Graded [Overgrown Marshes] The Hag of the Overgrown Marshes

[TheSimianMind]

And only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Clarice quips, not missing a beat. Like a hyperactive bee, she flits from plant to plant, running her fingers along their rough surfaces as she feels for water droplets. As this line of inquiry wears on, she diverts more and more of her attention to the lizard and barn owl staring dumbly at her.

*Shriek!*
*Hiss.*

Somewhere along the line, they must have liberated themselves from her Mind Control and opted to gaslight her for her hubris. They possess object permanence, they heard the banshee, and they understood her command, so why are they holding out on her?

That banshee isn't a psychic construct, you know. By all accounts, it manifests nightly - presumably at its tether, for the tether, well, tethers it to the Material Plane.

The blank expression scribed across the owl's face is irrefutable proof that she still doesn't get it. The lizard is gazing quizzically in multiple directions - a hallmark of an F-Student. Alrighty then, she'll give them one more chance to atone for trying to pull a fast one on the incredible Clarice.

This banshee is essentially a klaxon; she outputs alarming sounds at high decibel levels. You can't tell me you're not smart enough to know where the alarming sounds come from and how to avoid them! That's basic survival stuff!

*Screeech!*
*Hiss!*

Clarice exhales loudly and presses her index finger and thumb against the bridge of her nose.

Don't drink the water, Lyse; there must be lead in it. I've met koalas more intelligent than these two, and I can only chalk that up to brain impairment.

Shoot! Well, Clarice isn't giving up yet!

I didn't want to do this, but...

[Action 1 - Clarice extends the index finger of her gauntleted hand. As motes of white light collect at the end of her finger, she casts Beginner Magic: Glow (from Magic Affinity (E)) and attempts to tack on Duration (F).]

It might not be as effective as light from a torch, but it'll do in a pinch!

[Action 2 - Clarice resumes her investigation, hoping that the light she produces will be sufficient to illuminate additional clues. Swamp, marsh, or bog, dew formation under these conditions is unnatural and a sure mark of the banshee's passage.] Clarice is too invested in her search to notice when Lyse steps away for few seconds.

Circling back to the hag, I doubt it is the most powerful creature in this swamp. If you trust it, then you tacitly recognize this as it stated it was bound by something. It is that something we must appease; all others are secondary.

Clarice flat out ignores the slime-covered reed. She's fairly certain that's not ectoplasm, and she isn't enough of a botanist to suss out the plant's true value. In her view, it's gross and likely poisonous, a reason to accelerate her search rather than allow herself to be distracted from it.

There must be something she is missing here - especially if the animals are this dumbfounded. Perhaps they overshot the tether? If there isn't a tether or, bare minimum, a locus, then this is as much of a ghost as the Ringling Brothers is a law firm. It really is as simple as that.

And once again, the possibility that the banshee is just a guy in a mask rears its ugly head.

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

As Kesh got near the Scylla fake, she realized that it began to already move out, just as she swung her blade and missed. The Ratkin looked shocked a bit unhappy with this, feeling cheated honestly. She had the setup and everything. But Kesh was already on a mission, she would not falter! She already promised that she would do her best. The Ratkin wouldnt back down, she wouldnt useless anymore! Against her better judgement... Kesh... Felt conflicted. She wanted to chase after the fake Scylla to try and stop her but what if... What if that happened to someone to the group? What if they had a impostor of another.

Kesh gulped and growled, they should have never came here... Kesh just wanted some stuff to steal and some more schooling. The still invisible Kesh turned to face the group and headed on back, hearing Cayde's voice did fill her with joy, as soon as she got closer she could hear something else, was that that screaming from earlier? Still invisible, Kesh headed towards the voice, she would see that weird Chandra and some strange old monster looking... Monster! Kesh's eyes widen, this couldn't be allowed to happen! Kesh charged in, still hoping her invisibility was up and leapt up over the banshee, it smelled... Disgusting she thinks? In the middle of her jump, she would slash the banshee's eyes with the dagger Cayde had given to her [Acrobatics E]. Landing on the ground, Kesh moved away to try and avoid any sort of retaliation. Kesh didn't want to hurt anyone or anything but she can't let people get hurt or die or anything else! She just wanted to go home now, she's already killed some beasts she didn't want to.

 

[RavenSong]

After watching the other 'Scylla' disappear into the mist, a puzzled look took over her features, "That was definitely some kind of mimic spirit!" She assumed, before once again visibly pondering like some kind of detective, pacing to and fro quickly. "Hmm, it must have some kind of interest in my cute little bunny, considering it decided to mimic me, it's likely been observing us, waiting for the perfect time to interfere.." But that left one question, "..but why? What could that thing possibly want with the bunny?"

Before she could audibly think her thoughts through however, Cayde called out to Kesh, which in turn reminded her of Clarice once again. Looking around a bit through the dense fog a bit hopelessly, she couldn't help but call out to her, "Clarice! This isn't funny! Don't ditch me yet!" Putting a hand on her hip, she shook her head, half worried and half optimistic. "Where could that little lady have gone too?" She wondered, "She wouldn't just leave me here to fend for myself would she?!" The sudden realization, that she was alone with a group of strangers made her step a bit closer to Chandra. "Uhm.." she muttered. "Well, I hope she's safe."

Then Cayde began to address her, "Oh? You wanted to see me? For what?" She said tilting her head with immense curiosity, maybe it was a gift? Maybe candy? Or the plant she'd been looking for in these swamps?! She wouldn't know.

It had been seconds before the Banshees shriek would blast through the forest once again, when Baharius yelled out to her. Looking back suddenly, she could only briefly make out the silhouette of the horrible creature, however it seemed the effects of the Banshees affliction had affected Chandra who was standing right behind her. "H-hey look out!" Not really thinking about much else other than, the thought of eventually being the last one here.

After Chandra dropped to her knees, Scylla immediately grabbed the stranger and pulled her up to her feet as best she could, soon after joined by Cayde. Looking at the Plague Doctor she started, her voice a bit panicked, "We need to do something about this Banshee! It's going to drive us all mad! I don't fancy my mind getting messed with by that thing!"

[1. Move, Follow next to Cayde, with Kalina]

"I really hate to think that we'll have to resort to more violent means.." She said solemnly, "..I-i don't know what could have happened to my colleague! What if the banshee ate her?!?!" Clearly she wasn't thinking very straight, Scylla was desperately searching her mind for some kind of answer.

 

[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.)

Baharius successfully backed up with the rabbit, although carrying her like this was somewhat uncomfortable and he'd backed up far enough to only see the vague shape of Scylla and to no longer see Kalina. Only the ghastly appearance of the Banshee was somehow still visible through the mist.

Cayde would realise that it wasn't necessarily Scylla's speed that made her successfully retreat, but the fact that they'd been openly hostile towards her, before trying to come up with a plan and brewing potions, giving her a sufficient head-start in terrain she was experienced with. However, were they to have caught her off guard, they would likely be able to catch her. Perhaps they'd get another shot, now that they were prepared and had their plans ready.

Cayde and Scylla were successful in dragging away Kalina. She didn't resist, although she didn't cooperate either. She merely got dragged along rather lifelessly. Although she'd only passed out, her undead nature was likely to make it look like she'd passed way. Only Cayde's knowledge on medicine would allow him to realise she'd been dead long before the Banshee got to her, were he to try first aid on her while Scylla was panicking about Clarice.

Chandra Jarmil
​

As for Kalina herself, she'd nearly lost herself to the visions and feelings altogether. It felt like the inside of her mind was thoroughly scattered and scrambled. An attack not of physical nature, but one that attacked something else, a spirit or soul, or perhaps just a very specific part of the brain. It was only when she got pulled away and when the Banshee was distracted by something that she snapped out of it, however, as whatever connection the Banshee had made broke off, the sudden shock and backlash was heavy enough to make her pass out from it. She's probably be okay soon enough, but her already lifeless state definitely wouldn't make it look like it.

Banshee

​

Spoiler: Banshee

Kesh, in her state of being highly emotional, only imagined the there to be scent at all. In reality, the banshee was scentless, but that was a detail easy to get wrong when under high levels of stress. That stress wouldn't subside easily either, as she'd realise that her dagger hit nothing but air. Particularly cold air, but air nonetheless. As she landed, however, the Banshee had its attention focussed upon her. For a short moment, she'd feel a barrage of negative emotions, almost as if they were physically flung at them from behind her, but her invisibility allowed her to get away before the splitting headache that accompanied these emotions would bring her to her knees. The Banshee moved a bit in her direction, but was either incapable or unwilling to follow the undetected rat.

Instead, it started wailing again. “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...” If there was ever a moment for them to try to get away from it, now would be the time. It was likely that it wouldn't be long before it'd start moving again, and although they hadn't yet spotted a pattern in its movements, there was a fair chance it'd head towards them for another confrontation, repeating the previous cycle or finding a new victim.

A fair bit away from them, Nissa would feel her wounds heal up from the blood. They still ached and itched a bit, but that was more of an annoying after-effect of the poisons and toxins than a serious issue.

Clarice, meanwhile, was having some furious debates with the local wildlife. For what it was worth, there seemed to be a very feint acknowledgement in 'scary is sound = run away' department, for as far as animals could display such a thing, but the 'where scary sound came from' part still got her blank expressions. Perhaps the Banshee's appearance didn't have a pattern to it at all, making it difficult for an animal to comprehend a 'where from' question regarding a being who's terrifying sounds came from different directions each night.

Clarice was able to cast a small, relatively dim light. (OOC, I'm honestly not sure if this is an adequate usage of the flux thing, as I'm not sure if you can tag a whole new [light] affinity onto the spell with just [magic] itself, rather than using new modifiers on al already existing affinity, like in the example, but for this one I'll allow it to work at a very low capacity.). The dim light made stepping into the water a whole lot less likely, but it wasn't strong enough to reveal any new clues. The poor Frog's Fountain went ignored, unable to share it's slimy properties with the wider world.

She would, as she kept investigating, start getting the feeling she was being observed by something or someone.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: saxon Skyhunter Elvario Develius TheSimianMind RavenSong ​

Cayde, and especially his arms, were grateful for Scylla's assistance. More accustomed to moving books and bottles around the apothecary, a grown woman was a bit out of their league, so any added strength was more than welcome. Still, that wouldn't stop the weight of Scylla's concerns from pressing into his thoughts. Just like him, she was worried about the Banshee, and just like him, she was fretting over her companion. Cayde knew the feeling very well, yet still, he felt a pang of guilt. At least he had a clue where Kesh might be - Scylla didn't even have that. He could at least give a reason for Kesh's disappearance; what could Scylla say for Clarice? There was no answer he could think of, so instead, he tried to offer whatever solace he could, "Scylla, I'm 100% sure Clarice is around here. It's just this dang fog that's making everything so complicated." He shot her a determined glance through the dense mist, "I promise you: once we get out of this, we will find Clarice, don't you worry!"

As for her question about what to do with the Banshee, Cayde's eyes darted elsewhere. Kate's warning had ruled out all means of his and possibly the entire group's means of attack, and after witnessing what it had done to her, nearly all his will to negotiate had crumbled. He thought there had to be another way to approach this, but closing his eyes and concentrating did not give him another idea. Instead, it brought his attention to the deathly cold arm draped around his neck. It didn't take him long to snap out of his fugue and place two fingers beside Kate's windpipe, and what he felt, or at least, what he didn't feel, sent his heart into overdrive.

There was nothing: No pulse, no reaction, and not even the slightest feeling of warmth. Denial started to cloud Cayde's mind. He'd only seen her a couple of minutes ago; how could this have happened? If she'd passed just then, her body would still have a touch of heat, yet he was feeling skin as cold as a rock. Was this Banshee's doing? Was Kate always like this? And most importantly, was his fellow crossbowman now de- "Nononono, you're just unconscious, is all." He nodded, "Just gotta get you away from here, Kate." All he needed to do was some basic first aid, and she'd be up and running again: shooting alongside him, saving his hide. Those visions weren't real - he could do something about this.

It was time to share the plan with the team. "We've got to get out of here. Now!" He tried hard to mask the absolute terror on his face, but as with his outburst earlier, he failed miserably, "Look, the Banshee did something to Kate. It'll come for us next, and we've got nothing to stop it!" He faced Scylla, "Lyse went up ahead earlier. Maybe, uh, Clarice tagged along with her. We'll grab them along the way!" Next was Baharius, "Baharius, you've got Abha in good hands. Please, keep her close!" Finally, he turned to the mist, and his eyes searched frantically for Kesh, "KESH, We're going! NOW!"

It didn't matter where he'd end up next - as long as it was as far from here. He'd deal with the truth later.

 

[Develius]

​

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Mentions:
Elvario (Abha & Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla)
​

---

Once realizing the situation, Baharius slowly moved up - now cradling Abha in an upright stance - to investigate the situation. It appeared that the banshee had left Chandra's body, instead of possessing her to attack them. It would be a wise situation for someone of her stature to disengage a 1v3, but nonetheless he couldn't tell what the creature's true goal here. Whatever the case, the woman now looked ghastly in appearance, not even sporting a pulse or any warmth. It truly looked as if she had died. "If she's truly dead," Baharius stated rather solemnly, "Then I'm afraid there's nothing to be done." He feared the worse, but nonetheless it remained to be truly seen. Wouldn't mind to be wrong here.

Meanwhile, both Scylla and Cayde were going into a panic, prying for any sort of answer as they were not sure on how to combat the banshee. Even Baharius' nerves were already beginning to be pushed, especially with having to safeguard the paladin, and he wouldn't blame them. Kesh was nowhere to be seen, as were both Clarice and Nissa's extended absence. They needed a new plan. Thankfully, it would seem the plague doctor had one, and it was a simple one at that.

Run.

At least, his terrified reaction seemed to prompt that assumption. But nonetheless, he agreed that it would be wise for them to retreat. With obscured vision, separated comrades, and an undead enemy who couldn't die by physical means after the bunny, their current position was compromised. Staying here wouldn't do them any good, running the risk of further casualties. Giving the order to find Lyse and Clarice up the way and have the saurian keep the Abha close, the reptilian general nodded in agreement. "With my life." he replied to the alchemist.

He was tempted to give a loud roar to see if he can lead any separate allies to him, especially how Cayde was shouting for Kesh, but felt it would be better for him to remain quiet. After all, he had what the Banshee sought...

Wherever they go afterwards, Baharius would be close behind; and his hold on Abha even closer.

*(Move up one space left next to Scylla and Cayde)

 

[RavenSong]

Looking around her, all Scylla could see was dense fog, the frantic witch was just about to turn around and simply take things into her own hands. Although she had some reservations about whether or not fire darts would affect the wailing thing. Although she was a sweet-bubble-gum-candyroll, she wasn’t a pushover. After all she spent endless hours studying magic to defend herself for these dangerous occasions. But before she could turn around and do so, something unexpected happened.

Cayde after assuring her Clarice would be okay, seemed to temper the frantic witches panic, looking at Cayde through the fog with sudden wonder, yet taking quick glances towards the screams as if holding back. “Y-you really think so?” She asked with a hint of doubt. But upon hearing the offer to search for her colleague, she quickly accepted. “Alright. You said it!” She said, regaining her previous composure.

As she helped carry the disguised Kalina, she noticed Cayde suddenly grow a bit uneasy.

“Is.. something the matter?” She asked curiously as Cayde seemed to start panicking a bit himself. “Hey? hey! I’m supposed to be the damsel in distress here!” She demanded with a bit of a frown. But quickly figured out he was feeling a bit uneasy about Kate’s current condition after checking her pulse. She wouldn’t press him however, at this point it felt that it would just be best to find cover or somewhere safe to reassess their situation. Perhaps with a bit more literal clarity.

When Cayde began to tell his plan, she nodded, then froze a bit when he mentioned that Nissa was with Clarice, she didn’t trust that vampire, however at this point it didn’t seem she had much of a choice, considering the fog was so thick and the banshee was on the loose. “Well, it does make me feel a little better that she’s at least with someone. Although, I'd have liked for her to be in better company.” She remarked, as she adjusted her posture to better hold onto Kates arm around her shoulders. Hmm, she's kind of chilly. She thought with a pout.

Looking back at Baharius, the witch nodded happily when Cayde agreed to carry the bunny. "You're one in a million lizard knight!"

After that she’d retreat with Cayde, and Baharius likely close behind, away from danger. And the Banshee. For now. [1. Move]

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh would see her attacks did nothing, the Ratkin had a look of shock and disappointment, mainly her attacks were useless and she wouldn't be able to help Chandra. She felt defeated, unable to even slash another enemies eyes. Although this enemy was different... Like a ghost... Gasp! Another undead! Behind this weird old woman spirit thing, she saw something in the fog drag off Chandra, she could sniff them. The witch Stella and her master, Clyde! Kesh almost rejoiced! She was glad they were nearby.

But then the emotions came, Kesh could feel all sorts of negative emotions. She held her head as she felt like she could feel a headache coming and quickly moved away pass the banshee, following the scent of her companions until she could see Cayde, Scylla and that large lizard Baharius. Kesh moved a bit closer and allowed the invisibility to dissipate revealing her. " Clyde! Stella! Balthazar! " Kesh smiled with spread out arms, " I missed you all! " Kesh's eyes watered a bit as she still held Cayde's dagger that dripped with the poison she was given. She took a step forward and stopped. Wait! What if they thought she was that fake Scylla... " Uh, I'm the real-actual Kesh! " The Ratkin said dropping the dagger staring at them. " Don't hurt-harm me. " Kesh pleaded.

 

[saxon]

Nissa
​

Nissa watched as the blonded haired girl moved from animal to animal and spoke out loud after going to each one. Uh, did she lose her mind in this swamp or is she always this crazy? Nissa questioned as she brought her hand up to her chin and continued watching. She figured the answer would show itself soon enough. Examining the former location of the cut she saw it had closed up, though the itching remained.

"You know animals are not always the brightest of creatures, they are simple minded things barely enough of a higher function other than to eat, flee, and reproduce," Nissa pointed out running her hand through her silver hair as she watched the girl summon motes of light, though they were relatively weak.

"I think a torch would have worked better," Nissa responded as she started to look round for any signs of anything as well wither that be sounds or something that she could see on the ground. Though she figured if they kept walking in the direction the banshee had come from they would run into something. "While that is true, nothing says that whoever binded her is still around in this swamp; there is no evidence to support that they stayed behind here. So it would be safe to assume the hag is the strongest that we can see. Now depending on what these other creatures are like that might change," Nissa pointed out.

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

Considering Cayde, Scylla, Baharius and Kesh went into the direction of Nissa and Clarice, the group would eventually be able to meet back up again (assuming Scylla and Clarice would both follow the magic threads to avoid getting lost). (OOC, it's probably easiest to initiate the reunion with Nissa or Clarice posting them running into the group/scene at whichever point the scene is at by time of posting.) Luckily enough, the Banshee didn't give chase. Instead, it continued the path it had been on when passing them by.

As the group managed to get away, the mist vanished. Although it was still dark, their torches would light the way (and make them easier to find for Clarice and Nissa). After about half an hour, they'd find a spot that was relatively dry and relatively safe. It'd take another three or so hours for the rabbit to suddenly wake up.

Abha Roshan

​

Spoiler: Paladin Bunny

“What...” Was the first words she uttered, until she looked around the group and would instantly retreat however far she could from them, trying to pull herself loose or free if she was still being held onto. “What the hell do you want from me?!?” She shouted, confused and somewhat scared. It was to be expected from a group that'd saved her, stabbed her to near death, then somehow kept her alive and dragged her all the way here. By now she could no longer tell what in the world to think of these people. The only thing she knew for sure that she wasn't eager to get stabbed again. For those that paid attention, her wounds were mostly gone by now, having regenerated.

Oddly enough, that shouting was what woke up Kalina as well.

Chandra Jarmil
​

Kalina was confronted with two things upon awaking. A pretty severe headache and a considerable thirst for blood. “Urghr...”” She groaned, grabbing her head. That said, as horrible as she felt, there was one positive thing. “I think that Banshee showed me the place we need to go to get rid of her.” However, short after saying it, she suddenly realised they were somewhere completely different. That meant she'd been dragged here. That meant they'd been really close to her. That was bad. She was already in a position that'd raise a lot of suspicion. Earlier behaviour, the Banshee calling her a 'child of death' for some reason and probably having been carried. How much did they know/suspect by now? She was clearly concerned and the headache she was experiencing, combined with the annoying thirst, made it difficult to hide those emotions. That said, there was one thing she could ask. “Is everyone okay? What about the rabbit?” For one, she genuinely cared, secondarily, it'd hopefully put attention elsewhere.



Back with Clarice and Nissa, Clarice would feel the sensation of being watched fade as she wasn't in time to go and investigate it. Whatever had been keeping its eyes on them had left before they could spot or chase it. She and Nissa would be able to continue, but rather than finding more about the Banshee, they'd eventually spot the torches from the other group and would be able to rejoin. Luckily, they hadn't ran into more Boggearts while they were on their own in the dimly lit marshes.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: RavenSong Develius Skyhunter TheSimianMind Elvario saxon ​

Three hours wasn't enough for Cayde to forget what had happened. Even now, as he hastily scribbled notes in his journal to distract himself, he could still feel that ice-cold arm tightening around his neck and see the familiar face of exactly who it belonged to. "Nope..." He mumbled, shutting the book and directing his mind elsewhere - to the good things that happened. Stuff like Kesh returning, Clarice and Lyse finally showing up, and the group's easy escape from the Banshee. Not things like Kate staying 'unconscious' for hours. Or the fact he was starting to realize Baharius might be right. "Just gotta keep the mind busy..." He looked around the clearing frantically. There had to be something to distract him around here.

Fortunately, Cayde got a distraction. Two, in fact: one in the shape of a very awake paladin and the other from a very alive Kate. The latter was mainly the reason for the flabbergasted look on his face. "Kate! You're...okay?" He said cautiously, quirking one eyebrow. How was this possible? He'd felt no pulse, and her skin was as cold as stone. She was dead, so how was she talking right now? Cayde didn't know whether to be happy, relieved, or terrified. He tried to be the second, "I mean, of course you are! Scylla and I had to drag you away after the Banshee got you. You'll have to thank her - she did most of the lifting." He tried to chuckle, but it came out as a nervous jumble of hehs. "But uh, everyone's doing alright. Look's like Abha's come around too." He added, pointing over his shoulder to the beastkin, "I'll go have a word with her, but you? You've gotta take it easy, y'know?" He did want to hear what she knew about the Banshee, but in his current state, she'd definitely know something was up. After all, seeing people return from the dead wasn't a common occurrence for him. "Let the others know what you saw - I'll be right back," Cayde said, moving over to Abha. All the while, he was thinking: who really was Kate?

Eventually, with his palms faced up, Cayde approached the petrified were-rabbit, stopping a few paces before her. "Hey! Easy! Can't be moving like that when you've just got up," His eyes took a moment to scan her, and he noticed no signs of her previous wounds. That was even more evidence she was the were-rabbit. Cayde gulped, "Look, you've got no reason to trust us after what we did, I know, but can I at least explain what happened?" He slowly lowered his hands to his sides, "All we wanted to do was talk, but when we got close, one of us thought it was a good idea to do the complete opposite. We've dealt with that - we won't let her hurt you again." He sighed, trying not to glare at Nissa, "When you were out, though, we were all so worried! Scylla, the lady who hugged you, healed you up, and kept you warm. Baharius, the big lizardman over there, protected you! Even when that Banshee showed up..."

The mentioning of the monster made him shudder, but Cayde still offered a smile nonetheless, "Look, this was all just a huge misunderstanding, but we still just want to talk. So can we just... start over, yeah?" He asked, slowly stretching his hand for a handshake, "I'll go first: I'm Cayde Whitinger."

 

[Develius]

​

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Mentions:
| Elvario (Abha & Kalina/Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla) | TheSimianMind (Clarice) | saxon (Nissa) |
​

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After running with the group for what felt like several hours or so, Baharius and the others were finally able to locate Clarice and Nissa searching for clues regarding the Banshee. From the looks of it, the didn't seem to find any closure regarding what the creature wanted and who it was bound or controlled to. While unfortunate, at least the entire group was finally back together. The mist had begun to dissipate, vanishing as quick as it appeared. They must've went out of range from where the banshee patrolled, nor did they see any other clues that she followed them. Even so, he couldn't help but hear the raspy screechy vocals ping-ponging off his sub-consciousness whenever a true silence fell amongst the group.

For the meantime, Baharius stood guard over the unconscious paladin - tucked snuggly in her bedroll - while fishing off the bank, as the others talk about their next move. While able to catch a few good bites and offered them to anyone hungry, the brackish water at this hour would be unusually sparse with aquatic life. As he did, he'd hear Chandra finally spring back to consciousness, relieved that she didn't perish under the vengeful spirit. Though curiously, she seemed to believe that the banshee hinted to her as how to rid of her, perking the saurian's mild interest.

"What do you mean?" Baharius asked curiously, genuinely desperate for any clear way in vanquishing, or removing the presence of, the screaming banshee. Yet after realizing her situation, Chandra turned her concern towards the rabbit.

That's when the topic of conversation herself finally awoke in a fury of confusion. The saurian's toothy snout immediately swiveled to the were-rabbit's location, being grateful that she survived but also on guard due to the knife-edge of things potentially going wrong. He already saw that the wounds she sustained had been fully healed, again alerting to Abha's true identity. As he stood up to prepare himself as a literal meat-shield in order to separate both parties and prevent further violence, it would be Cayde who'd get the first word out to her. The saurian held his silence, letting the alchemist explain to her the situation and how it was ultimately a huge misunderstanding. He even acknowledged how Baharius protected her during the battle with the Banshee; whom he nodded to confirm what happened.

Once Cayde formerly introduced himself and offered his hand of rekindling friendship, the saurian proceeded to walk over to her to add to the conversation. "My friend speaks true," he said while leaning down, giving the same non-threatening treatment as he did the first time, "Though I'm sorry for not keeping my word to you earlier. It was truly not our intention to cause you harm. The one who stabbed you in our group happens to put it bluntly, lack empathy compared to the rest of us." He'd find himself giving the silver-haired vampire a tensed stink eye for a moment, before softening his expression back to the rabbit. "As to why we are here, and why we sought you out, is a bit complicated. But first... I'd like to ask on behalf of everyone else, what business do you have in a place like this? Are you lost? Or do you perhaps... call this your home?"

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes

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

Chandra Jarmil
​

It was a bit much to take everything in, but even so, she clearly noticed that Cayde was shocked. He definitely knew. This was a horrible scenario. It didn't take much to see through his attempt at playing it off, but her only option was to play along with it for now. “That's great to hear. Thank you from getting me away from that thing. It looks like you've already paid back the favour you owed me for winning that bet of ours.”

She'd went on to explain to Baharius, trying to recall the imagery she'd seen through the visions, emotions and headaches. “She showed me images of what I think happened to her. Her newborn child was born with a finger too many on both hands, which made the people in her frontier village think she was a witch or monster. They burned her alive and killed her child on some sort of small altar in these marches. I bet her spirit is looking for him, but unable to find him. I'm sure that if we find that altar, we might find his corpse or something else that would allow her to pass onto the afterlife.” The topic of finding that altar was more difficult. “She gave me vague sense of its location, but I can't see the magic threads here, so I don't think I'd be able to find it on my own. However, the village was near the coast and the altar wasn't too deep into the marshes, so it has to be east of here. Probably to the south-east, where some of us came from.”

That knowledge would be enough to make Clarice and Scylla realise that they were likely talking about the frontiers village they had gone through to buy their supplies. It was one of the few places on the Dark Continent that managed to hold out against the monsters well enough to have enough supplies left to share them with adventurers like them. Using the thread to retrace their steps, they'd be able to make their way there if they tried. If they were to search the edges of the marshes near the village, it likely wouldn't take too long before they'd find the path or the altar itself.

Abha Roshan

​

Spoiler: Paladin Bunny

The bunny, meanwhile, felt all sorts of things other than taking it easy. She missed her trusty hammer, but even without it, she knew she could overpower them for just long enough to break away and make a run for it There was one very clear reason for her not to trust them, regardless of what Cayde (even with persuasion) or Baharius told her. “You're not telling me who did it. Are you protecting them so they can do it again?” She said, her eyes glossing over the crowd. She knew it wasn't Scylla, but that was the only one she could exclude. She'd been too busy getting hugged to keep her eyes on the others, so they were all equally suspicious. She was rightfully angry at the suggestion to start over. “I can't just start over after nearly being murdered! I'm glad you saved me from those Boggearts, but for all I know you've just decided to finish the job later!” She'd withdraw at the handshake, not wishing to let anyone close enough to risk a repetition of the previous events. The only one she didn't feel like she needed to continuously keep in her sights was Scylla.

The bunny backed up more when the saurian joined in. It was tough to believe this creature protected her, although his words did make her trust him ever so slightly more. However, when he too refused to name someone or point fingers, she instantly regained the paranoia. “I don't know what kind of cruel games you're playing, but if you want to know why I'm here, I can tell you at least that much. I for sure don't call these cursed marshes home. I'm from The Republic, the Holy City of Vegard, to be exact. A few months ago, our city was attacked by some sort of curse. If it wasn't for a Syncretist Priest and his beaked companions, the entire city would've been done for. Sadly enough, me and the other paladins were too sick to help them at the time, but after they were gone, we started an investigation into who or what attacked us. We found remnants of some sort of plant in the crypts, which drained the life away from anyone who touched them. It was the only lead we had, so we tried to figure out where they might've come from, which led us here. We believe they're from an Ent living in these marshes, so we set out to confront it. We've been wandering around without any luck for... I think three weeks? Our rations were running low and the Boggearts kept attacking us. By the time you all ran into me, I was the only one left.”

 

[RavenSong]

It’d have been about 3 hours, since the incident with the Banshee, having barely recovered the pack before leaving, Scylla would put her head in the pack, searching busily for a handy item. “Eh? Where is that thing?” Her voice muffled to everyone within proximity. “I could have sworn Clarice had..” she then quickly and happily pulled a pouch out of the pack. “..Aha!! Here it is!” She exclaimed raising the item to the sky as she opened to reveal a tent pouch and all its contents. Surprisingly, she was able to figure it out fairly quickly and before long there was a little shelter, staked and ready. As Scylla took the extra bedroll and placed it in the tent she spoke to Clarice. “Soooooo.. I’m glad you decided not to leave..” she said, a hint of relief in her voice. Although she knew Clarice wasn’t having the time of her life per say, she felt that making the most of it would just make things, pleasant, at least.

Just then, Scylla turned to Chandra who had stirred and woken up. Cayde was still quite uneasy about her, for reasons she could only wonder. The thought of Chandra being ‘dead cold’ wasn’t even a thought in her mind. But then a little light bulb lit up above her head, and felt maybe Cayde really liked her, so she decided not to interfere with their dynamic. Best to let these love affairs simply unfold.

“So glad you made it Chandra!” She said with a beaming smile. “And yes, Cayde is right! You may be cold as ice but I’m sure these muscles make you feel hot! Eh?!” She said, making obviously false gestures that made it seem like she had bigger arms than she actually did.

Scylla then pulls a slice of cake and spoon from her robes, a bit crumbly from all the action earlier. Then Chandra mentioned her findings with whoever else was present, addressing Bahariuss comment.

With a bit of a melancholy expression upon her features. The witch began after Chandra mentioned the vision projected into her mind, “I see.. that’s quite the tragedy, I couldn’t imagine how devastated I’d be to witness something like that.. yknow, not ALL witches are bad though..” she said pointing a thumb at herself as she took a bite of cake. “I for one nom like to think nom Im actually really nice!” Although it was a reality that some pious common folk didn’t take kindly to magic users, Scylla had a way to brush that kind of prejudice aside.

Before taking another bite she would turn to Clarice with surprise. “Wait! South east. Isn’t that where we loaded up Poppy before setting off into these Marshes?” Scylla said with anticipating eyes. Then turning to face Chandra she volunteered, “We would be more than happy to help get you there! Wouldn’t we Clarice?” She said turning to look at her colleague, “She can be a bit of a scaredy-bratty-cat BUT thats just because she’s reeeeally smart, her sense of direction is impeccable too!” Scylla would wink at her then use the spoon to feed Clarice cake. “Ok. I’m getting offended. I made this for you, and I’ve ate almost half of it! My sugar spikes are so bad my magic is getting clogged! So this calls for drastic measures! Say ‘ahhh!”

—

Meanwhile the Rabbit warrior had stirred awake. And apparently she was feeling quite concerned and worried for her life at the others remarks. After possibly feeding Clarice she’d put her spoon down and tiptoed slowly closer to the rabbit paladin before raising her palms at her, as if to hopefully ease her anxiety. “Hi bunny! Okay, so my name is Scylla, absolutely amazing to meet such a cute little bunny! Uhm..” she said looking around at the others, then whispered covering the side of her mouth as to make it less obvious. “..uhm, and it was that girl over there who poked you, I’d stay away from her..” she glanced at Nissa but before anything like infighting could begin, Scylla inquired, her hands entwined at her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet, “..say.. you wouldn’t happen to know of a crone in these woods would you? Apparently, she wants you out of here! Willfully or.. well.. you know?” She looked away a bit nervously.

Upon mention of how the bunny paladin came to be here she’d sit on her knees looking at her attentively, sympathetic and a bit worried. “You poor thing.” She said placing her hand over her heart. “I’m so sorry you lost your friends. Uhm, but perhaps their deaths won’t be in vain, I’m also looking for a plant in these Marshes. More for research purposes, but I’m sure the Academy would be fascinated to study this plant of yours, maybe we could team up! As for the ent, I couldn’t say if everyone here would be willing to help. But whatever you choose to do, please don’t worry, I’ll protect you! Okay?” The witch would reach out with her index finger, as if to shake her hand. Likely resisting the urge to squeeze the bunny from an overflow of affection.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: RavenSong Elvario Develius ​

When Abha brought up Vegard, something flashed behind Cayde's eyes. "Wait, you're from Vegard?" It'd felt like years since he last heard someone mention that city, yet a surge of nostalgia coursed through him and touched his face with a faint smile. "Wow. Well, this is a bit awkward..." Cayde chuckled nervously, his hand scratching the back of his head, "But I was there! Ceylan, Maikoa, Malerie, and I, we helped save the city!" He grabbed the mask tethered to his side, and from his pack, he produced the original corvid-inspired disguise.

Although it still stank of that sweet-smelling neurotoxin, Cayde had still held it close. It was a trophy: a reminder of who he was, a testament to how far he'd come, and now, he hoped, proof. "Yeah, I've had a little makeover since then. Had to, after what happened down in those crypts..." The smile faded from his face as the unsavory memories came rushing back, "We found some sort of ritual there. This huge crystal, a creepy statue, and those roots - Ceylan knew it was the source of the city's plague. We tried reversing it, of course, but then he found us. We must've messed up his plan real good, 'cause next thing we know, he's filling the chamber with poison. I managed to get out - got a good look at him too: Beastman, more man than beast, red hair, these two fox-like ears, some strange lantern, and a staff. A staff that was about to bash my head in." He said grimly, "I dunno what the others did back there, but all I heard was this boom. Then all the lights went out, and he ran off. We saved the city, but the guy got away..." All because of him, Cayde kept telling himself. Because he couldn't get up, ignoring the tears in his eyes, the burning in his lungs, and chase down that man. The city was saved, but he was still out there, and there was only himself to blame. If only he was as equipped then as he was now, Cayde wondered. The new Cayde would've caught him, but the old one didn't, and there was nothing he could do to change that. His grip tightened on his former mask, "Old, stupid, Cayde."

He must've zoned out because he hadn't noticed Scylla beside him. Or the fact his mask was squeaking with strain under his grip. Finally, he came to, throwing the trophy back into his pack and listening to Scylla's conversation. He nodded, "Yeah, the hag tasked up with taking out these three monsters: A Banshee, some sort of forest demon, and a were-rabbit..." He pursed his lips and directed his eyes elsewhere as if the escape to this awkward situation were somewhere in the trees, "She didn't really give us much of a reason why but she did threaten to keep us in these swamps forever, and well, I didn't wanna call her bluff, y'know?" He added, a free hand scratching his chin, "Still, she said we had to get them out of the swamp by any means necessary. While I don't think the Banshee or the demon will be up for negotiating, you, on the other hand, can make a compromise with us." His face curled into a diplomatic smile, and his hands folded in front of him. "This ent you're looking for might be the monster we're trying to find too. If you come with us, we'll get rid of the Banshee together, then the tree demon, and we'll get you out of these swamps and back to Vegard - as long as you leave, the hag'll be happy, and she'll let us all off scott-free. It's a win-win!" Before waiting to hear her answer, however, Cayde held up his index finger. "But, before we do all that, I've got a few questions for you." He said pointedly, his eyes narrowing in on the paladin.

A goofy grin quickly span across his face, "How's the mayor doing? Oh, and Harley and Miss Nana too?"

 

[Develius]

​

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Mentions:
| Elvario (Abha & Kalina/Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla) | TheSimianMind (Clarice) | saxon (Nissa) |
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Wanting to provide immediate honesty to avoid further confrontation, Baharius immediately pointed one of his large hooked claw towards Nissa. "It was her - Nissa - who stabbed you in the back with her rapier." the saurian stated with a subtle growl towards the vampire, "While death ought to accompany her for her action, she's unfortunately in the same boat as us all. We can only ensure is that she lays not a single hand on you again. Especially on my watch."

Baharius remained attentive when Abha began talking about how she got stuck in the swamp. Indeed, it would appear that she was not a native in these parts and that she was from the Holy City of Vegard. After the city was attacked and cursed, she and several other fellow paladins investigated the cause of the invasion. Finding only the remains of a life-draining plant within the crypts, it would lead them here... believing that the plant belonged to an Ent. With the boggearts assaulting the group however, Abha would find herself to be the sole survivor after 3 long and agonizing weeks. It was all terrible. The saurian general gave a pained sigh of sympathy; knowing full well what she might be experiencing.

Yet once she mentioned her quarry, the saurian's brow perked up in recognition. "Ent". He recognized this name. During his off-time in his gladiatorial days, he would often find himself reading certain novels he could get his claws on to get a better lay at this new land. Most of what he read were monster-based; featuring heroes going off to slay the monsters of the deep dark. That's how he was able to recognize the term of "werewolves" or "were-beasts"; with one such book having a werewolf as the main hero. But there was another book that mentioned the "Ents", being living sentient trees that shared the peaceful forests with the Fae race. They came in all different sizes and the ones presented in his book protected the forest from hostile invaders threatening to ruin the forest. The book wasn't the most interesting to him otherwise, quite dull and forgettable really, but he enjoyed their presence whenever they were mentioned. One was even featured on the back cover of the book...

He didn't connect the dots when the Hag mentioned a "tree demon" as their quarry, though now presented with a familiar name given to these sentient-foliage he couldn't help but call that out. "Looking... for an Ent?" he asked again, rubbing the tip of his long snout. Before he could confidently piece the two together and offer a diplomatic solution, Cayde would beat him to it, explaining their purpose here, mentioning all the marks from the hag, the three other quarries, and blatantly referring Abha as the were-rabbit.

Couldn't have really said it better himself.

The alchemist was even familiar with the paladin's home city, quickly wondering how the mayor and his friends were. It was clear he had history with it, seemingly fitting in line with the aftermath the poor bunny had to deal with. Nonetheless, Baharius quickly perked into the conversation once he found an opening. "I offered myself to protect you from harm while you were unconscious," he added somewhat nobly, "And had done so when the Banshee disguised herself as one of our own in an attempt to trick me in handing you over." He motioned his head towards both Cayde and Kesh with an upward flick. "They can attest."

 

[saxon]

Nissa
​

Nissa or well the group had found Nissa and Clarice further into the swamp; one of the things she hadn't expected to see was the Rabit moving around. Though shocked, she kept her face neutral as she listened to the others speak about their portions of what had happened. Though the bunny she found a bit odd, she figured she would still keep an eye on the creature and no doubt the creature would watch her all the same.

There were a few people who had hinted at who had stabbed their newest companion, or, well, Nissa saw her as bait; that was about all she was in her mind. A simple tool to be used to further her own goals. While she did care who lived and died to an extent that was more a selfish thing rather than a tactical move. I should have aimed for the heart of the creature rather than on the lower end. She thought to herself before folding her arms across her chest.

Glancing toward the witch as she pointed to her though quickly moving on to the new subject, which caused Nissa to shake her head. She didn't understand this group, she wasn't hiding anything nor was she open about the information she just left it as it was. However, Kate on the other hand always seemed to have an answer for everything under the sun. Though that was a fight for a different time.

Now she focused on the giant lizard man who pointed her out, "You say it like I was tying to hide from the fact you oversized lizard, I will not apologize for what I done. Some people tend to make decision before asking the rest of the group. Also if you are going to say who stabbed them at least know the difference between a sword and rapier," Nissa fired back as she wasn't about to budge from her position. "However I will abstain from stabbing the wererabbit so long as it behaves, the moment it transforms all bets are off," Nissa promised as she held up her right hand and crossed her none beating hard with a finger.

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

Chandra Jarmil
​

Kalina was genuinely confused by Scylla's chaotic energy. At first, she stressed the fact Kalina was cold as ice, which only served to further unnerve the vampire. However, she then bragged about her muscles..? “They're glorious.” She wasn't sure what else to respond to such a remark. Perhaps it'd have been better if she hadn't responded at all, but it was already too late for that. The non-filled speech about nice witches was equally confusing. “I'm inclined to believe you.”

Abha Roshan

​

Spoiler: Paladin Bunny

Abha now had mixed feelings towards Scylla. Having the attempted murder written off as 'poking' was pretty offensive, as was the way the girl addressed her. Even so, Scylla actually told her clearly to whom to look out for, which was an upgrade from Cayde who merely insinuated it. Well, even more clear was the large lizard, who straight up pointed her out and named her. That said, the mention of a crone intrigued and confused her. “A crone in the woods? You mean the rumours of a powerful hag living in these marshes? We've never encountered such a creature. Then again, we've never managed to get deeper into the heart of these marshes either. I've got no clue why she would want me out of here, as I've never even met her.” She was genuinely confused at the sudden mention of a hag.

She would, however, shift to a strict and almost hostile tone when Scylla mentioned her plan. “No!” She shouted. “A thing like that should be destroyed, not studied. We were here to find out who brought it to our city and to slay the Ent it originated from to ensure that something like what happened in Vegard can never happen again. If the Academy gets their hands on it, they'll just weaponise it.” Scylla's plan had made the bunny unwilling to accept any affection, so Scylla's overflow of it would not be put to use.

She was far more surprised by what Cayde had to say, only believing him when he pulled out the mask and started mentioning details and names. “So you're one of those beaked companions...” She was quick to draw her own conclusions. “Are you also here to find out who or what attacked our city?” She sounded hopeful, clearly wishing for new allies in what had seemed to be a lost battle. She gritted her teeth as she learned of the guy that got away. “So the Ent isn't our city's only enemy.” She sighed. “Either way, thank you for saving our city and for saving me again in these swamps.” She would've bowed to show gratitude, but she didn't want to leave Nissa out of her sights, so she abstained from it.

At the topic of the hag again, she was confused once more. “I've got no idea what games this hag must be playing with you, but I'd be more than happy to leave this place behind the moment my mission is fulfilled. If helping you with the Banshee speeds that up, I'll do what I can. My order knows a few rituals on how to banish ghosts, although I'm not sure if they'll work on her. Or did you have plan already?”

A bit of a smile adorned her lips as Cayde mentioned familiar names. “The mayor's gotten a bit more forgetful, it seems, but otherwise he's doing fine. Harley went back into his retirement, so he's got all day to brag about how much he helped that day. My sister's doing great as well. I was pretty worried when I noticed how much she'd been wearing herself out, but she fully recovered. Another thing I've got you and your companions to thank for.”

Although the bunny was still not too sure of Baharius, he seemed relatively simple and open about his intentions, which she could appreciate. “That would be appreciated, mister..?” She would politely reply, unsure of what other approach to take. That said, she was shocked when he mentioned someone disguising themselves as one of them. “That's not the Banshee! There's something else like that out here. It managed to trick us before, when we just got here. It disguised itself as one of my companions, a fox-man named Erhard. It travelled with us for almost three full days before we figured out that it wasn't our actual friend and we only managed to do so because it kept somehow warning us about things in these marshes that none of us could've known about. It ran off before we could question it, but it must've used the Banshee's curse to try again with your group. I'm not sure what it wants, but it freaks me out. I never managed to find out what it did to Erhard either.”

Although Abha ignored Nissa's remarks, the topic of were-rabbits did make her sigh. She ended up trusting the group (or at least some of them) just enough to be open about it. “I joined the Paladins of Virtus to learn how to prevent changing and to learn how control the curse. I've shown you all that I'm capable of suppressing it even in the face of death. However, should I somehow still change, I'll be able to buy everyone a minute at most. Except for Nissa, that is. I don't think I'll be able to prevent my rage from going after her if I end up changing. After the first minute, I'm not sure if I'd be able to separate friend or foe. However, I always calm down after half an hour at most. That said, I promise I'll do whatever I can to prevent changing.”

With all those topics out of the way Clarice (or Scylla) would be able to lead the group back towards the village, where they eventually stumbled upon a path through the marshes. It was every bit as creepy as you'd expect, with various occult symbols and bones of all sorts of creatures adorning the trees and plants along the way. It let to the remnants of what might've once been a small chapel, but was now little more than a ruin. The altar Kalina spoke off was there. The feint smell of blood (instantly recognised by Kalina and Nissa) showed it was still in use.

“This must be it.” Kalina said, feeling a chill run down her spine. Having seen images of it through the Banshee, she knew that whatever they could expect here wouldn't be pretty. However, the knowledge of what had been occurring here over and over again was still enough to make her stomach twist. Sadly enough, she wasn't sure where to go from here.

The only one who knew anything about religion was Abha, who would speak up when she noticed the rest wasn't sure how to proceed. However, she had a very careful tone. “I may know a ritual to cleanse this place, which should set free all the spirits associated with it. However, it'll take some time... time during which I'm unable to defend myself.” She looked at Nissa in particular when saying that. “This type of ritual will draw out some of the evil spirits that arose from here, perhaps even the Banshee herself, who will try to break my concentration to disrupt it. The only other option I could think of is to just torch it down and hope for the best.”

 

[Develius]

​

---

Mentions:
| Elvario (Abha & Kalina/Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla) | TheSimianMind (Clarice) | saxon (Nissa) |
​

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Baharius glared at Nissa for several seconds, acknowledging her controversial retort, with the silver-lining that she was ready to kill the paladin once she turned into her were-rabbit form, before snorting and glancing back at the bunny. It was a fair enough statement for the time being.

Nonetheless, there were plenty of revelations that to take in from what the paladin provided. A good many answers, coupled with a few burning questions.

For starters, the bunny had known little about the Hag's existence. Granted, the old woman of the swamp was quite good in keeping herself hidden; coupling the fact that the paladin group didn't dive too deep into the depths of the marshland would make sense. And for how long she was here - a good three weeks - would no doubt disturb the hag. Yet why wouldn't she just ask Abha to leave then? After all, she seemed rather willing to leave this place after she eliminated the Ent - which just so happened to align with the hag's hit list. No doubt they had their reasons. Perhaps the hag feared being slain by the virtuous paladin, mistaking her for a vile creature. Or maybe she didn't want to risk having her swamp burned by the corrupting self-righteousness of the religious order. It was hard to say.

However, the paladin also had her experience with the apparition that they've encountered. It would appear Baharius' latter hunch would mark true; being the work of this mysterious fourth opponent. His brow perked up as he listened to Abha speak of how it disguised as one of her companions and how it might've utilized the banshee's curse to attempt in getting what it wanted. That already explained the connection it had with the paladin, but it didn't explain why it wanted her. Neither did the paladin know herself. They certainly had to keep on their toes at this point; perhaps go with the strategy of marking themselves in a way that can identify the real and fake individuals.

And of course, Abha ensured that she joined the paladin group in an attempt to figure out how to control the were-rabbit curse placed upon her. While she was unsure if she could distinguish ally from enemy, she could at least buy the group a minute before succumbing to the carnal desires of the beast; though promising to do whatever in her power not to transform. She already proved very capable of this even after getting fatally stabbed in the back; but the saurian seemed to doubt her capabilities if it was to happen a second time. It wasn't simply a matter if she was to transform, rather it was a matter of when.

"You've given us quite a bit of enlightening information, Abha." Baharius remarked thankfully with a bow of his head, "I thank you. It explains a lot for what we've encountered. We'll make sure to act accordingly."

Some time later, the group would make their way to an accursed village, now nothing more but a ruined remnant filled with bones and mysterious symbols plastered on the walls. Baharius entered cautiously, eying every corner for any sign of potential movement as he dragged his massive great sword behind him. Yet this place was apparently to serve a very important role, according to Abha. She planned to conjure a spell to cleanse free all of the trap spirits within this vicinity, thought it would be a timely endeavor. She would have to be protected from the banshee and spirits trying to break her concentration in the meantime. Or to put down some torches.

Once again, Baharius continued to make it his duty to protect the paladin even as she's already awake. He took a glance around the village ruins, eying the wooden rubble littering the surrounding clearing. "Light up the perimeter of the village." Baharius called out to the rest of the group. He took a tall piece of rotten wood and planted it in the dark mud before lighting the tip with his torch. "Make use of the rubble and build a series of standing torches and bonfires; anything to keep this area well-lit. It should buy us precious time and keep the spirits and banshee at bay for the moment. Keep your torches close and ensure no dark space goes unlit."

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Develius Skyhunter RavenSong TheSimianMind saxon Elvario ​

After he learned of Vegard's well-being, a refreshed look formed on Cayde's face. That small piece of closure was all he needed to push those unpleasant thoughts further to the side. For now, at least. Or maybe, after recovering from the shock of learning that the were-rabbit before him was Miss Nana's sister. "Sorry, Miss Nana..." Cayde thought ruefully, "Didn't mean for us to almost kill your sister." He'd save the proper apology once he revisited Vegard, perhaps with Kesh in tow and some raspberry tea as recompense - it was the least he could do. For now, however, it was time to get rid of the Banshee, and as the others pressed onto the village, Cayde followed not too far behind.

The trip to the village had filled Cayde with a nagging sense of deja vu. From the strange occult symbols and the macabre display of animal remains, it all reminded him of the gnoll's depravity near Aston. "It's always a ritual, huh?" He quipped to himself, trying to find humor in this recurring theme, but the sight of the altar did nothing but startle him even more. He quickly picked up a familiar, metallic stench in the air and promptly shielded his nose, "And blood, too." He hoped Abha's ritual would be the last conducted in this place; his conscious and nostrils would both appreciate it.

But first, preparations. Cayde nodded to Baharius' suggestion, agreeing that some torches would make this ordeal much more manageable. He still had some worries, but he figured it'd be best to say while making his own preparations. "I'll get right on it, Baharius. But if the Banshee shows up, I don't think fire alone will hold her off. We might need to step in and stall her ourselves," Cayde said, fumbling through his pack and removing several tools and his ingredients pouch, "Still, if the fire keeps those spirits away, it's a win in my book." As he continued, he started mixing and pouring several multi-colored powders into seven vials, "Now it's just Abha and that 'fourth monster' we've gotta worry about. Abha'll be the least of our concerns unless she transforms, but as long as we watch her back and keep the monsters away, hopefully, we'll be fine." He added a few drops of alcohol to each vial and gave them a good shake. Soon enough, a strange mishmash of smells filled the air, "As for our impostor, there's still a chance it might show up again, and if we're really unlucky, alongside the Banshee. It'll be hard to spot the difference if it copies one of us again, so that's why..." He paused, corking each aromatic bottle and nodding to everyone at the party, "I'm gonna give you all these."

He went through the group, offering everyone a vial filled with a sweet, strong-smelling liquid. "These'll help identify us from the impostor." He explained, turning to gaze at Kesh, "Kesh'll be our bloodhound, of sorts. If she doesn't smell this on you - you're not one of us. Plus, if we ever get lost, we could follow the smell right to you, " Kesh's nose had proven to be quite powerful before; he hoped it'd assist him here, too, "It's not foolproof, but it's worth a shot, right?"

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh's attention was occupied by the small bag she had inhaled, with dark blue power on her snout and lips, her eyes were narrowed and mouth open with her tongue barely sticking out. Her eyes widen and she shook her head, coming back to reality as she sniffed deeply and cleared her throat in an obnoxious manner. She rapidly blinked while wiping her face of the drug she had inhaled while she coughed a bit. Kesh shook her hands like she was trying to get water off them as she scrunched her nose up a few times. Looking at the group to see what was happening, she hadn't even realized what was happening, this was her way of coping with stressful situations. Whether it be dealing with killing those boggerts or just personal trauma she has yet to deal with properly.

Kesh saw they would be in a new area staring at what looked like a wiped out town or corrupted, Kesh wasn't sure she was still coming out of her high, she saw Abha and gasped. It was... The rabbit...! Kesh moved closer to Abha like she was sneaking up on the rabbit before extending her hands out and...! The Ratkin gently touched the rabbit ears smiling, " Oooh so soft-cushiony... " Kesh looked like a innocent child touching the rabbit's ears. " You are very cute-adorable. " When she then realized that the rabbit was supposed to be passed out from a wound. " How are you okay now? Well, Kesh is glad you're okay now! " The Ratkin said with a hint of power on her nose, " Actually... Do you have any gold-money, for the family-plan of school? Can I check your pockets? What about that hammer? Can I take it with me? " Kesh asked a assortment of questions.

" Wait... What are we doing? " Kesh asked realized now they were attempting something else. " How can Kesh help? " The Ratkin asked but then Baharius commented on creating torches in which Kesh narrowed her eyes. " Fire-Hot... " The Ratkin smiled " I have a idea-plan. " Kesh stated looking around the rubble for different wood pieces, singing a little song for herself. " Heartwood in the center of the world... Nehhehehe. Nehhehehe. Savior of the Univerrrrrrrrse. Lighting up the Heartwood to save the daaaaaaaay. Ghastly appendages manage to stake their claaaaaaaim. Kesh is here to now save the daaaaaaaay. " The Ratkin whisper sung as she moved around some more rubble, grabbing all she could, using her [Tinker F] knowledge of Ratkin expeditions to try and create a strange looking wheel. Kesh had gathered sticks of wood and slowly carried it back to the group, towards Baharius before dropping them with her lack of muscle. The Ratkin pointed at the tall piece of wood he held. " Kesh can make device-machine! Need that thing. " She pointed at it.

The Ratkin began to tear her own clothes, taking long scraps of cloth and wrapping each stick to another until she made some sort of strange wheel. After a minute of creating, Kesh held up with a strange weird wheel, although now with a majority of her clothes torn off, or whatever was left of her clothing previously, she had just enough to keep her lady part concealed. But she had created this strange wacky and obviously clunky stick contraption, it had this strange slot that could pull back and fire similar to a crossbow with her belt or something else close to that being a sling. " Does this help-assist? " Kesh asked a timid manner as she felt like this was now starting to look like a bad or stupid idea. " Put it on the tall stick-thing. " Kesh pointed at Baharius' tall plank of wood he held.

 

[TheSimianMind]

Clarice distances herself from the others at the encampment. She builds and tends a fire, interacts with a few animals, collects her coin purse and the rest of the rope, reapplies her bug repellant, changes her clothes, and reads a white paper on cognitive neuroscience, specifically neuroplasticity, by the light of a lantern. She walks off if anyone other than Scylla or Lyse approaches her. While she is visibly tense and sports her signature scowl, she mutters almost inaudibly when Scylla addresses her and glances up from her reading.

Somehow, I wager I’ll regret not grabbing you and ditching this group…

She flat out ignores Chandra and pays Scylla little heed while the two converse. The lateness of the hour is getting to her, and she yawns.

She says nothing when Scylla volunteers her as a guide and frowns slightly when Scylla refers to her as a “scaredy-bratty-cat.” In reprisal, she opts to tune out the rest of the conversation, returning to her reading until Scylla jams a spoon into her mouth during an ill-timed yawn. After much coughing, choking, and sputtering, Clarice does her best to regain her composure and wheeze.

That’s *cough* good cake.

———— Timeskip ————
Clarice listlessly follows Scylla until they arrive at the chapel. Upon arriving, she raises an eyebrow inquisitively and begins to tap her foot. Then, Baharius issues orders to the rest of the party and that personality we all know and “love” makes a sudden comeback. The neutral expression she was consciously maintaining twists into a snarl.

How would you react if I rejected your plan in full and branded you all sheep, Lyse and the paladin excepted?

Clarice viciously snaps at Baharius, Cayde, and Kesh! Her voice brims with bile as she presses on toward the ritual site.

Use your sodding heads; they aren’t just hat racks! Think! For the love of the gods, t-h-i-n-k!

Having exceeded the maximum permissible exposure to the party’s blinding naïveté, Clarice stomps over to the decrepit chapel in a concerted effort to preserve her waning sanity. Away from the kleptomaniac, the tin soldier, the crybaby, the undead hypocrite, and the werecreature - the monster that could transform, at any moment, into a ravening beast dead set on ripping their chests open and feasting on their livers - Clarice secures a transitory sense of “comfort.” While not out of sight, she endeavors to grant everyone except Lyse a wide berth that they might dope themselves with Unicorn Vomit, or whatever designer drug the rat and the dealer are peddling, and swaddle themselves in security blankets woven from their gossamery, sugar-coated delusions regarding the workings of the Waking World and pretend all is well. Clarice goes so far as to act as if the foolhardy others are diseased, and in a sense, they are: everyone knows you cannot trust a monster - doubly so for a monster with the intellect of a human being. Moreover, it is imperative that people collect their own data and rely on their own judgement in lieu of taking everything everyone tells them at face value. From her perspective, the only plan in this group’s playbook can be summarized as, “Yeah, let’s just act without understanding anything about the forces at play here.” These people are ill in mind if not in body! They’re the types that take the Big Bad Wolf’s hand and skip blissfully toward Granny’s house after giving the cad their date of birth, credit card numbers, and social security number! They’re the types that wake up in bathtubs filled with ice and fresh stitches! In a word, they are prey. In a phrase, they are notches carved into the barrel of a gun. Easy marks. Liabilities.

And somehow, she is meant to work with them! How? Even the Kingmaker failed to force them to think things through instead of acting on their whims!

Clarice cannot brook the company of these children for one minute longer. Her eyes blazing with blistering rage, she tears the helmet from her head and hurls it as far as she can in the direction of the human settlement.

Look! Did it bounce off of an invisible wall? Do you see anything preventing us from walking into the village? Of course you don’t! Villagers travel here from the village and return to it! You could find out if the villagers know anything about our banshee or this altar or blummin’ anything! You could check the chapel for clues! But no! You reckon it’s your turn to stab the paladin, to jump into a battle between swamp monsters and a purported werecreature, to leap and only bother to look when you’re halfway down a sheer cliff!

Vampires have a word that would describe them to a tee. Kine. Cattle accepting what little others reveal to them as gospel truth. All the good intentions in the world would amount to nothing if those wielding them couldn’t think for themselves and draw logical conclusions from the preponderance of evidence! The Kingmaker had failed to impress this upon them. Nothing had changed.

Please let this be an isolated incident, she prays. As ever, the gods are deaf to her cries.

Screw it!

Trembling hands vanish beneath her mantle.

This sucks sober!

Sterling silver flashes through the cold night air as Clarice lifts a silver flask to her lips and chugs its amber contents. She only pauses a moment when she notices Kesh ripping off her own clothes to lifelessly groan.

Somewhere, a god is laughing at me.

[Investigation (F)] Without another word, Clarice enters the chapel and opens a new line of investigation.

 

[Elvario]

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

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

(OOC: Just to be clear, it's not a village they're at, just a ruined chapel. The village is further towards the coast down a path they stumbled upon during their search.)

Abha was willing to work along with Baharius' suggestion and set out to help place torches to light up the area. It wasn't clear if it would stop anything (as her idea of torching down the place was a bit more literal and pyromaniac), but she figured that, at the very least, it'd make anything that would try to sneak up on them a lot easier to spot. Kalina, on the other hand, was too [Critical] to set out on that task, as she didn't see any convincing reason as to how it would aid them. Besides, she was more intrigued by what Clarice was going through.

When Cayde mentioned stalling the Banshee, however, Kalina did speak up. “I should advise against it. Whatever she does to you, imagine it being like your head being scrambled and slowly taken over. I'm lucky you guys dragged me off and that I somehow recovered, but I wouldn't suggest anyone to try repeating that.” Kalina and Abha would both accept his makeshift perfume. (OOC: be sure to mention either IC or OOC if your character would also accept Cayde's bottle. If I don't hear anything, I'll assume they won't.)

Abha Roshan

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Spoiler: Paladin Bunny

“Please move back.” Abha said, trying to stay calm as the rat was making her very uncomfortable on various levels. “I've got nothing left after three weeks here and my hammer must've been left behind where I fought the Boggearts, so just move along please.”

Kesh managed to tinker together a makeshift crossbow that looked like it might be good to launch a few (5 times if it's used carefully) sets of torches.

Chandra Jarmil
​

Kalina, meanwhile, could spot Clarice's frustration. The girl was as tactical as an ox in china store, but she did make a point. It felt like they were missing a few pieces to the puzzles. “Alright, I'll help you look.” As they were going through the wreckage, Kalina would attempt to ask something, hoping not to get scowled out of existence in return. “You've told me to think, and that's exactly what I've been doing, so I'll ask you. Should any of us even bother to listen to what that Hag has told us to begin with? Her words don't seem to add up, so what if this is just a game to her?”

Amidst the ruins, only one thing seemed to be fairly intact; the altar itself. It was decorated by bloodstains, some old, some fresh. Upon further investigation, however, a shallow pit could be found, filled with what seemed to be those sacrificed upon this altar. It was a gruesome sight, as most of the victims had been newborns, although there were some remains of older folk as well. Oddly enough, neither Corpse Beetles nor other wildlife had touched these remains, instead leaving them to natural decay (which was quite quick in a swamp like this). What stood out most of all, however, was an odd dimly blue-glowing crystal that floated in this room. Although Clarice didn't have specific knowledge in Arcana, her time at the Ryken Academy would make her realise this was some type of tether, a magical device that allowed spells to be fuelled across great distances by taking in energy from its surroundings (very similar to the crystal Cayde had seen in the crypts in Vegard). Although a logical conclusion might be that this was made by the villagers for protection or simply due to them being cultists, this theory would be refuted by the fact that they had been too simple to set up something complex, unless they were masters at disguising their true powers, which was unlikely. Besides, if someone could set up a tether like this, they would be able to use other means to protect their village as well, which wouldn't rely on sacrifices.

Outside of the ruins, Abha and friends had set-up enough torches. She figured she wouldn't await the results of the others searching through the ruins and instead start up the ritual. That said, she made very sure to have her back to a tree and to have only Baharius, Scylla and Cayde near her. She didn't trust the others well enough to be even remotely vulnerable near them. She started chanting something in a language unknown to all of them, as a bright light started to shine and slowly spread from her hand. It felt warm to the skin, comfortably so to most (although it'd be very unpleasant to Kalina and Nissa were they to get too close to it), having some sort of divine magic interwoven into it. However, as she was doing so, someone approached them from the path leading to the village. Kesh and Nissa, however, would hear an odd soft sound. It was like water droplets were falling just before she got into sight of everyone.

Village Shaman

​

Spoiler: Village Shaman

Ignore the spirits in the image.

As she spoke up, her voice was old, slightly feminine and surprisingly powerful. “I'll have to ask you to refrain from tampering with our village's protection.” She said, keeping a bit of a distance from the group but still clearly showing her dismay at what they were doing here. Those that had been to the village would recognise her clothing style and some symbols to be in line with that they'd have seen there, just a more shamanist version of it.

[Critical: character has an easier time finding fault with anything and anyone. They are less likely to be caught speechless or without an opinion.]

 

[RavenSong]

After navigating though the Marshes, the threads that appeared to connect the general area lead her and the group to the eerie remains of what appeared to be a chapel.

It was then that Baharius mentioned his plan, although she didn’t see any harm in it, she followed after Clarice, who had then made a bit of a rude comment in naming them all sheep. The witch then blurts out, “Baa!! Baa!!” Before quickly bringing her hands to her mouth. “Aw! Come on Clarice! We’re not THAT bad.. are we?” She asked, blinking quickly. “We’ve made it this far!”

When Cayde offered the scented substance, she nodded in agreement. “Great idea!” She said happily, as the potion was applied. “Ooooo.. I smell really good now!” Going up to Clarice she gets close. “How do I smell? Pretty good huh?” Little did Scylla know however, that under that helm Clarice, was on the brink of bursting out in pure rage.

As she looked around she could see the crimson stains of blood, what was most concerning to Scylla however were the fresher stains. Bringing her limbs close, her blood began to run cold. “I.. I admit.. I’m a little freaked out about this place.” She said, trying to chuckle. “I’m just going to say someone keeps coming here to spill ketchup. Probably some kiddos making the place look creepy. Right?” Then upon further inspection she nearly threw up the cake she just ate. “Nngh! W-what in all the nine hells?!?” She took a few steps back, one holding her stomach the other over her mouth, immensely freaked out.

The witches knees trembled a bit, anxious and on overly high alert when suddenly Clarice exploded into a fit, pulling off her helm and throwing it furiously across the place. The Witch nearly took off running the opposite way, feeling her heart skip many beats. It was quite much for the sensitive Scylla, but she wouldn’t shriek she simply couldn’t.

“why’d you-“ she said panting quickly, while she listened to her rant about how no one was doing enough. “I get it Clarice! I know you’re frustrated, and you’re right, we haven’t been making the best choices. I thought we’d just be here looking for a cute little plant and then head back. But..” she paused, “I’m scared as hell and I can’t think straight!!”

Shocked and frightened by the scene she just witnessed the witch retreated back outside, looking like she’d just seen a ghost. If anyone would ask she’d reply: “you don’t want to know.”

A few moments later the bunny paladin began her cleansing spell that required some time to channel for it to fully cleanse the place. Glancing towards where she had just entered and remembering what had been branded into her mind she felt it was definitely for the best.

Only to be interrupted by the appearance of an oddly robed figure appearing from the shadows, advising them not to proceed with the paladins channeling.

Mustering her courage Scylla stepped forward. “What exactly is such deeply disturbing foul magic like this protecting you from, stranger?” An oddly determined face suddenly coming over her expression.

 

[Develius]

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Mentions:
| Elvario (Abha & Kalina/Chandra) | Skyhunter (Kesh) | The Last Curse (Cayde) | RavenSong (Scylla) | TheSimianMind (Clarice) | saxon (Nissa) |
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Cayde nodded to Baharius' suggestion, agreeing that some torches would make this ordeal much more manageable. He still had some worries, but he figured it'd be best to say while making his own preparations. "I'll get right on it, Baharius. But if the Banshee shows up, I don't think fire alone will hold her off. We might need to step in and stall her ourselves," Cayde said, fumbling through his pack and removing several tools and his ingredients pouch, "Still, if the fire keeps those spirits away, it's a win in my book."

"I do not expect this to be a full-proof solution," Baharius admitted frankly to the alchemist, as he planted another torch into the ground, "It's just as a means to give the paladin time to go through with the ritual. Any amount will be vital, even if it's for a second more."

Sometime later, Cayde concocted a sweet-smelling potion and offered it to everyone, including Baharius, as a means to have Kesh identify them as the real ones if the fourth creature returned to try and fool them again. "Ah, good thinking Cayde," the saurian thanked graciously as he proceeded to uncork the vial and smother the liquid on his body, "Best to test it out on the field at this point.". Turned out he went through with Baharius' suggestion, although the ex-general didn't bother to announce how it was originally his idea. He wasn't the vain kind of individual to do that, less he felt that he was being slandered in the process.

Baharius quickly scooped up another long rotten plank and was about to light it before Kesh came over and asked for said plank for a device she was making. The saurian paused to glance at the piece of wood and then back at the ratkin with a curious look. Yet before he could accept or decline Kesh's offer, the rat-woman got to work on making a strange stick contraption, using pieces of her own clothing to tie the contraption together and a surprising amount of ingenuity.

Suddenly, he'd hear the sound of a metal object violently hitting the ground followed by a cry of sheering rage. He noticed Scylla reacting timidly to the sudden noise, almost looking as if she was about to turn tail and flee. Baharius' head immediately perked up and cocked towards the direction of the disturbance. It was Clarice; now absolutely livid and having a mental breakdown in front of the entire group. Her tantrum had her focus her boiling rage on Cayde, Kesh, and Baharius himself, calling them out for their so-called "poor decisions" and how they should all be going about investigating this place amongst other things amiss the chaos.

Baharius' eye twitched as he listened to her mad rambling, echoing the superior aura of Nissa but in a much more explosive and obvious manner. Yet as she'd finish her piece and head towards the Chapel to investigate it for herself, the saurian general would let her go without a word, though not out of sheer fear or anger. He was much more confused than anything. He knew Clarice wasn't the most sociable or "happy-go-lucky" of the group, but this seemed just a bit too extreme for the situation at hand. It felt odd...

By the time Kesh was finished with her building, all that was left on her was a conveniently placed piece of clothing acting essentially as a loin-cloth. The saurian general nearly looked away from her in a considerate manner, really not expecting the whole outcome to come to this conclusion, but ultimately made sure that his eyes were focused solely on the device presented to him. It looked something resembling a makeshift crossbow or a sling, making it more prominent for the fact that Kesh required he slid his long plank in the sling slot.

Baharius' stressed brow perked up as he glanced towards a timid Kesh and smirked. "Why you are full of surprises, little one," he replied with a positive and encouraging tone, "I'm impressed." He proceeded to kneel down and give Kesh the piece of wood with a nod. "Let's see how it works."