Graded [Overgrown Marshes] The Hag of the Overgrown Marshes

The Last Curse · Sep 18, 2022

Mentions: RavenSong TheSimianMind Elvario Develius Skyhunter saxon

After distributing his makeshift perfume to the party, Cayde leaned back, eagerly awaiting their feedback. Fortunately for him, it came, delivered in the form of a scalding tirade by Clarice herself. He heard Scylla join in, too, though her words were far more sorrowful than the latter. Regardless, both had moved on before he could get a word in edgewise, leaving him utterly bewildered, ashamed, and reminiscent of his rage-fueled rant not too long ago. He sighed regretfully at the memory; there was still nothing he could say to amend his words, same as there was nothing he could say to console either ally. However, there was one thing he could do, Cayde knew: give them their space and plenty of it. It'd calmed him down - he hoped it'd work for them, too. But, in the meantime, there was work to do.

As the last torch was stabbed into the ground, work was done. Cayde sauntered back to the group, dusting his hands and wearing a satisfied grin formed by whatever shred of optimism he had left. Sure, there was the Banshee, the impostor, the hag, the group dynamic, Kate's apparent resurrection, this swamp, his sanity, and a nearly infinite list of things for him to worry about - but he was getting closer to vanquishing this Banshee and, by extension, closer to returning home. That deserved a smile, at the very least. As for his almost-naked apprentice ahead of him, he decided that deserved a lung-rupturing gasp.

"OH MY GOD! KESH!"

Cayde's jacket was already in his hands, rushing forwards to shield Kesh from the gaze of his allies. And especially the eye of the shamanistic woman who'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere, rebuking them for 'tampering' with her village's protection. That made him stop his advance, equal parts skepticism, and confusion filling his head. Who was this woman? Cayde wondered, most importantly, why did she think they were attempting to sabotage the village? They were helping, weren't they? He'd saved the questions for later. Right now, Kesh's modesty mattered the most.

Eventually, Cayde caught up, throwing his jacket over Kesh to cover her up. He still didn't know what pushed her to do that, but in her hands, he saw why she did it - Baharius did too, and he was just as nurturing as Cayde always thought him to be. The saurial hadn't made him lose his faith in him for a second - that was beyond admirable. "Thank you," Cayde muttered to him, giving an appreciative and curiously moved his gaze over the wood/cloth contraption. He'd seen Kesh tinker before but never had he ever watched her create what seemed to be a bushcraft crossbow. "So that's what you were doing with your clothes..?" He furrowed his brows for a moment but gave an aloof shrug shortly after. After this was all over, he'd have to take her to a seamer, but she still crafted something other than drugs - that in itself was an achievement, "Crafty. So, how does it work?"

saxon · Sep 18, 2022

Nissa

Nissa didn't care much for what was happening; the swamp was just a swamp in her mind. However, this swamp seemed to be much more dangerous than others. Glancing over her shoulder at Clarice, who seemed to be fed up with everything going on here, she found it strange that there was a village in the swamp. Meaning there was more to this place than just being devoid of civilization. Though to say that she cared to learn about the history here was a complete lie.

She glanced toward the alchemist as he talked about his potion that was supposed to discern friend from foe. "Hey, plague doctor, you realize we are in a swamp, right? It's hot here; people sweat, and eventually, that will get removed from the body, and then we are back to square one." Nissa pointed out as put some of the liquid on and then rejoined the blonde haired girl as she pulled out a flask of something. "God that is the smartest thing someone has suggested all day," Nissa commented, standing around as she waited for the paladin to start doing her thing.

In her mind the only person slightly interesting was Clarice and the others were dead weight not willing to do what they have to do in order to survive. "You are all a bunch-" Nissa stopped as the sound of water droplets was heard, her head going to the origin of the sound as the divine light started to appear. Nissa didn't want to get anywhere near it and was content to say at the edges of the area as the woman appeared. "Oh now that is interesting," Nissa spoke as she started to wonder if the hag had a connection to this place.

mentions:

Elvario · Sep 18, 2022

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

Mentions: Baharius

Develius | Scylla

RavenSong | Cayde

The Last Curse | Kesh

Skyhunter | Clarice

TheSimianMind | Nissa

saxon

Village Shaman

Ignore the spirits in the image.

The shaman scoffed at Scylla's reply. “What do you think, stranger? It's here to stop the equally distributing and foul magic and creatures in these marshes, of course.” She looked at Abha next. “You have no right to interfere with our village's defences. If you continue, you will force me to take more drastic measures.”

Abha Roshan

Considering none of her make-shift allies asked her to stop, Abha decided to ignore the shaman and continued her ritual. As the light was spreading further, now reaching the church itself, Nissa (still outside) would feel the unpleasant burning sensation upon her skin first. Kalina (still inside) would feel it a bit later. It wouldn't kill them or wound them, but it was definitely unpleasant, somewhere between the itching of a mosquito bite and hot, burning feeling of a severe sunburn. It'd be difficult not to just start scratching at it. To the others, it'd feel like a comfortable warmth enveloped them.

As Abha predicted, the cleansing magic drew out some of the evil forces in this area. In the corners of their eyes, they would soon see the shades starting to move around. Although the light from the torches didn't stop them, it did make them stand out a lot more. At first, one might just assume to be seeing things, but they slowly took a more solid, clearly formed shape.

It wasn't long before the first of them tried making their way towards Abha. The things were pretty fast, heading in a straight line for the rabbit. That said, a simple slash through their body would be enough to make them vanish (same for being hit by the torch-launcher or other weapons). Even so, they'd reappear again elsewhere, further away in the cover of dark, after a while. It was clear that these shades had little physical form or influence, meaning it didn't take much to disturb their form and temporarily vanish them, but it was equally difficult to harm them permanently. It also seemed like their numbers were increasing and that they were all drawn towards one goal; stopping Abha's ritual.

The shaman was clearly preparing something as well. “I'll give all of you one more chance to stop this.” She threatened. As she was preparing her spell, mist started to slowly seep from the ground surrounding her.

Chandra Jarmil

In the church, meanwhile, Kalina was trying not to drool at the scent of fresh blood. She also tried to act like she wasn't bothered by Abha's magic the moment it reached the church, no matter how much her skin was itching and getting annoyed by it. She wasn't particularly great at either of those things. Like Clarice, she spotted the the tether, but she had no clue what in the world it was or what it did. “What is this..? What do we do with it?” She tried asking Clarice as the latter was investigating it. Her instinct was to just destroy it, but she figured she'd suppress that instinct.

TheSimianMind · Sep 18, 2022

Did Scylla just bleat at her? Yes, she did, and in doing so, she has won a spectacular prize! Oh, this won't do at all: Scylla is all the way over there while Clarice is all the way over here! Seeing as Clarice will die - just die - if Scylla doesn't receive her prize posthaste, she resolves to pitch it forcefully at Scylla's feet!

And now, to prevent La Ratona, who possesses all the charm, good breeding, cunning, and derring-do of Swiper from Dora the Explorer, from appropriating the reward Scylla so richly deserves (that miscreant is the runner-up for this prestigious award, after all), Clarice seethes.

I volunteered to search this godsdamned swamp with you, and this is how you treat me?

Warm blood trickles down Clarice's unarmored fist as her nails pierce her left palm.

You mock me when I do what little I can to protect you? These incorrigible fools would rope you into a battle you cannot win, and when I protest, you belittle me!

Like an animal, Clarice bares her teeth.

I owe you a debt for restoring my sight, but make no mistake, once that debt is repaid, our business is concluded!

Scylla's announcement elicits a derisive snort from Clarice. She can't think straight? Ha! That's normal; she self-identifies as a ditz! In every glimmering facet of her blessed life, Scylla consistently fails to devote the proper care and attention to her actions and the world around her. Clarice posits that Scylla's behavior will only change when someone dies on account of her mistakes. Simulations would be insufficient to evoke permanent behavioral modifications, based on the experiment she conducted on Cayde, Baharius, and Lyse.

As Scylla withdraws, Clarice gets to work. Without delay, she dons her leather left glove, covers her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and trudges to the edge of the mass grave. Only after Scylla has cleared out and the investigation of the corpse pile has commenced does Clarice consider how to answer Kate's question.

While she doesn't bother facing Kate, Clarice is a tad more level-headed when she addresses Kate (but only just a tad). At least Kate is attempting to make sense of the situation. That's worth something.

Or she is being disingenuous with the intent of dispatching Clarice while they are alone. That's a distinct possibility...

[Not an Action - Physics (F): Popperian Philosophy of Science] You're on the right track, Kate, but you need to go one step further. Step back and evaluate your assumptions and biases.

Clarice kneels at the edge of the pit. She is less disturbed by the sight than Scylla. Having seen men, women, and children doled out as food and party favors during the Red Festival, she is inured against the sight, though the stench of decay sends her stomach into a tizzy. As disturbing as the sight may be, Clarice squirrels it away in the hopes that the image might be put to good use by the few scrupulous folks at the Academy. Mercifully, she is able to channel her anger into her work and power through without losing her liquid lunch.

Think back to our first encounter with the "hag." We accepted that the creature we encountered was the infamous Hag of the Overgrown Marshes because we had no evidence that might contradict that conclusion. We have since verified that one of our adversaries has the ability to change shape, so we must revisit the hypothesis that our quest giver is a hag.

[Action 1 - Investigation (F) + Thought Process Acceleration (F): Visually Scan the Corpses] Clarice takes in the gory scene before her.

She notes the absence of damages inflicted post-mortem by scavenging animals. Wards are in play.
Judging by the liquifying flesh and the sickening stench, bacterial decay is well-underway. The environment is not sanitary. Ergo, the wards deterring the scavengers do not drain creatures of life.
The floating gem is an obvious source of arcane power. One of three possibilities must hold true:
1. The gem powers wards Clarice cannot see (perhaps wards buried beneath the corpses).
2. The gem is a ward.
3. The gem is a red-herring.
The gem's placement is significant. If it could have been hidden out-of-sight, it would be out-of-sight - unless it is a trap.
The wounds that the corpses bear confirm part of Kate's story: their uniformity is indicative of ritualistic murder - serial killing, if you will. At this stage of decay, a dissection might reveal whether the killers removed any organs, but that would have to wait until Clarice could procure an ample supply of antibacterial agents, scalpels, bonesaws, rubber gloves, and a melange of medical supplies.

While her eyes studiously examine the mass grave, Clarice continues to present her argument concerning the true identity of the “hag.”

Did our quest giver behave like a hag? Not at all. It made no bawdy jokes, it lied to us outright instead of being needlessly cryptic, it displayed no aptitude for negotiations, it showed us no hag magic, and it left as quickly as it could. It was underwhelming, and I can assure you that hags are anything but! We were quick to chalk that all up to this hag's mixed ancestry, but I don't think that's how hags work. Hags turn witches into more hags in order to populate their covens. If the fairytales are true, it's an all or nothing transformation.

So no, I do not believe that the hag has lied to us, for we have falsified our first working theory. I posit that the creature we met at the start was, in fact, the imposter. It followed us through the swamp, and attempted to advance its true agenda by exploiting the fog the banshee created. Why? Because it is too weak to act against us openly and too weak to achieve its agenda without our assistance. What that agenda is, I cannot say, but it explains why the quote-unquote hag was so quick to acquiesce to our demands. It has no intention of fulfilling its side of the bargain, by the by, so if you were hoping to wish for your resurrection, no dice.

Clarice hears the paladin canting a prayer outside of the chapel. Realizing that she is out of time, Clarice lies down on her belly at the edge of the mass grave.

Now, would you kindly back up ten or fifteen feet? I'm going to try to move this floating crystal, and I have no idea what will happen. If we were in my lab, I'd offer you a pair of safety goggles and move you behind a blast shield, but we're in the middle of a godsforsaken swamp. You'll have to make do with a pile of rubble or something.

For a scant second, she hesitates. Much like Scylla, she is frightened, but she accepts her fear for what it is: a tool she can wield and discard. She inhales deeply, and liquid courage, adrenaline, and an iron will steel her nerve. When her lips part, she speaks with grim determination. Her voice resounds with purpose and courage.

If I don't survive this, tell the rest of the group that I forfeited my life to atone for their carelessness, and see to it that Scylla makes it back to the Academy. If she doesn't make it back in time, she'll fail another class.

And if the banshee still imperils you, remember that the remains of its child lie in this pit. Seeing them might be enough to break it's curse, and if it doesn't, interring the corpses of the mother and child in the village's graveyard after administering all pertinent death rites should do the trick.

[Action 2 - Telekinesis (F): Move the Floating Crystal] With that, Clarice focuses on the crystal, attempting to guide it as far from the ritual site as she can (10 feet - the diameter of the volume she can affect) with an outstretched arm and psionic force, and if that has no obvious negative effect...

[Action 3 - Movement (If Possible)] Clarice attempts to rush the crystal, seize it with her mithril gauntlet, and carry it away from the ritual site.

Develius · Sep 18, 2022

As he waited to see what Kesh's device was capable of doing, it was here where Baharius finally locked eyes with the Shaman coming into view from is peripheral. So this village wasn't quite as abandoned as he initially thought. He glanced past both the alchmeist and ratkin, observing the scene unfolding closely. The old woman asked them, in a surprisingly robust manner for her age, to cease with their tampering against the village's natural defenses; her gaze glaring in Abha's direction while she continued conjuring her ritual. The saurian's clenching grip on his great-sword began to grow hardier, with his first instinct wanting him to attack the Shaman for interfering with their efforts to earn their freedom out of the swamp.

Then again, they now encroached on the grounds of someone else's territory and are indeed trying to go against the wishes of the owner. It was a scene he was unfortunately familiar with.

Baharius began to take a few steps forward in the direction of the Shaman, wanting to ask her what she was doing, before witnessing the spirits of the dead slowly manifest into dark figures. The party was now stuck between two opposing magical forces, each competing against each other for control of the marshes. One was a holy paladin, her warm glow casting a pleasant aura on the Saurian's scaly skin; the other was a Shaman, about to cast something in defense of her own home with spirits coming to help her stop with Abha's meddling. With the situation was getting dicer by the second and the general was forced to make a last ditch call.

And then, with a loud bellowing roar, the several hundred pound hulk of muscle and bone ran - his blade extended and readied - towards Abha's position. He lunged his blade forward towards the closest shadow, trying to protect Abha from immediate harm as he separated both parties from interacting. He rose his blade across his chest, holding both sides in a guarding maneuver, and would attempt to tank any damage coming their way.

"Abha, Stop!" Baharius called out desperately for everyone to hear as he continued to guard the paladin from the shadowy onslaught, "Cease the ritual! I have a terrible feeling we're missing something crucial here! Let us stop and give the elder a chance to explain herself before we both do something we'll all regret!"

RavenSong · Sep 19, 2022

“I want to go home!” She cries as she stomps her feet before the witch starts making her way out. “I don’t belittle you! I just want you to make friends! Soooorry for caring about your social life!” It’s as if Clarices attempts to get her to see things her way went in one ear and out the other. “Uhm.. be careful with whatever is in that pit though.. okay?” She managed to resist another heave of her stomach before finally leaving.

Under Scylla’s facade however, Clarice made a bit of a dent. Although as spacey as she was, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was right. What if they hadn’t tried to help? What if they simply went about their way and never got involved with this groups goals. And instead found this plant and left? Furthermore, what if she made the wrong choice by saving the bunny?

“No way..” she muttered under her voice, assuring herself. “..Clarice is just throwing a tantrum again. I’ll just.. be more careful.”

---

There was much Scylla didn’t know and quite frankly didn’t have much of a comeback. She grunted and took a step back as the shaman began to channel her magics.

Then the shades appeared. Eerie and quick moving as they defied the laws of movement as they twisted the air around them to create their swift presence. It seemed they were at the precipice of a very bad confrontation. What was worse was that there was no defining right or wrong answer. The witch had no place to tamper with a villages protection, however crude and gruesome it could be. Considering she just experienced said creatures and abominations in this swamp, it was only proper to place wards.

“Alright..” she muttered, then turned around to look at the others, only to flinch at Kesh’s nearly bare form. “W-what are you doing?!” She whispered with a shrilly pitched voice. Upon sighting her contraption however the witch puckered her lips, a bit impressed at how she made something apparently useful with so little.

However this wasn’t the time to show off crafty gizmo making. Clarices words still echoed in the witches mind, so she entertained the idea of thinking a bit more like her. Taking a few steps towards Abha the witch tapped her shoulder. “Excuse me, miss cute-adorable bunny? Yeah, so this is a lovely cleansing ritual, but unfortunately we seem to have gotten a bit ahead of ourselves. Maybe we can take a break?” Scylla gave the bunny a cutesy look, it was difficult not to when referring to the cute bunny. Although, she hoped she didn’t lose her trust earlier thanks to her blunder in trying to get her to ally with the group. She held out hope for friendship, however.

It then seemed Baharius was of a similar thought when he quickly asked Abha to do the same. His pleas were much more desperate. However she could understand his point as he fended off the shades.

As they grew in number, Scylla would join in with Baharius, fending the shades off with elemental fire darts [Fire Affinity].

“Yes. I’m with the lizard man as well!” She looked over at the scowling shaman, she seemed quite powerful. Much more so the act of starting a fight when clearly outnumbered. Perhaps this would just buy the other two at the altar a bit more time.

The Last Curse · Sep 19, 2022

Mentions: Elvario Develius Skyhunter RavenSong

The shaman's grim warning was enough for Cayde to divert his attention away from Kesh's invention. Only then would he see the ghostly shades speeding past his peripherals and hear the foreign chanting of the shaman ahead of him. He didn't need any more convincing - there wasn't going to be any ritual, and that was that—no room for negotiating, no room for refusal. There went two of his weapons, Cayde realized, but his hand was already reaching for his next.

Baharius' roar had stopped him, and as Cayde turned to look, the sight of the saurial and Scylla fending off a horde of shades brought a horrified expression to his face. Although he did find it endearing that they both came together to defend Abha, the appearance of even more shades quickly returned him to the present. There was no way he'd come out of this with fighting alone, so, with Baharius' plea still settling in his head, Cayde frantically raised his palms in surrender. "Yeah! We'll stop, okay?!" He took a few steps back, attempting to usher Kesh with him, "Look, we all got off the wrong foot. Maybe... maybe I can explain all this."

An explanation had worked with Abha; perhaps it'd work here too? Of course, Cayde couldn't say it'd go as well as it did the last time, but the shaman didn't want to harm the group directly - she just wanted them away from the altar. Maybe a quick conversation would ease the tension just a little. The idea sounded reasonable in his head, yet a surge of anxiety coursed through him nonetheless, "We're here to vanquish a Banshee, and we've reason to believe she's tethered to this place, hence the ritual. We dunno how long she's been here, but we all figured it'd be best to put her troubled spirit to rest." He explained, eyes locked onto the shaman. "I promise, we had no intentions of sabotaging your village. If our ritual is causing harm - we'll stop immediately, alright?"

With that out of the way, Cayde prepared himself for the hard part. "But please understand, we must get rid of this Banshee." He didn't know how the shaman would react to that - likely with that spell she was charging up, he assumed. Still, he persisted, "If we can't do our ritual, perhaps there's another way to get this done? Maybe we can come to a compromise?" Regardless of her answer, Cayde hoped he'd get a little insight on this woman or, at the very least, stall her enough for the others to return. "And one more thing, yeah?" He asked urgently, "Can you please stop sicking these things on us? We've no intention to fight them, too. We just can't let them hurt our new friend." Whether she had control over the spirits or not, he was unsure, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Skyhunter · Sep 20, 2022

Kesh

The drugs must have been affecting her still as time seemed to pass again, Kesh looked up at the large Baharius, showing her contraption, " Balthazar! it's a weapon! " The Ratkin was overjoyed with her contraption once she knew the large lizard was impressed. " We put stuff-things in here on fire and shoot it! It will work-succeed. " The Ratkin had no shame when she was almost naked and bear to the world, she was innocent in that manner despite the blue powder on her nose, she shook her head as her eyes looked glossy for a moment. " Whoo! That's really good stuff! " Kesh shook her head, just for Cayde to quickly come over to her side and place his coat on her, she looked a bit confused, " Uh. What? " Kesh asked the alchemist as she threw his coat on anyways with a smile, " Ooooh it's all warm-cozy. Thanks, Clyde. " Kesh hugged herself with Cayde's coat on, Kesh held her makeshift crossbow smiling.

With the appearance of the shaman, Kesh's eyes widen as she climbed onto Baharius' back and stood on his shoulder holding her crossbow, " There are ghost-spirits out there! " Kesh called as she aimed her contraption at the strange shadows near the torches, growing confidence as she held her powerful contraption. Or it made her feel powerful. " With the power of Skitterer's juggle muggles, I will fire thee the war of flames! " Kesh pointed her large stick crossbow from Baharius' shoulder, shooting a flaming torch at one with a crazy laugh before she stopped, " waitwhatarewedoing? " Kesh asked looking over at the shaman, she jumped off the lizard and landed on the ground quickly moving to the shaman, " Miss woman-lady, what do we need to do? " Kesh asked listening to the air. " I hear droplets or something-thing. "

Elvario · Sep 20, 2022

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

Mentions: Baharius

Develius | Scylla

RavenSong | Cayde

The Last Curse | Kesh

Skyhunter | Clarice

TheSimianMind | Nissa

saxon

A lot of things were going down at once, but there was one particular trigger that would have a rippling effect setting everything in motion a chain of events notable to everyone present. That was Clarice setting off with the magic tether. The events leading up to it were a bit less spectacular, for what it was worth. Perhaps Clarice would've noticed Kalina stare a bit too intensely at her bleeding palm or perhaps that'd have gone past her attention. Either way, Kalina wasn't scowled out of existence, so that was a win in her book.

Chandra Jarmil

After seeing the gore at Dahak's place, Kalina didn't particularly feel fazed by the mass grave. She instead listened to what theory Clarice had come up with. “That does sound plausible.” She said, upon the suggestion their quest giver might not even be a hag to begin with. There was one point that confused her. “How do you know what hags are like, have you met one before?” She got her answer short after though, fairy tales. It was a bit tough to take Clarice serious when she based a lot of her theory on fairy tales. There was another thing she didn't get. “Why would the imposter tell us to kill the rabbit only to try take it away from us? The rabbit seemed to hint at the idea it'd been helping her, sort-off, as well, so it seems odd it'd then just tell other to go kill her.”

She made sure to ignore the mention of 'resurrection' there, as she had honestly giving up on acting at this stage and figured it was better just to ignore it. As for backing up, her best bet was to just walk outside again and chose the sturdiest looking tree around. Clarice was oddly dramatic, but that was not something worth addressing. She'd just reply with “As you wish.”” to the requests and advice.

Moving the crystal was surprisingly easy. Whomever put it there had clearly not counted on someone being able to use telekinesis. However, as she ran out of the building, she was spotted by the Shaman. After all, the crystal was giving off a pretty noticeable dim glue glow.

Abha Roshan

Before Clarice set off, however, Abha was pressed by both Baharius and Scylla. She clearly didn't look happy about it, but stopped her chanting midway. The effect was immediate, as the light dissipated in a flash and caused enough kickback to have Abha hurl out what little was in her stomach. Coughing a lot and clearly being disgruntled, she muttered... “I hope you know what you're doing, I can't start this up again any time soon.”

Baharius, Kesh and Scylla had been successful at keeping the shades at bay. One thing to note, was that they didn't even seem to know the two of them existed. Their only focus was Abha. Although they didn't disappear when Abha stopped her chanting, they stopped attacking and just lingered around in the distance.

Village Shaman

Ignore the spirits in the image.

The Shaman, meanwhile, was about to answer Cayde when Kesh mentioned droplets. “You're imagining things, vermin.” The Shaman was quick to snap back at the rat. “And those spirits are drawn to her magic, so just tell her to stop it and never to start it up again.”

However, when Kesh kept sprinting at her, she attempted to move backwards, only to be too late. The moment Kesh was close, she'd realise this woman was weird. Even in a drug-fueled state, this wasn't something she'd normally see. The woman smelled like swamp water from the strands of her hair to the very tips of her toes and it was almost like one could hear water splash around with every single movement she made. In fact, from up close, it was almost like she was soaking wet, yet at the same time, it was like the 'wet' part was part of her in some way or another. “Call back your creature or I'll be forced to attack it!” She called out to Cayde.

That's when she spotted Clarice running off with the tether. “Stop it!”” She called, as she fired off a water bolt at Clarice. A normal splash of water would probably not harm a soul, but the force of this one was enough to snap a few branches, until it crashed into one of the trees, unable to reach its mark. As Clarice kept making distance from the site, she'd feel the resistance of the crystal increase, making it more and more difficult to pull along. Until, all of a sudden, it was like something snapped loose or broke. Almost on instinct, she'd likely realise that she'd broke the tether lose from whatever spells it was fuelling. The effect of it could be spotted almost immediately, as almost like a blur, something passed her by. Only when it stopped at the pit of corpses was it clearly visible.

Banshee

It was the Banshee. With the mist no longer surrounding it, it was indistinctly drawn to the place she'd been looking for for many, many years. “My child...” She whispered, as the ghostly form reached for something in the pit, shortly afterwards vanishing with a sigh of relief. It happened quickly enough to almost be anticlimactic, weren't it for the immediate follow-up effects. Its presence had been strong enough to disturb something else; the wards. The first to notice where the shades that had been attracted by Abha's ritual, as they now made their way to the pit instead, before vanishing like the Banshee had done. Although it was a bit later, the first Corpse Beetle managed to find its way to the remains surprisingly quickly afterwards, soon to be followed up by many others of its kind.

Village Shaman

Ignore the spirits in the image.

The Shaman, seeing all this happen, was furious. “Do you have any idea how long I've spent setting this all up?!? You're making hours of work go to wast!” There was something that audibly changed about her voice and choice of words, as it suddenly came across almost childish. “How are you going to make up for ruining all this?” She also made sure to sneer at Kesh again. “And get away from me you filth, before I'll drown you!”

Chandra Jarmil

As Kalina had withdrawn whilst Clarice ran off with the tether, she had made her way to rejoin the rest and observe the shaman. “I bet it really is some type of imposter, like Clarice said. I say we slay her!” She called out to the others, readying he crossbow and laying aim at the Shaman. She only needed a signal from one of the others to fire.

Skyhunter · Sep 20, 2022

Kesh

Kesh noticed how rude the shaman was being, even when she was trying to be nice. Kesh wanted to help but was getting nothing but rudeness back. It kinda hurt her feelings if the Ratkin was honest. " You hurt my feelings-emotions. " Kesh said innocently with a hint of sadness. Although she sniffed the air and got a strange... Smell. She was weird... Weird weird. Kesh thought herself as weird but this was a weirder weird. Werid? Wierd? No. Weird. Weird. Weird-strange. Kesh wiped her hand over her nose to clear the blue powder off. Even as she could feel the effects of the drugs she was under, it never messed with her sense of smell and perception.

The Ratkin was still holding her weakly crafted weapon. " Okay. Kesh will leave you alone. " Kesh stated looking a bit embarrassed. She knew what she had to do. Taking a step back and turning away, she quickly would swing back with her fire weapon ready. Kesh began to fire as many shots as it could at the shaman. She wasnt right! " Fire burns-maims! " Despite having fear in her chest, she knew she had to try something. She already threatened to kill Kesh and harm the others. She was probably what was causing this. " She's weird! She smells of swamp water and... And... She moved weird! Like swamp water! " Kesh was obviously afraid but she needed to Garner her courage.

Develius · Sep 20, 2022

Once Abha ceased the ritual, the dark spirits would stop their relentless approach and retreated to linger in the outskirts. Baharius breathed an uneasy sigh of relief, as his eyes studied their movements to make sure they weren't going to reengage when his back was turned. That being said, he noticed earlier how they barely paid attention to their interfere, only concentrating on Abha and stopping her ritual. He wasn't sure what they would, or could, do to her once they caught her, but he wasn't willing to find out.

On a separate note, Baharius was more than impressed with Kesh's improvised weapon. The scarred side of his face glanced at the nearly-naked ratkin and gave a slight toothy smile.

Feeling satisfied enough that the sahdes weren't going to reengage, the general slowly lowered his blade. Abha didn't seem truly happy about what the saurian ordered, hoping he and the others knew what they were doing as she was unable to start this up again for awhile. The general looked back at her and nodded, acknowledging the situation, before walking towards the village elder to further defuse the situation. Cayde would be the first to open up the party's apologizes, only for the shaman to order the removal of his "creature" before she'd attack it.

And when Clarice emerged from the chapel, carrying what looked to be a crystal, the shaman fired a water bolt at the fleeing woman. Baharius began to grow wary of the situation, but still held back to see what happened next. And good thing too. For what he saw ultimately transpire from Clarice's actions resulted in quelling the banshee herself - now finally finding her "child" - resulting in her and the other shades vanishing into the pit from where they came. She did it! The baleful spirit was finally at peace and marked 2 out of the 4 remaining creatures.

And yet, it failed to calm the livid shaman.

With venom oozing from the elderly's actions, attempting to belittle an exhausted party that simply wanted to leave this cursed place, Baharius' growled as he slowly stomped towards her with purposeful intent. He was already getting sick of her aggressive antics... and he was absolutely sick of her "superior" rambling. He already took enough of that attitude from Nissa and Clarice respectively and while they've begun to slowly redeem themselves by their contributions to the party, he still needed a moment to let these frustrations out. He gave her a chance after all... and she chose to waste it.

The reptilian general loomed over the feeble shaman, his cold slit-eyes dilating as they locked upon the shaman's own in a darkened gaze. He then stabbed his blade into the dark muck, causing a splattering of wet mud to be flung outwards, possibly dirtying the shaman's attire. How were they going to fix all of this, she said? He already had an idea. With a resentful growl, Baharius responded coldly:

"With your silence."

As soon as he finished, Kesh would fire a flaming torch into the Shaman using her make-shift crossbow. Yet Baharius wouldn't react to this sudden turn in events, only continuing to glare at his quarry. Unlike what happened with Abha, Baharius wasn't going to step in to help this time. He showed no pity or remorse towards this insignificant hag. And with her now distracted, it acted as a signal for him to finally speak to his inner primal nature.

It was now or never.

In one sudden act of pure unbridled savagery, Baharius opened his gaping maw and attempted to bite down on the ancient hag's entire upper-torso. If it was to connect, he would have no intention to let go. Whether or not this was truly the right thing to do, didn't matter to him now. He was at his breaking point; and it would be best if he let it out on her before unleashing it on anyone else. Using his powerful neck and jaw muscles to lift her into the air, the saurian would see himself begin violently shaking into the poor woman's gnarled and burning flesh like a ragdoll. And as he did, his claws would attempt to sink onto the woman's back like meathooks, slowly dragging them from her waist down to her belly in a brutal messy act of disembowelment.

RavenSong · Sep 22, 2022

“Something is amiss here..” Scylla said, looking at Baharius after noticing the Shamans voice change pitches then turning to the bunny who just puked. “Uhm, looks like you need to eat something soon..” taking a few steps away to avoid the smell of bile. “..if I smell puke, then I’ll start puking, then pretty soon everyone will be puking.. even the voice changing-oily shaman-witch lady of there.”

When Scylla turned to look at their rival, Kesh was already quite up close. “Uh, Kesh, I think you’re kind of, sort of in this lady’s personal bubble..” she chuckled nervously, Scylla had absolutely no authority over her and by the look of the ratkins overall mood, she was quite drugged up again. “..she doesn’t seem very nice.”

However, her lax demeanor would take a sudden turn when the shaman fired a water bolt at Clarice. “Watch out!! Ahhh!! Clarice!!” She shrieked, reaching to her, luckily the conjurer missed and strikes a branch, to which Scylla turned to her, with a fierce expression. “You’re going time regret that!” Suddenly, the witch channeled her magic, a fiery aura suddenly appeared, surrounding the witch in an infernal sphere. Then it would just as suddenly disappear as the fiery sphere was harnessed into her staff, engulfing it in elemental flame. “Fiery gust!!” She exclaimed when she finally released her spell straight at the Shaman.

Flaming Twisters- Magic Affinity E- Wind Affinity F - Fire Affinity F - Magic Range E - Magic Targets E (5 targets) - Duration magic F (1 minute) - Energized E - - Scylla's short staff comes to life emitting magical power. She mutters the name of the ability before black clouds form above their targets and with a final swipe of her staff, tornadoes come rushing upon targets. - Grade E - 0 post Cooldowns [Energized E]

The Last Curse · Sep 22, 2022

Mentions: Skyhunter TheSimianMind Elvario RavenSong Develius

Cayde had considered calling Kesh back. Running up to people was another one of her habits he had to endure, and it had already gotten him in an awkward situation once before. At least he could apologize to Scylla; as for the shaman, he felt words wouldn't make him any less likely to die if Kesh decided to mug her. Also, Scylla was right. He, too, agreed that the shaman didn't look completely friendly, especially after snapping at Kesh and firing magic out at Clarice. That didn't necessarily scream nice to him.

Neither was the sudden reappearance of the Banshee. But just as quickly as she showed up, she vanished into the pit, taking the shades alongside her. Cayde could vaguely hear the relief in the ghost's voice as it was vanquished, though that didn't make him any less surprised, "Wait..we did it?" A half-nervous, half-excited chuckle started to erupt from him, "Yeah! Ha! We did it!" He expected a lot more screaming, among other things, but the Banshee was finally gone!

That left the shaman. Who now, Cayde noticed, had a completely different voice, yet still the same dislike for Kesh. His eyes squinted in skepticism, but Baharius had already figured it out, and so did Kate, Scylla, and Kesh. He felt foolish for not realizing it earlier and even worse for falling for the impostor's facade, though he knew thoughts wouldn't help him much here. He readied his crossbow and offered a brief nod to Kate, "Alright, how's about we even the score?" With that, he'd move to cover an angle on the 'shaman' and fire a bolt in her direction. As he'd load another, he kept a close eye on it - there was no telling what the impostor could do next.

Elvario · Sep 22, 2022

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

Mentions: Baharius

Develius | Scylla

RavenSong | Cayde

The Last Curse | Kesh

Skyhunter | Clarice

TheSimianMind | Nissa

saxon

Village Shaman

Ignore the spirits in the image.

It seemed like the time in the swamp had finally made most of the party loose their pacifist way, as they all agreed on using force to settle this.

Kesh was correct that fire normally burned someone, but she should've trusted her senses more. The water she smelled and saw wasn't just a drug-fuelled illusion. As she fired the torches with her makeshift torch-bow, they hit the Shaman only to get a little bit pushed into her body and fizzle out with a sizzle (2x attack + move). They didn't have a whole lot of effect, if any at all. Kesh's attacks also triggered Kalina to fire her crossbow. The bolt hit true, directly piercing the Shaman's head and making its way deeply into it... only to come out on the other side. The best it had done was sent some water droplets flying. Cayde's bolt struck true as well, but with the same results (or rather, a lack thereof).

The next eager attacker to follow-up was Baharius, as he managed to bite down the Shaman's upper torso with no resistance. None at all. Suspiciously so, perhaps, as Kesh's words might've warned folks that something was up if they'd taken them serious enough. Then again, he was a bit too enraged and savage to care much, which would cost him dearly. He'd probably realise his mistake when he tasted neither blood nor flesh in his mouth. All he tasted was gross swamp water... and then he felt a large amount of pressure built up very readily, too soon to spit out what he was trying to swallow.

In an instant, his jaw was severely dislocated (Grade E wound) as the 'body' of the Shaman exploded in a sea of mist, exactly the same as what had surrounded the hag. It dampened sounds and made it very difficult to see, especially as the quickly spreading water also made most of the torches and fires go out while at it. Sadly enough, that wasn't where it ended for the poor dinosaur.

Scylla decided to attack as well, setting up an attack that would target the Shaman's body from above. Even the incoming mist was not stopping that attack from happening, although targetting an enemy currently halfway down the snout of an ally was a risky move already, the sudden retreat left nobody but Baharius there to receive the five tornadoes of wind and fire rushing down upon him. (OOC; magic affinity needs to be 1 grade above the amplifiers like targets and range, so she needs to cast it at D grade as a D grade ability). Baharius would feel his blisters and burns form on his head as the hot winds relentlessly tore at and into his subbed skin, although thankfully, three of them landed just in front of him where the shaman's legs had been dangling just before, leaving him with only (F grade wound) blisters and burns on his head.

It was very difficult to communicate with the sound dampening mists, let alone aim at whatever might be left of their enemy... which was nothing and nobody, it turned out. With none of them having the right skills counter the sudden explosion of mist (likely a last defence mechanism to allow for a hasty retreat), their adversary had gotten away. Oddly enough, there were no signs in the marshes of footsteps or anything, for those that would instantly want to try to give chase.

As the mist settled down a few minutes later, they'd be left to wonder who or what had just occurred. Kalina was the first one trying to make sense of it, with what she'd heard from Clarice.

Chandra Jarmil

“So that thing... might've been the same thing that was the imposter of the hag we met... but probably not of the one that looked like Scylla... We got rid of the Banshee and Abha will leave after we get rid of the Ent... Wait. Should we even bother looking for the Ent, if the one who told us to do so to begin with was an imposter?” At this point, she was honestly not sure what value there was in staying here.

Abha Roshan

“I'll go after him regardless. I've got my own reasons for finding him.” She was still a bit wobbly on her legs from having suddenly stopped her chanting and ritual mid-way. She hadn't forgotten Scylla's remark either. “I should indeed eat something, so I'm glad you're offering.” She'd been without rations for days, only hanging on relatively well by virtue of being a were-rabbit. The latter also put her into a bit of a sarcastic mood regarding such a remark uttered without any thought put into it.

She sighed. “Well, I've still got my mission here, and I'd appreciate any help I can get...” She glared at Nissa. “Other than hers, I'd be perfectly fine if she left right now.” Still, Abha fully realised the situation she was in. “I'm not sure what I could offer, but to the rest of you, I'd be willing to repay the favour of helping me defeat the Ent however I could. I'll have to question him and make him pay for what he did to my city.”

Develius · Sep 22, 2022

In a quick lunge, the crocodilian saurian's teeth would bite down upon the shaman's feeble torso. For a moment, Baharius felt his teeth sink into what he thought was very watery blood, offering oddly little resistance. This was quite odd. Very odd in fact. Flesh was supposed to be tougher than this; while here it seemed like he was popping a water balloon. That's when he realized that he didn't taste any blood from his mouth at all, for in fact all he tasted was the vile mixture of brackish swamp water. So he was half-correct. It appeared that he and the others had been duped, for the shaman didn't seem to be there at all or had made its getaway and left a watery construct in her wake. Was this yet another apparition?

Baharius growled angrily at this revelation, glancing left and right instinctually for where she might've gone, as he was readying to spit the foul water out from his mouth. Then another odd sensation hit his mouth. He'd feel an odd pressure began to rapidly build up in his toothy maw. His mouth was tingling in this weird sensation, feeling like he was holding a geyser that was preparing to burst! It was in those final seconds where the saurian general suddenly realized his mistake; but by that time it was already too late.

As a shiver crawled up Baharius' spine, the pressure that had been building up would burst into a violent explosive release. In that terrifying moment, he'd feel his lower snout stretch unnaturally and instantly afterwards snap with an audible pop. Even as his built-up adrenaline only briefly kept him from feeling that burning pain come to fruition, it wouldn't spare him from what he felt immediately afterwards. The beast howled in sheering agony - unable to properly speak - throwing his upper body into the air as the watery mist ejected upwards into the dark forest canopy and the moon beyond.

It was already a fitting punishment for his brazen deed, leaving his calm, level-headed demeanor as a respected general to embrace his inner-beast even for just a moment. The gore-riddled brutality he imagined was now placed upon him by his quarry.

But fate - the cruel mistress that she was - wasn't done just yet. For as Baharius attempted to regain his composure, he'd feel an intense heat rapidly approaching from directly above. From his baptism of water, what awaited the saurian general now felt like the gods smiting down him with a cast of hellfire from above. He'd barely have a moment to breathe, before a series of flaming vortexes crashed down upon his head. Another agonizing scream ruptured from his essence, echoing across the marsh for miles around, as he desperately padded out the blistering winds engulfing him.

When the immediate dangers finally subsided, the party would find the once proud and noble Baharius forced to his knees. Only the coarse raspy breathing of the wounded saurian could be heard coming from him; the aggression in his voice now flickered away. The poor beast slowly turned his head towards the party, revealing to them the humiliating injuries he now bore. His face was a complete and utter mess, scorched and bloodied by the events that transpired just seconds ago. Deep burns and puffy blisters covered his entire head, still spewing a trail of smoke from the embers, with his crowned crest - once sporting a vibrant gold-and-blue color - now tarnished in black soot. His lower jaw now hung open at an unnaturally freakish angle, missing a good chunk of his teeth. Those perceptive enough would see see at least one, if not more, of these broken bloodied teeth scattered on the muddy ground.

The shaman, hag, imposter, whomever it was, was long gone; having left the premises with the last laugh. With what little left of his pride and dignity was now left on display, Baharius awaited for the inevitable onslaught of ridicule and spite to kick him further into the mud...

saxon · Sep 22, 2022

Nissa

Nissa watched the whole spectacle, with the party attacking the imposter and the banshee finally going away. Though she felt like this whole swamp might as well have been an illusion to all they knew. Still, many questions needed answers, and she knew she wouldn't find those answers here. Too many variables seemed off, though she figured the rumors of the hag would at least be true.

"Well the Ent should be easy enough to find, it if spreads diseases like we were told then simply follow the smell of disease or rotting wood. That should lead us to the tree," Nissa pointed out as she walked over to where the imposter hag had stood before all the mist appeared and started to look around the area. "Seemingly, a crossroads seem to have been crossed; the lot of you were so hesitant to fight, now you seem ready to fight if your life is on the line," she smirked for a moment before returning to her normal expression.

"However, I still think pacifists are stupid, also the fact that you all take too long to debate things. Too hesitant simply put do what you think is the right answer and live with it," Nissa spoke as she thought the whole party has a little too much trust in the kindness of human nature. She still though their kindness would kill them sooner or later but for now she just wanted to be done with this swamp.

mentions:

Skyhunter · Sep 23, 2022

Kesh

Kesh figured that her contraption would do the trick! And that the support of everyone would also help, she saw two of her own torches stab into the shaman, Kalina fired her crossbow, Cayde did as well, hell the large Baharius even bit down on the shaman to seal her fate! But... That did not happen. Instead the shaman had blown up into mist in Baharius' mouth, causing his jaw to explode open and dislocating his jaw. He could hear the Saurian's pain in his howls, his jaws were a sad sigh to see, very brutal to look upon.

Kesh flinched at the sight, her face contorted in a look of pain as she could feel the pain herself. She touched her own jaw in fear. With all this mist around them now, Kesh looked around to see what she could do, but then fire came from above, twisters of flame scorched Baharius. Kesh covered her own face of the hot flames then looked to see what the damage was. Baharius looked worst for wear, he had a dislocated jaw and now his head and face were scorched. His screams of agony sent a chill up Kesh's spine. The reveal of his face made Kesh almost turn away but she remembered she had magic! She could heal the giant lizard.

Kesh stepped forward " B-Balthazar! I can Heal-mend your wounds! " Kesh showed him her ring on her finger, she had a light smile on her face but she looked fearful. " Let me climb-scale on you! Get it because you have scales- never mind. " Kesh quickly hopped up onto the Baharius' back and got into his shoulder, making sure to not touch his wounds. Kesh hovered her hand over his wound and took a deep breath as the ring activated. She wanted to at least heal the worst of his wounds first which was his jaw. A strange aura flowed over Baharius' head around his jaw, " Heal Ache-Pain! " Kesh announced. [Magic Heal Cut-Ache! Yes! E]

Magic Heal Cut-Ache! Yes! - Magic Affinity E, Healing F: Kesh is able to use her magic to help heal minor cuts, aches and bruises. Has to be in touching range. (1 Post Cooldown)

Kesh was a little tired from it but she saw that his burns didn't get healed and took another deep breath as she then moved her hand over his burns letting burst of magic come out. Strings of magic coming to cover his head as Kesh had closed her eyes. " Heal the fire-burns! " Kesh called [Heal-Ache F]. As soon as Kesh was able to heal his wounds, the Ratkin slid off of Baharius and into the ground looking a bit exhausted, " Kesh needs more Ratkin drugs. " She sighed looking at Baharius giving a tired thumbs up. She then looked around, " Where is the woman-lady shaman! " Kesh looked around them, " She could be you! She could even be me! " Kesh pointed at Nissa then back at herself.

The Last Curse · Sep 24, 2022

Mentions: saxon Elvario Develius Skyhunter

Cayde watched dumbfoundedly as his bolt seemingly phased through the impostor, to no effect that he could see. His mind immediately went to the first option he could think of: ghost. What kind of ghost? He hadn't a clue, which was only exacerbated after he witnessed Baharius take a big bite out of it. You couldn't bite spirits. Everyone, their dog, and even Cayde knew that, but that still didn't stop him from wondering what this thing was. Curiosity piqued, he lowered his crossbow and zeroed his vision onto the pair of legs dangling from the saurial's maw. If the body wasn't completely destroyed, perhaps he'd be able to-

An explosion of water and mist appeared before his eyes, obscuring Cayde's vision and giving that dreadful 'clogged-ear' feeling as it had with the Banshee. The screams sounded shortly after, but he knew they couldn't have come from the Banshee - she was already gone! Besides, the howls were much too deep and much too familiar. Finally, the realization hit him like a brick, "Baharius!" He called, his eyes searching the mist, "Baharius! Are you o-" When he finally saw the sorry state of his ally, it was reasonably safe for him to say Baharius wasn't okay. Cayde could only stare, wide-eyed and mouth agape as he gazed over his horrific wounds, feeling nothing but pity for the poor lizardman. No one deserved to be injured in such a cruel way, especially not Baharius. Cayde needed to do something - someone had to do something.

Fortunately, that someone was Kesh. Cayde watched as she ran up to the saurial and performed her magic, attempting to heal his wounds. A smile edged his lips, "If only Ceylan were here to see this!" The dog-priest would surely be as glad to see Kesh's initiative in action, he thought, though no one would be able to replicate how proud he felt of her right now. Still, after she slid away, Cayde rushed up to Baharius, making use of [Medicine D] to hopefully spot anything Kesh's magic might've missed. He grimaced at the broken teeth littering the floor, but that'd be the least of the lizardman's issues. Teeth could grow back - Cayde couldn't say the same for Baharius' pride.

Meanwhile, there was more talk on the impostor, Kate questioning the point of even staying and completing this quest while Kesh still wanted the impostor. "I'm sure they're long gone, Kesh. Probably not gonna want to mess with us again," Then, He sighed and turned to give his input to Kate, "Well, I'm staying," He said plainly, before returning to inspect Baharius, "Look, I've got too much history with Vegard to just up and leave. I need to see how this all ends." Because of closure, of course, for the closure of ending a saga with Vegard and the closure of leaving these cursed swamps with the knowledge that he did something good. Even if that Ent left him broken in the end, he'd at least be able to crawl home knowing he'd made a change, never mind how small.

As for Nissa's comment on the group's decisions, Cayde would give her a mocking grunt, "That's what we've been doing, Lyse," He replied acidly, "Y'know, after being accused as a vampire and what you've done to Abha, some of us think slaying you might be the right answer." He shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe we'll have the courage to live with it, too?" Before he'd say more, Cayde caught himself with an exasperated sigh. This swamp was stressful enough - dealing with this woman was starting to give him a migraine. "I'm sorry," He wasn't, "You're right. We'll follow the path to the Ent and finally get this over with. Then we'll never see each other again." He turned away with an indignant hmph, muttering, "And it better stay that damn way..."

RavenSong · Sep 24, 2022

Blinded by her rage, Scylla channeled the spell fiercer, mustering every bit of magical energy within her to incinerate this hostile and strange shaman. However, a sudden explosion of mist engulfed the atmosphere at the location she was aiming. Not being able to see, she quickly stopped, and waited for the ground to clear. Panting heavily, she fixed her singed hair, now a bit blackened from its usual golden appearance due to the immense heat that emanated from her aimed immolation. "You.. pant.. better be.. pant.. dead!" she said with a light scowl.

But soon her fierce gaze suddenly changed, a desperate gasp exploding from her mouth as she beheld Baharius's critical condition. "I.. I swore I aimed right at her!" the disbelief growing upon her features. She suddenly ran up to the injured and scorched lizard man, still smoldering from the intensity of the elemental spell. "Im.. I'm.. IM SO SORRY!!" she exclaimed. Placing a hand on the lizard mans shoulders, "I-i got just the thing though!" She quickly mustered more mana to service, being as exhausted as she was it was quite surprising she could even do so but not without a little assistance. Pulling a blue apple from within her robes, she gobbled it up quickly to allow her to get that last bit of mana necessary for the healing spell. She outlined the note in her head however ever in bolder letters: Study more healing magic.

Kesh then appeared to use her own abilities to aid the poor Baharius, but she assumed responsibility for this one. She didn't know what type of magic Kesh was capable of, but really, it didn't matter, any help was good help at this point. After scarfing down the apple, she put her hands on the lizard man, one on his head the other on his jaw, reciting the incantation she performed on the rabbit earlier. [Action 1. Mending Stream] The flow of magic leaving her hands could be felt as an icy feeling, yet not uncomfortably so, considering these were burns, it would likely alleviate some of the pain. As for the broken jaw, however, she could only hope.

After the healing spell was completed Scylla sighed, looking down solemnly at the ground. "My dearest, most sincere apologies sir Lizard Knight. I.. I'm awfully defensive of my colleagues, especially those whom I seem to bring further and further into the madness of my actions." She didnt know what else to do, she felt terrible about what she did, but one thing did come to mind. Holding up an index fingers as to signal she had a suggestion. "If your jaw feels better, perhaps you'd like some cake?" She said bashfully, pulling out what remained of that fateful, and miraculously intact dessert she made for Clarice, in all its pinkish angel cake splendor. "Here you go." She said, giving it to the lizard man. Although she wondered if Lizard people ate such things, but it was the least she could do.

She then slowly walked up to the bunny Abha and sat next to her, her staff nonchalantly resting on her shoulder, and letting out a big yawn. "I'll go if Clarice goes, I've put her through too much already, and asking her to continue further would be a tad-itty-bitty-witty-teeny-tiny-bit rude of me at this point." She turned to Abha, "However, I have no regrets in my decision to save you, cute bunny lady." She said smiling brightly with a tilt of the head. "I wish I had a snack for you, unfortunately, I lost my apples when we lost Poppy, I thought having cake would be more than enough, but seems it wasn't so. But maybe a quick stop to the village might be in our interest!" She then turned to Clarice, "So.. since you're so keen about what we should do, where do we go from here? Surely, you wont ditch me if I volunteer us against this, Ent.. will you?" Her eyes getting a bit bubbly eyed, as if hoping her colleague would have something nice to say.

Elvario · Sep 24, 2022

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

Mentions: Baharius

Develius | Scylla

RavenSong | Cayde

The Last Curse | Kesh

Skyhunter | Clarice

TheSimianMind | Nissa

saxon

Chandra Jarmil

Kalina raised an eyebrow at Nissa's remark. “This creature lied to us before, so it's not guaranteed that the manner to find the Ent won't just be another lie.” However, it was the second part that really got to her. “That hesitance is all that's keeping me from slaying you on the spot, you know.” She really didn't understand why her fellow vampire was so brazenly antagonistic all the time and her thirst was making her patience run thin. It was no longer an act, but genuine annoyance, at this point.

Kesh was able to heal up Baharius, although some pain would remain, he'd be able to move his jaw again and his burns and blisters were healed up enough not to get infected in this place. Cayde's medicine would provide some painkillers to get him almost back to normal, save for perhaps a bit of scar tissue that didn't get fully healed up on the first go. As for what Kesh said, Kalina tried to put 2 and 2 together. “I bet it didn't look or sound like water on purpose, so perhaps we just have to look out for that? Besides, we've got Cayde's scents with us now.” She said, assuming (incorrectly so, as it wasn't mentioned) that Kesh would've also taken a bottle form the alchemist.

Kalina was fairly surprised at seeing Cayde conviction to stay. It sort-off made her curious where this would all go, but there was one issue. “Can we talk in private for as second? ” She'd ask him, hoping he trusted her enough to be willing to walk out of hearing distance from the rest wit her (far enough to even be out of Kesh's hearing range, as Kalina is aware she's got sharp healing). If he'd follow her, she'd get straight to it. “Considering you've carried me away after the Banshee, you've probably got your suspicions... they're correct.” She'd show him her fangs. “I promise I meant no ill will, I just wish to avoid hostility due to my race. The behaviour of my ill-mannered counterpart shows you why I might not be eager to associate with my own kind.” With that out of the way, it was time for the big question. “Sadly enough, recent events have left me in a most unfortunate state and I'm afraid it's not going to get any better, so if your offer still stands, I'd like to make use of it. In turn, I promise I'll do what I can to help with that Ent.” It was probably a lot to take in, but she really hoped her gamble of entrusting this to Cayde was going to pay off.

Abha Roshan

Meanwhile, Abha was curiously observing the witch. What little spots of hurt Kesh's magic might've missed on Baharius, Scylla was quick to fix them up. She then proceeded to hand out cake. Was this girl's answer to everything to just shove cake at it? Somehow Abha wouldn't mind that. She could definitely go for some cake right now. However, Abha got told there was no more cake. The treachery. After telling her to eat, that blasted witch really just went to feed the dinosaur cake and then returned telling her she was out of food.

She sighed, shrugging if off. She was a mighty paladin of Virtus, not a cake-eating pet rabbit. “I'm glad?” She wasn't quite sure to Scylla's admission of being glad she saved her, as whilst it was nice, the other option would be telling her she should've been dead. However, at the mention of the village Abha frowned. “That would be risky. Whatever creature we just defeated, it had clearly been acting like the village's shaman for a long time, considering what they've set-up here. There's a fair chance it will use the villagers against us if we return there and I'm not sure who they will believe.”

That said, Abha fully realized that whether or not she'd get additional aid against the Ent would depend on this Clarice, so she attempted to put up some bunny-eyes (and would fail at it, looking more silly than anything). She was better using rational words anyhow. “I know it's too much to ask of you, but I would be willing to offer whatever I could in return for your aid.”

OOC:
I'm planning to do another transition after this scene, so for this post, please include how your characters would prepare for their journey back into the marshes to find the Ent. Things like who'd lead the group, if they'd make additional preparations (and which), if they'd be willing to join along to begin with, etc.

A few things to note;
There are Corpse Beetles gathering around the corpses.
There isn't a single sign of the 'hag' still being around.
Kalina would still have some of Clarice's supplies (and would share if asked, as she can't eat them).
Kesh's makeshift torch-bow looks like it'd be good for 2 more shots.
Baharius is healed up and without pain, thanks to all the actions from others.
The magic threads can still navigate them through the swamp.
After the previous expeditions, they'd know roughly in which area the Ent would have to be.
There are some occult looking symbols left in the area/church, but nothing of worth.
If you want to know anything else, feel free to ask on Discord.

Develius · Sep 24, 2022

As Baharius attempted to gather what was left of his scorched nerves, Kesh would be the first on scene to relieve him. Feeling her carefully pattering up his long tail and muscular back, the saurian ceased his movements to let the ratkin heal as much as she could. Despite seeing her craftiness first hand, he wasn't expecting her to come around as a healing type. His expectations were respectfully low; figuring that it would be enough to relieve himself of the sheering pain he's in, but not completely cure it. The green aura would emerge from Kesh's ring and wrap around his head in a warm soothing embrace. The general welcomed it, closing his eyes in relief.

He'd begin feel the muscles in his lower jaw begin to relax and numb. The torn internal pterygoid muscles were now repairing themselves at an accelerated pace as they were reattaching back to his lower mandible, while teeth began to regrow back in the empty gums. Both Cayde and Scylla would also hop in to assist, utilizing their healing magics and medicines to soothe the painful blisters and heal the baleful burns that rattled the rest of his body. The combination of all these healing magics surging through him briefly gave Baharius a sense of heightened euphoria on a scale he never before felt. The pain he suffered a minutes ago had virtually melted away. Then, with yet another audible pop, he'd finally feel his lower jaw lock back into once more.

"Hnghh," the saurian growled as he rose slowly to rub his jaw, not expecting that sudden electrifying sensation. Aside from a faint odd sensation, surely caused from the sudden realignment, he'd confirm that his jaw is back in place. Thank the gods. His large claws lightly scratched his head, feeling around for any remaining burns and blisters. While only a few faint scabs remained in isolated patches, it also healed up rather nicely. Baharius breathed a sigh of pure relief, giving a good shake of his head, before looking back at the three individuals gratefully with a respectful nod.

"I... Thank you, friends," the spined saurian said to the three, his nobler side now resuming control for the moment, "I am in your debts.". Kesh would give a thumbs up at him, causing Baharius to respond in kind mixed with a warm smirk. When Scylla began to apologize for her actions, the saurian extended his palm and shook his head, "Do not worry," he responded kindly, excusing her in a softer manner, "It was a tense situation for everyone. I knew you wouldn't do it on purpose. Just be sure to exercise more caution next time." When he was presented with half a full cake by the witch herself, Baharius couldn't help but be greatly surprised by her gesture. "O-Oh, uh... thank you?" he replied almost unsurely, feeling rather guilty about accepting this delicious-looking pink topping cake even as he held it in his hands, "You really shouldn't have. Are you sure that I can~?"

He paused for a moment as he looked down at it, smelling the rich, sweet aroma beckoning the saurian beast to come treat himself. It was rather tempting, even for someone who normally didn't eat sweets. Baharius sighed defeatedly as he used one of his larger claws to slice himself a large slice - nearly being 1/4th of what would've been the entire cake. His long snout leaned forward and snatched the pastry with the tip, raising it up and chomping it down towards the back of his throat to chew. It was quite a tasty delicacy. Though as he considered downing the rest of it, he paused to glance back at the other party members. Looking around, he'd set his eyes on the paladin bunny once again, who was talking to Scylla. Seeing the hard-working paladin without a slice, prompted the scaly beast to want to remedy this as soon as possible.

But first, it would be rude to deny Cayde and Kesh a reward for healing him of his wounds. So he proceeded to divide what was left of the cake into three equal slices and walked over to the duo. "Care for a slice?" he asked the two, showing their slices topped horizontally against the vertical slice saved for Abha, "It's the least I can offer to thank you two for healing me." As he lowered to give the ratkin a slice, Baharius noticed one of his broken teeth embedded in the mud. He picked it up and gave it to Kesh, "I'm sure you can find a use for these. I'll let you keep them, if you can find the rest." he motioned with a wink before walking off.

As he approached Abha, he'd hear her offer to repay for any of the remaining party to help her dispose of the ent if they so wished, or otherwise leave the swamp. "I'll help." Baharius responded, leaning down to present the rabbit with the last slice of cake, "I'm not leaving until I see you safely out of this cursed marsh. Besides, I still have some steam to let loose after this... humiliating incident."

During their downtime, Baharius proceeded to stick by the surrounding village they were in and fish for a bit. He'd catch a few bites with his fishing pole, cook them and eat them (sharing a piece or two to any still in the area), before sharpening his blade with his whetstone and taking a much deserved rest for the final leg of their journey. His mission was clear. Help the bunny kill the ent and then escort her out to the nearest friendly town.

TheSimianMind · Sep 25, 2022

Time seems to blur for Clarice as she seizes the glowing crystal. Clutching the arcane device in her hands, she plunges into the darkness, snapping branches and trampling shrubbery as she tears through muck and mire. The explosion of sulfurous water that splinters a diseased tree trunk behind her spurs her forward. Suspecting that something is pursuing her, she runs and runs and runs before hooking back toward the village. Rather than risk returning the crystal to the ritual site, she circles around it, pushing toward the path leading back to the village.

Trusting the remainder of the party to see to their own safety and wellbeing, Clarice focuses on her retreat. While she casts a quick glance over her shoulder, she neither stops nor reverses her course. Only when she has a straight shot to the village does she pause to assess the party's predicament, and even then, she is less than concerned about Baharius's miserable hide. The healers were already in motion, and unless Baharius went into shock or developed a mental disorder, Clarice couldn't help him even if she was disposed to. Instead, she places her hands on her hips and pants. Exercising in this humid environment isn't fun at all. Nevertheless, she spares enough breath to challenge Baharius on how he categorized his experience.

Sobering, not humiliating. And instructive. If not for you, then for me.

She rises to her full height and, with a smirk, continues.

I see no reason to remain in the company of entities I do not trust. I cannot rely on your judgement, and at this point, some of you probably want to kill me. Party cohesion would likely improve in my absence. Moreover, I have my prize.

Clarice holds up the glowing crystal and wonders what the High Enchanter would make of it. To one so skilled, it would prove a wealth of information. Postcognition is a wonderful tool.

It's also worth admitting that, as many of you have already realized, my powers aren't suited to a straight fight.

Which would help explain her fixation on gathering information before committing to a fight. Much as it pains her to admit, she doesn't stand a chance without surveillance and a scheme.

What, then, would you offer that would entice me to stay?

Clarice's eyes brim with cunning as she meets Abha's gaze. Adrenaline still flows through her, and her voice thrums with confidence. She already has something in mind.

While you might wager that Scylla's presence would be sufficient to tie me to you, I can offer you a guarantee of my service in this and other matters in exchange for the condition that you despise.

Sire me.

Clarice studies Abha's expression, expecting a surge of confusion and surprise. Her own expression is exceptionally uncommunicative. One thing is clear: Clarice isn't bluffing. For some reason, she wants Abha's curse.

I specialize in control. Given time, I could turn your curse into a blessing, and in the short term, our bond might prevent you from losing yourself to your fear. Such an exchange costs you nothing and benefits us both.

There's something more to this. Even with mind control, she shouldn't boast the ability to control such a curse.

Unless she knows much more about such afflictions than she is willing to let on...

As for the village -

Without further ado, Clarice attempts to stow the crystal beneath her tunic using the strap that once held her silver flask. She glances at Kesh while doing so. If the half-naked ratgirl intends to pilfer it, she'll have her work cut out for her.

I should be able to smuggle Scylla and Abha back onto our ship for some much needed rest. As long as we don't cause a scene, I can handle any guards we run into. I might be able to escort one or two other people, but Baharius is too conspicuous and, much like Abha, needs rest.

I might also make a solo supply run, at the break of dawn, so give me a list of the things you need and I'll see what I can do. And don't worry about coin; I'd rather go broke than watch someone die - actually die, not die in a simulation - tomorrow. We'll reconvene here if people are amenable to that plan.

But be quick about it. The alcohol is starting to take effect.

If the party agrees to this plan, Clarice will leave behind most of her supplies for those who intend to remain in the swamp.

-----
A slightly hungover Clarice will return in the morning with as many of the requested supplies as she could procure. If folks requested non-standard supplies, like armor and weapons, Clarice will have been unable to procure them. She makes an earnest effort to source foodstuffs, chemicals, medicines, tools, and raw/finished materials with mixed success.

When the party sets off to find the Ent, she will be last in the marching order. She will have stocked up on clay containers full of oil to support Scylla and Kesh in case they continue to field incendiary weapons.

If she has the capacity, she will drag an misshapen saddle behind her with a note affixed to it that reads (in the sloppy handwriting of someone who is almost blackout drunk):

Hello, tomorrow-me,

We won this in a game of cards when we first arrived. You probably don't remember that on account of the splitting headache you're probably enduring. It's owner claimed his pappy used it to ride dinosaurs. That and what happened yesterday gave me an idea.

With a few modifications, maybe the rat person could ride the alligator/crocodile person into battle on a little mounted turret platform. On the attached napkin, I've included calcs for proof-of-concept. The added benefit is that the gunner can pocket heal the tank.

Even if this sounds incredibly stupid in the morning, it should be funny, and after yesterday, we probably need all the good will we can get to stop people from shooting us in the back. The males and the rat person are an inch from going postal, as you well know, but it has been about a day so you should be able to handle them if they go psycho.

We have one more day before we start losing float in our schedule. That doesn't allow any time for funerals. Hopefully, you don't see anything like that in the tea leaves tomorrow.

Just knocked the ink pot onto the floor. Writing this with floor ink. Going to sign off.

With love,
Past Clarice

The Last Curse · Sep 26, 2022

Mentions: Elvario Develius Skyhunter RavenSong

Much to Cayde's relief, Baharius had made a quick, painless recovery, all thanks to Kesh, Scylla, and some help from his medicine. The careful mixture of Bullshead oil and powdered Blue Dream had worked wonders, and thankfully so, he feared Baharius would be a bit too glad if he'd added too much shroom dust. Nevertheless, Cayde gave a broad smile as the saurial showed his appreciation, "Always a pleasure, Baharius," The smile widened even further when he was presented with a slice of Scylla's cake. He was wondering when the confection would make its fabled reappearance. And just in time, too, all this worrying had him completely famished. "And you know what?" He said, reaching for his share, "I think I will have a slice!"

However, before Cayde could indulge in sweet, tooth-decaying goodness, he'd hear Kate ask to speak with him alone. For a moment, his eyes flashed with a brief realization. Still, he nodded affirmatively to her request, "Uh, yeah, sure thing, Kate," He gave the others an apologetic wave of his hand as he departed, and almost immediately, the familiar sensation of anxiety started to prick at his skin. This rendezvous would be the perfect opportunity to discuss what happened with the Banshee, but he had no idea how to approach this. Usually, such touchy conversations could be eased into with tact and rational considerations, but nothing was rational about what he saw.

The cold, seemingly long-dead corpse of his ally had miraculously revived and was walking around as if nothing ever happened - how could anyone begin to discuss something as otherwordly as that? Finally, Cayde got a faint idea, "Just rip it off like a bandage, Cayde," He assured himself, "She probably doesn't even know that you know. All you've gotta do is start with it, and you'll be fine!"

So, when Kate ripped off the band-aid first and explained she, in fact, did know, it felt like every organ in his body had imploded on itself. The reveal that she was also a vampire had that effect, too, tenfold. His first response was to chuckle, "Wait, what? No, you-" His gaze fell to her inhuman canines, and he turned on his heels on a whim, "Oh my god, she's the vampire." A vampire, more like, she'd also claimed that Lyse was another one of her kind, though that barely got him through his fugue. He chuckled again, now at his obliviousness. "Undead," He thought, shaking his head in disbelief, "Never alive to begin with, and now we're here, and she's..." The 'realization-brick' hit him again, and all rueful humor left his system instantly. The vampire, who had just led him away from his allies, was now asking for a favor. He felt his blood run cold.

Eyes closed, Cayde about-faced, "Okay. So, I'm guessing you want to suck my blood, right?" He sucked air in through his teeth and pointed his gaze to the sky, recalling their little game earlier; whether it was bite or kill that created vampires, his already skewed opinion of monsters, whether the bond between him and Kate was all a ruse, among a myriad of things. Finally, he came to a decision and a perfect plan to boot. That is, if she wasn't a full-blown monster. That would've sucked, to say the least. "Alright, If it means you'll stay, I'll let you." He said shakily, "But so just you know, you're one of the closest people I'd call a friend in this entire group, honest. I'm not gonna guess how long you've had this condition, but I'm glad you kept it under control for the team. That takes a strength I don't even think some humans have."

With that said, he'd give one long sigh, "Okay. So, now that I've got you properly guilt-tripped..." He slowly extended his arm, "Promise not to kill me, yeah?"

Elvario · Sep 26, 2022

The Overgrown Marshes – Ruined Chapel

Mentions: Baharius

Develius | Scylla

RavenSong | Cayde

The Last Curse | Kesh

Skyhunter | Clarice

TheSimianMind | Nissa

saxon

Abha Roshan

Was that a tear in Abha's eyes when a slice of the promised cake reached her hand? Definitely not! She was a proud and noble paladin of Virtus. She wouldn't shed a tear for a random act of kindness like being granted a slice of cake in a very stressful situation after having grown tired from continuous trouble and drama... definitely not... maybe just one, but that was definitely just because something had gotten in her eye! “I, eh, thank you.” She said, making quick work of the slice of cake, before realising, to her surprise, the dinosaur was willing to help her no questions asked. “That is very kind and noble of you, sir...?” She realised she'd never really caught or remembered his name. She'd been too busy fighting or nearly dying lately.

The next one was a bit more trouble to deal with, as Abha pondered on how to respond to Clarice's odd request. “Sire you..?” She was so unfamiliar with the term that she first thought Clarice asked to be impregnated, which would be a bit problematic for obvious biological reasons. That's when she realised the girl asked to be infected. “Oh, right.” Her face turned a bit red at the mistaken and inappropriate thought. Even so, she quickly got serious. “Even if I wanted to grant you that request, I'm afraid that it won't be possible, it's a curse that's transmitted only to Rabbitfolk and Haregons. I'm also not sure if you understand what the complications would be if it would've been possible. It's something that would've stuck with you from the rest of your life and that could have you kill your own friends and family in a worst case scenario, especially as I wouldn't be able to let you go through the same rituals and training I've gone through.”

That said, Abha could come up with some potential options. “I would be willing to give you my blood for research... and if it helps, I'd eh...” The next part was tough to say, as she felt like it came at a considerable risk, but she decided to show some trust. “I'd be willing to let you control me, if I'm at risk of turning. My mind is at its weakest just before I turn, so if that control of yours works on others, I'd let you use it.” She hoped those two promises were enough of a show of trust and good faith to get the girl on board, as Abha really wished to have more allies in what she was going to be up against.

Abha, oddly enough, did take Clarice up on the offer to rest aboard the ship. However, it wasn't for reasons Clarice might expect. Abha wasn't as much worried about getting rest as she was worried that the fake shaman would provoke the villagers to harm her freshly obtained allies. The latter proved out to be too paranoid, as wherever the creature had fled, the villagers clearly weren't yet aware of the vanishing of their shaman. If anything, they were surprised and glad that Clarice was still alive and had even managed to find and take care of Poppy for her (although they would look at her with eyes clearly indicating they were hoping to be rewarded for it).

The villagers weren't exactly well-stocked, but with some negotiating (and perhaps a subtle change of minds), Clarice would be able to procure everything on her list (including some crossbow bolts requested by Kalina). The oil was the most difficult part, but she ended up managing to get five clay containers full of it. She had also managed to procure an old saddle, although she had to struggle to drag it along along with all her other supplies, even with Abha carrying some stuff for her.

Chandra Jarmil

Meanwhile, Kalina was dealing with Cayde. She was rather surprised by the effect her words had on him. Even though this was a much more reasonable reaction to someone confessing they were a monster, it was still a bit painful, especially after how open-minded Cayde had seemed to be. It's why his words were comforting and why she didn't seek to question them. “Likewise, it's why I decided to entrust this secret with you, rather than the others.” She said with a soft smile. She even chuckled a bit at the guilt-trip joke. However, when he offered an arm, she took a step back. “Ah, no, well, yes, but...” She took out a vial she'd concealed away. “If you could just fill this with whatever you can miss without too much trouble, I'd greatly appreciate it.”

She was never one to like drinking straight from the source ~~unless some perverts were seducing her into doing it~~ and somehow, the thought of drinking straight from Cayde was even weirder to her. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but the thought alone made her more uncomfortable than the thought of drinking from someone else, like Scylla or Clarice. How peculiar. Either way, she would eagerly gulp down the blood once she got it. “Right, I needed that, thanks. I'd like it if you could keep this between us though, I wouldn't wish to cause any more drama in this group than there has already been.” The latter was a half-truth, as she just didn't wish to deal with the trouble either, but that part didn't have to be mentioned.

When Clarice returned with supplies the next day, Kalina was the first to welcome her back. “Welcome back.” After noticing that Clarice really had gone out of her way to get whatever she could, Kalina smiled. “Also, thank you. I think we've got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry if I've been overly hostile towards you.” Although the thought of 'tasting' her might've occurred to Kalina (Cayde had been awfully plain tasting), she was genuine in trying to get along here. The only one she still shot glares at was Nissa.

Baharius, having been in these marshes for long enough, was pretty darn successful at knowing where and how to fish by now, so he was able to treat anyone that wanted it to some roasted fish. It was also a good call to stick by the village, rather than enter it, as he encountered exactly one villager whom was straying a bit off from the village, who immediately ran for his life, yelling about a monster in the swamp. Luckily enough, they didn't sent out the militia to hunt him down.

The Overgrown Marshes – Death's Roots

As they set on their journey, with Clarice making up the rear and the rest wandering about in no particular order or strategy, they eventually stumbled into a new part of the Marshes. Considering this was their longest trip through the marshes thus far, it was getting clear just how weird they were. After, all following the threads was very counter-intuitive. You'd take a left, another left, another left, another left and another left, yet the net result was that you'd have gone in a straight line. The opposite was also true. Those trying to travel in a straight line by their basic senses would end up going in circles and looped back to where they came from. It was good their mages were still with them, as they were crucial to smooth navigation.

However, it was Kesh's nose that would pick up on their indication of arrival the first. The sweet stench of death and decay hang in the air in this area, thickly so. If anyone were to dare looking for the sources, they'd find multiple rotting corpses buried underneath the roots. Most of those were from animals, local wildlife, but a few of them were definitely humanoid. As they went closer into the area, the scent of it grew more and more thick. There was a bit of a hill to heir north, from which the scent of decay coming towards them was by far the thickest and strongest. If they wished to come up with some sort of plan or strategically sneak around and place themselves somewhere else, now would be the moment to try to do so. Furthermore, the ground here was a fair bit more solid than in other parts of the marshes, which would allow them easier movement and more stable footing.

OOC: Numbers and letters should make it easier to put your character somewhere on the map, outside of the coloured circle, movement is free for this turn. Icons are only there to indicate which direction the party came from (but those that miss this round will be assumed to have stayed there). Orange/red area is where the scent of death is the strongest.

RavenSong · Sep 26, 2022

Scylla gazed up at the Saurial, expectedly and impatiently waiting for him to simply devour the entire thing. The witch moved some of her golden locks from her eyes, hands entwined in anticipation. But then, a most touching act developed before her eye’s, something she didnt expect, but equally if not more heartwarming.

As the lizard man took the cake, he observed it, then let out a sigh, prompting a bit of a frown on Scyllas features. “Uhh.. is there something wrong? Maybe its been in my pockets for too long.” She assumingly said, placing a hand on her forehead as she looked at the ground. Was this yet another defeat? She thought to herself.

But then, much to the witches surprise the saurial Baharius moved towards the Rabbit Paladin, offering her a piece. Then to the others. She stood there, wide eyed for a moment as the lizard man offered her gift to the others. Then suddenly burst into laughter when the others seemed very much interested in a piece. “Why.. How come none of you said anything?!” She managed to say through her laughing, with a hand over her giggling stomach area. “As always, Sir Baharius, your humility continues to impress me..” She said with a cheerful nod after her laughing subsided, “..truly a knight of great quality! Why didnt i think of that?! A cake party in the marshes; and after going through what we just did, its certainly the BEST thing to do.”

She then sat next to the Bunny Paladin. “Well? How is it?” She asked happily. “If you ever choose to come with us to Ryken, i promise there’ll be lots of pastries! And, and.. I’m a bit of kitchen witch too, you know!”

Then Clarice mentioned the bit about being sired. The witches’ astonishment prompted a flinch. “Come again?” She exclaimed and wondered why she would want to do with a lifelong curse of that nature. Clarice’s thoughts didnt make sense to her, but then again the witch felt she didnt make alot of sense to her either. In fact, they were kind of polar opposites.

Then the bunny offered her blood for research, which made Scylla nod with agreement at first, not really processing the bunnies offer, “Yeah thats a better- wait what?” the witch chuckled nervously, glancing at the bunny then to Clarice. “Heh, that wont be necessary now will it Clarice? We’re not taking this cute bunnies blood. Right?”

She then quickly grabbed hold of the bunny, squeezing her and rubbing her cheek against her own. “Who would want to hurt such a cutesy, no way.. no.. way!”

—

When Cayde and Kate went off just as Cayde was about to take a slice, she leaned into Clarice’s ear, “I know it. They totally have the ‘hots’ for eachother. You want to bet? If i’m right. You’ll do my homework for a week. If i lose.. i.. ill..” She thought for a moment what Clarice could possibly want from her, “..i’ll.. be more serious for a week? I dont know.”

—

The following day, Scylla would have asked for her canteen refilled with water, some candy, and a loaf of bread. “Ah! Hope it wasnt too much trouble, colleague!” She patted her head and gave her a wink before setting off into the swamps, leaving her with Kate who appeared a bit softer than usual.

The journey through the marshes was fairly unorganized, although Scylla would occasionally call out to those who strayed, “No, no it's this way! Come along.”

After some time during this extended trek through the marshes, a sudden putrid smell would fill the air. “Pee-yuu!! Smells like something died!” She said, pulling a fine silken handkerchief from her robes, holding it up to her nose. “Should we split up? Just in case there are any weird folk about? Best if we keep our numbers a mystery, should any of us be captured.” Totally what she assumed Clarice would say, but she was a bit concerned to a degree. The smell of death could mean many things in her study of the mystic arts, namely necromancy. A magic she was all too familiar with in her not so bubbly past.

Graded [Overgrown Marshes] The Hag of the Overgrown Marshes

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New Member

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Bringer of Change

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21% Delirious

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"Kaiju Enthusiast"

One Thousand Club

Bringer of Change

21% Delirious

<3

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New Member

21% Delirious

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