response. "I told you not to burden yourself with her further." he replied lowly, his voice now firmer but still sported a hint of understanding, "Take care of this 'banshee' first and then~"

Suddenly, Kesh would sprint out of the fog, alerting the saurian that the Scylla talking to him is in fact a fake. The saurian's heart sank as he took a second look at this vile imposter. He already thought she was acting rather a little exaggeratively for her likings... but to think he was nearly fooled by this apparition made his blood boil. Was this the work of the Banshee? His slit-eyes glared coldly at her, like a parent protecting its child. Carefully, Baharius positioned himself over the bunny to shield her from what he assumed was an attempted acquisition, making sure not to accidentally crush her under his immense bulk. He made sure to not leave eye contact off his foe's for even a second, his tail even wrapping around to his front to further obscure the bunny from view. A guttural hiss from his maw announced his intentions pure and simple.

"In that case." the spined saurian growled towards the imposter with gritted rage, "She's fine just where she is." [Intimidation F]

 

[TheSimianMind]

Clarice takes no pride in her minor victory over the banshee. Likewise, she is not disappointed when her speech has no discernible effect on the undead creature. She is not alarmed when Nissa emerges from the fog nor does she fear how the banshee's abilities might muddle Nissa's mind. In truth, she is incapable of feeling much of anything. For now, she is a biocomputer. For now, she is a machine. For now, emotion is utterly foreign to her; logic drives her forward.

For Nissa, she spares a terse statement in the same droning monotone that lost the banshee's interest. Completely unaware of Nissa's query about her Mind Control on account of supernatural sound damping, she assumes she need not retread old ground.

This creature relies on Emotive Projection to identify and assault its targets. I am not certain whether this technique is designed to induce madness in its victims, leech their emotions, or render them vulnerable to possession. I wager it is also capable of Sound Manipulation. All of this bodes ill for us, given its incorporeal state.

Clarice pauses as if in deep thought. She glances from Nissa to the banshee and then again.

The others fault you for attacking the paladin. If you lose yourself to this thing, they will put you down. They are naive; they do not appreciate your pragmatism. Even the former soldier is disgustingly soft. We can both agree that they aren't survivors; they're prey.

To Clarice, the sound damping is as much a hinderance as an opportunity, for she could not risk speaking so frankly in front of the whole group. As long as the banshee's insufferable wailing does not drown her out, she shall avail herself of the advantages this environment affords.

I am no stranger to the harsh realities of this world; I am just as willing to do what is necessary to survive as you are.

[Action 1 - Clarice visually inspects the banshee using Investigation (F).] Clarice attempts to determine if the banshee is the source of the fog. If the fog becomes thicker near the banshee, this is evidence that the banshee is indeed the source of the fog. Clarice also looks for rime, withered plants, or anything that might mark the banshee's trail.

Specters can be permanently banished by lifting their curses. The easiest way to accomplish this is locating the item that tethers a specter to this world and destroying it. Often, it is part of the specter's body or a prized possession from its past.

It's Occultism 101. Every sailor knows how ghosts bind themselves to the material realm.

I doubt that the child this specter seeks lies within this swamp. If this is the case, we have only one recourse. We need to figure out where this banshee materializes every night - the place where its tether is located - and destroy it.

I will try to give you the opportunity to slip away and circle around. If you choose to remain, you know what I intend.

Having recognized a pattern in the banshee's behavior, Clarice steps between Nissa and the banshee and spreads her arms wide. If her hypothesis is correct, the banshee requires line-of-sight to transmit its emotions to its targets. By positioning herself between Nissa and the banshee, she hopes to block line-of-sight and momentarily screen Nissa from the banshee's Emotive Projection. After a split second elapses, Clarice attempts to sprint in the direction the banshee approached from - which she will attempt to deduce by means of its orientation when she first encountered it, any clues she detected previously, her assumption that a ghost, much like a bird, travels in straight lines, and her [Magic Affinity].

[Action 2 and Action 3 - Clarice attempts to identify and move toward the banshee's origin point, briefly moving between Nissa and the banshee while doing so. If Nissa moves with her, Clarice attempts to keep Nissa in her sight.]

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario RavenSong TheSimianMind Develius saxon Skyhunter ​

Cayde wasn't expecting Baharius to volunteer, nor did he expect Scylla to come over and make amends with him. Both were very pleasant surprises. What wasn't a pleasant surprise, however, was the strange fog that had rolled in, further obscuring his vision and muffling every sound. It hadn't silenced the Banshee's bloodcurdling wails, he noticed, or the thumping of his heart in his chest. Regardless, he managed a wide, warm grin in Scylla's direction, although he had doubts she'd even be able to see it. "Thank you, Scylla. That's all I needed to hear," He said warmly, "I'll tell Kesh to keep her paws to herself in the future. No promises, though. She's a bit of a slippery one, y'know?" As for her previous question about Clarice, Cayde could only offer a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Can't say I've seen Clarice anywhere. She was already gone by the time I got back." He explained, moving his torch about the fog. It did little but illuminate the dark silhouettes of Scylla and Kate. Curiously, Nissa was nowhere to be found. "Actually, didn't Lyse say she was heading up to find the Banshee? Maybe she and Clarice found her. It'd explain why the Banshee's yelling so dang much." Then, as if on cue, another otherworldly screech echoed through the swamps, shaking him to the core. Cayde grimaced, "I think we should take care of that now, yeah?"

Before he could, Kate's and Kesh's input brought an intrigued look to his face. However, he couldn't touch up more on Kesh's observation, as she'd already bolted off into the mist. Unlike last time, he had a clue where she might've ended up, though that still didn't stop the concern from creeping onto his face. Now he was starting to think she really wanted Zane to kill him. Cayde shelved those thoughts for the moment, addressing Kate, "If we can find whatever's keeping her from moving on, maybe we can think of something." He shifted his eyes around, trying to find a solution, "Maybe she'll give us a few hints to what it is? I doubt she'd want to stay in these musty swamps forever."

Upon finishing his thoughts, Cayde peered back into the fog behind him. Kesh still hadn't come back, and that didn't do much to curb his anxiety. He reckoned that she couldn't have gone far, but the urge to trudge through and find her was still strong. He'd already lost her once; he wasn't planning on reliving that again. If you two stick together and follow the screams ahead, it'll hopefully lead you right to the Banshee," He said, turning to face the direction Kesh had left, "I'm gonna try to grab Kesh and get a look-see on what she heard." He took a breath and began his trek, but not before waving back to two, "Gimme a few minutes - I'll be back in a bit."

With that said, he'd make his way back where he came, utilizing his [Perception] to hopefully stay on course [3 right, 5 Down]. But, of course, the fog did him no justice, and neither did the makeshift torch in his hand. A lantern would've been much better - a lantern, Cayde knew, that was somewhere in the muck ahead of him. He hoped he'd come across it, but as the trek ended, he saw the massive silhouette of Baharius standing in the darkness. Cayde assumed Kesh was close by. "Kesh? Baharius? You two o-" His eyes eventually found another figure standing some distance away. He was too late to hear its voice, but their form seemed oddly familiar. His eyes squinted in suspicion as he took a few tentative steps forward, "Who are you?"

 

[RavenSong]

A bit puzzled the witch looked at Kesh who appeared from the mists. "You hear the witch? But IM the witch! What do you mean?" Looking at Cayde a bit puzzled she asked, "Is your friend okay?" before the rain jumped suddenly to which Scylla flinched a bit. "Hm?! Hey I'm right here?" she stammered quite confused, but before long Kesh yelled the rabbit. To which sent a chill down the witches spine as her eyes widened with concern. "What?! We must-" but going through this dense mist was quite difficult to navigate through. Assuming Kesh went to warn Baharius, Scylla had to trust. If everyone started splitting away, they'd be much more vulnerable. And it there was some kind of trickery here regarding copies or shades of anyone in the party, it could easily lead to so much confusion. She decided to go against her protective instincts, although she was reluctant to do so.

This was when Chandra asked about whether they had any understanding of how banshees were anchored to the realm of the living. A little light bulb lit above Scyllas head. "I remember something vaguely in demonology class, loosely referring to horcruxes. They are anchored by some kind of karmic tether to either a deceased person, or to an item. Usually its difficult to understand them, as they are the embodiment of sinister intention." She scratches her head, "Thats about all I can remember, really." she chuckles nervously, likely because she wasn't paying much attention when her teacher was giving the lecture, she was busy perfecting a love potion, a secret she would never tell about, until the time was right. "Well, its not likely this banshee will simply shoo! shoo! if we tell it too. Theres likely a reason why its here and there certainly is a way, but its quite the mystery i'm afraid."

She quickly took a torch and lit it with [Fire Affinity], and helped others in the party within her proximity who needed theirs lit as well.

"I don't think it wise to simply go up to it without some sort of plan. Any ideas? Perhaps we can start looking around for an item, or even a corpse in the waters?"

 

[saxon]

Nissa
​

Nissa made her way through the fog, not caring if the others heard what she said or not. In her mind, the quickest way was to get rid of the creatures here. Moving in the direction of the wailing, she gripped the hilt of her sword tighter as she prepared herself in case something came at her from the mist. To be honest, she was getting annoyed with the mist, it was hindering her vision which she didn't normally have to worry about. Though this was a different case to say the least.

As she got closer to the wailing Clarice and then the banshee came into view. Well I guess she found the banshee first, though I guess that isn't the worst thing in the world. She thought to herself before the banshee then pointed to her and spoke as she felt an assault upon her mind, a rather familiar feeling outside of the pain. Gripping her head with her free hand she gritted her teeth. Then Clarice spoke in a rather computer-like fashion devoid of emotion which caused Nissa to tilt her head to the right for a moment.

Nissa then started to try and resist the assault upon her mind, "Stay out of my head!" She ordered trying to push back the feelings and the images the banshee was trying to force upon her. Glancing over at Clarice she let out a small sigh, "Well at least someone can agree with me on something, we will do it your way but after this we are going to have a discussion," Nissa concluded as she knew this wasn't going to be a fun fight nor did she feel like getting into melee with a creature she probably wouldn't be able to hit.

Then Clarice stepped in between her and the Banshee, taking a deep breath she would follow behind Clarice as she moved to keep the banshee from line of sighting her as she followed Clarice.

mentions:
Elvario RavenSong The Last Curse Skyhunter TheSimianMind Develius

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes

Mentions: Baharius Develius | Scylla RavenSong | Cayde The Last Curse | Kesh Skyhunter | Clarice TheSimianMind | Nissa saxon

(Black-and white icons are defeated. Red ones are severely injured.
Clarice and Nissa are off of the map in the direction of where their icons are.)

Chandra Jarmil
​

If Kalina's cold hands hadn't been a give-away, her shock probably was. In a short moment of being distracted, the rat managed to ratflip out of the mist and suddenly grabbed her hand. Knowing the possible implications, she pulled it loose and took a step back, only to realise that'd only worsen things after the fact. She had no clue what this rat was talking about and didn't like this at all, as she didn't even have a decent reply ready. “I'm not half as weird as you though.” That was all she could come up with, although in the end it sounded more like a question than a statement. She was still as confused when the rat suddenly ran back to Baharius and the rabbit.

Cayde's idea regarding the Banshee sounded plausible. “I've got no clue how the thing would communicate if all it can do is wail, but if it's like a spirit seeking to find its way to the afterlife, perhaps you're right.” It was worth a short. Oddly enough, Cayde then told her and Scylla to go after the Banshee, rather than join him in making sure his pet rat was okay. She nodded when Scylla backed up what Cyade had said, adding the idea of some sort of anchor point. She had no clue what to do with it, but it was something at least.

However, Kalina had to shake her head regarding the plan. “I honestly have no idea how to deal with it. I doubt we'll find anything in this swamp, especially as we don't even know what we're looking for. It might just be buried in mud and water as well. Besides, shouldn't we go after whatever the rat claimed is impersonating you first?” However, as she said it, she and Scylla would suddenly hear something worrying. “Wait, the wailing is getting louder... is the Banshee coming closer?”

Meanwhile Scylla silently clicked her tongue when Baharius didn't want to hand over the paladin. Stubborn lizard. Perhaps she should up the stakes a bit. “Okay, fine. I'll admit I just don't trust you. You would've let her cool down until she'd die if I hadn't tucked her into that bedroll! After turning around, I instantly started to wonder if you hadn't done something stupid to her!” She'd barely finished talking when Kesh showed up. “What? An imposter? What are you talking about? Didn't you hear me shout that I'd go back for the bunny? This darn mist is muffling everything too much... wait? If there's someone impersonating me, we should hurry back to the others, they might be in danger!” Although Baharius did send a shiver down her spine, that was all his intimidation did. When Cayde arrived, she yelled at him, sounding a bit frustrated. “I'm Scylla, of course! Look!” She held up her shirt, which was covered in blood. “I've still got the rabbit's blood on me from when I was pressuring her wounds! We've got to get back to the others and deal with this imposter! Please tell me you haven't left anyone alone with them?”

Banshee

​

Spoiler: Banshee

Meanwhile, further to the north, Clarice was still going on an emotionless tour. The wailing would draw her out completely and utterly, so she'd have to break up her sentences and try to get them through during the short pauses in the Banshee's wailing. It was possible, but it'd take a fair bit more time. From her investigation, she'd get some seemingly conflicting information. On the one hand, the fog seemed thicker around the Banshee, but on the other hand, it didn't seem to conceal her all that much. Just like how her wailing wasn't muffled by the mist, her appearance didn't seem to be all that affected by it either. There was nothing that indicated the spectre's trail, as even the area directly below the Banshee didn't show any hints of her being there. In fact, there weren't even any footsteps left in the marshy grounds. The best way to deduce where it might've come from was to travel directly in the direction she travelled from. In the same line as they'd travelled towards her from where Kesh first picked up on her wailing.

Her hypothesis was correct, to a degree. As she got in-between Nissa and the Banshee, the ferocity of the attempts to invade her mind suddenly decreased by a lot. It didn't go away altogether, not until Nissa also made a conscious attempt to drive out the Banshee as well. The latter stopped the headache and made her feel clear-headed again. Oddly enough, as they past by the Banshee to travel in the direction it'd have come from, the Banshee didn't seem to start giving chase or even turn. Instead, it looked towards its original path and started moving forwards again, towards the others. Once again, it started wailing. “My child... give him to me... my child... give him back.. my child.. bring him back... my child... return him... my child... give him back...”

As Clarice and Nissas traversed through the swamp, with Clarice tracing the magic lines to avoid getting lost in the swamp, they'd soon see the mist thinning and heard the volume of the wailing decreasing. However, that was about all they saw regarding the banshee. As it was dark in the swamp, even without the mist (and with torches if they had them), it was difficult to make out much of the environment.

 

[Develius]

​

---

Mentions:
Elvario (Imposter "Scylla" and Aba) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde)
​

---

Scylla's tonal whiplash wouldn't sit right with the protective saurian, as he flared his gums to expose his jagged teeth in response. She already was beginning to sound a lot like Nissa, utilizing a haughty high-ground and gaslighting Baharius purposefully to get what she wanted. Yet if this was truly the real Scylla, this sudden 180 wouldn't quite make sense for her character. The simple oversight of not covering the paladin with something warm like a bedroll was a simple oversight calmly corrected by the real Scylla; which he thanked her for. After all, he had seen her actively counter the vampire's similar "cold" ideology and had otherwise treated him rather respectfully. This alone, supported by his belief in Kesh's claim and his stalwart nature to protect the paladin at all costs, was already enough to firmly convince him of her identity.

As Cayde appeared onto the scene and asked the fake who she was, she continued to claim her validity and pressed into the fact that they should help with the others and find the imposter. Baharius, again, would not budge. "I have already stated my current responsibility to her." he stated firmly, adding a hiss of anger into his statement, "I am not leaving her side until I get her out of this swamp; a deed only to be done once the other three threats have been dealt with. What do YOU plan on doing with her if I decide to give her to you now, in the middle of a conflict with the BANSHEE no less?"

He gave a look at both Cayde and Kesh to come hither, giving a bob of his head and a chuff. If they were to come close, he would say quietly to the two, "I need you two to mark this imposter, in order to distinguish her from the real Scylla. Wound her, hex her, blight her... do anything that you believe can alter her from the other individual. I will stand guard over the paladin and ensure she doesn't take her. If it becomes too much for us to handle, I will roar for the other's assistance... and hope they will come. I have an awful feeling this imposter might have to do something with our current foe... or perhaps, dare I say, with the mysterious fourth creature."

 

[TheSimianMind]

Magnificent, yet another "discussion" awaits Clarice. Why not dub that interaction a lecture, negotiation, or strategy meeting? Why conceal its nature when Clarice, in the absence of intel, can only assume the worst? It isn't like Clarice can skip town or -

Or can she?

If Clarice can traverse the swamps, what's stopping her from simply leaving? Admittedly, the hag claimed none could depart, but the cryptic scraps of information it provided thus far were dubious at best and half-truths at worst. If the hag severed a thread to trap the party here, what would be required to repair it? Wouldn't the powers residing here consider such sabotage a breach of this ancient pact the hag asserted it could not break?

While these questions are worth exploring further, Clarice concedes that they are best left to a more peaceful stint of time. Currently, other matters compete for her attention.

I'm afraid poor visibility has put me off the scent, Lyse, but the flora and fauna bore witness to the banshee's passage. I can compel the fauna to guide us.

[Action 1 - Clarice recalls information regarding the processes by which fog forms and dissipates using Physics (F).]

Should that fail, we need only search for water droplets and residual moisture left by the fog. Time is of the essence, so this option is suboptimal.

Can you help me locate a suitable animal?

Without a light source, Clarice would have difficulty perceiving this moisture with any sense excepting touch. Given that a hostile tree ent dwells in this area, Clarice would prefer not to run about hugging trees. On the other hand, every second she dithers is another second the banshee can assail Scylla, and Clarice predicts that, unlike Nissa, Scylla's sympathy for the banshee would doubtlessly win out over logic and good sense.

But seeing as the banshee did not pursue them...

Is the banshee's condition no different from the paladin's? Perhaps it is the third victim in this sick game.

The first victim: the corpse. Sex unknown. Affiliated with the same order as the paladin. Distinguishing feature: a pair of horns. Little else known about its identity.

The second victim: the banshee. Formerly female. Searching for child. Linked to the first victim?

The third victim: the paladin. Female lagomorph. Mission unknown.

...

Was the paladin journeying toward the banshee?

Clarice searches for a nocturnal animal while mulling over the situation.

[Action 2 - If Clarice locates a nocturnal animal/nocturnal animals, she harnesses the Kingmaker (E), commanding it/them to show her where the banshee came from.]

[Action 3 - If Action 2 is a resounding failure (i.e. if she does not cast the Kingmaker), Clarice begins checking trees, reeds, and other plantlike for abnormal moisture while continuing to forge ahead.]

Lyse, do you believe that we discovered the paladin along the route the banshee was patrolling by sheer coincidence? I discovered the corpse of a second paladin in the area. Looked to be a horned beastfolk. Cause of death unknown. Either killed by those monsters you fought or scavenged after death. The banshee didn't appear to be a beastfolk nor can humans and beastfolk interbreed.

On the off-chance it's all connected, there's more to our quest than meets the eye.

Clarice begins to connect the dots. The design she envisions is not complete, but it remains plausible

Even if that isn't a point of convergence, I suspect that we've been tasked with bumping off previous wish-makers. Think about it: if the banshee wants its son back, why wouldn't the hag return it or a simulacrum of it and cut out the middleman? Furthermore, the swamp clearly did not favor the paladin. That allows us to eliminate the possibility that the prohibitions of an ancient pact bind the hag unless the pact binds the hag directly, not the swamp...

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Develius Skyhunter Elvario ​

Cayde was still taken aback by the doppelganger's attempts to fool him. Not only had the blood staining its shirt earned a visceral reaction from him, but its strange portrayal of Scylla was just as shocking. He may not have known much about the real Scylla - other than her quirky personality and assumed love for cake, but her friendliness couldn't be denied, especially regarding Baharius. From what he could see, the two got along, which was something the impostor had forgotten to replicate. It made that clear from how quickly it snapped at his scaly ally. Now Cayde didn't need any more reassurances: this wasn't the friendly witch apart of his team nor the woman who'd given him a second chance. This thing was not Scylla.

Then what was it? Baharius seemed to have the answer, Cayde stepping over to him as the saurial whispered his thoughts. His eyes went wide at the mention of the fourth monster, and whatever hair wasn't standing was surely at attention now. The Banshee was already here, the supposed were-rabbit was too, and now, to top it all off, he had to worry about the possibility of this entity being the fourth monster. The creature that he knew absolutely nothing about - the scariest one of all.

He gulped down his growing anxiety and nodded along to Baharius' suggestion. He hoped this impostor was just a byproduct of the mist, but if it was something corporeal, he agreed that a little blemish in its disguise would go a long way. "I'll send Kesh to give it a little slash on the legs. I'll even give her some poison to make it really obvious." He muttered, pointing to his pack, "We're gonna have to distract this thing a little longer so she'll get there with no issue." As for the real Scylla, Cayde had a plan to identify her, too, "When we meet the real Scylla, I'll craft something we'll all be able to use to identify her." He glanced over to the impostor and back to Baharius, "Thank God it didn't copy Lyse," Cayde scoffed, some humor entering his voice, "With that attitude, it would've fooled me!"

However, jokes would not identify the monster, so Cayde beckoned Kesh over. He'd hide behind Baharius' massive frame as he fumbled around in his pack, pulling out the ingredients necessary for his [Bewildering Brew], including the most skin-irritating herbs he had. "Kesh, I'm gonna need you to do something for me," He whispered, his hands working on crafting the potion, "I'm gonna give you my knife and some poison, and you've gotta sneak over there and give that thing a cut or two - somewhere we'll be able to see if it pops up again." Once he finished, he handed her the finished product and his unsheathed knife, "Baharius and I will give you a distraction. After that, go in, coat the knife with this, and have at em'" He nodded, though it still felt as if he were missing something.

Cayde quickly realized it: he'd given Kesh all this responsibility and hadn't even given her any encouragement. He was horrible at encouragement. "Look, I know I'm asking for a lot, but you're the only one I can trust to get this done." He said warmly, a familiar, goofy smile forming on his face. "Plus, I made a promise, didn't I? If that thing lays a finger on you, we'll chop them off and make it into a potion. How's that sound?" A bit graphic for his tastes, Cayde knew, but the weirder, the better. Such was the way of an alchemist.

Drawing away from Kesh and exchanging a nod with Baharius, Cayde would stand to face the impostor, hopefully drawing attention to himself. He tried to make his face as neutral as possible, yet his eyes were almost squinted shut, "Yeah, Scylla. The Banshee's somewhere up ahead, doing who-knows-what," He shrugged, "I mean, the rabbit's safe here, is she not? Where else do you think we should put her?"

Spoiler: Abilities Used

• Bewildering Brew - Alchemy D, Medicine D, Nature D -By combing hallucinogenic herbs and mushrooms, Cayde can create a slow-acting poison that causes dizziness, nausea, hallucinations, and confusion. Larger targets require more poison to take effect while smaller targets require less. - Grade E - 2 Post Cooldown

 

[RavenSong]

Looking at Chandra she nodded hastily, an index finger on her chin. “Yeah, I guess you’re right..” she looked around a bit then back at her, “..it’s not like we can see anything anyway!” She gathered the pack and it’s contents, noticing that most of the stuff in it was opened, undone or otherwise not in its usual tidy state. Likely the ratkins doing. Scylla shrugged but then Chandra suggested they’d go after Cayde. “Kesh WAS acting a little strange wasn’t she? Perhaps we can make a stop to the others, maybe some kind of clue will appear.. magically.” Although she certainly felt like she was in danger, her chipper self seemed to always shine through. Only to be contested by the eerie shrieking of the banshee that seemed to be approaching.

Scylla was becoming quite concerned for her friend and trusty colleague Clarice. And although she was tempted to call out to her, she wouldn’t want to risk the Banshee suddenly appearing by giving away their location then quickly becoming the one that truly needed to be helped. Without a solid lead of a plan, they'd surely be at the apparitions mercy. Scylla looked out into the mist nervously before finally turning to Chandra. “Right, lets go back. This is creeping me out.” She’d state’s finally as she held the pack in her hands. [1. Move 2 squares left, 4 squares down]

Scylla's eyes glowed a violet hue as she navigated through the dense mist, "Uhm, how likely is it that Kesh might have been, well, you know, hallucinating or something?" Part of Scylla was a bit incredulous of what the Ratkin could have seen or heard, her senses appeared to always be altered by one substance or another.

Once arrived, and within range of sight, she couldn't believe her eyes, almost even wondering if Kesh had in some way, shape, or form had intoxicated her with some kind of funky narcotic. "What in golden-egg-laying-geese?!?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide as she dropped the pack in her hands. "The rat was right! its.. its.. ME!"

"Hey! You!" She called out to the other Scylla, "Who the heck are you?! And why are you ME?! Then a sudden realization made her blood run cold, what if this was the fourth 'resident' they'd been told about? Scylla was tempted to simply attack, but she didn't know what exactly the others might have said to her or if they believed anything that came out of its mouth. Then the echo of the wailing banshee echoed through the swamp, turning around quickly then back, "Great. Very funny, but we don't have time for this, you copy-cat! Now take that guise off so we can get to the bottom of this.. I wouldn't want to hurt.. me."

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh was watching the fake witch, " You're a liar! A dirty-nasty liar! You're like a ugly-gross version of Stella! " Kesh yelled while waving her Rat fist at the imposter Scylla. Kesh had ideas of stopping the imposter before it got to be too much. Although she didn't want to harm the imposter, it looked too human and like someone she knows. Although with the arrival of Cayde and Scylla, Kesh felt better, now that the real Scylla was here. Kesh faced her teacher with a happy smile on her face.

" Master Clyde! " The Ratkin sounded happy as well, she even did a Ratkin front flip and landed it. She watched the alchemist speak to Scylla then turn to her in which Kesh raised a brow saying that he had a important thing for her to do. She smiled but it soon turned into a frown, a more sad frown, she didn't want to hurt anyone but she understood why she could do it. Kesh nodded without a word and took the potion and knife, looking at them. But she smiled weakly and hugged Cayde, making sure not to stab him with his own knife. " I'll do my best. " Kesh pulled away and placed the items on her belt looking at her ring as it glowed. " I must Conceal-Hide Away! " Kesh's ring glowed for a moment and she disappeared like the wind. [Conceal-Hide Away! E] In her current state she would take the knife and potion and poison the blade, making her way over to the imposter that was Scylla. Thinking that she had to do this to protect Cayde and the others, but mainly because Cayde asked and he's done so much, despite her already killing a couple boggarts.

Getting near the Scylla, Kesh looked around the imposter and got to her side, staring at where she could stab her or cut her. But Kesh had a different idea. She could end it. Right here. Kesh was nervous. She didn't know if she could or not. She was tall enough to reach her neck... She'll try to stop the danger. Kesh gulped and brought the knife up, looking at the neck of the Imposter, Kesh would swipe forward, looking to slash her neck open while taking a step sideways to move behind the witch.

Conceal-Hide Away! - E - Magic Affinity E, Undetected F, Magic Duration F: Kesh uses her abilities to hide away from both people's sight and having the ability to suppress her sound as well. This effect lasts for 1 minute. (1 Post Cooldown)

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes

Mentions: Baharius Develius | Scylla RavenSong | Cayde The Last Curse | Kesh Skyhunter | Clarice TheSimianMind | Nissa saxon

(Black-and white icons are defeated. Red ones are severely injured.
Clarice and Nissa are off of the map in the direction of where their icons are.
Scylla is slightly off the map in the direction of her icon.)

Scylla was far from happy by the lizard's response. She clicked her tongue, realising her attempt had failed. The rat calling her out like that showed the others were hostile as well. All of that thanks to that pesky rat having way too sharp of a hearing. “She won't leave until she fulfils her mission and her success is in my interest.” That's all she said, before turning towards the sound of the Banshee, noticing it was coming closer. “You're naïve and idiotic, don't let the monsters among you kill her.” The creature's true colours were showing through, as it practically hissed the words whilst turning and sprinting off. It wasn't stupid, after all, as it could see that Baharius, Cayde and Kesh were discussing things even though the mists dampened their whispers. Although the mist was covering up their exact movements, it could even see Cayde was rummaging through his stuff. Considering it'd been exposed, it didn't like where this was going and wouldn't wait and find out. Although it didn't seem immune to the mist, it seemed familiar enough with this swamp to be surprisingly fast despite the low visibility, making its way off before Cayde could finish his potion.

Scylla and Kalina arrived just in time to see it run off, with Scylla being able to yell out her words the the fleeing creature. Although Kesh would be able to follow its footsteps in the damp ground, it would be difficult to catch up, as the mist made tracking someone a much slower process than it would otherwise be. That said, considering she was invisible, there was a chance she'd be able to eventually catch Scylla off guard, assuming she dared to pursue her for far enough away from the rest of the group. It was pretty likely the creature wasn't expecting an invisible pursuer, all things considered.

Banshee

​

Spoiler: Banshee

However, there was another problem. As Scylla and Kalina got a bit closer to talk to and see the others, they could once again hear the wailing of the Banshee. This time almost directly behind them. Chandra, having followed behind Scylla, turned around only to end up staring directly at it through the mists. For a split second, their eyes met and the creature seemed puzzled. Then, it screamed the exact same words towards Kalina as it'd screamed at Nissa. “Child of death... return him to me! Return him!” As it did so, Kalina could feel a splitting headache arise, accompanied by a plethora of negative feelings. Hatred, pain, fear, anguish... She grabbed her head as she fell to her knees, trying to cut off these thoughts and feelings. However, as she was being subjected to it, she started to see some sort of images. Even though she was in quite a bit of pain, the moment a bit of curiosity drew her to them, she started to see things more clearly.

A frontier settlement recently settled along the shore, bordering the swamp on the other side. Some sort of clergyman going door to door. A woman with a newborn, who for some reason had one finger too many on their hands. The newborn being ripped out of the mother's arms and brought into the marshes, whilst the mother herself was burned alive at the town's square. The few short visages she was seeing were enough to make sense of what had occurred and how this vengeful spirit came to be; as if the creature had been trying to communicate in the only way it knew how too; through the endless negative emotions it was experiences. Kalina even gained a feint awareness of a location, another memory of the mother perhaps, an altar in the swamp. One upon which many similar cases had been sacrificed in these swamps. However, she'd only barely gathered that information when she could feel something wrong. These emotions were too strong. They were taking hold of her, as if taking her over. She was starting to lose herself in them, as the line between who she was and who this Banshee was, was fading, blurring, slowly being erased. Her... son. They'd taken her son... She suddenly heard the Banshee wailing in two voices, only to realise one of those was her own...

A fair bit away from them, Clarice was on her own quest. She knew enough about physics to know that this instance wasn't natural. It didn't seem to come from the Banshee itself, but instead be forced to arise from the ground surrounding her. It seemed more logical to assume some sort of water-magic was being used, instead of a natural phenomena. Clarice would find a few nocturnal animals, after being far enough away from the Banshee for them to no longer be frightened by them. A few frogs, some sort of lizard and even a owl. However, the creatures just stared at her blankly, regardless of which of them she'd end up using Kingmaker on. Either they were unable to comprehend the command or they didn't know the direction either.

Clarice would find moisture on pretty much all plants. It was a marsh, after all. A few would seem particularly moist, but in the dark, it was difficult to spot a pattern or to figure out if that was really due to the Banshee's passing or not. For what it was worth, she did manage to accidentally grab a particular reed covered in green slime. It was probably a thing called Frog's Fountain, for the fact that it looked like frog slime was flowing out of the top of it, which was of moderate value to the botanical department as the slime had some properties that helped against burns, similar to aloe vera.

(OOC side-note: beast and humans can interbreed. It'd give birth to an aberration. It's not common, but not unheard of to the degree that Clarice would've never heard of it.)

 

[Develius]

​

---

Mentions:
Elvario (Imposter "Scylla", Aba, & Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla)
​

---

Baharius' glare was steadfast on the imposter, refusing to break eye contact while he whispered his plan to both Cayde and Kesh. As the alchemist began rummaging through his pouch to brew up a concoction, the saurian knew the apparition had lost the element of surprise and saw her continue unwinding her true colors with venomous pronunciation. They were rather ominous in their presentation, but the Saurian showed no signs of visible fear. Indeed, she had to be related to the banshee; no question about it. And as the shrieking cries got ever closer, the imposter began to flee the vicinity just as Chandra and the real Scylla came into the picture, with Kesh in hot pursuit. Baharius breathed a sigh of relief once she saw the witch come into view, relieved that the apparition was not a possession. "Thank the gods," the saurian muttered, as his tension began to lessen just slightly. He only hoped that Kesh would return quickly as well, for Cayde's sake at least.

Still looming over the rabbit in defensive formation, the saurian turned to Scylla herself. "That imposter was after the rabbit," he explained worryingly, as his expression turned towards the misty depths to the west, "I have little doubt that this was the work of that banshee and that she wants her for whatever dark purpose within her twisted mind. We must be prepared for~"

Another bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the marsh, this time sounding much closer than before. Baharius winced in pain, as he irritably shook his head to mitigate the brief tinnitus ringing through his ears. From the sound of it, it felt like it came directly behind Scylla herself... yet it also sounded very familiar. It sounded like Chandra! A sudden wave of realization shocked the saurian's system, his heart sinking deeper into his stomach after realizing what must've happened. "SCYLLA, BEHIND YOU!" the beast bellowed as he quickly took 2 steps behind him, still carrying Aba under him.

It would seem to him that Chandra had now been compromised by the loathsome Banshee, just faintly making out her image from the mist. Time has ran out. Now it was time they faced her head on. Baharius leaned slightly upward, tightening his grip on the blade while cold sweat dripped from his body. "She's here..." he muttered dreadfully. He didn't desire to fight one of his own, even if possessed by an evil power, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to protect the paladin. He only hoped that wherever the hell Clarice and Nissa were at this time that they return soon... or better yet, found a way to defeat this shrieking monstrosity.

*[Two Steps Right (With Bunny)]

 

[saxon]

Nissa
​

Nissa looked at the girl for a moment and shook her head, "I can't see in the dark or well I can to an extent but its nothing really all that superior to normal sight." Nissa explained with a shrug of her shoulder as she noticed the banshee wasn't following and put her sword away, glancing around. "Though I can lead you to some animals with my hearing but if you can compel them by all means," she concluded as she closed her eyes for a moment and pointed in the direction of an animal.

"As for the connection, I suppose its possible, though only the true brain dead deal in chances, at this rate taking everything at face value that was found its best. The others are too soft; they wouldn't be able to make a hard decision if their lives depended upon it," Nissa concluded as she rolled her eyes.

Nissa glanced around, rather bored, as she turned her back to the girl and sat her pack down, the injury from earlier still itching. she then took out a glass jar before moving behind a tree and taking a sip of the blood, attempting to use it to heal herself and close the wound from the fight.

Afterward, she would then step out from behind the tree, "Once again, I place my faith in the hag because she is probably the most powerful creature in this swamp. If she is simply cleaning the swamp of failed wish takers then I don't see an issue with it. But, it is easier to side with the stronger ones than to fight the losing battle, dead men tell no tales and that is something I would like to avoid," she concluded as she waited to see where the next part of this trip was going to take her.

mentions:
Elvario RavenSong The Last Curse Skyhunter TheSimianMind Develius

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Skyhunter Elvario RavenSong ​

After the impostor's hasty departure, Cayde realized two things: He was none the wiser about the creature's true identity, and if it were to show up again, there'd be no way to discern it from looks alone. Its words were just as haunting as its speed, Cayde sure it'd appear again to fulfill whatever scheme it had in mind. Maybe under the guise of another one of his allies, he imagined. Or, if his luck was exceptional today, appearing as a copy of himself. The image made him shudder; if that's how the creature portrayed Scylla, he didn't want to see how it'd depict him. Nor did he want to see what tricks it'd pull under the cover of his skin.

He'd worry about that later. For now, he steadied his breathing and returned his gaze to the mist, searching for Kesh. He figured she was still invisible somewhere, yet the growing fear that she was still pursuing the impostor hung in his mind. Cayde still hadn't a clue what the creature's true potential was, so he couldn't leave Kesh all alone with it. If something had happened to her here, when she was out of sight, and especially out of reach, he'd never forgive himself. "Kesh!" He called out into the fog, hoping she was close enough to hear his voice, "It's gone! We'll worry about it later - come back!" Whether his plea would find her or not, Cayde would hear a familiar voice behind him. The same voice the impostor used not too long ago.

It was Scylla - the real Scylla, he hoped. Of course, it was still possible this was the same interloper as before, or this Scylla was somehow an illusion spawned from the fog, but Cayde decided to go with the option that would spare both his anxiety and his sanity. "Scylla! Just the lady I wanted to see," He said urgently, "Hold on, I need to give you some-" Another ghastly wail, this one much closer, silenced him before he could finish his sentence. Even worse, it seemed as if the screams had doubled, yet the cadence between them was off. It sounded foreign and, strangely enough, familiar. Finally, the realization hit him like a wave, and his teeth clenched, disbelief forming in his voice, "It's Kate..." He shook his head, "The Banshee, it's got Kate!"

Cayde's legs kicked in before his head did. He'd follow the silhouette of Kate, and before he knew it, he was standing behind his fellow crossbowman (4 Left, 1 Down). Her screams and the Banshee's filled his head and pounded at his ears, but Cayde tried his best not to pay them any mind. What mattered now was saving Kate and getting her away from whatever spell the Banshee had put her under. "Come on, you'll never get that prize in this state..." Cayde muttered as he tried hefting her arm around his neck, "Let's get you out of here!"

There was no way Cayde was leaving her behind. After saving him twice and sticking up for him, Kate was one of the few in this group he'd gladly call a friend, and even if the rampant suspicion had denied him that privilege, it still wouldn't matter to him. She was a part of the team, and the team's well-being was paramount. But, Before he'd start dragging her off, he'd look over to the outline of Scylla behind him, "Hey, Scylla! Can you help me out with this?"

Provided Scylla (or anyone available) would assist him, Cayde would attempt to drag Kate away from the Banshee (1 Down, 3 Right), hopefully far enough to regain her bearings.