Fantasy The Guildstone Chronicles ((Questing Thread))

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Siren's Watch
Mentions: Uasal Key of Stars SilverFeathers BakaTheIdiot RatKing ​

A great deal of effort had gone into the doors in front of them. The steps leading towards the structure had been weathered by wind and erosion, but the patterns carved into the structure at the top spoke of hours of meticulous care. It somewhat baffled Ymir what a temple was doing so far from the ocean, in a place where the only connection was the sound of crashing waves below. The sirens were unlikely to venture so far from the water, which meant it was either made by different hands, or at a time where the shoreline was much, much higher.

It certainly seems old enough for the latter.

"I don't like seaside caves-" Leo said, in response to the earlier question Ymir had almost forgotten. It had been more out of courtesy really. She didn't expect complaints, and even Eiru hadn't mentioned needing to walk the whole way. "They have all the bad parts of the sea, like salt getting stuck in my hair, with none of the actual fun parts like the water and the sea breeze." Leo seemingly dismissed his own thoughts a moment later with a shake of his head. "I could be worse off though."

"I could make a sea breeze-" Ymir mused, gesturing towards the ledge with a mean grin. "If you would like a reason to continue complaining."

Eiru already wandered up the steps to the stone doors, her earlier exhaustion forgotten as she examined the ancient structure. Ymir wasn't overly worried about traps, given the witch's speciality in enchantment. Eiru was the most likely of them all to detect any hostile magic woven into the carvings, regardless of if she wasn't the most well equipped to defend against it. From what Ymir could see there weren't any physical abnormalities within the stone walls, though the hidden spaces to the sides of the door did give her some concern.

"What can you tell?" Ashitaka said, calling her attention away from Leo. Their newest member didn't seem bothered by the climb, hardly out of breath even after all the caves they'd been through. Ymir understood where someone like Nanalee's strength came from, but Ashitaka was less obvious. "Any idea where it leads?"

"...it's hazy," Ymir admitted, then frowned in realisation. It shouldn't be hazy. Not when it was so close. The general shape of the interior was easy enough to discern, but details beyond that remained stubbornly out of sight. "From what I can see it's temple-like in style. One large chamber with several pillars for support. There are... vents, I think. Inside the walls, but they're too small to use..." Certain structures had them to circulate air.

"Well, I hate to bring it up but wouldn't you say it's rather odd how well preserved these stone structures are?" Eiru came hopping down the steps towards them, arms spread wide as she continued with a carefree grin. "This is truly beginning to get more and more interesting! Wouldn't you say?"

"Interesting huh..." Nanalee drifted up the stairs to the entrance as she spoke, examining the solid stone. "I can agree with that. But I can't help but wish I had gained more knowledge or experience before going on a venture like this... How about we all just put our strength together and give that a try first?"

As in... pushing it open? Ymir's expression wasn't at all subtle in showing her thoughts. The doors were almost certainly solid stone, tall enough to fit a small giant, and not one of them were what she would call heavy lifters.

"I agree with Nanalee... Who knows, it might just work."

It did not, they soon found. No amount of pushing would made the stone slabs budge, but in the time they took to re-evaluate their options after, a change did occur.

"Uninvited guests... I see."

A voice like the distant waves spun around them, melodic. Not unlike the lilting tunes of the sirens. With a gurgle the opening to the vents above the doorway, shaped like the maw of serpents, began to spew water that followed the patterned grooves through the structure. With a sudden jerk and grinding rumble the stone slabs moved, sliding sideways into the walls as the air from inside rushed around them, crisp and cool.

"Come in then. There's a reason you're here no doubt."

The interior opened up into an expansive room, carved pillars winding towards the ceiling. All manner of sea life circled the stone supports, forever frozen in time, gardens of grey coral sprouting from the base. Shells and other aquatic decor decorated the lifeless hall, made of lackluster stone despite the intricacy of the carvings. The centrepiece was an amalgamation of sealife and coral surrounding the throne-like shell.

Not a single thing moved inside the hall, save for rivulets of water running down the walls.

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Rank Support

After everyone had given their all in an attempt to move the behemoth slabs that made up the door of the temple a most curious thing transpired. A voice called out to the group from seemingly all around them, melodic in tone yet in Eiru's opinion underlined with a certain siren-like quality. The voice alone made Eiru freeze in her tracks, she had sensed no magical sources at work and yet here was an undeniable voice calling out to them. Something was not amiss and that thought put Eiru on high alert, though her expressions hid it well. As the doors began to slide open though, that changed.


While the others may have felt a crisp breeze flow out from within the large expansive room, Eiru was instead struck with a sudden and overwhelming sense of dread. She had not sensed any mana or spells while the door was sealed but now that they were open. It was as though the witch were staring not into a room, but into a high-density box of pure mana the likes of which she had only seen twice before in her life. This was no mere temple, this was THE temple. But the temple of who? Frozen on the spot, Eiru was completely in a daze. Her mind ran half a mile a second in each and every direction as she scrambled to gather her thoughts.

With Ymir being the closest to Eiru, it was quite obvious something was wrong. Eiru's expression was rife with fear and her complexion was growing even paler than usual with each passing second. Yet any attempt to get through to the witch was met with no response. That was until all of a sudden Eiru took a step forward and entered the temple without a word. Her eyes a glow and focused entirely on the seemingly empty throne.

It was hard to say which was odder, the fact Eiru was silent or that just prior she seemed to be in a state of complete panic yet now seemed overflowing with confidence.
​

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka IV
Location: Temple Entrance
Mentions: Sylph RatKing Uasal SilverFeathers ​

The door was certainly a puzzle. Seemingly no way to open it, seemingly no other way into the temple, it made sense that the group had begun peddling ideas as to how it might open. Not before Ymir ushered her warning: "From what I can see it's temple-like in style. One large chamber with several pillars for support. There are... vents, I think. Inside the walls, but they're too small to use..." The level of sophistication that this temple brought to bare was impressive, if not concerning, considering its age. If only he could get a good look inside, it would make a killer story for Mei.

"Do any of you think you could force open a door of such calibre? Because I for one... well let's just say physical strength isn't really my forte! Surprising but it is what it is!"

"How about we all just put our strength together and give that a try first?"

"I agree with Nanalee, may as well give pushing it open a try first. Who knows, it might just work"

Ah- the old fashioned way. A classic. Ashitaka, in spite of Ymir's visible bewilderment, simply shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

It absolutely could hurt, in fact. On a count of three, the team put their full weight and strength into the doors, with Ashitaka's grieves slipping from the force, struggling with all of their might - to no avail. The brisk hike through the caves and salted winds was a nice exercise for the courier, but this was simply absurd: aside from having not budged the doors an inch, he was now physically strained, short of breath, and no closer to getting inside. A pity.

He did not get long to recuperate, however: shortly after their little experiment, there came a sound - no, a voice, distant, faded, as if a whisper. Was it a whisper? He could barely make out the words. His head now sat straight, alert, searching for the voice once again...

"Come in then. There's a reason you're here no doubt."

As if on cue, the doors suddenly began to open. Ashitaka retreated off the steps, cursing in his mother tongue from sheer surprise. His hand, initially, was planted firmly on the hilt of his blade, confused and alarmed, before settling into that prior calmness and observing the new path. Absolute stillness, save for the water, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Truly, a marvel lost to time.

Mei's gonna love this. He made a mental note to write all of this down. Still, they had a job to do, and with their window of time slowly threatening to close, he pressed on, steeling his courage and taking a deep breath. He eased his shoulders, and walked straight past Ymir, Eiru shortly ahead. It seemed the others were still enraptured in awe with the now open causeway, seeing as he was now rather ahead of the rest. He turned, stopping briefly, unsure of what else to say.

"We're running out of time. We can't afford the luxury of caution, I suggest we make haste."

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Siren's Watch
Mentions: Sylph Uasal BakaTheIdiot​

"Uninvited guests... I see." Leonidas stepped back from the door. "Our bad, we can wait for an invite if you'd prefer, miss ominous voice." He said loudly. "Sorry, I shouldn't assume you're a miss just based on your voice." He added after a brief silence.

The voice ignored his statement which he was about to grumble about when the heavy stone door slowly slid open, revealing a large open hall with a large throne-like shell decorating its center.

"Come in then. There's a reason you're here no doubt." He stepped inside behind Eiru and Ashitaka. "Just ignore me then, that's fine, might have struck a nerve with my voice comment." He mumbled to himself.

"We're running out of time. We can't afford the luxury of caution, I suggest we make haste." He nodded. "You're not exactly wrong but I don't exactly see an exit either. Just a large empty room with an oversized chair." He said, walking closer to the throne.

"You guys wanna bet?" He said, turning his attention back from the throne to the group. "What will happen if we sit down? My bet is on death by dart trap, or maybe possession, that would be something fresh and original for once." He mused, tapping his chin in thought before abruptly raising his finger in the air. "No wait, my final bet is on the door closing and the room filling with water, death by drowning seems appropriate for a place like this."

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• 1
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• Notes

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• Location
  At Sea - Siren's Watch - Temple w/ Ymir, Eiru, Leo, Ruvo & Ashitaka
  
  Mentions
  ---

As much as they heaved and hoed as a collective, with Nanalee's talons digging painfully into the earth as a result of trying to put her all into it, the stone doors refused to budge an inch. Almost as if making fun of her however, an otherworldly voice welcomed them inside immediately after, with the stone doors easily sliding into the rockface beside them. Though she had mixed feelings towards what was happening, the way the water filled the grooves and patterns was mesmerizing to her, causing her to lag a little behind the others until they started speaking up.

"Well then, I bet that throne-like shell will snap down on whoever gets near it." She joined in lightheartedly, still in awe at the mystical-looking temple. It was everything that was told in all those legends and storybooks, a magical guiding voice, grand doors that slide open just by their presence, a mysterious ancient room, it was incredible. She really was living the adventuring life of her dreams. Nanalee couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought. As much as she tried to caution herself about the danger of this quest, it somewhat fell on deaf ears from all her excitement.

Curiously, she quickly began wandering around the aquatic temple frozen in time, carefully placing her talons so as not to disturb anything delicate. After viewing one of the meticulously carved pillars for a while, marvelling at the intricate symbols and decor, she reached down towards her talons to pick up a piece of the grey coral bed that lay beside her feet. Though she didn't dare to try and touch much else, the coral felt uncannily identical to ice in her hands. As someone that dabbled in frosty magic quite often, she could at least tell that much. Out of curiosity, she formed a very similar figure of ice to the coral in her hands and juggled them about. As expected, they were rather difficult to tell apart.

Whilst she was playing around with the coral and the ice, she observed the others, wondering if there was something more the voice from earlier expected of them.

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Siren's Watch Temple
Mentions: Sylph BakaTheIdiot Key of Stars SilverFeathers​

Despite putting in their best effort the mighty stone doors of the ancient temple did not budge in the slightest. It probably shouldn't have been too surprising given their physiques, but he had hoped with six people giving their all that it may have at least moved at least a little bit. Did make Ruvo think for a moment if Milby did join the expedition alongside him if they would have had an easier time with the chinchilla's affinities allowing them to burrow through stone.

"Uninvited guests... I see." A new melodic voice filled the air as the group tried to think of a solution that wouldn't be too taxing on their individual reserves of mana. Then the sound of rushing water was audible as it came flowing out of the carved stone above the doorway and began filling the carved channels along the structure. Before he could really process what was going on the sound of heavy stone grinding against the ground grabbed his attention as by magic or some ancient mechanism the heavy doors that blocked their way forward miraculously began to slide sideways into the walls. "Well...I guess we were never going to push it open, the doors go sideways." he commented as he peered into the room ahead of them. "Come in then. There's a reason you're here no doubt." the mysterious voice once again chimed in.

"We're running out of time. We can't afford the luxury of caution, I suggest we make haste." The swordsman said reminding them that they were racing against time to find this artifact much to the agreement of Ruvo who stepped into the room alongside the others.

The room was expansive with intricately carved pillars dotted throughout while shells and coral decorated the stone walls. In the center of the room was a shell like throne surrounded by coral and sealife. Curiously though, there was no sign of whoever or whatever was speaking to them all. "You guys wanna bet?" Ruvo had a bad idea what Leo may say next. "What will happen if we sit down? My bet is on death by dart trap, or maybe possession, that would be something fresh and original for once. No wait, my final bet is on the door closing and the room filling with water, death by drowning seems appropriate for a place like this." While Ruvo was glad that Leo was likely just joking to ease the stress of the situation he did wish it did not have to revolve around guessing the worse possible things happening if they touch something they are not supposed to or disrespect whatever spoke to them. "Well then, I bet that throne-like shell will snap down on whoever gets near it." With Nanalee joining in the guessing game Ruvo simply took a sigh, it would seem that making light of dangerous situations would be an aspect of adventuring he would just have to get used to.

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Temple Interior
Mentions: Uasal Key of Stars BakaTheIdiot RatKing SilverFeathers ​

"Well...I guess we were never going to push it open, the doors go sideways."

"Guess... not," she had huffed in response, leaning against one of the channels before the splutter of water above had sent her skittering down the stairs in a fright. The disembodied voice she could deal with--there were all manner of skills and spells and enchanted equipment that produced such an effect; mostly to intimidate, sometimes to hide--but there was no faking a water affinity. Not when the caster had just moved stone doors the weight of a house.

Ymir had crept back up the stairs to join the rest of them, checking carefully for anything that had changed. But even with the doors open, despite the details of the hall being visible right in front of her, the interior still wavered and blurred when she tried to peer through. Not in colour or texture. Her first sight worked perfectly fine. But as grandiose and impressive as the many sculptures were, she couldn't shake the uncanny feeling of not seeing their true form.

Her thoughts were in abundance as she glanced to Eiru, but her questions fled at the look of stricken terror on the witch's face. Ymir wasn't anywhere as near as confident when it came to magical adverseries, or reading people's expressions, but she could put together that something was wrong.

"We're running out of time." Ashitaka said nearby, an oddly determined spark in his eye. "We can't afford the luxury of caution, I suggest we make haste."

"Sure," she said. "Because walking in blind is always a good... decision-?" Ymir blinked, trailing off as Eiru, formerly frozen in place, plucked up her shoulders and marched right through the towering entryway.

...

Un-believable.

"Just ignore me then, that's fine." Ymir heaved a sigh as most everyone made to follow. Leo muttered something else, but she didn't catch it, too busy picking up the trails of her pride as she followed after the rest of them.

"At least it's not screaming at us," she said, gaze roaming over the cavernous walls and roof. "Better than the voice we met at Icewall." Even if the lifeless stone walls seemed just as cold.

She stared a little at the pillars of fauna and flora that stretched to the roof, recognising the fish and a few other things she'd learnt the names of during their voyage, but everything else was unseen. Large, fungi-like growths covering the rocks and floor, branching out like stems with neither domes nor leaves to cap it. Others resembled ferns, little spiky balls, moss, but unlike any genome she'd seen.

"-No wait, my final bet is on the door closing and the room filling with water, death by drowning seems appropriate for a place like this."

Her heart jumped to her throat and she turned instinctively to check the doors were indeed still open. Her fingers twitched briefly with the urge to retaliate as she calmed her shortened breath. She was already concerned enough about whatever was blocking her clairvoyance, no need to make her paranoid about the water running down the walls too. "Can we not joke about that, please?"

"Well then, I bet that throne-like shell will snap down on whoever gets near it." Ymir sighed, but that wasn't anywhere near as alarming. She had no intentions of going near it in the first place. The large, open shell possessed just as many sharp edges as curves, and although she compared it to a throne in her head, at Nanalee's comment Ymir wondered if it weren't more like an altar. From inside, it looked far, far larger, only small in comparison to the rest of the towering chamber.

Ymir held off on drifting too far from the door, finding plenty to look at from the entrance. She nudged one of the strange growths with her shoe, finding it acted nothing at all like how stone should--the surface too pliable, almost squishy--and she quickly retracted her foot in favour of remaining on alert. A willowy, lilting sigh echoed around them, far closer than it had been outside the temple.

"That is a nursery," the voice said, and all at once the water around them stirred. Ymir was seconds off bolting out the door before she realised it resembled a receding tide over a rising one, and the direction it gathered wasn't towards them. Streams lifted away from the walls, currents running along the floor, bundles of water rising out of shallow pools as it began to coalesce into a single form.

Ymir thought it would stop at some point, but a whole new level of dread arose as the mass of water continued to expand, and it started to make sense why the interior of the temple was so large. The being towered over them in no time at all, but it was only when it rose to at least half the height of the ceiling that the water began to take form. A head and shoulders that melded into cascades of trapped water resembling hair, eyes that looked down on them from far above, and arms leading to hands that could carry any one of them atop a single palm. The form revealed was a mere half of whatever they stood before, rising up out of the floor and surrounding flora, seemingly unbothered by the lack of a lower half or un-solidity.

Ymir scarcely drew breath, understanding very well what Eiru's expression had been about now. The witch had to have known. A little forward warning would have been nice-

"Though it is a shame-" the water goddess sounded almost petulant, lowering one of her hands to run it along the edge of the shell. "None of my serpents are ready to breed yet."

That answered... well, it wasn't really even one of their questions. To her upmost discomfort Ymir could suddenly recognise several other areas of similar design, divots nested in rockpools and pillars and walls.

Gods she hated this place.

"Now then," the being before them laughed, the echoes of an ancient tongue buried beneath her resonant words. "I am Odyssey. Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch." Even the water wasn't enough to hide the sharp angles and shark-like visage of her expression. Were she their size, Ymir had no doubt the goddess's face would be utterly inhuman. "I thought it strange one of the Fae rulers was at my doorstep." She linked the dripping fingers of her gathered form together, resting them beneath her chin as she observed the smallest of their group. "But it seems they sent a blood surrogate instead. Are you here to retrieve that foul trinket of yours?"

The goddess's sharp gaze drifted over the rest of those gathered. "It's just as well you tricked some mortals into coming along as sacrifice."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka IV
Location: Temple Interior
Mentions: Sylph Uasal Key of Stars RatKing ​

"Because walking in blind is always a good... decision-?"

Any other day, Ashitaka would've found that joke, however unintentional, to be a good laugh; he was a sucker for puns. Regardless, trying not to dwell on Ymir's audible concern, he pressed forward into the structure. The temple itself was ornate, intricate, lost to time. The designs etched into the pillars and walls were foreign to him, as was much of this island. His hand gently glided across the engravings, effective in their relative simplicity, unlike those surrounding the old houses of worship from which he spent his life in proximity. Frankly, he liked it: it was a shame they weren't here to admire the scenery. Nothing felt wrong here.

The "throne" in the middle of the chamber, if you could call it that, was certainly larger than any of them, as far as he could tell, and before he could take in the details, Leo and Nanalee had already begun making jokes.

"-No wait, my final bet is on the door closing and the room filling with water, death by drowning seems appropriate for a place like this."

"Well then, I bet that throne-like shell will snap down on whoever gets near it."

"Can we not joke about that, please?"

A small smile came to his face, stifling a short laugh. Even in times of crisis, humor persevered - for better or for worse - much to Ymir and Ruvo's disdain. He was silently thankful for the reprieve... but that quiet complacency would not last long.

Up to this moment, the group had been made wary of three dangers: the sea, the sirens, and the pirates, all of which were over an hour ago. The hike had its own slew of inconveniences, but it was hardly treacherous - at least, to him. He enjoyed a good walk. The point was that nothing had happened since they entered the temple. Therein lay the problem: nothing had happened. Not a sound, not a word from the voice, just the group, in near-perfect silence save for the shuffling of footwear.

Something was very wrong - and for once, he had no idea what it was.

The water had begun to recede, prompting a hasty retreat back to the safety of their numbers: no more straying from the group for one day. The voice returned, beginning with a sigh - could Ethereal beings get bored? No matter - "That is a nursery, though it is a shame... None of my serpents are ready to breed yet." A Nursery? Here? Where? He looked back at the group, realizing he was now uncomfortably far away from the rest, catching only a brief glimpse of Ymir... kicking a rock? He couldn't make out the details.

"I am Odyssey. Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch." Odyssey... the name was vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where. Perhaps he had picked it up from one of the shipyard workers? "I thought it strange one of the Fae rulers was at my doorstep. But it seems they sent a blood surrogate instead. Are you here to retrieve that foul trinket of yours?"

The relic. It had to be. But what was a Fae ruler? Was Eiru more than a witch? Maybe he really was out of his depth.

"It's just as well you tricked some mortals into coming along as sacrifice."

It was very clear that the being was looking at him, or at the very least the rest of the group. That certainly put a damper on morale.

He was now confronted with two choices, choices as old as time, known even before written history: draw his blade, or make a break for the exit. What good would drawing his blade do exactly? Most likely none, seeing as the being was, very literally, water, and his limited magic did not cover enchantment of weaponry. As for making for the exit, what was there to stop the being - this "Odyssey" - from shutting the gates once again? And even if she didn't, wouldn't she just pursue? But drawing a sword now would only endanger them further...

So he decided to speak. After all, even if he didn't recognize her, she was still of some age, and it was customary to respect the elders. Now it came down to the others to follow his lead... hopefully.

"I'm not overly fond of being a sacrificial offering." His voice echoed softly against the boundaries of the chamber. "Please, allow us to seize this 'foul trinket' you speak of. Once it is in our capable witch's care, we shall spoil your sanctuary no longer. We have no intentions of trespass or violence."

All he could do now was hope that he hadn't made an egregious mistake.

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Rank Support


Eiru's focus was airtight, her eyes locked upon the throne and the mass of mana she saw clearly nestled upon it. The sneers and jokes being passed around by the group were lost on the Fae witch as a result of her focus, in actual fact, the room and its contents too were of no concern. The only thing that was on the switch mind right now was how exactly she was going to get everyone out of this situation alive. Or more realistically, how many. when the mana began to take a physical form by way of water Eiru stood her ground, moving a hand to the brim of her hat to ensure the rapid flow didn't knock it free. When the water had finished materializing into the form of Odyssey's super body the witch released her hat and moved her gaze to meet the beings 'eyes'.

Eiru patiently listened to what Odyssey had to say, showing a level of respect uncharacteristic of the witch. When the being had finished speaking Eiru responded in kind, her hands moving to block Ashitaka from moving any closer to the mass of water. Signalling to the others that they should follow suit in taking a passive stance. "Your serpants breed and then lay their eggs within the corpses of drowned mortals, feasting upon them as they grow into their adolescence. You've never needed the help of the Fae in the past to acquire such nesting grounds, to even suggest so now would be an insult to your name. These mortals here are not sacrifices, they are..." Pausing for a second Eiru turned to the group with a soft smile "They are members of a guild I have taken a personal interest in." Returning her gaze to the mass of water Eiru continued "As you, in all your wisdom, have surmised- I have come in search of the lost Fae Relic: Gae Bulg. Its corrupting aura is of great concern to my people, my aunt in particular. I wish to take it into my custody and return it to the Misty Isles for sealing."

Eiru had heard many things about Odyssey from her aunt and what worried her most was the fact the two didn't seem to be on talking terms at the moment. Why, why did things always have to go so wrong when Eiru tried to do something right! Standing before Odyssey and with her friend's lives now in question as a result of her own actions Eiru decided enough was enough. She could only run from herself and her family for so long. Especially when she had given Leo a lecture on such things, not a few hours beforehand. Taking a step forward Eiru returned her hand to her hat and in that second a great wind swept through the room as Eiru's own Magical Aura was released and a small set of transparent butterfly-like wings appeared upon her back.

"I am Eiru, Daughter of the Great Sage Eiri, and the current heir to the Fae Throne of Tir Na Nog. I beseech thee Odyssey, Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch. Allow me to take back into Fae's custody the relic of a once-great leader, led astray by her own twisted and warped love of war and chaos. If you do, the relic will no longer corrupt your waters and your sirens will be free to roam where they please once again. If you are insistent on sacrifice then I can offer you the bodies and souls of pirates. Pirates that I have no doubt in my mind caused harm to your sirens. Your people."

Pausing for a second Eiru offered a smile forward "What say you? Will you again turn down a Fae Request?"

Sylph BakaTheIdiot RatKing SilverFeathers Key of Stars​

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Temple Interior
Mentions: Uasal Sylph ​

"I am Odyssey. Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch." Out of all the things Leonidas had been expecting to encounter, a talking being made of water certainly wasn't at the top of the list. Though he supposed it made sense with the overall theme of the room. "I thought it strange one of the Fae rulers was at my doorstep." Every small movement the being made made Leonidas feel ever so slightly more on edge, he really didn't like this place and if it wasn't for the fact that the alternative was going out there and potentially running into the lord of the dead he might have actually attempted to drag everyone back the way they came.

"But it seems they sent a blood surrogate instead. Are you here to retrieve that foul trinket of yours?" He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Eiru is just a normal..." Actually, now that he got to think about it, Eiru was about as far from normal as possible, and didn't they just help her regain some of her mana by filling her bunk with items from nature? That wasn't exactly a normal thing for humans either, but he had never really thought about it much. He had met so many strange and intriguing characters through the guild that he had just assumed Eiru was a rather strange human.

He didn't get too much time to think about it though because Odyssey started speaking again. "It's just as well you tricked some mortals into coming along as sacrifice." His hand dipped down to the hilt of his sword instinctively. "Listen lady-" He didn't finish the sentence when Eiru stepped forward and gestured for them to stay back.

"Your serpants breed and then lay their eggs within the corpses of drowned mortals, feasting upon them as they grow into their adolescence. You've never needed the help of the Fae in the past to acquire such nesting grounds, to even suggest so now would be an insult to your name. These mortals here are not sacrifices, they are..." He stepped back, listening to the conversation between Eiru and the being quietly. "They are members of a guild I have taken a personal interest in." He slightly raised an eyebrow, rather weird way of saying friends, but sure he would take it.

"As you, in all your wisdom, have surmised- I have come in search of the lost Fae Relic: Gae Bulg. Its corrupting aura is of great concern to my people, my aunt in particular. I wish to take it into my custody and return it to the Misty Isles for sealing." So Eiru really wasn't just a human witch then, it seemed pretty obvious in hindsight.

"I am Eiru, Daughter of the Great Sage Eiri, and the current heir to the Fae Throne of Tir Na Nog. I beseech thee Odyssey, Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch. Allow me to take back into Fae's custody the relic of a once-great leader, led astray by her own twisted and warped love of war and chaos. If you do, the relic will no longer corrupt your waters and your sirens will be free to roam where they please once again. If you are insistent on sacrifice then I can offer you the bodies and souls of pirates. Pirates that I have no doubt in my mind caused harm to your sirens. Your people."

Several thoughts raced through Leonidas' head. First of all, Eiru had wings now, if there was any doubt that she wasn't human that made it clearer than ever. Second, she was apparently the heir to the throne of a country he had never even heard of. Now wait a second, didn't that make her just as much of a privileged rich kid as he was? Oh, he was definitely going to hold that over her, granted that they made it out alive.

But most importantly. "What pirates do you intend on offering?" He quietly whispered in the small fae witch's direction. "We talked about this, we can't beat the lord of the dead and killing his crew seems like a good way to piss him off." He said.

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Temple Interior
Mentions: Sylph SilverFeathers BakaTheIdiot Key of Stars​

"That is a nursery," The disembodied voice once again filled the room as water that was flowing down the walls and in the channels in the floor began to gather and coalesce in the center of the chamber, gradually gaining more and more mass before it began to shape itself into some kind of giant watery figure. It was amazing to watch but also terrifying to imagine what such a thing may be capable of if they somehow upset it. Perhaps Nanalee would be able to freeze it in place to buy them time to escape, but that may be hopeful thinking and would just anger it more.

"Though it is a shame...None of my serpents are ready to breed yet." For their sake Ruvo deeply hoped that the serpents this being spoke of were not in anyway related to the sea serpent they had fought aboard the Scavenger. Luckily, they didn't kill it but he wouldn't imagine that the watery figure would be happy that there was a fight in the first place.

"Now then, I am Odyssey. Guardian of the deep. Keeper of the watch." With that introduction it began to make more sense, this must be the ancient guardian Eiru spoke of. He had expected some kind of terrible monster that attacked anything that approached the relic, but being able to actually talk and reason with the guardian was somewhat of a relief. "I thought it strange one of the Fae rulers was at my doorstep. But it seems they sent a blood surrogate instead. Are you here to retrieve that foul trinket of yours?" "Fae Ruler?" Ruvo mumbled to himself following the watery gaze of Odyssey to Eiru. He knew Eiru was an exceptionally talented witch and knowledgeable about a lot of things but could she really be a Fae Ruler or at least some kind of messenger or something? "It's just as well you tricked some mortals into coming along as sacrifice." Sacrifice? No, Eiru would never... right?

Luckily his momentary doubt on the motives of his fellow guildmember would not last long as Eiru stepped forward to address Odyssey's statements. The witch quickly dismissed the notion of the rest of them becoming sacrifices and explained that they were all members of a guild that she had taken a personal interest in, which was perhaps a strange roundabout way of saying that they were friends to an extent but that wasn't the most important detail. No, what was perhaps more important was that the relic they had come all this way for was apparently called Gáe Bulg and it possessed some kind of corrupting aura. If he had to guess that was probably why Eiru told them not to touch anything. But even that newly gained knowledge was quickly pushed aside as much to his surprise a small set of butterfly wings manifested themselves onto Eiru's back just before they made their formal request to be allowed to take back the relic.

Ruvo didn't know what to think, never would he had thought that here underneath this island so many unexpected revelations and sights would be experienced. If he somehow makes it out alive here, he was sure that this would make a great story.

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• 1
• 2
• Notes

• 
• 
• Location
  At Sea - Siren's Watch - Temple w/ Ymir, Eiru, Leo, Ruvo & Ashitaka
  
  Mentions
  ---

As the peaceful currents of water around her suddenly began rushing and merging together in the centre of the temple, Nanalee immediately took flight and dashed towards the only exit. However, noticing that her seniors in the guild chose to remain still and watch, Nanalee changed her movements to position herself close to the exit, but not quite out of it. At least, if the situation escalated in a bad way, the open stone doors were right behind her.

Remaining on her talons' toes with her wings cautiously raised at the ready, she watched as the being she now knew to be named Odyssey melded her upper half into being from water. The grand spaciousness she initially felt exploring this place was suddenly dwarfed by her presence. Though she was vicious and predatorial in appearance, Nanalee was still in awe at meeting someone that seemed so significant and important... at least until Eiru started her speech.

Blinking in both confusion and shock, though her face remained a perfectly blank daze, Nanalee couldn't help but feel that she was really out of place in this group of theirs. First, Leo's full name was Leonard Hower and seemed to come from some huge influential family, and now Eiru was a princess? She couldn't help but glance at the others, Ruvo, Ymir and Ashitaka. Were they actually super important people too? Had she offended any of them? She couldn't help but ponder on her past manners and actions. If she accidentally brought trouble to her little merchant family in Orani because of her ignorance, she would never forgive herself again.

Realizing her thoughts were trailing off on a tangent, she tried to recall the words both sides had spoken once more. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine at the newfound knowledge of the serpents' nesting grounds. Though she was far from Aestir, she couldn't help but wonder if the sea serpents back there used a similar method to breed? The humans she had befriended and bartered with... how many made the trip back to the Frigid North safely?

Though still rather shaken, the added adrenaline only kept her more prepared for whatever craziness could come next. It wasn't her place to speak here, so she continued to merely listen, though her eyes which darted warily around the room might've said otherwise.

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Odyssey's Temple --> ???
Mentions: Uasal Key of Stars RatKing SilverFeathers BakaTheIdiot ​

"It's just as well you tricked some mortals into coming along as sacrifice."

There were a myriad of reactions as the disembodied words faded to nothing. Ymir glanced to the side to see Nanalee land nearby, wings raised and claws at the ready. Leo's hand dropped to his sword and it seemed Ashitaka considered the same before deciding against it. This didn't seem like the sort of enemy one fought unprepared. Like Ymir, Ruvo remained where he was, perhaps hoping not to draw uneeded attention.

In the end it was Eiru that stepped forward, gesturing for the others to settle.

"Your serpants breed and then lay their eggs within the corpses of drowned mortals," she began, speaking with an assuredness that reflected in the way she held herself. Despite being smaller than most, the size of the entity before them didn't seem to bother Eiru. She continued to speak with careful chosen words, turning back to the group to offer them a smile. "...they are members of a guild I have taken a personal interest in."

An attempt to deflect attention away from them, Ymir assumed. She was no expert, but declaring an unwavering support for each other in front of a powerful being tended to go one of a few ways. They respected it, considered it foolishness, or wanted to test it. And the group didn't have time for such trials.

"I am Eiru, Daughter of the Great Sage Eiri, and the current heir to the Fae Throne of Tir Na Nog..."

Ymir crossed her arms, lips pressed together as she heard Ruvo mutter something nearby. She hadn't known the details, but Eiru's revelation had been a long anticipated announcement. Unlike Leo, who'd had most of the guild fooled into thinking he was nothing more than a wandering poet, Eiru wasn't exactly subtle in her influences. One didn't obtain diplomatic immunity simply by being a skilled researcher for the Arcane house, and though digging up history on Eiru's homeland was like searching for feathers on a snake, Ymir knew enough see why she'd keep it a secret.

Leo on the other hand, she'd easily have believed if he said he came from some remote village or slum. Not that she'd ever bothered to ask. It just seemed a reasonable assumption. She'd find the fact that no one in the guild seemed to know about it more impressive, if she weren't also one of the ones fooled by it. Now she couldn't even be certain that Ruvo wasn't some secret bird prince, let alone what Ashitaka or Nanalee's origins were.

"What say you? Will you again turn down a Fae Request?"

Silence settled in the wake of Eiru's declaration, broken only by the hush of water and Leo leaning over to whisper something urgent to the witch. The currents that floated in place of Odyssey's hair snaked lazily around her. The goddess waited until the lack of reaction became a discomfort, then a concern to the adventurers as her sharp features gave away nothing of her thoughts. She observed the tiny group with something like disinterest, eventually lowering her head to address them.

"You are Eiri's daughter indeed," the goddess mused, the size of her chosen form beginning to dwindle and waver. "To come in here thinking you have all the answers." A shadow fell over the room, dropping them into darkness as the temperature rapidly declined. If Ymir had thought the cutting winds were cold, the insidious chill that filled the room was a different fear. There hadn't been any sound of the stone doors closing, but as Ymir turned to check she found the reality was worse.

The sun had disappeared. In place of mountains, an endless wall of water revealed scores of sea life swimming in the open view. Within the temple itself, stone carvings had begun to gain texture and colour, swaying as if it were submerged in water. The current level only pooled around their feet, barely enough to wet their shoes, but the threat of it rising further grew evermore present, especially as the massive form of the goddess broke apart and the remaining mass crashed to the ground to surge around them. It brought the water level up to their knees, and Ymir squawked in alarm, clambering atop one of the formerly sculpted rocks to remain out of the tide.

"It matters not to me what the fate of the Fae are," the disembodied voice continued, a soft light filling the room. "You have a day to obtain your keepsake and begone from these waters. Heed the promise of your companion-" The room grew white with luminence. "And refrain from trespass or violence against my people."

With that final warning the light faded, and Ymir had scarce seconds to blink the spots from her eyes before the aquatic wall of water behind them began to tremble. Whatever power had been holding it at bay disappeared, and the current that swept into the room was strong enough to throw them all off their feet.

[Blessing of Odyssey Obtained]
Changes last for roughly a day IC:
- One affinity per character switched to water.
- Features changed to that of merfolk [tail + gills].
- Unable to communicate with humans verbally.

Permanent:
- Understanding of siren speech patterns.
- Attribute points +20.​

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Rank Support
Mana Depleted​

Once Odyssey's aura had fully dissipated along with a flash of light, Eiru's tough act came crumbling down. Falling to her knees as water crashed around her, Eiru began to cough violently once again. The wings she had been bearing up until this point shattered like glass and the fragmented shards dissolved quickly into the air and water around her. But fortunately, unlike on the ship, Eiru seemed to at least hold onto her consciousness this time around. After taking a few moments to collect herself and recover from the fit of coughing Eiru turned to face the group with a clearly forced smile. A long streak of sparkling blue blood fell along her cheek as if a teardrop from her left eye "Adventure of a lifetime. Am I right?". Laughing softly Eiru began to cough again but this time it quickly passed. "Odyssey is a Goddess. Not many mortals have had the chance to parlay with beings from the ascended plane. Count yourself among a blessed few".

Eiru's words were quite amusing to herself at least, considering how she was now undergoing a transformation through such a blessing. "I apologise, I should have realised sooner that this was no mere temple. In fact, looking back there were more than a few signs I seemed to miss in my obsession with seeking out the relic. I put you all in great danger. I'm a failure as a team leader." Eiru was still smiling even though her words were contradictory of her clear front. Turning to Blyke Eiru tilted her head and laughed softly "I had to mention the pirates. I needed to separate our actions from theirs. To a god all mortals are the same, you do not look at a black ant and a red ant and see them as different when trying to protect your food. Like that, a god cares little for the differences between mortal groups. By separating our actions and making it clear we were not after her 'Food' I made our group seem more useful while also soiling her opinion of the other. Besides, if push truly came to shove. Well, we could have fleed after agreeing to take on the pirates. What was most important was. Well that as few of us died as possible during that conversation".

Taking a deep breath Eiru looked to Ymir and for the first time since entering the building her smile seemed somewhat sincere "Thankfully none of us died though. And if you want to be really optimistic about it. Ymir here won't have any need to ride a boat for the next 24 hours!"
Sylph Key of Stars BakaTheIdiot SilverFeathers RatKing

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka IV
Location: Temple of Odyssey
Mentions: Uasal Sylph RatKing Key of Stars SilverFeathers ​

Perhaps he had some apologizing to do.

Ashitaka had grossly misjudged her character - to a magnitude he could not express. She had stopped him, only to move forward herself, and put forth a show of force - nay, magic - the likes of which he had not seen. He didn't exactly know what a Fae was, or where Tir Na Nog was either, but there was something he did understand:

"Your serpants breed and then lay their eggs within the corpses of drowned mortals, feasting upon them as they grow into their adolescence. You've never needed the help of the Fae in the past to acquire such nesting grounds, to even suggest so now would be an insult to your name." Was that humility? He owed her a lengthy apology. "These mortals here are not sacrifices, they are... They are members of a guild I have taken a personal interest in." Certainly an interesting way of saying friends, but it got the point across. Although it was no doubt referring to the more veteran members - to be fair, he had only met Eiru hours ago - it still remained a piece of her character he did not know existed.

While not fond of having his agency limited by a stranger - and a witch, no less - Ashitaka sorely preferred it to being a corpse.

But perhaps it was not enough. The room began to shift and change, as Odyssey's might came to bare. Maybe this was it: the courier's life was about to end, or at least be in for a world of hurt. Or at least so he thought. "It matters not to me what the fate of the Fae are. You have a day to obtain your keepsake and begone from these waters. Heed the promise of your companion, and refrain from trespass or violence against my people."

She had paid attention to his words? That was a nice thought, at least, but it quickly caved to the much more pressing matter: upon turning around, he came to face the towering wave wall. He barely had the time to react before it had begun to collapse as the room lightened.

"Allfather, give me st-"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence. In an instant, he had been swept from his feet, his back slammed to the ground. The water was leaving now, at least as far as he could tell, and the words of Odyssey still rung in his ears.

Spoiler: Attribute Buff tie-in (brief this time, I promise!)

His head was swimming from the impact with the ground, much like the sea life they had just witnessed. His ears still rang violently, his headache worsening:

"....a n....r...."

His mind stabilized once more, as he returned to the present. Now was not the time for imaginary voices.

[Intelligence +20 (Blessing of Odyssey)]
[A new arc will be made available for Ashitaka in a future post]

They were now in a completely different area. This must have been the "tricky" piece that Ymir had mentioned. The air felt much heavier: they were deeper underground. No wonder her senses had failed her this instance. No sense dwelling on it now, there was a job to do.

Well, he thought to himself. At least I'm not dead. He made a mental note to never again seek cohort with gods - lest he be returned to this exact position, completely out of breath on the ground. Ashitaka brought himself to his - what on earth? What had happened to his body? What used to be his grieves were now subsidized by scales and a faint sight of what seemed akin to webbing - he was quite literally a fish, or a merfolk, whatever the proper term was. What a shame.

"If this is some kind of wicked joke," he quietly cursed in his mother language. "we will have words, Allfather."

Things like this almost made him miss the boat. At least it was only temporary, and at least his suffering was not isolated - well, suffering may be a strong word, but Eiru wasn't looking particularly well, given she was tearing up in blood. He knew these symptoms well, in spite of his nonmagic prowess, although the blue blood was certainly a new touch. It wasn't just him either: everyone was different now. Odyssey's blessing certainly had a way about it - and a strong affinity for the sea.

I'm never sailing again.

"Adventure of a lifetime. Am I right? Odyssey is a Goddess. Not many mortals have had the chance to parlay with beings from the ascended plane. Count yourself among a blessed few. I apologise, I should have realised sooner that this was no mere temple. In fact, looking back there were more than a few signs I seemed to miss in my obsession with seeking out the relic. I put you all in great danger. I'm a failure as a team leader."

She went on, even lightening the mood with a joke - he must admit, it was well placed - and he knew what he needed to do. Ashitaka, in his new form however temporary, made his way over, and contradicting all of his internal statements, all of his internalized phobia towards this witch, all of his frustration and spite, did what he never thought he would:

"Trust is earned. I do not give my trust to others easily - least of all to people I hardly know." His hand extended, offering assistance in returning the witch to her feet. "That said... I am alive, as is everyone here. That is no small kindness, and for that, you have my thanks - and my strength, however useful that may prove to be." His expression, for the first time since their first entry into the temple, softened slightly. "I may still be some ways from trust... but I think it's safe to say that we can't do this without you. I know nothing of Fae or Fae Lords, much less of gods in general - but I do know loyalty, and I do know respect. For right now, you command mine. Get us off of this bloody island alive, and you may even have it permanently."

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• 1
• 2
• Notes

• 
• 
• Location
  At Sea - Siren's Watch - Underwater Temple w/ Ymir, Eiru, Leo, Ruvo & Ashitaka
  
  Mentions
  Uasal

Silently musing over the words 'Great Sage Eiri' and 'Fae Throne of Tir Na Nog', as soon as the situation started changing once more, Nanalee snapped to attention, slowly backing up against the stone doors behind her. The familiar icy feeling on her outer limbs was nothing for her to fear, but the enveloping darkness could be. Instead of an immovable wall however, her wings brushed against something softer and malleable, like liquid.

"Water? What on-" Nanalee gave a short gasp, breaking out of her whispers of confusion, as she realized the walls were no longer of stone, but of water, filled with all forms of magical sea life living within it. Icy water tickled her talons, splashing against the rocks and coral that had abruptly... come to life. Just before Odyseey's form fell apart and the water rose to knee-level, Nanalee took to the air, levitating in place as she quickly pondered any and all ways she could think of out of this mess.

"The stone walls disappeared? How was there so much water hidden in the mountain? A mirage perhaps? Warp magic? Doesn't matter. There's no way out, what should I do. I can't swim, I'd have to rely on the others. No, how can I trust them? Think Nanalee, think. Entomb myself with ice? That's only a temporary solution... But it's better than nothing."

Muttering her thought processes quietly to herself at a rapid pace, the blinding luminance caught her off-guard as the goddess' voice suddenly loomed over them once more. As she made a mental note of the key points, 'a day' and 'no trespassing or violence against sirens' and quickly squinted her eyes back open, the ferocious currents that flooded the room violently swept her away.

Immediately smacking her head against one of the pillars, Nanalee grew dazed for a moment, subconsciously taking in a breath before realizing she should've stopped herself- Wait, how am I breathing?

After that one realization, many others followed. Silently, she stared at the silvery blue... things, that overflowed from her arms. They were like... tree vines with some weird suction pads dotted on their underside. It was as if they had replaced her wings entirely. When she swung her arms about, they followed, flowing downwards from her arm, much like her feathers and wings once did. The weirdest bit was that... she could control each individual tendril. It was... an overwhelming feeling, suddenly having so many new limbs. For now she just kinda let them wave about in the seawater, as she examined the rest of her changes.

Her legs had merged into a fish's tail, the same colour as her talons once were. Grazing her hand against the scales gave her a strange feeling. She had always had scales on her talons, but these ones felt different. Likely since they were made for a much different environment. She could feel some scale patches dotted around her body too, on her arms, collar, neck, even on her face.

Recalling something, Nanalee reflexively whipped her hands to her ears and neck. After assuring that all her family's feathers were somehow still attached, and the spirit pendant was still around her neck, she breathed a sigh of relief. As she tied them on again extra tightly, an abrupt but frightening question immediately popped up in her mind.

"This... isn't permanent right?"

She whispered quietly to herself in shock, not even realizing the fact that she had spoken underwater with ease. Nanalee vaguely recalled that Odyssey said that they had a day to retrieve the relic but... what did that mean? As much as she wanted to just believe that she meant these forms would fade and they'd return to normal after a day... that was no guarantee, right? She could only helplessly try to float over to Eiru for guidance on what they should do next, listening to her words and her exchange with Ashitaka in the process.

In her mind, it was true that Eiru dragged them into this mess, pausing the whole expedition for a personal quest of her own calling. But at the same time, it was clear that she was doing her best to divert a goddess' wrath back there, to protect them. Nanalee was sure that, for someone of Eiru's lineage and power, she could have easily abandoned them there, but she chose not to, instead riskily exhausting herself in the process. That much, she owed her for.

"...Thank you, Eiru." Nanalee didn't speak as elaborately as Ashitaka did, who she now definitely had more suspicions of being some noble son, but her words were genuine and heartfelt, though somewhat faint in volume. "Are you tired? If need be I can uh, probably try and carry you or pull you along with these?" She gestured vaguely towards the silvery tendrils flowing from her arms.

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Sea Floor
Mentions: Uasal Sylph SilverFeathers ​

Leonidas slowly opened his eyes, having closed them reflexively when the water came rushing at them. He liked the sea and he liked swimming, but getting hit by a massive wave fell far outside both those categories. Surprisingly though he was completely fine, not having suffered any broken bones which he would have expected with the amount of water that rushed at them.

Putting the obvious changes he experienced to the side for a moment he turned to Eiru, crossing his arms with a frown. "I get it already, stop talking so much, you were bleeding. Think about yourself for once for god sake." He said, extending his finger forward with the intention of blowing a small puff of air at the fae's forehead but finding himself completely unable to produce even the slightest draft of wind, feeling a small amount of the water around him respond to his finger's movement instead. Huh, that's neat.

"Also," He continued, choosing to just point at the small witch instead. "How come you get to reveal your lineage in such a cool way? Wings and all, that's totally unfair." He said with a wide grin. "When I did I got you somewhat arrested and myself and Ymir thrown into some makeshift warehouse storage room jail cell with Tyron and his punchable face gloating at us." He said with a laugh, being vaguely aware of the fact that laughing underwater shouldn't be possible.

"This... isn't permanent right?" He properly looked down at the tail replacing his legs for the first time. "I doubt it, Goddess lady back there didn't seem too eager about us being here at all, let alone us staying here. Still though," He swam around in circles for a bit. "This is pretty cool, isn't it?"

He played around with his newfound ability to manipulate water, creating small bubbles and letting them swirl around his hands in much the same way he manipulated air normally. "You might be right," He looked at Eiru. "This might be the adventure of a lifetime after all."

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Underwater Temple
Mentions: Sylph SilverFeathers Key of Stars BakaTheIdiot Uasal

Air Affinity ---> Water Affinity​

The moment of silence before Odyssey's response was almost painful, there was no way of telling what the watery being was thinking but he could only hope their respectful behavior and Eiru's authority as a representative of the fae would be enough. Luckily the uncomfortable silence did not last long as Odyssey began speaking once more. "You are Eiri's daughter indeed, to come in here thinking you have all the answers." it appeared as though their once giant visage began to lose form and shrink in size which may have been a sign of a negotiation going over well if it were not for the fact that they were all soon enveloped in darkness and chilling temperatures. Panicked Ruvo turned around to catch his bearings and find some kind of light source only to be stricken with a deep sense of dread. The sun was no longer visible and the mountains were replaced by almost monolithic walls of water with sea life visibly swimming within it. His panic induced by the frightening sights would shift focus to the immediate danger of the rising water level in the temple caused by the continued collapse of Odyssey's form forcing Ruvo to began raising his instrument up to keep it from getting wet.

"It matters not to me what the fate of the Fae are, you have a day to obtain your keepsake and begone from these waters. Heed the promise of your companion and refrain from trespass or violence against my people." Odyssey's disembodied voice continued as a white light began to grow in intensity culminating with it becoming nearly blinding in luminescence before dissipating. Following Odyssey's final statement Eiru seemingly collapsed from exhaustion reminiscent of what had happened back on the Scavenger except this time they managed to retain consciousness. The witch went on to comment about Odyssey's role as a goddess and of their own failures as a leader and the dangers they were all put in.

That was certainly a lot to take in all at once. So Odyssey wasn't a mere water spirit of some kind, but was instead a water goddess. That certainly explained the magical phenomena that were happening at the moment. But that would be something to think more about later. "Eiru...You aren't a failure. Its just like Ashitaka said we're all still alive and unharmed and I'm sure that is largely thanks to you and your speech. So don't beat yourself up about bringing us somewhere dangerous. We're guildmembers after all, doing dangerous thing is just what we do right?" But before he could get an answer the terrible sound of rushing water filled the air as the temple was quickly flooded by the towering wall of water collapsing, throwing Ruvo off of his feat onto the temple floor and knocking his instrument out of his hand.

After recovering from getting slammed by a wall of water it was immediately apparent several things were amiss. He was completely submerged underwater which normally would be cause for panic but seemingly he could breath just fine. The surprise was followed by the bard scrambling to locate his lute that he had dropped after getting knocked down but was quickly halted when he realized he no longer had legs. In their place was now some tail of a sea creature that had gray skin and his once vibrant plumage and crest were now replaced with shorter and duller feathers. For those who may be more knowledgeable of animals Ruvo's aquatic form would be identifiable as a dolphin tail replacing his legs while his feathers took on a more slick and shortened form ideal for diving and keeping out water. "What in the world?" he muttered out loud looking over the changes to his body. Surely this must be Odyssey's power altering their form to survive in the depths below and recover the artifact. Looking around it looked like all the others had similarly been transformed into a merfolk of some kind. After a moment Ruvo managed to clumsily swim over to and recover his trusty instrument. It was definitely waterlogged but he figured it should still be somewhat functional underwater, albeit his musical magic may be warped and act differently beneath waves than in open air. However it would be unlikely that it would ever play the same if at all back on the surface.

"This... isn't permanent right?" "I doubt it, Goddess lady back there didn't seem too eager about us being here at all, let alone us staying here. Still though, This is pretty cool, isn't it?" "I sure hope you're right that's its not permanent, though it certainly is something completely strange and wild. Now lets get that relic shall we?"

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Undersea Temple
Mentions: Uasal Key of Stars RatKing BakaTheIdiot SilverFeathers ​

Ymir had somewhat thought the journey was looking up for the group. They'd found solid land, hiked through a few caves, avoided the enemies camped nearby, and managed to not lose anyone along the way.

All of which ended the moment they walked through those doors.

Ymir had a policy of staying away from places where her second sight didn't work. Nothing good ever came of it, if the towering wall of water before them wasn't evidence enough. Ashitaka muttered a prayer. Ymir leapt off her rock as the barrier came crashing down, managing to stay in the air for all of a few seconds before she tried to call upon her magic. Instead of bracing winds, a funnel of water swept up from the mass below, and in the moments before she disappeared into its depths she wondered which of the gods had forsaken her.

Everything after that was utter chaos. The bitter cold stung before the currents seemed to warm. She reached blindly amidst the raging torrents, calling on her second sight for something to align herself with before being unceremoniously smacked into one of the pillars.

It was good enough. She grabbed onto it as the mass of water continued trying to throw them every which way. Closing her eyes she could see the others being tossed or knocked over, some swept into the... air--except the shape was all wrong. She was seeing the outline of fins and tails and various other appendages. None of them were falling to the ground either, just... floating there. The whole room had become crystal clear. From the spaces inside of rocks to the swaying plants that grew off them, and the unsettling realisation that she didn't recognise anything outside. Whatever power had been blocking her sight within the temple had disappeared. Weight itself seemed to have lost all meaning.

Oh, she realised, time slowing in a mixture of shock and acceptance. This is... right.

It made sense with everything that had happened. Sudden, but less painful than she expected. Her legs did feel different, so she supposed they'd been crushed by the water, or maybe that was just the sort of thing that happened to spirits.

She slowly opened her eyes, relaxing her hold on the pillar and letting go completely when she realised she wouldn't fall. She guessed it were true that ghosts weren't affected by gravity. But still--she blinked a few times, observing the rockface in front of her. There were little coloured growths and five legged worms clinging to the surface, swaying in the same current that clung to her. It was all very... solid.

As quickly as she had come to her conclusion, Ymir realised it wasn't that at all. Something had changed. When she brought her hands up to her face a thin webbing stretched between her fingers, but that wasn't a feature of spirits. And the long, fish-like skin she caught in place of her legs certainly wasn't either.

"I get it already, stop talking so much, you were bleeding." Ymir blinked at the strangely familiar set of clicks and whistles. Put together, it resembled a voice not unlike Leo's own. Odyssey had sounded similar, Ymir realised, when one tried to listen to the patterns in the Goddess's voice. "Think about yourself for once for god sake."

Ymir turned, moving away from her fixation on her hands to observe the rest of the group. They similarly transformed, all at different stages of coming to terms with the new situation. Eiru was already part recovered, perhaps having expected what was to come, while Leo didn't appear fazed at all. Nanalee was more fascinated with whatever appendages had replaced her wings, curling down her arms like sinuous vines, and Ashitaka seemed similarly preoccupied with his own changes. Ruvo, meanwhile, had busied himself looking for something.

"I do not give my trust to others easily-" Ymir stirred from her thoughts when Ashitaka began to speak to Eiru. "Least of all to people I hardly know." Ymir vaguely remembered the witch apologising for something before all the water had come crashing down, but that part was a little hazy. She'd been distracted. "That said... I am alive, as is everyone here. That is no small kindness, and for that, you have my thanks - and my strength, however useful that may prove to be."

"Are you tired? If need be I can uh, probably try and carry you or pull you along with these?" Nanalee floated over as well, not sounding quite as confident in her words, but offering assistance in her own way. Ymir somewhat doubted if the strange attachments were capable of it, given how they seemed to curl and tangle together without thought. Then again Leo seemed to have picked things up quite fast.

"I sure hope you're right that's its not permanent, though it certainly is something completely strange and wild." Ruvo said, rejoining the group with his instrument tucked safely in hand. His change was surprisingly striking, given the drastic loss of plumage. Ymir hadn't realised just how much she'd associated the bard with colours before seeing him without it. The grey feathers certainly seemed more streamlined than before. "Now lets get that relic shall we?"

Moral seemed to be climbing, given the immediate threat of danger had disappeared, and they were possibly in an even better position. Leo swam in lazy circles above them, probably the one with the most experience with the water, if how quickly he took to the situation didn't make it obvious. "This might be the adventure of a lifetime after all."

"Says mister we're-gonna-get-killed-by-pirates," she muttered, reaching hastily for her piller again when a current threatened to move her elsewhere. The two 'wings' attached to her tail seemed to catch far more of the water's movement than she'd like. They felt heavy too, not at all like her gliders.

"And if you want to be really optimistic about it. Ymir here won't have any need to ride a boat for the next 24 hours!"

Ymir shot Eiru an affronted scowl, hardly wanting to deny it since she didn't want to be on a boat--yet surely that would be better than being at the bottom of the ocean? With how things were currently, Ymir wasn't sure which she preferred. "At the very least... I think my sight is working again." She squinted, confirming to herself that yes, she was still able to see the ocean floor surrounding the temple. "It seems we're at the bottom of a reef."

---

ELSEWHERE...​

Along the edge of the island, in a lagoon cut off from the ocean in all but the caves that allowed the currents through, sun dappled figures moved throught the water amongst the beds of seaweed and algae. Rockpools and all manner of urchins decorated the hidden alcove of the island. Amongst the many residents spending their time in the calmer waters, a voice spoke to one in particular.

"Olive dear."

The outline of Odyssey that appeared before the siren was nothing but a whisper to accompany her voice. A message not meant to alert the others of her presence. "I have small request of you."

 

[Key of Stars]

Olive
Mentions: Sylph Uasal SilverFeathers RatKing BakaTheIdiot
Location: Underwater temple​

Getting a request from Odyssey herself was certainly rare, especially something as special as guiding a group of humans and the current heir to the fae throne to the cave containing the relic they had been guarding all these years. She couldn't exactly refuse a request from Odyssey but even if she had the choice she would have eagerly accepted the task, visitors were a rare sight, visitors that were still alive even more so.

She'd swum over as fast as she could, arriving near the group just in time to catch a line of conversation. "It seems we're at the bottom of a reef."

"You're right," She said, swimming closer to the group and making her presence known. "You guys must be the group I'm looking for. I have to say, you all seem a lot less affected by the whole transformation thing than expected, I suppose that makes things somewhat easier. I'm Olive, Odyssey sent me to escort-"

"Mom?" She whirled around, letting her eyes glide past the group until they settled on the source of the unknown yet all too familiar voice. "Leonard?"

"This..." He hesitated, uncertainty clear in his voice. "This isn't some sort of trick, right?" She slowly shook her head before rushing over and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "You've grown so much." She said, voice quivering. She had only cried a handful of times in her entire life, the days her children were born, the day she had 'died' and had been forced to leave them behind and now, during a reunion she hadn't as much as dared to hope for.

Leonard tensed up in her embrace, unable to process the sudden load of information, but moments later he threw his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder. "I thought I'd never see you again... I thought you-" He choked out, voice even more unsteady than hers. She slowly pat his back. "Shhh, me too." She wiped at the bottom of her eye, though there would be no actual tears to wipe away underwater. "Me too." She repeated softly.

They stayed like that for a moment until she gently pushed him away and held him at arm's length. "What are you doing here? What of Gustav and Cylia?" She asked with a weak smile that disappeared just as fast as it came when he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Dad, no, father, died. He kicked me out after I expressed my wish to become an adventurer like you." Several emotions flashed through her, sorrow at hearing her husband died followed by a wave of burning anger, how dare he send away his own son?! "And Cylia?" She inquired. He shook his head again and her heart sank. "I don't know, I haven't seen her since I left, it seems she took over the academy. I'm... I'm on my way to see her" A small wave of relief washed over her, her daughter was alive.

"I abandoned her, she should be the one here, not-" She pulled him close again, cutting his sentence short. "It seems you've been through a lot because of me, I've always known deep down I wasn't fit to be a mother, if only it hadn't been so much fun to be one." "It's not your fault." She shook her head. "It is, I should have given up on adventuring the moment you were born, I thought I was invincible and I paid the price for it. You went through so much because of me, I'm sorry."

He didn't respond, squeezing her tighter with trembling hands. "It'll be alright, you'll meet Cylia and the two of you will be fine. As long as the two of you are still alive you'll definitely meet again." She whispered. "Do I even have the right to?" She pushed him away, once again holding him at arm's length, expression stern. "The right to what? To see your sister? Of course you have the right to see your sister! I'll personally fight anyone who convinced you otherwise." She declared.

He smiled weakly for the first time since they had reunited. "I guess you'll have to fight me then." The delivery of the joke was weak at best but she chuckled nonetheless. "We'll talk more later." She said with a small smile, gently letting him go before turning to the group. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Olivia Hower, Leonard's mother. It's wonderful to meet my son's companions, maybe even friends?"

Spoiler: Olivia

Name: Oliva Hower
Race: Human (Former), Siren
Class: Former adventurer
Rank: Gold (Never has been part of the guild)
Affinity: Wind | Fairy tales (Former), Spirit | Song
Attribute points: 500
Strength: 0
Intelligence: 200
Agility: 100
Dexterity: 0
Constitution: 100
Fortitude: 100

Bio: Olivia Abrahams used to be a renowned adventurer on the seas, sailing the world on her ship the violet dawn. Around 26 years ago she met Gustav Hower and after another year of adventuring, she officially quit being an adventurer, giving command of the violet dawn to her first mate and marrying Gustav.

After giving birth to Leonard and Cylia Hower she would still go on the occasional adventure with her old crew though not as their captain but as a guest. She's the one who gave Leonard the blue avenger on his 16th birthday, having found it on one of her earlier adventures but preferring her own ship.

Shortly after his 16th birthday, she went on another adventure with the crew of the violet dawn and never returned. The year after her disappearance is the only period in which Leonard was able to sail around on the blue avenger, mostly in search of his mother, before his father banned travel completely and the blue avenger was lost over the years.

Fairy tale magic: The user is able to have objects from fairy tales manifest in the real world temporarily, this can be used to summon weapons to fight, armor to defend oneself, or objects like bridges to cross gaps and traverse difficult terrain.

The more well-known the fairy tale the longer the object stays manifested with a hard limit of 5 minutes per object and 3 objects at the same time.

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Rank Support
What had unfolded following Eiru's apology was far beyond the realm of her calculations. First of all, Everyone seemed to have forgiven her rather easily considering the dire situation they had only just managed to escape. This alone completely confused Eiru, she had expected Leo and Ymir to forgive her given some time and action but for the new members, Nanalee, Ruvo and Ashitaka to forgive her so easily, well it was really quite odd. Had the revelation of her title made them fearful and on guard thus forcing such a reaction? It was possible but Ashitaka at least seemed more than sincere and blunt with his acceptance. None the less It was a relief none of the group despised Eiru just yet.

Taking a hold of Nanalee's tentacles Eiru shook her head "No no, I appreciate it but I got myself into this mess. I must get myself out of it too. But thank you for the offer". Everyone was being so kind, it was kind of suffocating and left Eiru with a bad taste in her mouth. She was not deserving of such kindness after what she had just done. Regardless of what the group thought. In actual fact, Ymir not having chewed her out for her actions was the most bone-chilling occurrence yet. But then again, looking at the woman made it quite clear that she was likely far more preoccupied with trying to come to grips with what was very likely a nightmare of hers come to life.

Floating back toward the Ymir, Eiru watched from a safe distance as she came to grips with her air magic becoming that of water. Her movements were like that of a toddler unlike the rest of the group who seemingly took to their new forms like a fish to water. "The blessing should last around a day or so, I only caught a brief glance of its structure but I can't imagine it lasting much longer than that..."

With Ymir's sight working again the group was able to establish their whereabouts, a reef quite some distance below the mainland. It wasn't much to go on but at least it was something. Eiru had already decided to let Ymir lead the exploration from this point on but before she could vocalise her intent an even more surprising event unfolded before her. A mermaid seemed to have arrived to guide them to their treasure, but not just any mermaid. Leo's mother. Honestly what an eventful day!

Standing or more so floating in a state of disbelief aside Ymir, Eiru began to wonder if she was hallucinating due to her mana loss. But the more Leo and his mother spoke the more the situation began to sink in on the witch. Pinching at her cheeks Eiru made one final check to confirm she wasn't hallucinating before sliding behind Ymir, just out of sight. Tugging at the woman's ear Eiru got as close as she could before speaking "Talk about a show off... first he complains about my flashy revelation and now here he is with a mermaid for a mother... the audacity!" Laughing softly at her own joke Eiru continued "You better go introduce yourself... I hear humans are rather insistent on good first impressions when parents are involved. You wouldn't want her disapproving of you now would you?"​

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka IV
Location: Undersea Temple
Mentions (briefly): Uasal Sylph Key of Stars SilverFeathers RatKing
​

It appeared that his sentiment was shared, at least by a few. Ruvo, Leo, Nanalee, all three were willing to forgive - in their own way. With apologies issued and grudges laid to rest, it was finally time to make progress.

Or at least, it would be. As it turned out, the rest of the group - Ymir especially - shared the sentiment of these new features as a nuisance. However logical it may be to be merfolk for a day, that didn't make it any less inconvenient. At least it was only a day. Perhaps it wasn't so bad: he could swim for as long as he wished, which would undoubtedly be useful. Hopefully. Outside of that he didn't see any immediate benefits. Out of morbid curiosity, he reached to the left half of his face, hoping to feel - nope, it was still very much there. His eyepatch had remained unchanged. This was absurd. Odyssey, a very real, very literal god, could turn people into fish, but not give him an eye for a day? Pity.

Ashitaka had never been this deep underwater before. He had certainly seen the shallows, but he hated the sea, so that was the extent of his knowledge until now - it was different. "At the very least... I think my sight is working again. It seems we're at the bottom of a reef." That was all well and good, but where were they supposed to go next? Swimming was one thing, but navigation was quite another. Perhaps it was time Eiru got to her feet and continued her lead-

"Mom?"

"Leonard?"

What in the heavens? How many introductions were there going to be today? Leo's name was Leonard? His mother was here, in this room? His mother was a fish? No, no. That last conclusion couldn't have been true. Likely another one of Odyssey's blessings... otherwise, he would have to reexamine his intuition and biases on how his companions got here.

That aside, it was still a tender moment. Less so for the swordsman, but seeing Leonard's reunion with his mother was a nice touch. He knew what it was like to really lose a parent - he could never wish that kind of pain on anyone. Seeing his expression gave Ashitaka a little hope. Maybe he should pay his own mother a visit soon...

...Leonard. What a name. He wasn't about to forget that anytime soon. So much for this "Leo."

"You better go introduce yourself... I hear humans are rather insistent on good first impressions when parents are involved. You wouldn't want her disapproving of you now would you?" Eiru was obviously teasing - right? - and while it was rather funny, they were still on a clock, and he had no idea where to go next. "I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, really I do, but we must be going." Ashitaka walked - no, swam. Swalked? Walked. Gods above he hated this new form - across the temple floor over to the mermaid and her son. "You - Olive, was it? - said you're our escort. Does that mean you know where this relic is?"

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• 1
• 2
• Notes

• 
• 
• Location
  At Sea - Siren's Watch - Underwater Temple w/ Ymir, Eiru, Leo, Ruvo & Ashitaka
  
  Mentions
  ---

Everyone's follow up words of comfort for Eiru couldn't help but bring a smile to Nanalee's face. Maybe it was because she was often carefree and careless herself, but seeing such understanding from the others brought a small sense of warmth to her heart. The little witch's subsequent declination of help saddened her a little, though it was not unexpected. Considering her apology just now, it was clear that she was in no mood to become more of a burden, though she never was one in the first place.

Rather, though it was unlike her, Nanalee couldn't help but feel that it was herself that had been pretty useless so far. Since boarding the Salvager, she wondered if she had been of any use to both the crew and her fellow guildmates. She didn't do much during the sea serpent attack, nor did she manage to help much when they were restocking supplies on the island. All she'd really done so far was a bit of scouting.

Well, at least she was having fun. She still had plenty of time to prove herself on the expedition, if such a thought continued to bother her. It was somewhat unbelievable to think that they hadn't actually made much progress on their expedition yet, seeing as they hadn't even reached the rumoured Sacred Isles! It really was just like the phrase that kept being thrown around, the adventure of a lifetime.

Still smiling faintly with all her wandering and miscellaneous thoughts, Nanalee vaguely managed to shake Eiru's hands with her silvery vines before she left, though it ended up more of a horizontal motion than a vertical one. These new limbs of hers... were seriously out of her control. Trying to control any of them would result in all of them moving, and trying to focus on controlling just one meant that the others would all wander and wrap around things erratically.

Just as she was struggling to learn how to control one of her longest vines that was definitely trying to strangle her whenever she wasn't paying attention to it, a foreign figure approached from the depths, someone she would quickly come to realize was a fellow guildmember's mother.

It... really was just realization after realization today. She couldn't even be shocked about it anymore, just smiling peacefully at the happy family reunion before her eyes. No wonder he swam so well in his new form. He was part siren. She concluded faintly, merely watching from a distance as she sat by the pillar that smacked her head a short while ago. Pulling away the tendril wrapping itself around her neck, Nanalee felt that she didn't particularly want to disturb their reunion, but Ashitaka brought up a startlingly good point. "That's right, we're running on a timer. How long do we have left again? Though, I suppose with our new forms we're getting a bit of an extension on time, considering we could just swim back to the Salvager... if the rest of us can figure out how to swim that fast that is."

Nanalee pondered out loud to the rest of the group, as she began to slowly float around in an effort to learn how to swim more fluidly as fast as possible. Some could say that being in the sky was similar to being underwater, considering how you could move freely in all directions, particularly vertically, but she could only feel that it was the farthest from it. If she were to describe it... it was as if the air in the sky suddenly became viscous and muddy... making it both much harder to see and move than the air she was used to. Not to mention the much more powerful currents, that felt as if they would drag her away into the ocean's depths if she didn't react and pull herself away in time.

Why did no one tell her swimming was so frightening?

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Undersea Temple
​

"At the very least... I think my sight is working again." That was certainly a boon. With Ymir's clairvoyant like sight of their surroundings working once again they should be able to avoid dangers and find the exact location of the relic with relative ease. "It seems we're at the bottom of a reef." "You're right"

Ruvo turned to face the unfamiliar voice. Upon spotting the approaching siren he readied his waterlogged instrument in preparation to cast his silence spell once again but lowered his guard as they continued speaking.
"You guys must be the group I'm looking for. I have to say, you all seem a lot less affected by the whole transformation thing than expected, I suppose that makes things somewhat easier. I'm Olive, Odyssey sent me to escort-" Their introduction was cut short as Leo approached the siren reuniting with who they would learn was the poet's mother. The reunion was truly an emotional spectacle to watch. What were the chances of something like happening? It was as if it was a fated encounter like what one would find in stories of friends and family coming back together after being separated. Though it did make Ruvo curious, was Olive always a siren or was this the power of Odyssey at work?

Eventually the emotional reunion came to an early conclusion as Olive refocused their attention back onto what Odyssey had tasked them with. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Olivia Hower, Leonard's mother. It's wonderful to meet my son's companions, maybe even friends?"
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well" Ruvo replied considering to give a bow but deciding not to given his new aquatic form and clumsy swimming.

"You - Olive, was it? - said you're our escort. Does that mean you know where this relic is?" "That's right, we're running on a timer. How long do we have left again? Though, I suppose with our new forms we're getting a bit of an extension on time, considering we could just swim back to the Salvager... if the rest of us can figure out how to swim that fast that is." They were right, they should still be hurrying to find the relic. While the odds of the pirates getting to it first weren't high the sooner they could grab it and be out of the waters and away from Siren's Watch the better. "I don't know if we will all be able to swim as fast a Mrs.Hower or Leo. I wasn't much of a swimmer before, and now I have to get used to not having legs and different feathers.

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Reef
Mentions: RatKing SilverFeathers Uasal Key of Stars BakaTheIdiot ​

Ymir was a little slow on the uptake. Given there was—well, a lot to uptake. She felt very out of place among the other corals and colourful flora clinging to the pillar, and had likely offended a great many of the residents. It wasn't until one particularly affronted-looking fish poked its head out right in front of her that she scrambled away in a panic, flailing without a support until she realised that nothing actually happened if she just... stayed still. Her weird fin-wings took care of keeping her upright as long as she didn't think about it too hard.

"Mom?"

Ah wait, that was right. There was someone new who had been talking to them. Good gods she was out of it today. If this fishy woman had meant to attack them then Ymir would've carked it in the first minute, not even considering what other threats there were. If she didn't get it together soon then some venomous fish or rock-shaped shark was going to take a bite out of her leg—no, wait, she didn't have legs—

"Leonard?"

Wait- mom?

Ymir spun around quick enough to startle a school of fish back into their hideaways. Who the hell was calling him Leonard? He was Leonadis to the guild, and Leo to anyone that cared to know—or Leon if you were Eiru. Then he went and hugged the lady, and while Ymir was no stranger to Leo's popularity—she'd long since chased away any pesky annoyance whenever she saw him hanging out with with the girls in town—this lady was half fish-

Something tugged at her ear and she nearly shrieked before realising it was just Eiru. The brief panic at seeing them with fins and scales abated when she reminded herself they all looked like that now.

"Talk about a show off..." the witch was saying, talking away in the tone Ymir usually relegated to background noise, though in the current situation it was both a lifeline of familiarity and very hard to ignore. "First he complains about my flashy revelation and now here he is with a mermaid for a mother... the audacity!"

Ymir blinked, turning to watch Leo speak with the new stranger with all sorts of expressions. She was too far away, both in mind and body, to process what they were saying, but as the words of a distant holding cell came back to her she finally snapped out of her daze.

...she went on an adventure and never returned... no matter how much I wish she had just abandoned us and is still living somewhere, there is no way she would...

"That's his MUM?" she hissed, caught somewhere between wanting to yell and not ruining to the moment. Ymir was turning to grab the witch by her shoulders before she could even think of whether her fins would let her, shaking her smaller friend in revelation of what she'd only just caught up on. "But he said she was- there's no way!"

Eiru was laughing, and Ymir paused to listen as they wiped away an invisible tear. Though come to think of it the rims of their eyes were tinged a very unnatural colour and Ymir was reminded of the state they were in after their transformation wore off. Yet another thing she had to process when this all settled down, but at least Eiru being reckless with her abilities was nothing new.

"You better go introduce yourself..." she was saying, her signature grin changed none by the difference in appearance. "I hear humans are rather insistent on good first impressions when parents are involved. You wouldn't want her disapproving of you now would you?"

Ymir hovered for a moment in place, blinking as the edges of her fin-wings wavered back and forth to keep her still. She seemed to realise something, before a mirror of the witch's devious smile crept into place and she put an arm around their shoulder and pulled them in for a conference.

"No no no. Eiru this is perfect. Imagine all the embarassing stories she has about him—and you have to back me up on how much of degenerate he is-" She was grinning at the thought of how much fun this new development would be, almost forgetting the threat of impending death that could lurk in any corner, until one particular thought brought that crashing down around her.

What if this woman didn't know any of that?

Ymir's sudden delight dropped out from under her and she was back in the depths of cold panic, pulling Eiru to the side and out of sight behind the pillar she'd been clinging to previously. Every little story she'd been listening to about the sirens was suddenly at the forefront of her thoughts, clamouring for attention over worse and worse scenarios. Tales about how they could see into the hearts of mortals and read their memories, their hopes, their fears, the things they wished for most. Rather than a beautiful maidens or alluring strangers, many sailors spoke of seeing their family drowning in the waves and jumping in to save them. So if Leo wanted to see his sister so much he was willing to brave sea monsters and battle pirates, what wouldn't he give to see—?

"I just realised, Eiru, what if that's... not actually her?" she said. The fish she had been annoying prior with all her panicking had come out to glare at her again, but she shooed it off with a swipe of water, the sensation similar to how she used her air, maybe a little heavier.

Focus. There were so many things pulling at her attention she couldn't keep track. Even if Odyssey had let them live she might still be plotting something. Or maybe the sirens didn't want them there. Or maybe in Leo's case they didn't want him to leave. "We're in a den of sirens," she said, frowning. "Surely, if they were after something, it wouldn't be hard for one of them to take the form of someone familiar?"

"Allow me to reintroduce myself." Ymir paused as the siren began to speak to the rest of the group, poking her head around the edge of the pillar. "I'm Olivia Hower, Leonard's mother. It's wonderful to meet my son's companions, maybe even friends?"

"Who calls their child by their full name?" Ymir muttered, shuddering to herself in what she though was a VERY clear indication of something amiss.

"I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, really I do, but we must be going." Ashitaka seemed just as dubious of the situation—or maybe that was just discomfort over having to walk on the ocean floor. "You - Olive, was it? - said you're our escort. Does that mean you know where this relic is?"

"That's right, we're running on a timer. How long do we have left again? Though, I suppose with our new forms we're getting a bit of an extension on time, considering we could just swim back to the Salvager... if the rest of us can figure out how to swim that fast that is."

"I don't know if we will all be able to swim as fast as Mrs Hower or Leo. I wasn't much of a swimmer before, and now I have to get used to not having legs and different feathers."

Their new siren guide and maybe-not-mother of Leo was turning to lead them out of the temple. Ymir half-listened to what Eiru had to say, if anything, but she once again preoccupied with another issue. Whatever subconscious control Ymir had been exerting over new fins had vanished when she looked down and began to wonder how to follow. Everyone else was at least able to move around, but she had yet to get that far.

...whatever. She settled on ignoring her fins and used her hands to push the water behind her instead, catching up to the rest of the group in a mix of awkward strokes and bursts of magic.

The seeming lack of gravity made it appear they'd entered an entirely new world once they passed the algae coated entrance. Swathes of fish floated in schools around branching towers of coral, and there were more holes and hiding places in the rock than what she'd find in a forest. Though she was keeping an eye on their guide first and foremost, a strange creature caught Ymir's attention not too far along, and she narrowed her eyes at the bizarre looking thing before turning to examined the strange sucker vines on Nanalee's arms up ahead. There were crab-like things hiding under rocks and the weirdest types of fish she'd never thought to imagine. Some with frills and others with spikes. Many more that ducked out of out of sight as soon as they saw them coming.

Ymir didn't know what the others thought of it all. She hadn't had the presence of mind to consider this fae. In their own way, they were all trying to figure out this new form, some with more success than others, but beyond that she hadn't a clue. She did note a couple of siren-like forms at a distance, who almost seemed like they were laughing at the strange progression of adventurers.