Afternoon of the Twenty-first Day | Wyford:
Spending most of the morning out shopping, the group seemed to enjoy their new wealth, purchasing things they had desired or needed, while also selling off spare items they had collected in their traveling. Eliza and Tyrius had spent the prior night in the library with their research, Niradnam spending most of his time left of the day picking out likely books to check later, returning in the morning surprised to see the pair still at work. To his surprise, Virra seemed to offer her help, however it didn't come without its price -- books he had stacked to the side slowly slid further down the table -- pages turning when he glanced away, leaving him rereading the same pages while the gnome happily worked on a set of shoes, trying to look innocent.
Eventually Tyrius split away, speaking with his mother for a few moments then returned, gathering most of the group except for Rowanne and Banrigg, leading them down towards the kitchens.
The redhaired mage seems to know where he's going and approaches what looks to be a portrait frame handing empty on the wall of the bustling area, the cooks not pleased to have such a crowd in their workspace. Niradnam looks confused at the sight, glancing towards Tyrius, arms crossed, "... what are we looking at?"
Tyrius grinned to the group, his cheeks as red as his hair, "You're gonna love this Niradnam," said Tyrius, "You remember our dinner last night? Turns out we had a very special chef for part of it." Knocking gently on the wall inside the frame, Tyrius stepped back a little so the others could get in.
”No...way...” Eliza followed exhaustion momentarily forgotten. ”I missed dinner yesterday though.”
Having just returned from her shopping expedition, Valerie had returned to her room and opted to try on her new outfit, a pale blue lace dress that came just above her knees. She had just collected her flute from where it sat on her dresser when a knock came at the door, informing her of Tyrius's summons. She followed the servant curiously, and arched an eyebrow at the sorcerer. "Erm... yes, I would like to second Niradnam's question." Tyrius's response did little to satisfy her curiosity. "I did too... was it someone famous?"
"Yes...way," grinned Tyrius, equally as exhausted as the aspirant but kept as exuberant as ever from his sheer enthusiasm. "It might not work, apparently this is very tempramental, but well, probably best you see for yourself." Tyrius said to Niradnam, Magnolia and Valerie.
Eliza quickened her pace, only slightly lagging behind now as she followed Tyrius to the kitchens feeling like a great weight had lifted off her shoulders for the moment. ”I am so glad we didn’t accidentally sentence her to a lifetime alone.”
Valerie folded her arms with a slight frown, hopelessly lost. "Is it a secret, or something of the sort? Who is she? Is it Ms. Rowanne? Is she to be wed to someone?" The young warlock could not imagine who else they would be talking about that was not present, although she also was unsure why their presence would be related to her lack of a partner.
Tyrius winced as Rowanne was brought up, "Erm, I did almost include her in this but, given recent events probably best she doesn't know." said the sorcerer, continuing to play the pronoun game, "It is sort of a secret though, yes."
Virra sensed where the conversation was going as quickly as Eliza, and wore a wide smile as she squeezed into the kitchens alongside the others. It quickly deteriorated into a frown when Rowanne was brought up, especially when coupled with the word "wed". When Valerie wouldn't drop it, she butted in loudly. "Gosh, Val, are you being dense on purpose? You know who we're here to see." She reached out to Ty and tugged on his sleeve. "So, is it working? When's it gonna open? C'moooon," she whined, bouncing on her toes with excitement.
While the group chatted, a small line slowly traced along the inside of the frame, eventually opening into a small doorway that pushed open, a deep green elven face on the other side peering through with a smile. Those who had seen her before recognized the features of Pyria, though the view was limited from the opening. "Oh! Even more people, pleasure and plentiful to see. Some I do not recognize readily either?" She glanced towards Tyrius for a moment.
Niradnam froze for a moment as it seemed to register what he was looking at, bowing his head for a moment and asked softly, "... are ... are you an Eladrin...?"
The female elf nodded happily, "Indeed and truly, yes -- though I prefer to be called Pyria!"
Tyrius chuckled, "Pyria, these are Valerie, Magnolia and Niradnam," said Tyrius, motioning to each in turn.
Valerie's eyes widened as she saw a familiar elvish face appear. "We... we have already met before... I was the Knight at the time, however.,," She recalled that day weeks back when they had run into the strange woman, and the betrayal she had felt at realizing that she had been charming her... thinking back, she felt badly about how she had reacted. The young warlock approached the door and gave the elf a smile and a curtsy. "Apologies for not properly introducing myself on our previous meeting. I am Valerie Rhitegast, it is a pleasure to truly meet you. I was the unhappy older gentleman during our previous encounter."
Virra barely suppressed a squeal. "Pyria! It feels like it's been so long! How've you been? How've the Silverbanes been treating you?" she gushed, almost drowning Valerie out.
Tyrius looked around for something to sit on, "We've got so much to share with you," said Tyrius. "Oh, for instance!" he said before dashing out of the room. Coming back a few minutes later with Bookwyrm in his hands, "We found some wyvern eggs." said Tyrius, unsure whether Pyria had ever seen one before. "This one's named Bookwyrm." said Tyrius as he sat down again, gently stroking the egg's shell.
Pyria shrugged easily, "As long as we truly meet now, it's fine! I know most rarely meet me as they wish to be one way or another," her smile faltered for a moment. She looked around at the others, "It's very nice to meet you all."
Looking to stand taller so she could look down at Virra she chuckled, "I've been good -- I'm glad I get to cook and people get to enjoy! I have learned a few new recipes as well! New things to practice is always appreciated." The Eldarin waited patiently while Tyrius went to get his egg, continuing, "They have been very kind -- very kind indeed to me, even though they do not have to be."
With Tyrius returned and wyvern egg in tow, Pyria clasped her hands together, "Oh! How wonderful! I've never dealt with Wyverns, but in the feywild, pseudodragons are plentiful. I wonder if they might be the same?"
"Well, I dunno what pseudodragons are, but wyverns are huge." Virra spread her arms wide. "They screech a lot, and they have these huge evil stingers — but we can train them to do good, we think." She nudged Niradnam with her elbow. "She's great, isn't she? When I said I'd met an elf before, I was talking about her. Her door just opened right by the road and she was in there, making great food and being super nice."
She inched a little higher on her tiptoes to see Pyria better. "So, how long's it been since Ty's people figured out how to get your door to open? Sorry it took us so long to get it to them," she added, scuffing her toe on the floor. "We thought the doorknob could just attach to anything and it'd be fine, but... magic's finicky."
Performing a small movement, Pyria created an image of a small dragon, "They are tiny little dragons that never grow much larger than a cat at most. Very playful and eager for attention, it seems they don't appear much on this plane then ..." The Eladrin listened fascinated to Virra's description of the wyverns, "Oh my! They sound fearsome and fierce ... hopefully you can manage to tame such wild beasts."
At Virra's question of time she thought for a moment, "Hmm ... time is troubling to track within my plane ... but I think it had at least been two weeks before I heard something around my door and opened it to find strangers looking in!"
The journey here was an arduous one. She was around people again, yet still felt so largely alone. This new land was fascinating; as was her current company, however it wasn't home... Shit magsie that elf just popped out of a painting. She stated in stunned silence trying to see what was behind her... "Holy cow! Is that your house?" The fascinated cleric then attempted to climb passed her into what lay beyond.
With Magnolia trying to climb in, Pyria looked panicked, "Oh, uhm -- er, maybe you shouldn't ...?" As the halfling landed in the demiplane, a sensation seemed to flow over her while the Eladrin studied her expression. "Uhm, I live here yes -- I have for many years," tapping her fingers together, "I ... was exiled because I am too unstable ..."
Magnolias mouth drops in shock, as blood rushes to her face in anger. "Who said your were unstable? I'll fight them right here and now. They're crazy, I think your perfect!" Reaching out Mags tries to hold her hands, "do you like checkers?"
Pyria smiled at Mangolia, "I think your friends know what I mean ... my emotions are a little too much." At the mention of checkers she tilted her head, gesturing towards a shelf further in that was covered in various boardgames with their tokens, "I enjoy all games! I'm unsure which type you mean?"
A squeal of excitement and Magnolia is exploring the board game shelf. "Can we play this? Or this? Can we have a sleep over?"
”Oh, no,” Eliza nervously chewed her lower lip and tried poking Mags with her mage hand to get her attention, ”Ms Pyria is awesome but her demiplane is kind of bewitching.” She waved at the elf, ”How do you do? I am very glad to see you again. How did they manage this anyway?” She asked as she took a closer look at the door and its knob, ”You said it was unstable?”
Niradnam stepped closer to the frame, very obvious interest written on his face, "I ... didn't think anything could pass through -- I thought it was just a window."
Inside, Pyria laughed happily at Magnolia's excitement, "We can play all -- but I warn the doorway doesn't always stay open ... I'd hate for you to get trapped here too and lose days in your plane." Watching the halfling dig through her collection -- many of them strange and archaic looking, some even appearing to require magic to work -- the Eladrin turned to Eliza with a smile, "I don't know -- I was ... I feared my door would be gone forever until a section of it opened up again. Something about roots and a frame? Perhaps since it was uprooted, the magic is ... unsure what to do?"
She shrugged, "Magic and its properties were never my strongsuit. Cooking and hosting are!"
With Magnolia hauling herself into the demiplane, Tyrius remembered something and turned to Virra, "Hey Virra, do you have the special little guy with you? Maybe we should check how he's doing and introduce them to Pyria too."
Virra squinted. "The special little... oh, obviously! He's still around." Rummaging in her bag for a moment, she pulled out the elemental's designated waterskin and uncapped it. "Hey, Clingy. Are you doing okay?" she asked, feeling faintly guilty for not having checked on it sooner.
A small tendril of water stretched out from the waterskin, Virra receiving a mental reply, "Ammm boooooored ... slosh sooo muuuuuuch."
Virra managed an awkward smile. "Right. Sorry about the sloshing." Resigning herself to getting her clothes all wet once again, she lowered her pinky finger down for the tendril to start winding its way up. "Climb aboard. There's someone here who wants to see you."
At Virra's invitation, the small water elemental began to emerge from the waterskin, flowing across her arms and gathering around her neck and shoulders, soaking her clothing. Niradnam raised an eyebrow at the elemental, noting, "Do you have a plan on what to ultimately do with the little elemental?"
Virra grimaced a little, but once the elemental was totally free of the waterskin she let her arms drop. "Sort of. I figure the Thief stole it from the sea, so... why not return it to the sea?" She gave the watery mass a poke. "The actual sea, though. Not the murderous, undead-slave-making Sea. Unless that really is the thing Clingy was taken from, in which case..." She sighs. "I guess if he still wants to go back, that's fine."
Tyrius grinned to the mass of water, "Heh, any idea where you were when the thief took you little guy? Anything about the area you can remember like a big building or an unusual mountain?"
Leaning towards and around the frame, Niradnam studied the demiplane, "I suppose that's as valid as anything else. Not entirely sure where the break is between the 'sea' and the Sea. Most elementals I think come from their own elemental plane ..." The elemental wobbled from Virra's poke, reaching up a wobbly watery tendril to poke back.
One of the servants hesitantly approached the group, bowing low, "Lords, Ladies ... we'll need to prepare for dinner this evening, and ..." they paused trying to decide how to word it politely, "... we will need to space for preparations."
Virra's face fell. "Another plane? That's gonna be hard to figure out..." Feeling a thin tendril of water poke her in retaliation, she giggled. "But maybe having him around for a little longer won't be so bad." Had it been another one of the servants shooing them out, she might have been annoyed. Since it was one of the kitchen staff, though, she couldn't possibly stay mad. "Okay, sure, no problem, we'll get out of your hair. You're doing a great job, by the way," she said, then gave Pyria an apologetic wave. "Sounds like we have to clear out. We'll come and talk some more when they're not preparing meals, okay? Have some time for a proper game or ten." Glancing off to the others, she added, "I'm gonna take Clingy for a walk and do a little shopping before dinner. Anyone wanna come with?" She looked straight up at Niradnam with a big smile on her face.
Pyria nodded through the frame, attempting to steer Magnolia away from her collection of games and instead out of the demiplane. "Perhaps then I can prepare a meal of my own to go along with a proper game!" The Eladrin offered cheerfully.
Pulling back from the frame, Niradnam glanced down at Virra, "Shopping? This late ...?" He scratched his face idly, "Er ... what all do you need to get?"
Virra's grin at the offer of Pyria-cooked food and board games began to look a little strained. "I mean... what don't I need to get?" she laughed. "There's trail snacks from the bakery, and, er, replacement shoe parts from the leather worker's, and some new clothes from the tailor because I've been wearing this same tunic for like two weeks now and anyway Val just got herself a fancy new outfit even though she already looks good in anything so I think it's only fair if I get something nice to wear too." She chewed her lip. "I... was also planning to check out the Royal Chimera," she tried. "The bookshop. I hear it's not bad."
At the sheer list of items Virra mentioned, the scholar's eyes opened wider, "That's a lot of things ... maybe some of that should be done in the morning? Some of them might close by the time you get there ..." Seeming to register what Virra was trying to get at he added, "I ... wouldn't mind checking in at the bookshop -- I didn't get a chance to earlier, from trying to focus on research ..."
Virra didn't bother to disguise her relief. "Great! We'd better get going then, gotta catch the Chimera people before they shut." She grabbed Niradnam's wrist and made for the door, trying not to splash the water elemental on him as she went.
"But I don't want to go! You are my friend and we have to play all these amazing games! Oohh what's that one called? I can't read the name." Magnolia dragged her feet as a toddler would, and with the extra ushering she goes completely limp... It's probably a good thing she doesn't weigh much or removing her may have been a problem.
Tyrius smiled, "Bookshop sounds like a good idea, I'm borrowing a few books from the library but wouldn't hurt to see what's in the bookshop too." he said as he patted Bookwyrm, "and maybe get some sort of special bag so I can carry this one as well." Looking to Pyria, Tyrius added, "Hopefully we get some answers soon and you can get out of that demiplane, but its good to see you're alright, Pyria."
Eliza helps in dragging their limp halfling away while waving goodbye to Pyria. The half-orc eyes widen at the mention of books and says, ”I would love to come too! Get up, Magnolia. That should cheer you up too!” she waves their cleric’s hand excitedly.
Pyria waved as the group left, turning to listen to the servant from earlier explain the intended menu for the night, her colors shifting to a deep orange, her hair looking like fallen leaves from a tree -- the first form the group originally met her as. Happily nodding she disappeared from the frame with one last wave towards the party, the sounds of the kitchen slowly coming to life instead of working on slower things in the various ovens.
Stepping through the castle, dragged by Virra, Niradnam glanced back, catching sight a few times of others in the group, commenting, "Oh ... looks like we'll be having company while we head to the Chimera?"
Virra blinked, then clocked the footsteps echoing behind them. She managed to smile at the same time as gritting her teeth. "Seems that way, huh." Now they'd be lucky to even get past the first stop on their trip, and she'd definitely have a headache from all the telepathic chatter once they were finished. She sped up, more to make herself feel better than in any hope of leaving the interlopers behind.
Looking down at the deep gnome, the scholar looked back, then towards Virra as she heard in her mind, "I think I can slow them down at least, if you wanted to maybe give 'Clingy' it's walk first ...?" Turning to look over his shoulder, Niradnam focused for a moment further down the hall as a faintly transparent wall blocked the hallway, almost looking like glass. Those that tried to follow down that route would have found something blocking their path that felt solid and seemed to resist efforts to push past. After a few moments, Niradnam and Virra now out of sight, it fell away and allowed passage once more.
The moment Niradnam turned his head, Virra did the same, ready for a show of power. The wall that sprung up down the corridor easily beat her expectations. "Is -- is that a forcefield?" she squeaked, quickly taking advantage of the time the elf had bought to rush off down the corridor and put some distance between them and the others.
Eliza tried to initially give the mystics the benefit of the doubt but after some knocking and vigorous waving failed to catch their attention, she turned around and looked at Mags and Tyrius with an angry snort as realization finally crept in, ”Well, that was certainly subtle of them...” She said rolling her eyes.
Tyrius shrugged, "Maybe they want some alone time? We can still go book shopping." cheered the sorcerer, "and let's not forget satchel shopping for bags big enough to hold the Eggs on their own. After we can use them as dedicated pet bags for their food and stuff."
”Yeah, well they could have said something.” Eliza sighed but the idea of book shopping cheered her up, as did the full money pouch in her bag. ”Let’s grab Val and have some ice cream after. These two can have all the time they need for all I care.”
Stepping out into the evening light of Wyford, Niradnam chuckled, "They truly do like to stick together, don't they?"
Outside, she let out a loud cheer. "That was the best! You're the best." She practically danced on the spot, suddenly full of energy again. "I've heard of wizards doing stuff like that, but... wow. Before tomorrow you gotta show me all your other tricks, okay? Promise? We can trade!"
Running a finger along his braid the scholar smiled, "I can't maintain it for too long, but it has it's uses." He glanced around, "Ah ... sure, but some of my abilities don't really have a way to see if they've done anything. Like what I've done in the fights we've had, where I can give people almost a ... buffer of energy to shrug off attacks. It's not really visible unless it's the right circumstances."
Happy just to have heard him agree, Virra nodded excitedly. "Sure, sure, that stuff sounds cool too. A little like the kinds of teleporting I can do -- they look pretty similar, but there's subtlety to it. Oh, and if you make energy buffers and stuff, maybe we can throw little rocks at each other to test them. I think we trust each other enough for that, right?" She was a constant stream of chatter as they walked, only ever slowing down or lowering her voice if she saw a member of the public passing close by.
Niradnam thought for a moment as they walked, "I suppose that would be a way ... I can also move things around at range, people too if I can manage to overpower them ... unfortunately it's still somewhat weak, so it's limited. There's also my ... manipulation to myself, or healing without divination." Going through the usual motions for a "spell" he created a small burst of lightning between his hands, "Honestly ... this is probably the flashiest I can do, it's very quick ... and I tend to miss..." he glanced away, frustration on his face.