The Sisters' Chronicles Thread 3: Those Nerds

[Valmark]

the Sisters' Chronicles OOC (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?636962-The-Sisters-Chronicles-OOC)
The Sisters' Chronicles (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?636976-The-Sisters-Chronicles&p=25212099#post25212099)
The Sisters' Chronicles Thread 2: Nobody Likes Abadaius (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638479-The-Sisters-Chronicles-Thread-2-Nobody-likes-Abadaius&p=25458292#post25458292)



"Hmm... my teacher was an illusionist who could make illusions so real that you could swim in them. I wonder if Serendipity knows any illusionists who could make the battlefield, or part of it, be underwater," Alifa muttered. "Thank you. That's good information to pass along."


"Alright, let's start up by reviving him. Look for the graveyard... and don't let Britta know! I want it to be a surprise!" Boots tried to remember where they'd buried Gary, if she even ever knew.

"Given you're the reason I have a home again... Thank you"

The next day (because they had been up for a long time, at least Kat was too beat to keep going) they made their way to the Dread Swamps Pleia ruled over.
Alifa could feel every fey staring at her with a murmur as she passed through the swamp. It was the first time they revealed themselves without being hostile- Pleia's swamps were home to feys that looked like dead trees given humanoid form, and staring at them long enough made the onlooker painfully aware that those things stacked inside their hollow bodies were skulls. Others instead emerged by the swamps, looking like great frogs or mass of algaes with large, unblinking eyes- some emerged atop a mount that looked like a horse... If you didn't stare hard enough. If you did, it'd start decomposing until it looked like a putrescent corpse of a horse with algae instead of hair.

Kat squeezed Alifa's hand, a little unsettled. Possibly more then a little.

They made their way to the colossal skull that worked as entrance to Pleia's sanctuary. It was closed.
Boots didn't remember, but Ethrindae knew where the graveyard was so she started leading her there.
"Thinking about it, maybe I know where Xvkhimeras and the others went. We did talk about getting the human and dragonborn kingdoms in on the alliance"

When they found the graveyard, they spotted a squad of black-armored knights talking to the (presumably) gravekeeper. One of them held Serendipity's banner.

[Xihirli]

Alifa extended her wings and shrouded herself in shadow, flying nearer.
"I am Alifa, the Abyss Scar. I bear a message for Queen Pleia, and a parcel as part of her standard relationship with Graax, Protector of Sages and Knowledge."


"Hey, everyone." Boots waved to everyone. "Serendipity's guys getting permission to grave-dig, huh? I had the same idea... there is a recent death: Gary. I'm going to bring him back to life. Can you direct me to his plot?" She asked the gravekeeper.

Persuasion?
She will Guidance herself before going up to them.
[roll0]

[Valmark]

There was silence for a brief time.

Then the skulls hanging from every tree started shaking, then laughing. And slowly, the earth trumbled ad Alifa saw the grand skull open for the second time- emerging from the darkness, Pleia, the Cannibal Queen, walked out with her twin whips and little else.

She looked up and down Alifa- it may have been the first time that someone who didn't really know her looked at Alifa with complete, sincere respect. Pleia held her gaze like she'd do an equal.
"You've changed... Abyss Scar" she said, her voice like crawling worms in Alifa's ears- Kat actually rubbed her ears "And I mean that in the best of ways. Last time I met you and your sister, you didn't look like much more then half-cooked food. What're you bringing from Graax?" she asked, seemingly uninterested in the message.

Half-cooked because they were just half-breeds before the Bloodlust stab.

Or whatever is the percentage of fey blood in an half-elf/nymph bloodline.
"Bringing him back to life!? Oh yeah!" the gravekeeper exclaimed happily "Finally somebody who doesn't want to desecrate the corpses!"

"It's either your dead or your living who'll suffer" the graveguard (for that was the name) that was leading the group growled out.

"Whatever, whatever. Here" the gravekeeper led Boots to a section of the graveyard that was kept isolated- all the tombs looked a LOT sturdier and heavier. It was not hard to spot Gary's- someone had left fresh flowers recently.
"A lovely young lass always comes around to bring flowers for this guy"

"People who contracted the corruption are tipically buried isolated" Ethrindae told Boots "In what we can only call fortificated tombs. As an extra precaution"

[Xihirli]

"I have changed," Alifa said, standing resolute. "My sister, as well. Both of us have awakened our latent power."
Alifa pulled from her Portable Hole his staff. "It was damaged in a battle against an Ally of Abadaius... He'll deliver your usual fee upon completion of the repair."
"Queen Krinna is also requesting the rights to farm energy from the swamps she used to live within."


"She's who I'm doing this for," Boots confirmed. "Eth, have you got Move Earth?" Boots started trying to get the tomb open.
"Why are you asking random towns to use their dead? I refuse to believe the world's running out of corpses," Clephesia asked the graveguard.

[Valmark]

Alifa noticed that Broken Trust was glowing when she opened the Portable Hole.

Pleia dashed the moment she saw Graax's staff, inspecting it up close- then she turned around.
"For him to give her to you... That's quite something. He's very protective of Jerribeth. Did he say when exactly he'll be free?" she asked, starting to walk back in. Then she stopped and motioned to them to follow, waiting to see if the two complied.

He said one quickling's time. Which means two weeks.

"Oh, and tell Krinna she can send someone to take it from me, already harvested. Just not have her subjects dig into my land- their wings aren't even good munchies"
"I have burrowing animals" she said, turning into a sleek-looking badger with shiny fur. She started digging up the earth around the tomb.

"Is it surprising the land of undeads would have a shortage of deads?" the graveguard lifted his helmet- the smile of a ghoul, a high functioning zombie with a paralizing bite, greeted her "Besides, this is not a random city. This is near the frontline- corpses from here can be repurposed fairly fast"

[Xihirli]

"One Quickling's time from... two days ago," Alifa answered. "Jerribeth... was she once a person? And... was Graax ever anything other than a demon?"
She nodded at the Krinna information. "And you won't eat them if they come to collect it?"


"The frontline?" Boots asked as Ethrindae seemed to have the digging handled. "This is where the fight against the Darklings will happen?"

[Valmark]

"So he hadn't told you anything?" Pleia shrugged "Whatever, you're not gonna go sell his daughter to Benoth. And yes, the staff's a demon" she sighed.

"Graax did the error of trying to be both good and a demon ruler- in a world where being good and a demon is already harsh" she opened her palm, and conjured an illusion of a nice little field full of green. A young Graax was there with what looked like a flower crown, and a young demoness with a lanky body and a tiny beak was playing around "And paid the price when Benoth destroyed his domain. Graax turned his daughter into an enchanted item to contain her soul and spare her from getting annihilated alongside everything else. The fact that he entrusted Jerribeth to you is... I don't think there's anybody else but me and you who've had the honor"

Remember when Graax said 'Yeah, me too' when Boots lamented that she didn't think being a hero would be like that?

Also in case you were wondering Pleia's speaking in Sylvan and Kat doesn't know it so she's staying silent.

The graveguard laughed.

"There's always fighting" he gestured towards the Zone "Day and night, we make sure no darkling can get out -or at least as little as possible- or we'd have been all corrupted or killed since long ago- you must have seen the fortifications around the Zone if you ever passed close enough. We and all the living volunteers" the ghoul stated "But it has always been a defending game. Now, we're preparing an attack"

Boots would be vaguely familiar with this- she saw from afar military fortifications around the Zone, including (mostly, in fact) banners of paladin orders since paladins in general are so important against darklings.

There wasn't time to actually check it out though.

[Xihirli]

"Now he has nobody else," Alifa realized. "No weaknesses. Nobody to hurt to get to him." She pulled Kat in closer to her shadowy form. "But then... not many reasons to keep trying, either."


"Okay. Look, we're waiting for someone here. I'll help out on the front lines tomorrow if you leave these dead alone," Boots offered. "I promise you that a few hours with me up there is more valuable than all the bodies you could take from these people. But first I have to see to Gary." She reached down to get the body, since she wouldn't be infected by it.
"Come, Gary. It's time for you to watch the sunrise."

[Valmark]

"Well... She does feel pain. She's sentient in there" Pleia said "Anyway, the Krith-i-Kâ make for terrible food, barely worth munching on their wings. Won't eat them. Well, since I don't want my potions to burn or my scrolls to dry before I'm done making them, either follow me in or hand Jerribeth over"

Kat didn't know what was happening, but when Alifa held her close Kathleyîënis kissed her cheek, just in case Alifa needed one.
"Because we will trust someone who's only there to protect the dead" The ghoul went back to bickering with the gravekeeper.

Gary's corpse was... Mostly how they left it, with mutations as well. Boots couldn't feel any corruption, so it was probably safe to handle.

[Xihirli]

Alifa simply handed Jerribeth over.
"Great Queen, I would be delighted to see your workshop, but I'm afraid I'm in something of a rush. We have the devils to recruit, then possibly a forgotten race of ice giants."
In fact, while she thought of it, she fired off a sending toward Taddeus. Myself, my companions are on our way to see your Queen to begin recruitment of the devils; bring her news. Teleportation Circle Sigil Sequence please?


"I'm going to need an hour with him." Boots picked him up. "Ethrindae, can you make your little hidey place while I find somewhere out of the way?" She picked up some flowers and went over to a place with a strong tree.
Then she got out the diamond dust Alifa had given her and coated his body in it.
"By order of Clephesia Elevenyenn, Scion Unseelie, Blood of Tanaquill, The Light Against the Corruption... get up and walk!"
The diamonds started glowing, each fragment a different color of the rainbow until Gary's body was a shimmering beacon of prismatic light. As time passed, the glow became brighter and brighter... then weaker as the light was drained into Gary, revitalizing him, sparking his heart, moving his blood through his body, filling his lungs with air, bringing life back to the lifeless.
"Kindle the Light! Through my will, I will help those around me keep from despair and death.
Shelter the Light! Hold back the wickedness and corruption that seeks to darken the world, and stand resolute against the forces what would destroy life.
Preserve My Light! I am a beacon to the rest of the world, and I must remain lit! Do not fall into despair, see the good, the beautiful, and the kindness everywhere I go."
Be the Light!" Her wings came out, glowing brightly as the diamond dust shattered into the wind, leaving behind Gary, color filling his cheeks at last.
"Let the light of my heart shine out to the rest of the world!"

[Valmark]

Pleia went back in with the staff, skull closing behind her.

I, Taddeus Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the III, regretfully tells you to uncover some long lost ruin if you hope to find any teleportation circle.

Reminder that nobody uses teleportation circles to make sure no darkling can teleport in and spread the corruption.
Ethrindae turned back to normal, following Boots to make the little hidey place.

There was a silent moment where it didn't look like Gary was alive.
Then he patted his body. His face.
He gasped.
"Britta... I'm... Water..."

Ethrindae hurried with a flask, helping him sip.
"Let's assume you didn't mean you're water"

When his throat wasn't quite as parched, Gary managed to let out a couple words.
"I'm... Alive?"

[Xihirli]

Alifa nodded. "Alright, let's get to a crossing then. It'll be faster to walk across Faerie to the nearest crossing to the town than plane shift there and not know where we're going. What's your plane called again, Kat? The planet you grew up on." Alifa held her hand and started leading them out of the swamp toward Lucilla's lands.


"I promised you, didn't I?" Boots asked, laying a hand on him to stop any further spread of the corruption. "We're going to stay with you tonight, and remove the corruption from your body in the morning. Then we'll take you to Britta, okay?"
She looked down at her armor, churning with volcanic rock, and the sea washed over it, cooling the armor of magma down to rock and rich, black soil. Eons passed on her armor in seconds until fresh forests grew from the fertile earth, one of the trees on her stomach sprouting into ten berries.
She offered one to Ethrindae and one to Gary.
"Here, eat this. How do you feel?"

[Valmark]

"Alandria" Kat said, humming "I don't mind a walk. Though it may take a long time if you consider that on horses it'd be about three days"
Gary gulped the berry, looking down at his body.
"Like I just ate a nice, little soup" he said, inspecting himself "Am I really still ill? Though I do feel very weak"

Resurrection would have removed the corruption already. Well, at least in him since his soul was cleansed of it- if he had remained corrupted then you'd not be able to do anything for him.

[Xihirli]

"Oh my," Alifa said, and took out the jar of spellcraft ink she'd gotten from Nasa's domain. "Think we could shave off a day or two by teleporting to Nasa's Domain first?"


Boots made sure with Divine Sense, then smiled wide.
Assuming he is actually completely cleansed...
"You're not ill. Here, climb on Tilly's back, let's go to Britta's." Boots helped him onto Tilly's back.
"Maybe we should get you a saddle, girl," she whispered to her pegasus. And to Britta's family home she led them.

[Valmark]

Kat shook her head.

"There's not that much difference, and I can't swim fast" she said.
"I believe if you had a saddle for everytime you said that we'd have at least three of them" Ethrindae mentioned.

The home was how they remembered it, though there was no smithy under it any longer- comprehensible, since there were two smiths of whom one had been dead and the other was a refugee in the Feywild.

"I'd like to knock myself" Gary stated, trying to push himself off of Tilly "Uh... Maybe an help?"

[Xihirli]

Alifa nodded and sat down. "In that case, let's get some mounts." And out of swamp air and shadow she weaved together twin ravens of darkness, long spears through their wings making them unable to fly, instead using them like forelegs. She flew onto the back of one.
"Alright, this should speed us up."


"We'd need three saddles, I change Tilly's shape so often!"
I wanted to introduce him, it would have been a fun moment, Boots thought. But she helped him down.

[Valmark]

"This may be the first Steed that looks in pain instead of looking like it wants to cause pain" Kat said, mounting up.

Thanks to the abnormally fast Steeds it took about half the time to get to the Crossing then it took from Fiamma's volcano to Pleia's abode, rest nothwithstanding. They passed the deer druid which waved to both of them.

Outside the forest they found a pile of corpses with a few symbols of Abadaius remaining to identify them.
Someone had scarred and damaged those corpses beyond repair.

I think Alifa and Kat will fade to black a bit as they catch up to Boots and Eth. Phantom Steeds aren't THAT much faster then pegasi so they'd be at least a day behind.
Gary stood shakily in front of the door, supported by Boots.
He knocked. There was a long silence.

Then someone opened the door.
Britta had clearly passed better times- she had bags under her eyes, her hair was messy, and her eyes looked like she still spent her time crying.
Homewever, right now her mouth was open in a "0" of surprise, and her eyes went from Gary to Boots, then back again, seemingly not understanding what was happening.

"Hey... I'm home"
"Is it... Really you?" she looked at Boots, searching confirmation this wasn't about to turn into an ugly joke.

[Xihirli]

Got it. Alifa and Kat are gonna be too R-rated to look at for a whole day.

"Britta, this is Gary. I brought him back to life." She put a hand on her shoulder. "Well? He's here. Hold him again like you've been dreaming of doing."

Also, Lesser Restoration on Britta.

[Valmark]

When Boots got to 'Gary' Britta had all the confirmation she needed- suddenly she had thrown her arms around her fiancé, with enough strenght to cause Gary to wobble backwards- but Britta supported him, with her arms and a kiss. At about that time the two seemed to truly understand that they were alive. Together. Again. Tears started streaming down their cheeks- Gary's first tears in a long time, but only the latest batch of tears for Britta.

But for both of them, those were the first tears of joy.

"Sorry... Missed the wedding" Gary chuckled, and Britta slapped his arm light-heartedly.
"Well, I'm sure we can organize another one"

Ethrindae chuckled.
"The world accepted you as its hero in this very town" she whispered to Clephesia to not disturb the two sweethearts "I'm sure it is immensely proud of that choice"

[Xihirli]

Boots smiled at them and backed away, leaving them to each other. "You know what else happened in this very town?" And she started leading Tilly and Ethrindae to the same inn that had kept the circus before.
"I wonder if they have our old room available."

[Valmark]

"Yeah, you said goodbye to me in here" Ethrindae chuckled letting herself be pulled along "Oh, maybe you mean when you chased someone across rooftops by yourself? Or when me and your sister launched ourselves on a daring ride on a giant elk across the streets?"

The tavern was easy to find- though the local barman had no recollection of Boots, he did know Ethrindae. It just so happened the room was free.

[Xihirli]

Boots tossed a platinum on the desk and picked up Ethrindae, flying her to the room where they'd first... become a couple.

[Valmark]

The night before reaching the city Kat and Alifa camped around a little fire Kathleyîënis made. Peter and Hootie were playing around next to them, and Kat had gotten out Morkart's simulacrum's spellbook- the fully empty one, where she had been scribbling a copy of one of Alifa's spells.

"I know I can do this" she hissed out "I've studied your movements fron breathing to fingers a lot more that I can admit without blushing" and she reddened "It's just... Rrgh!" she groaned when her quill slid sideways, making one of the sentences for Identify completely useless.

By the way, should she get Ritual Caster (Wizard)?
Ethrindae insisted they took a couple strolls out during the day, like a date, but otherwise was pretty happy with Boots' program.

[Xihirli]

"Come here." Alifa cuddled up against her and opened up her book of shadows to Identify.
"Forget how I do it for a second, Kat. How would you do it? What does it mean to you to know what something is, inside and out? Write that into being, magic is different for everyone. That's why a wizard can't just pick up a spellbook from anyone, they need to devote time and practice to copying it down in the way they understand it."

[Valmark]

Kat listened to the words, and looked at her own work thoughtfully for a little. Then she scrapped the page and started from the beginning.

Over the next couple hours, Kat was hard at work putting down her spell- less importantly then the words, it was the circular patterns she was making. But it seemed to work for her.

She also started a scribble of Alifa in a corner of the page but then shook her head to concentrate back on her work.

By the end of it, Kat looked over her first completed successfull spell.
"It sounds silly but... Uh... I thought that the feeling of wanting to know everything about you would be close enough to what you said. Just needed to turn it into written words"

[Xihirli]

Alifa smiled. "Looks like it worked… and that’s very sweet. If you still have any questions, anything you want to know about me, I’ll answer. I promise, no secrets from you."
Alifa read over Kat’s spell, admiring the artistry.

[Valmark]

It did seem like a fairly good Identify spell. Not great for application as an actual spell, but it was meant to be a ritual.

Kat cuddled up and kissed Alifa's neck.
"I'm good, for now. I know enough for you to be my home in this world"

If there's nothing else Alifa and Boots are gonna meet up again next!

[Xihirli]

Alifa blushed hard and kissed Kat full on the lips.

Nope, ready!

[Valmark]

The next day, the two sisters found themselves at the inn- Alifa and Kat having just come in, Boots and Ethrindae having just come down. Mostly to Boots' displeasure.

[Xihirli]

"Lif!" Boots flew forward and hugged Alifa tight. "I missed you so much!"
Alifa kissed her on the cheek.
"I missed you, too." She got out her tuning fork. "To Goenna’s plane? I hope Benjy is okay…"

[Valmark]

"Goenna wouldn't hurt him"
"Feys and gods notoriously don't get along... But she left a good impression on me. I believe he'll be fine"

So, Plain Shift?

[Xihirli]

Alifa and Boots grabbed their respective partners and Alifa pulled them through the planes with her tuning fork, focused in on Goenna’s plane.

[Valmark]

They appeared inside her audience room, almost on top of the three angels busying themselves with something.

Benjy was there as well. He had an angel rubbing his tummy, one feeding him grapes, and one massaging his wings and back.
"Woe is me! Woe is me! You should massage a little lower to make me less miserable!" and an angel complied.

Goenna was there as well, looking half-entertained and half-pyting (homewever it's written when you feel piety towards someone) the angels that completely believed the little noir fey's act.
"Welcome back. Everything alright?"

[Xihirli]

"Yes, it went very well. We’re just here to pick up Benjy."

"And, O Goddess, to ask your help. We wish to petition the gods to provide any aid possible in our offensive on the darklings. The fey and undead under Serendipity are already preparing, and I am confident that we can involve the fiends on our side as well. Everyone loses if all mortals are overcome by the Darkrot, gods included. Anything the gods can do to help, we would appeal to them to do it."

[Valmark]

Kathleyîënis opened her mouth a few times when the fact that she was in front of her idol goddess was registered properly in her brain.
"I'm happy to meet you too, Kat. My savior as well"
Kat swooned.

"Anyway, I'm... Sorry, but us gods can't interfere... Not that we don't want to. But we've set up laws to make sure none of us starts a war with the others" Goenna apologized "And given that in the last dark war the gods that broke those rules were promply backstabbed by their own, I don't think any of us should join. Expect maybe Tooru"
"I've red that he was one of those who joined the precedent war"
"Yes. He can't stay dead, because the violence required to kill him fuels him to new life, but he can be killed. I've... Tried to get him on my side, but all he said is that he'll fight when he sees a war that's exciting enough"

"All healed!" Benjy declared and flew to Alifa, licking her face.

[Xihirli]

"We’re not asking that the gods fight directly," Boots said.
"Necessarily."
"But the gods have clerics, paladins, followers, surely? That they could direct to join the battle without violating their noninterference pact."
"There is much they could do without breaking their oaths. That’s all we ask."

[Valmark]

"Oh, that's not an issue. If you happen to visit the Zone you'll see what's probably the majority of most gods' followers- and then some more. It's incredible how easily followers of opposing faiths work together if need be- except the racial gods' ones, they hate working with one another. The gods, not the followers"
"When you take an entire population's worth of pride and turn it up to eleven, the outcome thinks a little too highly of itself"
"Them. We aren't things"
"Ah! Sorry"

Ethrindae strode forward and bowed.
"Speaking of which, I wish to offer my services as your cleric"

Silence filled the hall.
Goenna looked befuddled.
"You're a servant of the fey"
"Yes, but I'm not a fey. And even then, the Monarchs and Faerie may have forgiven me but the majority of the fey population still hates me anyway- and so do my own people. Another stain on my name won't really change this"
"You've never even prayed to me"
"I've not, but Kathleyîënis prays to you. She can instruct me on the ways of your priests- and my power as is is not nearly enough for the fights that I need to be prepared against"

So, does Boots or Alifa have anything to say in favor or against Ethrindae multiclassing cleric?

[Xihirli]

"Ethrindae Elevenyenn is the most faithful, wise, beautiful, enchanting, commanding, kind, powerful, dextrous, gorgeous…" Boots hugged Eth from behind and started kissing her neck.

"She would be a fine example. Her deeds would reflect well on you and your church," Alifa added.

[Valmark]

"Boots, I thank you but let's keep the kissing for later?" Ethrindae said with a little blush, trying to rein in her wife while they were in front of all those people.

Goenna chuckled in front of all that.
"Ah... Very well. Faithful, wise and kind are traits I welcome in my clerics" she said, ignoring all the stuff about beauty and else. Goenna stood up, a little grey pearl and a little black one on the tip of her fingers "And knowing your past, I know you can take hard choices when you need to"
"You... Know my past?"
Goenna nodded.
"It is easy for me to rebuild the life of those who caused a lot of pain, at least during the time they've been doing it"

Ethrindae looked like someone who had been splashed with a bucket of cold water. She wasn't used to getting called out that hard.
"Remember this feeling" the goddess immediately added "For this is the path you're picking. My clerics are called to those who lost their loved ones- you will see crying people, and you will see the corpses of old and young alike. This is not for the faint of heart, and is not for those with a cold heart. Protect the people's hearts, be the closure they seek, but remember to protect your heart" she advanced up to the still kneeling Ethrindae.
"Do you accept, knowing this?"

Ethrindae took a deep breath.
"Yes" she said.
"I found the strenght to get past my pain. I will ensure no one else has to go through that as well in my presence"

Goenna's face softened and she let the grey bead fall on Ethrindae's head, the black one disappearing.
"Rise, Ethrindae Elevenyenn. Rise, Lady of the Graves"

And Ethrindae stood up, standing straight in front of the goddess- the grey bead rolled down, until her chest were it sunk in. There was a wind current that blew Ethrindae's hair, then she turned back to Boots and smiled.
"It's... Done"

[Xihirli]

"Our grandmother was goddess of the crossroads between life and death," Alifa added.

Boots put her hands on her wife’s face and gave her a somber smile.
"You’ve picked up a heavy burden, but you won’t bear it alone… you lost the right to your own burdens when we married." Boots kissed her gently.
"I love you, Ethrindae Elevenyenn… through my will and light, I will help you in this as I will in all things…you have seen your share of death, and will see more, and I will stick with you to ensure that you are there to see the Darkrot itself die."

"Her tears made a land of beauty and light, but it was also a land of darkness and decay… but that land was also beautiful, even if cold. I see in you the same beauty, not the unmarred beauty of a newborn babe who has known nothing but the warmth and safety of the womb but the dark, prevailing beauty of a widow holding her daughter at her husband’s funeral, strong under her veil of tears. A beauty of heart as well… this world, and your place in it, are worth saving, and I am honored to work with a goddess with the strength of will and beauty of heart that you display." She gave Benjy a hug and put him on her shoulder.
"Could you direct us to a crossing, milady? I hope to meet with your High Priestess today."

[Valmark]

Ethrindae kissed Boots.
"Thank you... Both of you"

Goenna went back to her seat.
"That'll be hard, she went lost in the Zone a few days back" she stated "While the avatar with my consciousness had been kidnapped. I can't find her in there- I can't fathom why she'd enter it, but I have to face the fact that she may be dead if we're lucky"

If you meant Serendipity she's Amiria's HP.

[Xihirli]

"That might be a thing to discuss with Serendipity," Boots said.
"That does sound like the sort of thing we go fix," Alifa agreed. "But we should rendezvous with Serendipity. I must again ask where we might find a crossing over to Alandria."

[Valmark]

"Well... Maybe ask her" Goenna proposed "Or any other powerful being that could fetch you. Alternatively, I can take you to the Divine Peak"

[Xihirli]

"We would greatly appreciate going to the Divine Peak. We could teleport to her from there."

[Valmark]

"Just remember, there's a chance you end up in the Zone if you don't have an object of the place" Goenna reminded them as they linked hands.

And then they stood on the balcony that overlooked the maelstrom of souls that marked Goenna's little piece of Divine Peak. It was easier to recognize it by the fact that Goenna became phisically shorter and lost her grey aura of depression.

Btw the depressing effect is still around, it's just that there's not really anything it would impact so I haven't asked for saves.

Also Eth's immune now.

[Xihirli]

"Kat has a dagger and bow that were made in one of the Undead Lords’ lands. I will bring us there, and we will connect to Serendipity from that location," Alifa assured Goenna.
"Thank you for the warning."

They linked hands.

[Valmark]

Goenna waved them off.
"Safe travels"

And as they flew aboard dark wings, the group reappeared in Dethera's laboratory- the necromancer was fast asleep at her workdesk, and started groaning when she heard some of the undeads moan and gurgle furiously- the group had appeared right in the middle of the chain working, undeads working together to assemble what seemed to be a monstrously humongous skeleton of a four-legged beast.

[Xihirli]

Boots extended her wings and flew up a bit, showing off.
"Hi, Dethera! This is my wife, Ethrindae Elevenyenn."

"We hoped to speak to Serendipity at her next convenience. What are you making there?"

[Valmark]

Dethera was barraged with questions before she even realized she hae guests, making her jump on like a scared cat.

"I... Uh... We are going to talk about home invasions next time!" She hissed, but was otherwise calm.
"Hi there" she winked at Boots and Ethrindae "Keep that one close" Dethera told the latter.
"And also wow I was about ten percent worried the dagger would just horribly murder you but seems like it worked"

Ethrindae frowned.
"Enchanted to meet you"

"Likewise. And we could take a trip to the capital. And also!" Dethera suddenly looked excited and run to her creation, patting it and looking at Boots.
"Well? Feel any corruption?"

If she focuses, there's a bit.

[Xihirli]

"Yes," Boots said. "Is that... good?"

[Valmark]

"Awwww. Is it a lot?" Dethera annoyedly told the undeads to start taking specific bones of.

"I was trying to make a skeleton mixing in paladin bones in the hope that it would create a construct capable of making others immune to corruption but uh... Seems like it needs more work if you can still feel the corruption in it. Gotta at least double check the darkling body parts and soak them in more paladin blood. Maybe call a couple clerics in"

[Xihirli]

"...Right. Me and Alifa should probably head to the capital," Boots said, giving Eth a side-hug to try and keep her from getting too queasy.
"Big day's coming up."

[Valmark]

"Taddeus should be outside, you can ask him for a chaperon. Shouldn't go around on your own. By the way, if you die I call dibs on your corpse Boots! Need more bones!"

Ethrindae scowled.
"We should get moving"

"Uff. Isn't it 'until death does you part' or something like that?" Dethera pouted.
"You can ask that skeleton to guide you around" she singled out a skeletal soldier, otherwise unremarkable.

[Xihirli]

"You don’t know our vows!" Boots shouted coyly as they went.
Alifa asked the skeleton to lead them to Tad and they followed behind.

[Valmark]

Taddeus was outside, overlooking... Nothing. Nothing whatsoever was in front of him, despite him staring ahead with a satisfied face.

Then he sniffed the air and turned right to the party.
"I don't know how you're coming out of my castle but I, Taddeus Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the III, extends his hospitality! Doesn't your blood smell stunning? It absolutely does!" he waved at the group "Almost makes me feel alive again! At least yours, Clephesia"

The vampire with the giant hat didn't seem keen on talking about Alifa's. Or Ethrindae's and Kat's, for the matter.

"Why, this mademoiselle is quite new, isn't she?" he bowed deeply in greeting to Ethrindae, who looked conflicted. It was hard to take Taddeus seriously for her.

[Xihirli]

Boots bowed back, extending her wings.
"All thanks to Dethera."
"We’re going to the capitol to meet with Serendipity, expand her recruitment efforts. We thought you might escort us."

[Valmark]

"Yeah... Probably for the best. Most won't know you enough to not dislike Clephesia" Taddeus whistled, and his undead horse mount came trotting followed by a zombie trying to saddle it. When it finally stopped, the zombie finally managed to complete its task.

"Assuming you can keep the pace, it's not far" Taddeus climbed up "We should get there by nightfall. You'll get to see our beloved city in all its splendor! I assure you, Deathknell is truly a place of beauty"

He seemed genuely excited to show the group the Deathlands' capital.

[Xihirli]

Alifa started weaving twin Phantom Steeds, which seemed to be permanently the ravens now.
"Give me twenty minutes."

Boots got herself and Eth on Tilly.
"We have basically three factions to talk to Serendipity about as possible allies."
"Four," Alifa corrected.
"The demon rebels."

[Valmark]

"Demon rebels as allies. You don't hear that every day"
"It's not so weird. Demon society has rebellion as kind of a core concept"
"But they also have the concept of obeying the strongest as part of their society. For there to be rebels it means there is a group of demons that is actively going against everything they've been teached to do to survive" Taddeus replied, the other nerd native to the universe present at the moment.

Twenty minutes later the undead horse, the pegasus and the two ravens rode out of the castle's walls with their five riders. The land was how it had always been- not too fertile, especially away from villages, but with the use of undeads as main working force working the fields was considerably easier.

It was night when they arrived in sight of Deathknell- and even from afar it was like a lighthouse for travelers. Despite the tall walls in what was presumably black stone the five could see from afar the lights of the city that kept it well lit even in the night, with lampposts along the roads and walls. And it seemed like life in the undead capital was in full swing in the night- as they got closer, loud voices crept up on their ears. Undeads and living mingled around, with various stalls and shops adorning the streets like it was a festival- although of course some stalls presented objects you'd never expect to find, like blood or bones.

There didn't seem to be any awkwardness between living creatures and not- at least until the group was at the gates.
Boots started attracting a lot of looks.
"Apologies. Heavily armored warrior riding a fantastical creature has been not just once a font of trouble around these parts"

Needless to say, the odor of undeath just saturated Boots' nose.

[Xihirli]

"This is the biggest and best weapon against the darkrot... for now," Boots said.
Though she wasn't looking excited about it.

Alifa, of course, saw the whole place as basically what Malyanna was trying to build... a queendom built on the power of one powerful wizard.

"Let's go in." Alifa edged her raven with impaled wings closer, excited to see it.
Boots patted Tilly. "It's alright, Tilly. We'll be out of here soon."

[Valmark]

It's scary but also kinda cool.

With Taddeus speaking for them, the group was let in by the two graveguards at the door- heavily armored minotaur-looking creatures, with massive halberds in their hands.

When they entered, they were able to take a better look. There seemed to be a long line of stalls as far as the eye went, which sold clothes, food, equipment for adventuring including potions and scrolls, reagents, toys and so on. Shops were open at this hour- jewelry shops, clothing stores which seemed to be selling higher-end clothing compared to what was available in the main market, bakeries and so on- essentially, the city seemed to be fully open at night.

Which was probably the truth, as many undeads couldn't get around well during the sun. Speaking of which, them and the living mingled about just fine- there were shopkeepers of either kind of creature, and you could see them joke together and laugh. The non-sentient undeads nobody cared about as they kept doing their work, but there were many vampires, mummies, ghouls, ghosts and so on that enjoyed the nightly life.

There were no undead kids, perhaps luckily. At least none that looked undead.

A flameskull was making magic shows for the audience, making people laugh, and on another stage banshees sang people to tears.

Some people even waved to Taddeus.
"I'm surprised that people aren't afraid of... You know..." Ethrindae let the sentence trail as she looked at a vampire entering what looked like the equivalent of a brothel.
"Well, there are laws in place. You're going to be much less scared of your neighbors if you know that they'll disappear forever if they do anything bad, and when the punishment for most foul crimes is being turned into a brainless soldier and your soul tortured... Well, the crime rate drops. Of course, this does mean we're in part ruled by fear and only undeads can do jobs that put them in positions of power" Taddeus looked around fondly.

"But it works well enough, as long as we have a ruler that doesn't condone abusing one's power"

Kat looked thoughtful.
"No living among the guards or nobles then?"
"Nope. The Lich Queen can enforce her control over all her undeads- she wouldn't be able to do the same with living beings, so they can't do anything of the kind. You can still be well-off" he gestured towards a clothing store that sold long dresses with corsets and spider-y decorations. Its owner, a drider that looked healthy enough to probably be a living being, waved and blew a kiss at Taddeus, making him giggle.

"We used to date. Before the whole vampirization-to-become-a-noble matter"

[Xihirli]

"Why should that stop you? She seems still up for it, you seem to like her." Alifa shrugged. "Heck, you own your own estate you could invite her to stay at. Are nobles forbidden from dating for some reason?"
Boots held Ethrindae tight.
"Every cell in my body feels personally insulted by this place," she whispered.

[Valmark]

"Being undead is not conductive to relationships" Taddeus said. He took a deep breath.

"It is... Hard to talk to people while wondering wether what you feel is real or if you just remember what it's meant to be. Like what I just did. There's no point to me breathing in before a sentence if my lungs don't work" his voice seemed mournful, but his face was completely neutral.

"Which is why most of us don't" the vampire gestured to all the various happy-looking undeads "We simply try to not get too attached, lest we find out that after all that is not attachment and just habit. The only ones that can be sure they have feelings are ghosts and their kind, as most of them are born by the strenght of said feeling. Even if..." he glanced at two banshees singing a duet.


The bride walked to the hill
Flowers in her hair, her sister made a crown
White dress, it belonged to her mother

To marry her sweetheart
She walked up the hill
But nobody was there
She had been left alone

Crying, she turned back
And it was then she could see
Her lovely little home
Darkness descended over it

Monsters snatched family
Darkness crawling from within
Love turned to pain
Destroy, Devour, Darken

That's the darklings' creed
'Beware, beware the darkness'
The last warning of the bride
Before she jumped off the hill.


"...it is hardly ever an happy one"

Boots felt Ethrindae cling to her, her wife burying her face into Boots. But she could feel the tears.

[Xihirli]

Boots held her wife tight. Alifa pulled off to one side to purchase a pair of empty books.
"I’m hoping to put my research assistant to work in Serendipity’s library while we’re busy with recruitment," she explained.

Neither of them tried to change Tad’s mind about love.

[Valmark]

"Assistant researcher...?" Kat looked around, then at Peter, then back at Alifa.
"Me?"

Peter started waving his legs indignantly at being discarded like that.

Any other shopping you wanna do?

[Xihirli]

"No, neither of you," Alifa said. She started casting a spell coyly as they continued.

"Oooh, she's being all mysterious. That means she has something cool to show off. Don't worry, these surprises rarely explode."

[Valmark]

Peter teleported away moping.

"Isn't one of her favorite tactics conjuring a swarm of exploding creatures?"

After about twenty minutes (the city was big and they couldn't go fast without running people over) they came into view of Serendipity's mansion.

Compared to the rest of the city, her home gave an ominous feeling- while the city was made to be accomodating, the building the group stared at was spectral and completely devoid of light, and even with darkvision they could barely make out the outlines of the spiked walls. Atop the gates and the walls demonic-looking statues seemed to stare at the newcomers, and a raised bridge didn't make it possible to walk across- there was moat, the water in it moving lightly from unseen creatures lurking beneath.

Taddeus waved.
"I, Taddeus Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the III, bring renowned guests and friends of the Lich Queen! I beseech passage!"

There was silence, then the bridge started lowering. On the other side, a man clad in black robes with long black hair and a villanious mustache advanced, flanked by four graveguards.

"Taddeus"
"Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the III" Taddeus corrected him.
"Still hung up on that? It's been years"
"Why, you got any love for your maker?"
The man frowned and turned to the group.

"My name's Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the II, but please just call me Parsimmon. Or Emerhet"
"Should take more pride on your noble name"
"Who are you? Reason for your visit?" Parsimmon pulled out a leather bound book, waiting for the replies. On it a list of names and stuff was written, and they could see him write down Taddeus Parsimmon Vassimius Emerhet the III, to annoy the gatekeeper probably. Also chaperoning some living.

[Xihirli]

Clephesia brought Tilly forward.
"Clephesia Elevenyenn, Scion Unseelie, Princess Heir to the Winter Court. Ethrindae Elevenyenn, Princess Consort to the Winter Court. Tilly of the Prismatic Wings, Royal Steed to Her Majesty Princess Clephesia. Alifa..."
Clephesia paused a moment as Alifa, still casting her spell, sent her a telepathic message.
"...The Abyss Scar, Princess to the Winter Court. Kathleyîënis. Serendipity knows us, we are allies against the Darkrot here to give her information and seek advice as to our next steps."

[Valmark]

Parsimmon stared, and then wrote down Clephesia Elevenyenn, Ethrindae Elevenyenn, Alifa, Kathleyîënis. To exchange military information with Her Majesty.

"By all means follow me in a straight line. I will take no responsability if you stray off the path"
"He's kidding, it's just a tactic to make sure people don't try to wander of"

Either way, Parsimmon started heading away. Peter teleported back to Alifa's shoulder. He was still sulking.

[Xihirli]

Alifa snatched him up and gave him scritches and petsies while she cast and followed.
Boots brought Tilly up to ride next to Parsimmon.
"So what was your life like back when you were alive?"

[Valmark]

Peter felt loved again.

Taddeus briefly looked around, frowned, then shrugged and kept going.

"I was a son of merchants- naturally got instructed in the subjects that would let me take over the family business" Parsimmon said "So... Well off, I'd say. But not enough. When there was a trial for a work place in the Lich Queen's mansion of course I joined" he closed his book.

"There is no better purpose then to serve our undying Queen eternally and loyally, while my family enjoyes the prestige I as an undead bring them"

Ethrindae shrugged, now feeling better after the banshee's song.
"I... Guess he's also doing it with his family in mind?"

[Xihirli]

"This whole country is weird as heck," Boots said to Ethrindae, not whispering.
"But it’s also the best defense against the darkrot that’s cropped up."

They rode on.

[Valmark]

"Most living beings are too petty to be able to work together" the vampire sighed "Unless you find a way to stuff their faces into the problem"

Neither of the two elves seemed willing or capable to contradict that.

The entrance was completely dark, but luckily basically all of the group could see in darkness. Except Tilly, so Boots had to carefully steer her through the place unless somebody turned on a light.

The walls were completely devoid of decoration- in fact, there didn't seem to be anything in that castle that was there without a practical purpose. No armors exposed, no carpets, no pictures, no nothing. It didn't look like a place creatures lived in.
Which perhaps was fitting.

"We do have stables for living mounts" the vampire told them "Otherwise no one will care if you bring your pets inside"

I'm not a pet! Tilly nigghied And please, don't leave me alone in here.

[Xihirli]

Boots caused her wings to glow (Light Cantrip) to shine the way.
Plus she wanted to lean into her "forest angel paladin" look as much as possible in this city to annoy Serendipity.

"Tilly comes inside," Boots answered the vampire, petting her mane. "So I can give her all the hugs she deserves."

Clephesia's bizarre chanting continued... her veins were turning black.

[Valmark]

"Living" the vampire scoffed when Boots started pouring light on her surroundings.
"Is your friend fine?"

"Yes, it's just a spell. I hope"

"Uh. Well, alright then" and with that, trusting in the fact that Taddeus vouched for Alifa, he let the matter drop.

The absolute lack of decor followed them inside, where perhaps predictably undead servitors hurried along the corridors paying them no attention. The entrance opened on a large central room with a spacious staircase they went up, the Steeds and Tilly not particularly struggling with climbing stairs, and noticed that the second floor was an almost mirrored copy of the first. A large room, a big staircase that led up, various doors that led to other parts of the palace.

It was when they got to the third floor that they found themselves in the trone room. Well, it was more correct to call it an audience room- there was a long table with many chairs where people could sit, but no throne or really nothing else dedicated to the Lich Queen, or even to her vassals for that matter.

"She should have already been warned of you entering her castle, the Queen shall join us briefly. Anything I can help you with or get you?"

Unless for some reason you'd like to postpone that, let's say Alifa can finish her spell before Serendipity comes to talk.

Can we trust things here to be edible? asked Tilly Undeads can't have good taste, right?

[Xihirli]

Boots passed Tilly a goodberry in answer.

Could I possibly see the library? Alifa asked with telepathy. Even meet Serendipity there?

I kinda want to release my monster in the library

[Valmark]

"Mmm..."
"She's a fellow wizard, she wouldn't damage books" Taddeus offered "Same for Kathleyîënis"

Kat just smiled, bronze faced.

"Very well. The two of you can follow Taddeus, then" Parsimmon sat at the table where he could keep an eye on Boots, Ethrindae and Tilly.
Assuming they go with Taddeus...

A short while later, on the same floor, Taddeus led them to the library.
"This floor has pretty much everything the Lich Queen makes use of frequently. Including the library"

This may have been the only part of the castle that was lit. Since darkvision was good to travel around but not great to see details, white fires hanged low from the ceiling within braizers- they cast an eerie glow, but otherwise worked well.

An old-looking mummy was putting a book in its place as they entered.
"Yyyyyyyeeeeesssss?" The mummy spoke slowly, dragging the words out in a gravely voice. Didn't seem to be doing it on purpose.
"Aguelinda! Such a long time!" the vampire swooped in and hugged the mummy carefully, before turning to Alifa and Kat.
"She's kinda a grandmother to most undeads when they... Struggle with getting accustomed to their new nature"
"Wwwweeeellllccccoooommmmmeeeee Ttttaaaaadddeeeeuuuusssss" the mummy slowly patted his head, barely reaching it.
"Aaaaaannnnnddddd wwwweeeellllccccoooommmmmeeeee tttttooooo yyyyyooooouuuu aaaaaallllllll.... Yyyyyyooooouuuu sssseeeeeemmmmm aaaaaallllliiiiivvvvveeeee"

I will stop writing it like that because it's annoying, but Miriam's gonna keep talking like that.

Basically sounds like an old person with slurred speech.

[Xihirli]

Alifa's jewel-covered dagger came out and cut into her hand. The blood came out thick and black and churning into a... creature? Of black ooze on the floor. Alifa bent down and pet it.
"Everyone, say hello to Eddie... my homunculus. Blood of the Abyss Scar. And my research assistant." She took out the journals she'd just bought.
"While we're on our adventure, Eddie here is going to be researching the Darkrot, Serendipity's party, and the Emotion Primordials. As long as we're on the same plane of existence, I'll know what Eddie knows... in other words, I can be in two places at once." She pet the goo being.
"Want to say hello to Eddie, Kat?"


Boots found a chair and pulled Ethrindae into her lap. "What do you think our castle should look like?" Boots asked.

[Valmark]

I live Eddie stated in Alifa's mind, and... Gurgled proudly? It couldn't do much more.
And I'm eager to begin.

Without hesitation, Kat reached out to pet Eddie- she giggled a little when her fingers poked through the goo.
Hey that tickles!

Taddeus gasped.
"Marvelous spell. You grew in power and knowledge even more, did you not?"

"Though... Eddie might not be able to research the... 'Emotion Primordials'" Kat said "There's just no information about the Crimson Smile, and that's the only one that is even known"
Ethrindae stroked the forest on Boots' armor.
"I'm not sure... But I'd like it to be in some lush forest. Where we can live in peace with nature... Maybe a few villages, grown in accordance with druidic costumes?" she proposed.
"Not that I pretend you to be a vegetarian"

[Xihirli]

"The cult of Abadaius then," Alifa said. "There's plenty of knowledge to be found, Eddie. But wait until we have permission from the mistress of this castle. Until then, let me explain to you everything I already know..." and Alifa filled Eddie, and Kat, in on what Wrath had told her, and on Abadaius.


"You bet we will. The Unseelie will love the change in venue... heck, between me and Verenestra, I bet we could unite the courts again and make a new capital somewhere on Aurora." Boots kissed her. "Why, are druids vegetarian? Lala isn't."

[Valmark]

Alifa noticed that Taddeus was completely out of it, and even Kat struggled to focus and follow her words as she talked about what Wrath revealed to her.

Eddie just soaked everything in.

[roll0]
"Most of us. It's just hard to eat creatures we've been caring for the day before- especially for those that can speak to them. Even if I don't tecnically take power from the nature of this world, I still respect that"

Serendipity teleported into the room. She briefly looked at Boots, then shook her head.
"Wrong sister"

Then she walked away.
Serendipity barged into the library.
"My liege" Taddeus bowed, and so did Aguelinda.
"Welcome, Alifa" Serendipity said with a smile, ignoring the rest of the present people "I trust your travels have been fruitful?"

[Xihirli]

Boots frowned after her. "We don't get along," she explained. "Some of my aunts are vegetarian, but I guess I never thought about it. I think you're the only person I'm super close to who doesn't eat meat."


Alifa bowed... shallowly, but there was a bow. She smiled and nodded at Eddie. "They were indeed. I have brought my homunculus here, asking you permission to have him research while I am away. We have... a lot of information on potential allies." She reached into the Portable Hole and pulled out the Ice Giant sword. "What do you know about the frost giants?"

[Valmark]

"I believe you should observe your sister's next meal of choice more carefully" Ethrindae chuckled shifting on Boots' lap.

"Should we follow the Queen or...?"

"If she hasn't expressed a desire to speak with you, I don't think so. But my job is only to make sure you don't break nor steal anything" Parsimmon stated.
"Savages" Serendipity said "There are traces of a once great society of giants, but it's believed something happened and all those left went mad. At least those that I know of" the Lich Queen mused "I will be honest, I don't know much about giants as a whole, not just frost giants. It is my understanding that Fiamma employs some fire ones"

[Xihirli]

"What do you mean?" Boots asked, referring to her statement about Alifa.


"We recently fought with an ally of Abadaius who seems to have had a hand in betraying the Frost Giants' kingdom... and this sword might help us unite them again. I also learned of a demon uprising against Benoth... I believe we would recruit many demons if we overthrew the tyrant. Any factions I haven't mentioned, Kat?"

[Valmark]

"Your sister is a vegetarian" Ethrindae stated explicitely "She never eats meat and frowns when you talk about eating animals and similar"
Kat shook her head.
"This is great news" Serendipity laced her fingers together in deep thought "About the frost giants, not the demons. Do you know what's the sword supposed to do?" she stated "Sure, Benoth's a pretty famous demon lord that many would like dead, but that doesn't mean demons would give us their time. And devils and demons would never work together anyway- they hate each other's guts too much. Or do you know something I don't?"

[Xihirli]

Boots looked stunned, straight ahead, not speaking. For a good few seconds.


Alifa explained. "This is the sword of the winterlands. The blade was forged to be used by the chief of the ice giants, Rutgert. When Kana was taken over by the agent we were fighting, it was used to seal the entrance to the Winterlands. The Ice Giants lay there frozen, awaiting their hope... and no, I don't know anything you don't about the rebellion against Benoth... But I can introduce someone who might."
And calling upon her armor, Alifa summoned a single Paladin.

[Valmark]

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Ethrindae asked perplexed. It didn't seem like a big deal to her.

Meanwhile Boots felt the presence of a Fiend somewhere.
In the library, Alifa's armor burst open- before it latched close again, a mounted knight burst forth and roughly landed on the ground, the wild mount trashing around.

The knight wore bronze looking armor, with an helmet that seemed to bleed from the holes at the top- it didn't protect his mouth, which presented rows upon rows of lethal teeth and a long, sharp tongue. He wielded two blades and rode atop a wolf-looking large white beast with a bone tail, a deer skull as a cranium with blood dripping from the forehead and demonic horns. The blood wrapped around the beast, trailing after it whenever it moved.

He then looked around.

"Captain Rikrerkoth" the knight dismounted speaking in Abyssal, and made a curt nod towards Alifa keeping his blades close to his chest "Leader of the Third Squad of the Freedom Fighters. This ain't a battlefield, correct?"

"It is not" Serendipity clapped her hands to attract his attention "You're in the library of the Lich Queen. Have you heard about me?"
"Uuuuuuhm..." He lifted his blades "Would it make you an enemy if I hadn't?" "No" "Then no, sorry. Knowledge of people outside of my plane isn't exactly important"

"Then... What's this about a rebellion against Ben-" "Now THAT I know of" the demon spit on the ground acid saliva, much to Serendipity's evident displeasure "Ever since the great Cykkkrimerix led us in the first uprising, we've been opposing Benoth- we are the voice of the weak, of the downtrodden, the rebellious souls that will forever fuel the fires of freedom!"
"And... Would you care about helping us?"
"Of course... As soon as we can call our Ring our home again" Rikrerkoth said "We don't have enough strenght to help others significantly right now"

[Xihirli]

"I just thought she told me everything," Boots said quietly.


"What if it meant fighting alongside devils?" Alifa asked in Abyssal. "We are looking for every ally we can get in a war to end the Darkrot… the corruption of souls seeking to sweep over every plane. I want to help you, but I don’t have the time to spare to run around fixing everything when that might not help our goal."

[Valmark]

"Maybe she thought you knew?" Ethrindae suggested "Or that you'd worry about your own food if you thought it would bother her?"
The deer-wolf growled, and Rikrerkoth sheated a blade -sliding it into his leg, seemingly painless- and soothed it stroking its mane.
"Calm down, Beris. But you're right" he turned back to Alifa "It's their fault if we're even in this situation! Their fault our ancestral home was torn to pieces! No self-respecting demon would ever side with a devil- there is no such thing as an alliance with those monsters!"
"The same thing devils say about demons"
"Lies! There is no way our ancestors would have rebelled had it not been for a worthy cause!"
"Yes, because all demons are staunch champions of freedom and peace" Serendipity tried to not be too sarcastic.

Kathleyîënis picked a book and started reading, since she was understanding absolutely nothing of the conversation.

[Xihirli]

"Yeah, maybe," Boots still looked disturbed. "Would she hide bigger things from me, you think?"


"Alright. I'd like to help you, but if the devils are willing to aid us without me fighting a war for them I'm going to accept their aid instead," Alifa said flatly. "We won't keep you anymore, you can return home."
She let the demon go and looked to Serendipity. "Where do you think me and Boots would be most useful? Going after the frost giants? Or recruiting the devils?"

[Valmark]

"I don't think so" Ethrindae shook her head "I wouldn't even say she was hiding it. Alifa never lied to you, did she?"
"It's not like the devils are going to do anything for free" Serendipity noted "That said, giants make their home here like we do. I'd rather trust them over any fiend, devil or demon"

[Xihirli]

"I don't think so," Boots said. "How would I know?"


"Got it," Alifa said. "Frost giants it is... then, if there's time, I'll see if we can't unseat Benoth and get some demon rebels on our side as well. The Winterlands... do you know them? The sword can open the path there, but only if a frost giant uses it."

[Valmark]

"You've been relying on each other to survive in this world for more then a month now. Only having one another at times" Ethrindae insisted, latching her arms around Boots' neck "She would have told you if there was something important you needed to know, don't you think?"
"I have a map in my study to show you" Serendipity said, and turned to Kat "You aren't coming" then she proceeded to leave the library.

Kathleyîënis, who had no context, just looked at Alifa.
"Should I be worried?"

[Xihirli]

"But what if I don't have to know... or she doesn't think I need to know?" Boots asked. "...I'm finding it very hard to stay upset when you hold me like that, though." She kissed her wife on the lips.


"I hope not. Stick next to Eddie, he'll tell me if something happens." Alifa gave Kat a kiss good-bye and followed behind Serendipity.
"To be clear, is it alright if Eddie researches in your library?"

[Valmark]

"Then when she comes back you'll ask her" Ethrindae smiled at the kiss.

"Maybe it was a little on purpose"

There was a groaning sound as Parsimmon stood up, annoyed.
"I'm going to see if I can get somebody else to keep an eye on you. Or get permission to leave you be. I don't suggest going around on your own" the vampire stated before hurrying out of the room.
"Who? Oh, the black pudding-looking homunculus?" Serendipity asked "Sure, if he doesn't ruin any book"

Her study was on the opposite wing of the castle, on the same floor. She pulled out what looked like a fairly ordinary key, when they approached a door made of black obsidian.
"I can't strongly enough suggest to never enter this room without first using the key" Serendipity warned Alifa, turning the key into the door.

The room was as lit as the library, and was empty for the most part.
There was a chest in a corner, and a large desk choke full of neatly arranged documents- most of the floor was occupied by a magic circle of some kind, which Serendipity immediately told Alifa not to lay a feet on.

On the walls there were a blackboard with calculations regarding the damage of a massive explosion, and a world map. It displayed presumably the entirety of Alandria, and was clearly magical- it showed the current climate conditions of every place, and names hovered next to cities and villages and whatever else.

There were no Winterlands in there.
"Uh. Weird"

[Xihirli]

As soon as they were alone Boots reached her hands under Eth's armor and started kissing her with abandon. "Mission accomplished."


Alifa frowned and produced the sword, tapping it to the map. "If they were cut off from the rest of the world, I can see why it wouldn't be in any maps... what are the properties of this map? Could we improve it somehow?"

[Valmark]

While Boots and Ethrindae were otherwise occupied, Alifa and Serendipity tried to do actually plot-relevant stuff.

"This map is based on what I found out during my travels" Serendipity explained "The clouds are based on my estimations since the last time I've been in each place, and so are names etcera. If something is missing it means I haven't found it" she pointed at a specific spot where Figrikhariz's cave was mentioned, and so was Aragona's village. The mountain themselves homewever were unnamed. Abadaius' temples were absent as well.

"We can add to it if needed"

The sword mentioned one other place- the Ice Maws.

[Xihirli]

"The Ice Maws... it should be near the Ice Maws." Alifa scanned the map for the Ice Maws, focusing around mountains and glaciers.

[Valmark]

Starting from Deathknell, Serendipity plotted a path that went straight south through the mountains that naturally cutted the Inner Lands off from the Outer ones, in the completely opposite direction from Luckreach or Figrikhariz's mountains.

Her planned road went into the forests south of the Inner Lands, that devolved into sickly looking swamps where, according to the map, mostly kuo-toa lived, and then proceed into vast plains that turned to hills then mountains. Within that last mountainous territory there was a grand valley that looked like a frozen lake, where the name Ice Maws stood.
"There. Not near, unfortunately" Serendipity said "They're called Ice Maws because the mountains close to the lake are really just ice pillars. I did wonder how it didn't melt despite not being that cold"

[Xihirli]

"Do you have an object associated with the area?" Alifa asked. "I can Teleport us there, if we can just make it safer... oh, that reminds me. Goenna's High Priestess has gone missing in the Void. Do you know why that might be? Or whether it would be possible to save her?"

[Valmark]

"What's the void meant to be?" Serendipity asked "And yes, I have a souvenir I recently bought from one of the kuo-toa villages" she pointed to the swamps.

"Can't make it closer, unfortunately"

[Xihirli]

"The Zone," Alifa corrected herself. "And that’s a start. I’ll bring you back something from the Winterlands," she promised.
"Might I have this souvenir?"

[Valmark]

"Then she's lost. We'll be killing her darkling next" Serendipity said emotionlessly "Luckily for us, when Goenna feels her power used against us she'll revoke them. And of course" she started pulled drawers open- by the looks of it, she kept the more specific spell components in there.

After a little rummaging, she pulled out a pendant with a wooden triangle.
"Here"
"Sorry for" "The intrusion"

Ethrindae and Boots were interrupted by two twins- they couldn't have been older then eight years old. Long blue hair and red eyes, the two kids looked otherwise alive... Except for their hands. One's left and the other's right held each other, and had been stitched together in that position.

"Parsimmon" "Sent us"

They kept finishing each other's sentence, with a dazzling smile.

[Xihirli]

"Thank you, Serendipity." Answer took ahold of it. "Is there anything else we should know before we go to the Winterlands?"


Boots looked away from Ethrindae's face, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She quickly got it back in her mouth. "Oh... hello..." she stopped what she was doing, cursing Parsimmon under her breath.

[Valmark]

"Very cold. Wear heavy garments" Serendipity said "Bring fire, unless you fight an ice giant. Those tend to not be scared by it. Nor ice golems, those are just too cold for fire to work well. And beware the wind, as it usually carries ice snakes with it- you'd be better off trying to ward the cold winds off then fight them all, as it would be a useless drain on your magic"
"You are" "Very pretty" "Like mommy" "Used to be"

The two twins sat by the table, one on the lap of the other. They smiled and just staaaaaared. It was a lot creepier then Parsimmon huffing in a corner of the table, especially because they took the seat immediately next to Boots and Ethrindae.

Ethrindae just tried not to look at them.

[Xihirli]

Alifa nodded. "Thank you, Serendipity." She clasped her hand. "Between you and us and all the allies we gather... hopefully by the end of the year there will never be another darkling." And with the pendant in hand she headed back to collect Kat.


Boots, perhaps unwisely, asked a question.
"Which one of us?"

[Valmark]

Kat was still in the library, and seemed to be arguing animately with Eddie.

"You can carry around a Bag of Holding, so you would move its dimensional space! You can't cover it in Glyphs!"
Eddie wobbled and gurgled harshly.
"You just can't! It would break! You'd have to leave it where it was!"
Eddie drooped down, like a sad puddle.
"I'm sorry. I'm sure the next idea you have will be brilliant"
The goo homunculus bubbled a little.

Welcome, Mistress. Your friend is very smart. Doesn't like being contradicted though.
One twin pointed at Boots, while the other just gasped and covered her mouth like a kid that got caught saying a swear word.

"That was" "Unpolite" "We are" "Sorry"

Ethrindae stared for a few seconds, then just reached with her hand and meekly patted one of the twins' heads.
"It's fine"

The twins merely smiled at being comforted.

On one side, I'm disgusted. On the other, these kids seem to need a hug Tilly thought back to Boots.

[Xihirli]

She's my girlfriend, Alifa corrected, and gave Kat a kiss to show Eddie the difference. "We're going to the Winterlands to recruit the Giants," Alifa told Kat, holding her hand. "Let's go get Boots and Ethrindae. Eddie, you're up for work. Enjoy the books."
And Lif pulled Kat on.


Boots took a breath and went up to the kids, then gave them both a hug. "Hey, kids. It's gonna be okay. What's your name? I'm Clephesia."

[Valmark]

I will.

Kat dutifully followed.
"We don't" "Have a name" "Don't worry" "We'll make it okay"

The twins' smiles widened though, their free hands hugging Boots.

"Serendipity" "Gave us" "The power" "To avenge mommy"

Ehy... I think their eyes are getting brighter.
At about that time Alifa and Kat entered the room again, accompanied by Taddeus. The vampire looked very confused at seeing Boots hug the two undeads.

Both of the twins' heads just turned 180° degrees, smiling at Taddeus.
"Welcome" "Back" "Did you bring" "Gifts?"
"Oh! I'm sorry. I kinda got here in an hurry" as Taddeus apologized, apparently knowing them already, the kids just pouted.
"I'll bring two each next time"
They got happy again.

[Xihirli]

Boots let go of the kids, backing up a bit from their eyes. "Where to?"
"The Winterlands... but first..." Alifa picked up Benjy and gave him a hug. "We're going to go somewhere very cold and dangerous. You can come with us if you want, but I could also send you back to Faerie and your family. Do you still want to come with us?"

"Did she know anything about the high priestess of Goenna?"
"A darkling now," Alifa answered. "An unfortunate loss so close to our war. After the Ice Giants, I think we should go to the fiendish rings and dethrone Benoth... many demons would join us if so, and more to the point the Chaotic Good demons might be in charge for a long time after."
"Who would we put in charge?"
"Most likely Graax, but the rebels know more about the situation than me. I'll ask more serious questions to Captain Rikrerkoth later... I also might need to contact a devil or two. But that's just what conjurers do."

[Valmark]

"I wanna go home!" Benjy said immediately "I'm sorry... But all this is a lot more then I can take. It was fun but... Uh... Fiends? Gods? Land of incredible cold? I think I have enough stories to make the other feys stew in envy already!" the little noir fey giggled.

"Like when I got three angels to pamper me, or when I sav- wait, forget that one. I meant to keep the bull**** for the others"

"Think we can get them both to join our efforts?"
"That doesn't sound plausible. They both hate and blame each other for the destruction of their home" Taddeus shrugged "But I suppose it's worth a try? Not that I'm gonna come along. I got duties"

"Like bringing" "Us gifts"

"Oh by the way, she's the wizard I told you about" Taddeus gestured to Alifa, and she immediately got the twins' attention. Though they didn't speak. They looked more awed.
"Yeah, maybe I talked you up a little. But they kept asking questions about the arcanist from another world"

No respect for Boots' magic.

[Xihirli]

Then there's the emotion Primordials who may be able to actually seal the Zone off," Alifa reminded everyone. She gave Benjy a final kiss on the head and then touched her tuning fork to him... he shattered in her hands, icy fey shards falling to the ground and melting into nothing.
"Sent him home, didn't kill him," Alifa promised. She put the pendant for the swamps in the middle.
"I'll teleport us part of the way, then we can get going. Want to watch me teleport us?" Alifa asked the kids.

And then she, Boots, Kat, Ethrindae, and their menagerie rapidly aged so their hair became white and their skin wrinkled, then rotted off. Their bones fell to the ground, and those, too, decayed rapidly into ash as millions of years were pushed through their bodies in seconds. A dark wind billowed up, sweeping the ashes away.

The ashes settled down far away, gathering up as their skeletons regrew, then their decayed skin that healed and de-aged back to what it was before they vanished.
Boots threw up.
"What... in the hells..."
"Raven Queen's death magic mixed in with mine." Alifa looked around. "So where are we..."

[Valmark]

The twins stared smiling, soaking it all in.

When they appeared Tilly freaked out, as she didn't even think she could be aged, Kat immediately got her flask to wash the taste of death from her mouth and Ethrindae just chuckled composed.
"I suppose I did just see us grow old together, Boots"
She looked away then, a hand politely in front of her mouth like when you hold in nausea.

As Alifa looked around, she realized they were right in the middle of a village built on elevated platforms above the swamp- well, they were caked in mud into the swamp, the platforms were all around them. Ribbiting went on all around them, as halfling-sized frogs crowded around them, bulbous eyes staring. Some of them had spears, some shields, some nets.

One spoke up.
"Friend, thief, murderer?" it said in barely manageable Common. It looked like they were being asked to define what they were.

[Xihirli]

"Friend," Boots said, trying to recover from the... dying.
Wait, thief specifically? What an odd choice... Alifa thought to Kat.
"We are just passing through on our way to the... Alifa?"
"Ice Maws."
"Ice Maws. The mountains."

[Valmark]

"Ice Maws" one ribbited.
"No friends. Lost ones" another shook its head seemingly sadly and pointed with its spear towards a direction. Far in the distance some hills could be spotted. A bunch more looked in the group's direction and pointed insistently towards those same hills.

I can only assume they've had more then a few problems with people stealing.

[Xihirli]

"Thank you," Boots said. "Is there any way we can help you? Something you’re looking for in that direction?"

With how they’re acting… they expect attacks half the time, it would seem.

[Valmark]

The kuo-toas started croaking to one another, a cacofonous chorus of frog calls surrounding the group.

"Catch the evil horse?" one proposed.
"Hunting prey down" another added.
"Hunting us down" a third echoed the others.

[Xihirli]

"Okay… if I see an evil horse I’ll catch it," Boots promised. "If you want food…" she summoned forth ten goodberries from her armor and offered them.
"You might enjoy these."

[Valmark]

The kuo-toas stared.

"Throw 'em" one suggested, a gaggle of kids with lucid eyes getting pushed forward.

"So... Why it is an evil horse?"
"Because it's evil"
"And it's an horse"
"Stupid"
Kat scowled.

Ethrindae, in her infinite patience, pointed to Tilly.
"Like that?"
"That's a bird"
"And it's not black"
"And it's not on fire"
"But maybe it still eats meat?"

Suddenly all the kuo-toas put at least ten feet between them and Tilly, who nigghied annoyed towards Boots.
Tell them I'm not evil!

[Xihirli]

"A nightmare," Alifa’s eyes lit up. "Boots, I want it. I can bind it to my service."
"Uh… Tilly is a good horse." Boots tossed the goodberries over.
"We’ll be on our way now… if we see the horse we’ll handle it." And, going slowly so that none of them would think she was threatening, she headed for the hills.
Alifa followed.
I haven’t put that much thought to it, because I normally only bind creatures to my service for about an hour… Kat, am I any different from Mokart if I take control over a Nightmare? Or am I another slaver like Benoth? The Nightmare is threatening people… is it worse to dominate it than to kill it? Am I simply forcing it to pay off its debt to the world? Or exploiting it?

[Valmark]

When Boots tossed the goodberries, the kids started trying to catch them in the air shooting at them with their tongues. Most missed, and whenever one missed one of the adults would deck it on the head. Two kids actually hit the same goodberry, and got pulled to one another- they ended up headbutting each other, started crying, and got decked. Twice.

Then a kuo-toa stepped forward and started what Boots and Alifa could only describe as stern ribbiting.

One of them mentioned "Tongue skill is vital. They need to learn how to be precise and not fight one another"
Now that sentence was in perfect Common. They probably had to explain it more then once.

As they left, Kathleyîënis mulled on what Alifa asked.
Nightmares are a special case. Unlike normal fiends, they are born from torturing a pegasus until they are reborn out of pain and despair- they are neither demon nor devil, and you'll never get it to trust you. I can't say it'll ever be willing- you will be enslaving a creature, unless you purchase its services Kat thought back But also, it would go on to hurt people if left unattended. Or be bound by somebody who may be worse then you. As for killing it... I guess what you should ask yourself is if you'd rather be murdered or be forced into doing somebody's bidding. I know I'd prefer being alive.

[Xihirli]

Maybe we can help it, Alifa thought. Boots has access to a lot of healing, maybe we can help it... I just... this armor's gotten me to do a lot of thinking. I think... it's better to have the Nightmare helping than not. And we try to help the Nightmare, by reminding it what it was like to do good. Alifa held Kat's hand as she made for them twin steeds.
"We've got some travel ahead of us," Alifa said. "Possibly while under attack by a Nightmare."
"Won't that be something, Lif?" Boots gripped Ethrindae tight and put a big kiss on her wife's lips. "Me, clad in light riding around a pegasus... you, coated in shadow on the back of a Nightmare."
"Yes... nobody would guess I was here to help if I didn't travel with you..."
"Not in the undead realm!" Boots chimed in. She helped Eth mount up to keep her out of the swamp.
"Alright team, we've ways to go... and keep a sharp eye out for flaming horses."

Alifa nodded to Peter. "Peter, nose out for smoke."

And into the wilderness they went.

[Valmark]

"It is funny that our strongest defenders at best mildly dislike you, isn't it?" Ethrindae told Boots "Well, strongest defenders of this world anyway"

The group made their way out. There was no road to follow, so they just started going vaguely in the direction of the mountain range- on the way, Alifa noticed a corpse as their path took them near a patch of trees, on its way but not big enough to call it a forest.

It was a young buck's corpse, and by itself it wouldn't be weird- something had cracked its skull open, killing it istantly, clearly burning away the skin. There was no blood around it despite the buck having been torn apart and eaten, instead the only blood was a trail left by some wounded creature that headed into the woods.

Within, she heard a chorus of howling sounds, wolves calling out to each other.

[Xihirli]

Alifa motioned the party to follow her, bringing her phantom raven forward following the sound of the wolf howls.
"Something is this way... be on watch for wolves, I think they might have been chased off by the Nightmare."

[Valmark]

As they barged into the forest, it wasn't long before they could notice fresh tracks of the nightmare- burned hoofprints were on the ground, along the trail of blood. And if that wasn't enough, they felt the creak of a tree as something heavy was roughly slammed into a tree.

Following the sounds, they came upon a battle.

A black horse with burning mane, hooves and fire lines tracing his muscles stood in a clearing, a hoof resting through the fractured chest of a wolf. Another had its skull caved in, threw and forgotten against a tree, and another wolf had been impaled with a broken tree branch. Five more wolves encircled the nightmare, and there were also three massive dire wolves that were the muscle of the pack. The crack the group had heard was from one of the dire wolves that had been brutally slammed against a tree, though it was still standing up.

Ethrindae looked in confusion and fear.
"There's literally no reason for the wolves to be fighting the nightmare- there is so much easier prey. Did the nightmare pick this fight?"

The Nightmare seemed to be wounded, the broken off point of a buck's horns planted in its flank- it also had various small bites that were bleeding it out.
The Nightmare and Tilly got each other's gaze, and the Nightmare roared in fury causing Tilly to halt, stomping around trying to not move any further.
Such... Anger... Why's it my fault? Boots felt in her mind.

Boots has Aura of Courage, so no check to not be thrown off, but Tilly is going to be moving at 20 feet speed as long as she tries going towards the Nightmare.

For a moment, the Nightmare started galloping and disappeared- but the moment later it reappeared, landing painfully.
"Uh. I don't think it can leave this plane for some reason"

[Xihirli]

Alifa dismounted. "Stay here," she said, and she approached the nightmare with her hand raised toward it.
We don't want to hurt you. Come over to where we are, and we can heal you and feed you... She offered, coming nearer and telepathically communicating with the Nightmare.
I know it hurts. I know everything hurts. People look at you and think you're immune to fire... I see you feel every lick. Come with us... let us help you.

[Valmark]

LIKE THE LAST ONE THAT WANTED TO HELP ME!? the Nightmare roared back into her mind- a wolf jumped at it, thinking it distracted, and the Nightmare's jaw snapped forward sealing shut on the wolves throat and tearing it apart, the dying wolf falling down still trashing as it suffocated- that wasn't enough to stop the two other wolfes that nipped at its flanks, drawing yet more blood.

The two dire wolves then advanced and tackled the Nightmare against a tree, the last one that was already wounded jumping in front of Alifa as it tried to take a bite out of the intruder trying to steal its dinner- or not. At a command from Ethrindae, The dire wolf suddenly halted, instead encircling Alifa with a couple smaller wolves to not let her get any closer.
"I can calm them down, but I can't stop their hunt" Ethrindae said "If you got a plan, better act it fast!"

Kathleyîënis, who was not nice, simply shot an arrow right through a wolf's skull.
She earned a disapproving glance from Ethrindae.
"Look, you said it yourself these wolves aren't acting normal. I'm not treating them like innocent beasts"

To be clear, but I'm not calling for Initiative because nothing here is really a threat to you. But there is a fight going on.

Also roll me Persuasion from Alifa. Nobody can Help her (since they can't communicate with the Nightmare) but any other way to boost it would be fine.

[Xihirli]

Alifa put up a wall of force between the Nightmare and as many wolves as possible, still letting the Nightmare come back to them.
Come to us. We'll protect you. We're not like whoever did this to you... we can try to get you your wings back. Get behind us, we'll protect you from the wolves... then talk about helping you.

[Valmark]

I need no stupid wing, nor protection.

The Nightmare raced and weaved through the wolves, racing past Tilly with a snarl.
What an attitude she thought to Boots.

Never mention those again continued the Nightmare in Alifa's mind A wizard... It found an half finished magic circle and completed it. The imbecile didn't have what it takes, and now there's a magic circle that's making the animals go mad and keeping me rooted here.

The wolves looked conflicted- on one side, Ethrindae's spell was keeping them somewhat non-hostile. On the other, they were hunting that Nightmare and now there were a lot more dangerous looking people.

[Xihirli]

Boots dismounted and approached the wolves, lighting herself on fire as she did so.
"Run," she ordered

[roll0]

Alifa nodded and stayed next to the nightmare. Alright then. Let's discuss our working relationship. We can protect you, feed you, keep you healthy. For that, we ask nothing. If you wish us to break the Magic Circle... I will ask your service up until either my death, or until the threat of the Darklings has been removed from this world. I assure you... that one or the other will come soon.

[Valmark]

The wolves decided that no, Boots wasn't someone they wished to **** with, and dispersed.

Seeing the momentary peace, the Nightmare bent its legs and sat down, reaching with its mouth to rip out the piece of broken horn stuck in the flank.

I don't need protection it repeated, then fell momentarily silent.
And what then? Will the holier-then-thou pegasi riders smite me for being a monster? Will I fall prey to the darklings? the Nightmare snorted.

You get the feeling he probably will hate any kind of implication that he needs protection of any kind. He's learned that leaning on others gets you enslaved and brutally maimed, so trust means nothing.

[Xihirli]

No. The paladin will cure you if the Darklings try to take you. And we have worked side-by-side with fiends like Graax before. We are here to save this world. If you help us, you'll be free to go. Hopefully the Fiendish Rings will have a home for you... we'll likely be stopping there. You are a thinking creature, and part of this world. It needs good, and it needs evil. You have been both... if I were to decide what this world should be like, I would be no better than Abadaius... I won't let her kill you. If at the end of it, you still want to be as you are... that's your choice.
Alifa held out a hand. Now shall I have my sister heal you?

[Valmark]

No the Nightmare stood up shakily Assuming your sister isn't the elf that shot down a wolf it looked hatefully at Tilly's riders.

The magic circle is in some ruins nearby. Follow me it added, starting to trot in one direction I suppose my best bet is to accept your offer.

Tilly nigghied stomping on the spot.
Am I the only one that thinks we should just beat them up and go? They're mean! And evil! And clearly hate me!

[Xihirli]

I’ll require some insurance that you’ll keep your word… would you be willing to submit to a Planar Binding? Or do you know of a different way I can be sure you won’t betray us?

Boots pet Tilly. We haven’t actually seen it do anything evil yet.
Alifa moved behind the Nightmare. Boots cautiously followed.

[Valmark]

Ugh.

The Nightmare looked back at Alifa.
I'm not a human, wouldn't that make me trustworthy? it asked But sure, that first option sounds good.

[Xihirli]

"Alright, we'll make camp by the magic circle. First thing tomorrow, I'll Bind the Nightmare Planarly and dispel it," Alifa determined. "Lead on."

"She used her biggest spell getting us here, I guess she wants more time on the binding than just a day," Boots told Eth.

[Valmark]

The group followed the Nightmare out of the woods, on the other side from where they had come in. He made a rather weird turn about that led them to encircling an hill and enter a patch of overgrown, spectral-looking trees.

A murder of crows' cawing followed them as they walked in, circling them in the sky more like vultures then anything else- but they didn't come anywhere near.

As they got deeper in, they noticed rabbits and squirrels not at all hiding and just staring at them as they moved through.
"What the hell is happening here?"

The Nightmare stopped in front of a surface- the vegetation covering the wall had been burned away in the vague outline of a Nightmare-sized wall, revealing behind some kind of ruined entrance to a building dug into the hill. By the damage, it must've been very, very old.

Coming close to it, the familiar odor of a sanctified zone reached Boots' nostrils. It was a very weird addition to the Nightmare's sulfuruos smell.

[Xihirli]

"Can you talk to them?" Alifa suggested about the wildlife. "That should tell us some about the area. Otherwise... we can't fit Tilly and the Nightmare..."
Hey, do you have a name? She asked the Nightmare.
"In the Hut, so let's just make normal camp."

"Ethrindae can hide our campsite. A sanctified area seems like a good place to ward off anything dark."
"Great. Why don't you two get to making a camp. Kat, can you come with me? I want to see what Eddie's figured out and cross-reference it against your knowledge of the world."
Also, she thought to Kat. I'm going to summon a devil and talk to it about recruitment for the war, and I don't need a Paladin here messing up negotiations.
Why don't you come with me, Nightmare? Get you away from the sanctified area for a little bit.

Alifa went off, wanting to get roughly out of sight.
She coated herself in black flames as she moved, to get ready to summon a Devil.


"Alright Eth, I'll talk to the animals while you get the campsite ready," Boots said, and she glowed briefly, casting Speak with Animals. She approached the nearest hare.
"Hello, friend. I can't help but notice, a flaming horse came by and you didn't look that frightened. Is that sort of thing... usual around here?"


Alifa stopped when she couldn't see her glowing sister anymore. "Here's a good spot." She withdrew a few thorns from her pouch and threw them onto the earth. She let loose her black wings. "The Abyss Scar summons thee, Devil of the Fiendish Rings!"
And she pulled forth a Barbed devil.
"Let's talk business."

[Valmark]

It was burned out of me long ago. Feel free to make one up if you need a way to address me.

Alifa could be fairly sure that the Nightmare didn't forget his name. It was probably associated to a time he didn't want to remember.
While Eth got her Hearth ready, Boots approached a rabbit. Or hare. Whatever was the difference.

Pain... Hunger... Anger... So... Much... the second immediately after, Boots struggled as the animal suddenly bared its teeth and jumped, ready to tear her throat apart.

Not that it is a threat to Boots.
Kat dutifully followed. Alifa could be sure she'd be following either way.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the Nightmare accepted as well.
That place gives me the creeps.

When the devil came out, Alifa found herself in front of a tall, spiky blue devil with what looked like a salesman's expression after he saw a great deal.

"Heeeeeey boss! How's it going?" It wides its grin and waved at the Nightmare "Whoa, one of those here? Hey, wanna team up and **** them u-" it didn't get to finish the sentence.
Sound of broken teeth accompanied the Nightmare's hoof as it broke the barbed devil's face, and another hoof almost broke some of its ribs as it was slammed to the ground.
"ALRIGHT! FINE!" the barbed devil wheezed out "Let's... Talk business. Pricks"

The Nightmare turned to Alifa and nodded, looking weirdly smug about it.

[Xihirli]

Boots knocked the hare out and returned to Eth.
"I think they’re cursed to be more aggressive," she said. "That… might be our job to fix?"


Good work, Johnny, Alifa thought to the Nightmare.
"I want to recruit an army of devil mercenaries to join Serendipity’s forces in an offensive against the Darklings. I propose that I be given a specialized soul cage that sends its victims to your superiors, and in exchange one hundred devils join the cause for each soul sent. Speak to your superiors about whether this deal is acceptable and I shall summon you again in four hours. Is there anything you would like to say before I send you back where you came from?"

[Valmark]

"Yes..." Ethrindae bit her lip in thought "I'm not Kat, but if I were to advance a guess... Wasn't Rova the god of monsters and hunger and the like? Maybe that's who the sanctified area belongs to? And the Nightmare summoning did... Uh... Something?"
"Whoa... What're my superiors supposed to do with souls anyway?" the devil raised an eyebrow "Now, give us actual slaves and we can reason. What do you say? I promise we won't treat them too badly. We got laws for that kind of behavior" it forced an affable smile.

"Actually wait, maybe we can work something out. It's easy to get their bodies back from the souls... Mmm... Well, maybe I can propose a little something something to my bosses. With a varying fee, so to say. The more precious the soul compared to the cost of bringing it back to life and make a slave out of it, the more devils we could spare to aid... Uuuuh... Whoever you said we should help?"

[Xihirli]

"Hopefully we'll fix that when we dispel the magic circle," Boots said. She hugged Eth close. "How long do you think before Alifa and Kat come back?"


"The Lich Queen," Alifa said. "You do that... come back with the rate, and any alternative methods of hiring the devils your superiors might accept, and I'll speak to you in four hours."
Now THIS... this is a line. We don't have a way to keep Abadaius from resurrecting his lieutenants, though... this may be the way... Alifa thought to Kat. But let's see if there's any other way.

[Valmark]

"If she's going to be talking to threw different people confronting knowledge, I'm afraid it might be a while" Ethrindae suggested, as soon as she was done setting up the shadowy dome "Should we... Kill some time?"
"Sure! Get the nightmare off of me?" Johnny moved off beforehand, and the barbed devil stood up, dusting itself off.
"...so...send me home?"

[Xihirli]

Boots tackled her.


"Go in peace." She shunted him off through a portal of black ichor.
"Alright. Now, let’s give Asimis some more time to go to sleep."
Eddie, report. What do you have on giants?
Alifa took out her book of fiends and handed it to Kat. "Can you find anything other than souls and people we can deal in to hire the devils? I’ve just realized I’ll hate myself if I go through with this."

[Valmark]

Kat looked at the sky.
"Unless that guy sleeps during the day, shouldn't it be now the correct time? Or you wanna call on him tomorrow night?" she asked "Anyway... Yes, I was thinking about it and I can't see the same Alifa that was afraid of what she might become by Binding a Nightmare selling slaves"

Johnny trampled a rabbit then started eating it before the animal had even finished writhing.

While Kat looked through it, Eddie's report came in.
They're big and inherently magical. There seems to be two kinds- those born in Faerie are generally more docile and weaker, but smart, while those native to Alandria are bigger, stronger, with better abilities but also generally dumb. The former probably because they are born in service of the Monarch, while the latter... It says there are a lot of ruins with writing in Giant, that indicates there must have been civilizations in the past but for some reason all the giants of this time are only a bit better then animals. That's about it, unless you want a detailed report on their anatomy, how their body parts are great for magic and a Practical Guide to your Very Own Giant Skeleton Eddie replied.

Also... There's a lot of books that have the writing completely ruined. But the book itself is still in very good quality. Trying to inquire with the locals has been unsuccesful.

[Xihirli]

Alright. Good work, Eddie. Can you switch to researching the Shadowlands, specifically the Drow… and if you see anything about a drow named Aria, copy down everything about her.

Alifa nodded. "Alright. While you read, I’ll contact Asimis." And she cast Dream to reach the Tabaxi.

She created as their meeting place the mountain area where they’d first… met.

[Valmark]

On it, Mistress.

Alifa was unable to find Asimis- not because he was awake, though.

Kat frowned meanwhile.
"There's not much that I can find" she said "What is tipically accepted as currency is money, precious items and slaves. Beyond that, it's all up to the specific devil you talk to" Kat looked up to Alifa.
"Which means that hopefully that devil will come back with other methods of payment"

[Xihirli]

"Money works," Alifa said. "No answer… I’ll try a Sending."

Asimis. I know about Confidence. Get in contact with me to discuss. How much of your thoughts are not private?
The Abyss Scar.

[Valmark]

But no reply came in.

[Xihirli]

Alifa shot off another Sending to Serendipity.
I’ve opened up discussion with the devils. What from the treasury would you be willing to part with to recruit the devils? Undead laborers?

[Valmark]

Serendipity's reply came in a tired tone.
I've got a lot of money and precious stones that are sent to me as tribute for which I don't have a use for. Good?

[Xihirli]

Hopefully. Would it be alright to ask for an estimated value? Alifa shot off an additional Sending.
If money was no object, then obviously she’d want to negotiate with money.

[Valmark]

Uh... I don't know... A hundred thousand? Consider all the useless stuff that belongs to me?

The city itself would be a lot richer, but that's about the most Serendipity could muster in one go. At least according to the Settlement Wealth table in 3.5.

[Xihirli]

"Okay, we can work with this," Alifa said. "And if they don't accept money... I guess we just accept the demons' help fully instead." She stretched. "Alright, ready to head back to the camp? We can arrange the watches so that I can keep my appointment with the devil."

[Valmark]

"Yeah"

Johnny started heading back, a second dead rabbit in his jaws.

"Are you planning on telling Oots and Eth anything?" Kathleyîënis asked standing up and taking Alifa's hand to walk back to the camp.

[Xihirli]

"Yes... tomorrow morning, when I should already have something concrete to tell them instead of 'maybe, possibly, the devils might help us.'" Alifa shrugged, and squeezed Kat's hand.
"Thanks for being with me, Kat... there's a lot to figure out. Our time is running out, and I can only be so many places at once... I'm glad you can be with me in one of them."


"We're coming, so stop anything we shouldn't see!" Alifa called ahead of her as they approached the camp.

"Damn... uh... five more minutes?" Boots shouted as a request.

[Valmark]

"Give us four" Ethrindae added smugly.
After three minutes and fifty-five seconds, the group reconvened in Ethrindae's fake-hut to talk briefly before going to sleep.

"Eddie said anything useful?"

[Xihirli]

"The Giants once had a great civilization, but now are scattered with less complex civilization. But aside from that... not much, no," Alifa confessed.

"Ideally, we'll find one smart giant who still keeps the old ways that we can give the sword to."

"That would be nice... but it's possible there's a curse upon them keeping them unintelligent, rather than just... a lack of recovery from a civilization collapse. In that case, we'd have to go on some sort of quest."

"Well, that's something we're good at." Boots pulled Ethrindae against herself. "Good night."

Alifa chuckled. "Me and Kat will take the first two watches. You two get some sleep."

[Valmark]

"Well... Me and Kathleyîënis don't need to sleep" Ethrindae offered "You can just go to sleep, we'll keep an eye out"

"Actually I, uh, haven't been trancing a whole lot lately" Kat blushed telling that to the other elf "I'd like to be fully awake with Alifa"

Ethrindae stared for a little while, then shrugged and chuckled.
"Very well. Boots? Let's get some... Sleep" and they went to bed, leaving Alifa and Kat awake to watch over the group.

Tilly was fast asleep, while Johnny just leaned down a bit further away finishing his gruesome feast. Hootie fell asleep perched on a tree, Peter teleporting on its feathery head to sleep on that.

[Xihirli]

"Wake me when it's time?" Alifa asked Kat, cuddling up to her.

In a few hours, Alifa kissed Kat on the mouth and stretched. She moved quietly a little bit further away, looking over her shoulder to ensure Boots wasn't watching her.

Peter, keep an eye out while I'm gone.

[Valmark]

Alifa moved away from the camp while Kat went to sleep.

Before she was out of sight though, Peter came in.
Ethrindae's following you! I think. The others seem still asleep. What should I do?

[Xihirli]

Let her. She knows we're recruiting allies.

Alifa stopped and cast another Infernal Calling, attempting to snatch that same Barbed Devil. "Come on out, Eth, maybe you can help me negotiate."

[Valmark]

Ethrindae emerged from the woods.
"Not as sneaky as I fancied myself I suppose" she chuckled "Sorry, Kat wasn't very convincing. And I figure two heads are going to be better then one for... Whatever it is we're negotiating with"

Roll me Arcana to snatch the same barbed devil that you don't even know the name of.

[Xihirli]

[roll0]+[roll1]

[Xihirli]

"Money, Serendipity is willing to part with some of her treasury to hire the devils. I'm going to nail it down to an amount of legions vs price and send them her way for the remaining details with Serendipity and her generals."

[Valmark]

Looking concerned but not very suprised, Ethrindae nodded as the same Barbed Devil was rudely pulled away from the Ring it lived on. The same affable smile greeted Alifa.

"Sooooooooo... What's it gonna be? Slaves? Souls? Money? Artifacts? Cookies? Those are for me, my boss doesn't like them"

Ethrindae frowned, and the demon whistled "Well, you upgraded I see. Where's the fresh meat gone to? Or the Once-upon-a-time pegasus?"

A message came from Peter.
Ehy, Johnny's looking around very annoyed. But isn't walking anywhere.

[Xihirli]

Point him my way if he wants to follow me.

"Money," Alifa answered.
"The Lich Queen is prepared to part with treasure amounting to 80,000 gold coins in value in exchange for twenty-five thousand infantry, five thousand fliers, one thousand artillery, and five hundred lieutenants to aid in strategy and manage the troops. Do you have authority to negotiate on your superiors' behalf?"

We'll see how much we can get with just money, Alifa thought to Ethrindae. If Serendipity wants to trade some of her powerful magic items to the leadership for more troops that's up to her.

[Valmark]

"Whoa... That's what, two gold a devil?" The barbed devil balked at that "Are we that much of a fodder to you humanoids? And we are the evil ones. Oh, my poor wounded heart" it snapped its fingers and five long sheets of paper burned into existence.

It selected the third one as the others disappeared, and red through it humming to itself.
"How about... Five silvers for every lemure or nupperibo you want, a gold for an imp, ten gold for the likes of a bearded devil, thirty gold for the likes of me... Whoa, we're that cheap? Bastards... Fifty for black abishais, eighty for bone devils, a hundred twenty for horned devils, a hundred eighty for a narzugon, two hundred and fifty for green abishais, four hundred for an amnizu and six hundred for a pit fiend" it recounted "Devils not mentioned on this paper have their price equivalent to the one most similar in standing... For every two hundred we'll send a detachment of ten hellguards, and for every six hundreds we'll throw in a war machine of Serendipity's choosing. She'll get a copy of this contract and the means to send the money at our earliest convinience" the barbed devil smiled.

"If adeguate protection against the darklings' corruption can't be ensured prices triplicate"

[Xihirli]

Alifa took the sheet of paper. "Very well. I'll speak to the Lich Queen about the specific devils we'll be hiring and get back to you with our exact order and details on the protection against the corruption within four days. Tell me your name so that I can more easily reach you, and then you're free to return to your plane."

See? That wasn't so hard, she thought to Ethrindae.

[Valmark]

Alifa couldn't grasp the sheet of paper.
"This is our copy" it said "Put your signature on heeeeere" a golden pen dripping blood appeared in Alifa's hand, the devil pointing where her name was meant to go "And Serendipity will get a copy of said contract. And one to you as well if you prefer. We'll give you four days from when you get your own copy"

Ethrindae frowned, but couldn't read Infernal so limited herself to saying "I... Think he's looking a little too happy. Devils aren't known to make fair contracts, right?"

[Xihirli]

"I need a physical copy I can put my hands on, since I can't read Infernal. I'll get back to you after I read it over with Comprehend Languages," Alifa said. "I come from a world where our devils invented 'invisible fine-print', so I'm going to examine the contract – the physical contract – with every divination I have before I accept. Understood?"

[Valmark]

"That's fine"
"The physical copy of the contract that is levitating in your hand" Ethrindae cut in, and the barbed devil looked like somebody stabbed in the back.
"What?" "The physical copy of the contract that you tried to have Alifa sign. Devils are bound by their word- if you go back on it you're cast off among demons. I knew Kat's lessons would come useful. Say it"

The devil angrily clenched its fist, the contract disappearing.
"You will have the physical copy of the contract you will next be asked to sign by us. Fine? Name's Bebeeebozuh"

[Xihirli]

"And none of the 'copies' of the contract given to the Lich Queen or anyone else will have alterations from the agreement we make," Alifa added. "Visible or otherwise. Is that correct?"

Good thinking, Ethrindae. Clearly I've gotten soft from our world having only one devil.

[Valmark]

Note to self: if a devil looks satisfied from your deal, you probably were screwed over.

"Ugh... Sure. Everybody involved in your contract will have the same exact copy of the contract that you ultimately sign" the devil said, much less happy now.

[Xihirli]

"Alright. May I have that physical copy now?" Alifa asked.
Yep, good idea. I'm not great at reading people, though.

[Valmark]

"You will be given one as soon as possible" it said "Well, I suppose it may take a day or two. Can I go home now?"

[Xihirli]

"You're dismissed, Bebeeebozuh." Alifa took a second to make sure he vanished and headed back to camp.
"I had better get some rest so that I can bind Johnny tomorrow." She yawned and cuddled up with Kat.

[Valmark]

Ethrindae followed, and sat down next to Boots ready to do her watch. But before Alifa could go to sleep she whispered "She knows you're vegetarian. Boots is afraid you're going to keep her out of your business. That you're not going to tell her everything anymore... That you're going to think she doesn't need to know, and thus exclude her from what you do" the older elf's voice had an inch of coldness in her voice.

"I know you wouldn't do it, but I'll still say it. Do not hurt her. And I say this not only as her wife but also as your friend" she stated, then softened her voice "You two need each other far more then she needs me or you need Kat- at least as long as you fight for your lives almost daily. Goodnight"

Long rest?

[Xihirli]

Alifa looked up at Ethrindae, almost betrayed.
I didn't tell her what I knew about you, she thought to her, sitting up.
She took a breath.
I'm not going to keep any secrets from her, but I don't need her judging my behavior, and I don't need you doing that, either. I'm going to make the decisions I need to to save this world, and decide how much of my soul I need to keep afterwards. My soul, my decisions. Boots has tried to save me from my own choices enough times for me to know when to tell her things.

[Valmark]

That is fair. It's in your right to choose how to handle things Ethrindae stroked Boots' hair gently But you should ask yourself how much of your sister do you want to keep afterwards, because right now I get the feeling you're fueling what she's most afraid of. If you don't want her trying to protect you... Own your choices. Tell her what you want to do and that she can either support you or stay on the sidelines. Don't go behind her back Ethrindae shrugged.

But what do I know, I've only been making mistakes and driving away those that wanted to help me for three hundred years after all. Speaking of which, what do you know about me that she doesn't?

[Xihirli]

That after... what happened with your family, you went on a killing spree of fey, Alifa answered. I learned about it from Fiamma and her son. Boots knows about your family that were infected, but not about the fey afterwards. I wanted her to hear it from you, when you were ready.
Alifa was more pointed than she needed to be with that last sentence.

Boots smiled at Ethrindae's touch and stirred long enough to kiss her hand and pass out again.

Alifa didn't respond about her sister's greatest fear, though. She just hid her face in Kat's hair and pretended to sleep.

[Valmark]

Ethrindae nodded, getting only a little uncomfortable when her past was mentioned. She had had a lot of time to come to terms with it.
Goodnight. My lips are sealed for your secrets- as for mine, I will have something to tell her when we next wake up.

By the looks of it, Eth was fine with ending that conversation.

Long rest?

[Xihirli]

Long rest!

Boots was up bright and early, and was kissing her wife before her eyes were even open.
"Good morning everyone! Let's get out of this swamp before the sun sets, hey?"

[Valmark]

Kathleyîënis stirred and yawned, sitting up after kissing Alifa's nose.
"That would be great"

Tilly stood up, stretching and ready to go, amd even Johnny looked much less cranky after a good night of sleep. Still distrustful and looking like he hated the world, but that was kinda to expect.

Ethrindae stared into Boots' eyes with a smile upon waking up, and got to her feet.
"I know we've got a big deal of work ahead of us, but I'd like to take a walk first" she said, holding her right hand clenched into a fist with her left "I have come to the conclusion that there might be details of my past that you do not know, Boots. Details I think you should know as soon as... possible"
Her voice cracked a little at the end there. She started walking a little away, checking if Boots was coming or not.

[Xihirli]

Boots frowned and pulled Ethrindae close so she could hold her hand. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Whatever it is, I can help you fix it... right?" She did walk with Ethrindae to get privacy.


Alifa watched them go, and gripped Kat's hand. "Kat... am I... shutting Boots out more than I have to?" She asked. "I... I don't know if I'm... pushing her away because I'm doing what I have to do... of if I'm telling myself that because I'll feel guilty if she sees what I'm turning into." She burst into dark fire.
"The same blood flows through both of us... Tanaquill's, but in her it shone as a bright light, and in me... a dark scar. Why is that? Am I just... darker? Worse? More connected to death and shadow than light and laughter?" Alifa frowned.
"I... always knew I wasn't like her. But now I feel like this is the universe coming up and telling me... that she was the better sister... not just the different one..."

[Valmark]

"Don't worry... There's nothing to fix. Or rather, it's something you already fixed. I just... Realized you may not know me as well as I thought you did"

When they were far enough away, Ethrindae kept walking until she stopped in front of a dead tree, the torso had been broken leaving it in a rather sorry state.

"Have you wondered why Goenna knew me from the lives I took? Or why feys still don't like me even if the Monarchs forgave me? Or why I'm still such a villain to my people after so many years?" Ethrindae reached out, tearing of a piece of rotten bark from the tree.

"When my family died... I was like this tree. Broken. Rotted. Angry. And not just at the darklings. When I... When I was holding my sister's neck, I thought... Where were the feys when we needed them? Where was anybody?" she clenched her first, smashing the piece of bark.
"I blamed them. I blamed the darklings, the feys... This world. I conjured flames and attacked the Crossing we lived around. Torched it and all the magical vegetation around it to the ground. But... I didn't stop there" Ethrindae pulled her hand away from Boots for the next part.

"For years, I... The me from back then... Punished the feys that had betrayed me on that day. From the smallest pixie to even a nymph, I would catch them and kill them. Painfully if I could. Before Nabar found the broken elf lying in a pool of the blood of her last victim, I lied to, tortured and murdered darklings and feys alike- I'd not stop to anything, especially since many were stronger the I was. I would seek them out and like it- I thought they deserved it for the pain I had been through" she torn off another another piece of bark and handed it over to Boots. Turning to look at her, her features were stone cold but her eyes had welled with tears, a shaking hand hid behind her back.

"Here. This... Is what you married" Ethrindae stated "Or at least what I used to be. A putrefying, rotted shadow of a living being"
"And why would that make you worst then your sister?" Kat hugged Alifa's Shadow Form "Aside from the fact that I really liked the last time you took this form... It's all up to how you use your powers. And that's important. You're not becoming a monster, Lif. You've got way too much conscience for that" she stated, giving Alifa a little peck on the cheek "As for Oots... I... Don't think I can reply to that. It's obvious she wouldn't approve of meeting up with devils and such, but she's been pushing past that whenever she had to. Wasn't so disgusted of death with Dethera right?" Kat chuckled.

"I think what should be asked is... Do you want her to partecipate? You wouldn't have these thoughts if you were fine with sidelining your sister, but it's also clear you want to be able to make your choices. But... Maybe you really want to make your choices with your sister, but also feel like she will try to stop you. Which has happened, can't fault you that. Maybe... You would like to see her as happy for you as you are whenever you make a breakthrough? But you're worried the look on her face will be one of fear?"

The Nightmare snorted, hearing all that spiel, and walked over to Alifa lying down next to her. Johnny merely waited staring at the houri/wizard/warlock/death goddess.
"Maybe he's got something to say?"

Peter teleported on Alifa's head.
I'm not scared of you! I think you're cool! And I'm the one that should be scared if anybody, I'm so weak!

[Xihirli]

Boots stared at the piece of wood. Didn't take it. She shook her head as tears free-flowed down her face. "No... no, no... Mokart? If you've invaded my wife to make her say such terrible things I'll do... whatever I have to to get her back."
Boots stumbled back, half in denial. "Ethrindae wouldn't do those things. She's gentle and sweet and kind and... my wife... wouldn't do that."
"How could you be so sweet, then?" Boots challenged, as if trying to disprove that Ethrindae had gone on a killing spree. "How could you always think about what's right, and your duty, and healing?If you did this, how did you make me a better person?"
Her wings drooped, then faded.
"...Did you?"


Alifa smiled down at Peter and gave him scritches. Then she grabbed Kat and gave her a long kiss.
"I... am not a monster," she repeated. "And I won't let this war turn me into one. There will be compromises, and I'll make them, but I'll try to keep my soul as intact as I can."
She stepped up to Johnny. Sorry, I'm sure you must be aching to get that Magic Circle dispelled. Let's get started on the Planar Binding, shall we?
She left her cloak of shadows where it was.
It was, after all, supremely cool.

[Valmark]

"Because... I've changed" Ethrindae looked down at the broken piece of tree. She looked almost wounded, but not surprised, that Boots didn't accept it.

"Nabar, Oegh, Ronald, Elwina, Xvkhimeras... They were instrumental in making me into who I am now. But I'm almost as old as Queen Lucilla herself, Boots. There's about fifty years of difference, give or take. I've seen and done a lot of things compared to shorter lived races, even if I still have most of my lifespan in front of me. And most of my adult life... Was spent doing things I'm not proud of. But I had others to help me be a better person" she looked back up to Boots.

"Either you were always a better person... Or I made you better, in which case... You should believe others made me into someone better then I was"

Everything alright?
Came in Tilly's voice.
Actually, I was going to tell you to stop whining. With a bit more words. But since you came to a decision I doubt you're interested in what I had to say. Yes, Planar Bind me.

Kat took out her journal to take notes of Alifa's spell. But first she briefly touched her lips where the kiss had been.
Clearly Hootie said something funny because she giggled and then was back to focusing on Alifa's magic.

[Xihirli]

For a second, Boots's wings came back out. She looked up at the skies, and then shook her head and dismissed her wings again.
I am not a coward, she thought to herself.
"Why... why didn't you tell me?" Boots asked, rubbing a few tears away. There was no point... more just followed.


Alifa, shrouded in darkness, floated up a little bit, her wings flapping powerfully to keep her in place.
"As your contract with the Abyss Scar, I bind you," she began, and chanted out magically. As she did, the fire wreathing the nightmare's body darkened, slowly shifting in color until it became a bright, burning blue on the dark skin of the Nightmare.
"While we fight on the same side, you are to take no actions to harm or kill myself or those I call friend," Alifa declared, as Johnny's most important order.
"No matter what order I give you for the rest of your time under this spell, I hereby grant you permission to defy any order that you can honestly describe as suicidal. We will be in dangerous situations, and I expect you to participate in them, but if I give you a command that goes past this and would almost certainly result in your death, you need not obey it."
And Alifa continued the binding.

[Valmark]

"Honestly... I thought you knew. Fiamma has seen everything I did through my eyes- in fact, was it not for her still fueling my body I'd have died a long time ago" Ethrindae said "Even Goenna mentioned she knew me from all my victims... Feys don't stick around gods' afterlives, but enough blood and the goddess of death and despair is going to notice apparently" she lowered her gaze back to the piece of bark.

"When I realized that after all, you may have been in the dark about it... The first thing I did was tell you. Well, after sleeping"
The Nightmare stomped the ground nervously as his flames changed colors- last time he had been transformed, it had been a life-changing experience. But it didn't hurt, and Johnny stayed still- merely nodded at Alifa's words. Those were acceptable terms.

[Xihirli]

"I thought Goenna meant your family..." Boots fell down onto her knees. "Ethrindae... this is... I didn't expect this. And... I need time, okay? Before I say anything about this again."


"Then stand at my side and travel with my companions, Johnny." The blue overtook the Nightmare, completing the binding.
Alifa smiled to the Nightmare. "Alright... let's dispel that Magic Circle, shall we?" She approached it, examining it for any peculiarities.

7th level Planar Binding. Lasts 30 days.

[Valmark]

Ethrindae nodded "That's understandable" she simply said "I'll... Give you some space" with a spell, she coated herself in shadows and wandered off.

It's a Pass Without Trace spell.

Tilly wandered in at about the time Ethrindae left.
You... Weren't replying. Everything good?
Alifa, Kathleyîënis, Johnny, Hootie and Peter entered the ruins.

The ruined passages were once probably richly decorated, but they were so old now that anything beautiful about them had been long destroyed.

Inhuman wailing could be heard coming from deeper in- hearing that, Johnny rolled his eyes annoyed. It was a very weird movement coming from the horse-looking creature.

Alifa heard skittering in the shadows as she went in, spotting the shadow of a large spider running behind a wall. Before long, they emerged into a grand hall dug into the hill- it looked like the ruins of an ancient temple, with large stairs that led to a center square. Massive webs coated the walls, floor and ceiling, and spiders the size of donkeys crawled along the suspended webs.
Kathleyîënis shivered.
"I'm not afraid of spiders, but those are a lot"

The inhuman wailing came from within a door that was at the center of the plaza.

Imagine a greek teather. Semicircle, with large stairs that double as seats and a rectangular square at the base. On the opposite side of the stairs there's the door with the wailing.

[Xihirli]

Without a word, Boots gripped Tilly close and began to weep.


Alifa pursed her lips, and summoned Illumi-Naughty to lead the way, with extra starlight to make sure they could see.
"Lead the way and open the door," she commanded the Star Spawn, falling in line about twenty feet behind him.

[Valmark]

Tilly lowered a wing in the imitation of an hug, but otherwise nothing was going to disturb Boots for a while.
A spider started climbing down, and Kat immediately nailed it to the roof with an arrow.

That seemed to scare the spiders a whole lot, as they started scattering around- pouring into crevices in the wall, the thirty or so donkey sized spiders disappeared from view.
"Uh. I actually preferred when they were all where I could see them"

Illumi-naughty threw the door open, which led into a fairly large room- the first thing they could notice was the quite obvious magic circle in the middle of the room. It was red, it pulsed, and lightning cracked anything nearby. A specter of a young guy hovered above it- upon spotting them, it let out an inhuman cry and surged forward.

It's... A specter. I'm not gonna roll initiative for that, only Peter and Hootie can't solo it. Do whatever you want with it.

The second detail was an enormous shrine dedicatad to what... Looked like a massive, massive worm with many spider-like legs- it had three heads, one with a leonine mouth, one with a squid's beak and one like a leech's. Feathery and leathery wings adourned its back in a messy, uneven pattern, and the front legs ended in crab's claws while the tail had three ends, one with a wasp's stinger, one with a scorpion's, and one with an ankylosaurus' mace. Lastly, tentacles marked the space between the wings and the legs.
"Rova. God of monsters"

Around the immense statue, a stone circle had been but- instead of a stone floor there was simple ground. Homewever, something or someone had completely smashed the stones forming the circle savagely.

[Xihirli]

"Let's dispel the circle and get out of here," Alifa suggested, blasting the spectre to pieces with rifts in reality that left behind the distinct odor of rotting flesh. She pointed at the Magic Circle and struck at it with black, sizzling lighting tearing away at the magic.

Dispel Magic, level five.
If necessary, Intelligence: [roll0]

[Valmark]

The circle cracked and roared in madness and hunger, but then was completely extinguished by Alifa. Impossible to tell what it was supposed to do before the wizard Johnny talked about messed with it.

Speaking of, the Nightmare took off galloping out of the temple as soon as he felt free again.

Kathleyîënis though approached the stone circle and Rova's statue.
"Rova's the patron of unintelligent monsters and similar. Who would ever build a shrine to it?"

[Xihirli]

"I'm also very curious, Kat," Alifa said. "But right now... I think my sister really needs me. Can we go back to her, let her cry herself out, and then come back with a united group before we poke too many things?"


She smiled and took Alifa's hand. Peter, I need you to find Boots.
And she led the way back to roughly their campsite, ready to veer toward her sister.

[Valmark]

Peter teleported out.

When Alifa and Kat exited into the square, they felt a ticking sound. Like very, very sharp and thin spikes hitting the ground rythmically, the sound moved from in front of them to the side.

Kat was holding Alifa's hand reeeeal tight, not turning to try and look at the sound's source. Not that there was anything to be seen anyway.

[Xihirli]

Alifa frowned and cast See Invisibility on herself, peering toward the sound to get a look at it.

And if that doesn't work... detect thoughts?

[Valmark]

Alifa stared into a bulbuous eye bigger then her head.

If the spiders from before were donkey-sized, this one? This one was as big as a tirannosaurus. It was massive, and had a weird pattern on its abdomen depicting a tear with a multitude of voracious mouths covering it- the spider itself though, except for the size, seemed normal enough.

Oh and the fact that it was invisible.

Upon seeing Alifa cast the spell, the spider backed off along the wall- it moved with surprising grace, almost like an ice skater, as it effortlessly rested on the wall holding eye contact with Alifa. It clearly knew she could see it, even if she hadn't reacted to it.

[Xihirli]

Greetings, Alifa thought to it. She had Illumi-Naughty come up to stand between them and the spider. Can I help you? I promise, if you want to eat us we're more trouble than we're worth.

She held Kat a bit closer, and sprouted her wings with dark fire sprouting from her.

[Valmark]

"W-what's happening?"

The spider shook its head, though it looked less like a no and more like shaking your head annoyed by a fly buzzing around it. It jumped and landed lightly on the ground, though it was enough to make Kat jump back- and if that wasn't enough, the spider let out a loud pitched cry that really made Kathleyîënis shiver.

Following the cry, spiders crawled out of a hole- there were three of them, and they were 'carrying' among a bed of webs a mask. It... Looked made out of skin, with four spider eyes that looked way too real, meant to cover the upper half of the head.

In fact, it really looked like more of a sliced off face then a mask.
They carried it in front of Alifa.

"Uh. Those... Actually don't look that scary" Kathleyîënis said, relaxing now.
"Maybe don't wear it blindly though"

[Xihirli]

Alifa used her Mage Hand to pick up the mask.
"I don't know if I have ten minutes to spare identifying this," Alifa said to Kat.
Do you need me to put this on now? Is this supposed to be a way we can communicate? Or is this a message from someone that I can read at my leisure?

[Valmark]

The spider didn't reply, instead it lifted one of its legs -which looked razor sharp- and simply scratched its head after Alifa's telepathy.

It didn't seem capable of understanding Alifa's telepathy. It was definitely smart enough to recognize spells and offer things though.

The smaller ones rapidly retreated from the room.

Found Boots! Peter contacted Alifa at that point She's with Tilly, crying her eyes out.

Or at least I assume Boots is there. It's really just been a few minutes over all.

[Xihirli]

Alifa lifted the mask and nodded to the spider, then moved to simply walk away with it. "Thank you," she said, and waited to see if it would stop her.
If the spider stops me, I think it needs me to wear the mask for us to communicate AND needs me in front of her.

[Valmark]

So there IS an invisible spider! Kat cast See Invisibility real quick, looking at the spider before turning back towards the exit Much better. What if it let's you go fearing you'd turn hostile? I did shot one of them when it started advancing on us. Which I feel guilty about now. she glanced back at the spider.

I doubt it's going to leave though, so we might as well regroup and identify the mask then come back here.

Then Kathleyîënis looked around.
There's no way a spider of that size could come in or leave.

[Xihirli]

Alifa nodded and lifted the mask so the spider could see, making sure there was no reason to think she was trying to steal it, and led Kat to where Peter said Boots was.

Boots was still holding Tilly tight, so Alifa gently rubbed her shoulder and took Tilly's spot hugging her sister. Boots's knees quaked and she fell, pulling Alifa down with her so both houri were on their knees.
"Eth... Eth..."
"Shh... it's okay," Alifa whispered. "I know."
"You didn't... tell me?" Boots started another round of tears.
Alifa patted her back and frowned. "I... wanted her to tell you, when she was ready," Alifa explained.
Boots seemed to accept this, and just cried for another ten minutes.

"It's... mom's done worse things."
"And Aunt Titania. And both of our maternal grandmothers. And Malyanna, and Krika, and Zariel, and Baba Yaga, and Tasha, and any number of people our family has gotten along with."
"I just..." Boots sobbed and snot ran down her nose from the crying. Alifa Prestidigitized her clean.
"She made me better."
"Yes. She did," Alifa confirmed. "So, what? So she's supposed to be better than mother and all of them?"
Boots nodded, then hid her face in Alifa's neck.
"Boots... she is. She is better than mother, or Malyanna, or Zariel, as a person. But that doesn't mean she ALWAYS was. No one is born perfect, Boots. Not me, not you, not Ethrindae. But weren't you listening at all when Lala was telling us about his story? About Zenov, who was used as a puppet by a goddess and tried to throw himself into lava? About Malyanna, who was tortured into a genocidal monster but fought against Tren Krom at the very end? About mother, who was spinning her wheels in misery and self-pity before she met Lala? About Krika, who served the Abolethic sovereignty and had distinct memories of being Tren Krom for most of her life?"
"Yeah? What about them?"
"All of them became better. Because Lala was the first person they'd met in a long time... in some cases in all their lives... who believed they could. Everyone can become better if they try. And a lot of the time, all they need to encourage them to try is someone who believes in them. They all wanted to be better. Ethrindae wanted to be better so much she became the wonderful woman you married. The woman who wants to hold you close, save the world from the darkrot, and have a family with you. Whatever she was in the past, that's who she is now. That's who you married. And all she needs to keep being that wonderful person is someone who believes she can be."
Alifa tightened her hug on her sister.
"Do you think you can be that that for her?"
"That won't bring those feys back..."
"No, it won't. Nothing will except maybe a Wish. But those deaths aren't on your conscience. They're on hers. And she's now devoted her life to saving others, to ending the dark rot so that no one will end up in the same situation she was in at her darkest. Maybe she'll save more lives than she took. Maybe she won't. The point is she's trying."
Boots didn't say anything.
"Do you love her, Boots?"
"Of course I love her."
"Well... you should probably tell her that. Because right now... I don't think she's sure."

Boots tightly smiled at Alifa and stood up.
"Eth?" she called.

[Valmark]

There was no reply from Ethrindae. Either she was very well hidden and for some reason she didn't reply or Eth had walked out of earshot.

Based on Boots' nutial ring Ethrindae was healthy though, so probably hadn't wondered far. At least before Alifa disrupted the magic circle.

"Maybe she's going to be waiting for us back at the camp? That's where she and I left our stuff, so she'd be sure we'd be passing by there" Kat suggested "I don't think Eth would have ignored Oots' tears this much time had she been here all along"

[Xihirli]

Boots nodded and held Alifa's hand all the way back to camp.
"We should wait for Johnny there, too... there might be new information about this place we should investigate," Alifa said, referencing the mask.
Boots craned her neck looking for her wife as they approached. "Eth?" She called again.

[Valmark]

Ethrindae was there. She didn't reply, busy as she was trancing on her bedding- Johnny was there as well, sitting next to her. By the looks of it he had been running, as his body had clearly swet a lot, and Eth had filled a bowl for him to drink from.

More importantly, her eyes looked swelled like someone who cried a lot, though Ethrindae had clearly cleaned herself up carefully. Resting in front of her was the piece of rotten bark she had offered to Boots.

Upon hearing the paladin's voice her ear twitched, but Ethrindae didn't open her eyes.

[Xihirli]

Boots knelt down next to her and picked up the rotted bark. She pressed it between her hands and then touched it to the ground. Light shone between her fingers and roots sprouted from the branch, digging into the soil. Green returned to it, and rot receded slowly until a healthy sapling was ready to grow.
"This is what I married," Boots said simply, and kissed her wife. Gently, and sweetly. Perhaps the least hungry kiss Ethrindae had ever gotten from Boots.

[Valmark]

Arms hugged Boots. Ethrindae opened her eyes and looked into Boots', and smiled.
"I'm sorry for not telling you before marrying you. But I'm NOT sorry I married you. I love you"

That was about everything Ethrindae had to say, unless you counted the tighest hug she had ever given Boots.

Johnny annoyedly stood and blinked out of existence, though Alifa could see him since her spell was still going, as he trotted away from the happy couple before crossing into the Material again a dozen feet away.

[Xihirli]

Alifa got out her pearl snd started identifying the mask, figuring giving them ten minutes should be enough.

Boots held Ethrindae tight against herself.
"I love you, too."
She held her wife like that for much of the ten minutes before she took a bit of a step back.
"I’m really grateful Alifa tracked me down. It would have taken me hours to sort through my feelings without her help." She smiled at her little sister.
"Your past is your burden, though I’ll help bear it in any way I can. Your future… is my future." She kissed her wife again. "I hope our children grow up to be a lot like you. Not totally… they should be their own people. But a lot."

[Valmark]

"I don't. A gaggle of tiny Clephesia Juniors sound perfect" Ethrindae joked mouthing a 'thank you' to Alifa. But otherwise she just wanted to hold her wife and never let go again.

Blessing of Rova's Spider Matron

This mask carries the blessing of the god of monsters. It let's the wielder capable of producing and understanding the sounds and movements of all the creatures that Rova is a patron of- giant spiders, manticores, worms, cockatrices, and so on. It also confers a few bestial abilities and features. It is meant to be a way for a chosen few to interact with the hidden nature of Rova's servants.

Requires Attunement from someone who has languages and was gifted the Blessing willingly.


The wearer of this mask grows additional spider eyes- they have Blindsight up to 10 feet, advantage on Perception checks and cannot be surprised.

Additionally, sharp spider legs grow from their back- they gain a Climb speed equal to their movement speed, and the legs can be used as weapons. They count as two Light weapons with the Finesse property, that deal 1d8 slashing or piercing damage (whichever is more favorable) and can be dual wielded. They can also be used as a reaction to gain either a +2 AC bonus against an attack (by using them as a shield) or a +4 save bonus on Dex saves (using them to glide out of danger). Lastly, wearer ignores difficult terrain and gains a +10 movement speed.

Finally, the wearer can modify their body to be able to move and emit sounds required to 'talk' with Rova's servants- she might grow a lion's maw to roar against a manticore for example, or grow an ant's stinger to lift it to threaten a giant ant, or grow a peacock's tail to strut around a one-hundred eyed peacock, and so on. This feature is common to all of Rova's Blessings.

[Xihirli]

"...huh," Alifa said. "I don't know if I want to wear this, but for now, it seems like it only lets me communicate. I'll focus on attuning to this." She put the mask on and started to meditate.
She explained the details to Kat over telepathy.

"Oh, my Aunt Clephesia would love to meet them!" Boots said, exuberant. She was not going to be the first of the Elevenyenns to let go.

[Valmark]

That mask is weird. Kat thought back, just observing what Alifa was doing.

"So... you are the Clephesia Junior. I'm right in saying you'd be adorable to have around"


Over the course of an hour, Alifa felt the mask attach to her face- to the point that the skin felt like hers. Blinking, she realized she could see and control all of the four additional eyes- in the latter half she felt her skin tear apart. But weirdly, as if numbed, there was no pain as the spider legs sliced their way out of her back.

They looked sharp enough to cut a leaf in mid-air, and Alifa could control them as if they had always been a natural part of her body, walking around without an issue.

Kathleyîënis looked at Alifa's new look with a mixed expression.

[Xihirli]

Alifa climbed partially up a tree on her new legs.

"You look a little terrifying, Lif."
"I often do... Kat, is something wrong? You look... I don't want to guess."

[Valmark]

Much like the spider was, Alifa may have been terrifying but her movements were light as a feather, almost like a dancer.

Well, aside from her human legs which didn't really have any grip out of the ground.

"Does it hurt?" Ethrindae asked, not THAT concerned about Alifa's appearance. Her Steeds never looked good.
"I... Uh... You see... Ugh..." Kathleyîënis struggled for words, then simply shot a Message to Alifa.

You look dangerous. And that... Feels a little bit like when you used Bloodlust Kat cast her eyes down to the ground.
Though I still prefer your base look, this... Isn't... Bad. if she had more to say, Kathleyîënis ran out of words. And probably was too embarassed to elaborate further, at least in front of Boots and Ethrindae.

[Xihirli]

Alifa practiced with her spider legs by using them all the way back toward where that spider had given the mask to her.

"It doesn't hurt... I just hope it still doesn't when I take this off later. I think the spiders know what's wrong with this place... maybe we can help them."
"Do you think they'll help us against the darklings?"
"I'm not sure if we even want them to... monstrosities can only fight up close, most of them, and that's where the darklings excel at their corruption. They'd be too easily forced to switch sides. No... I want to help because it's the right thing to do."
Boots smiled at that, and followed Alifa back to where she'd met the spider.

[Valmark]

Back in the square, unlike earlier the spiders weren't in hiding- while the group coming in caused them to scatter, they mostly rised along the walls or ceiling, or even just went to the corners of the room keeping their distance.

The invisibility seemed to have ran out, because the spider matron was in plain view now, staring into Alifa's eyes with hers. Homewever she wasn't in the central square, rather had retreated into the shrine where she towered rested on Rova's statue, in the center of the destroyed stone circle.

She greeted Alifa upon seeing her. It... Wasn't really talking. More like a combination of sounds and movements with her abdomen and legs to express concepts- Alifa didn't hear words, she just... Understood the message.
Greetings. You... Calmed the magic. Thank you.

"It's not getting aggressive, right?" "I think the smaller ones wouldn't just leave us be if their leader was angry with us" Eth reassured Kat.

I'll use underscore to express what Alifa understands in words so it's easier to read, but remember that there's no word actually being talked. Nor would Alifa say anything to communicate with the spider, but rather use/conjure the necessary body parts to send a message.

[Xihirli]

Alifa approached and responded in kind with almost a dance.
The Magic Circle, yes. It's gone. Can you tell me what happened to this land?

[Valmark]

Wizard. Messed the magic circle the spider depicted a make-believe circle on the ground It mixed with The End's magic. All were filled with hunger. With rage.

'The End' was expressed by double tapping on Rova's statue. It seemed to be Rova's name according to the spider.

I couldn't calm the magic. My mind would be wiped had I went too close. You did in our stead. Thank you.

[Xihirli]

So... we already fixed the problem then? Alifa drummed out.
Glad we could help, thank you for reaching out. My bed-mate is sorry that she injured one of your kin... if you can bring them forward, my sister can heal whoever got hurt.

Alifa thought to the others. It seems like we're done here. Boots, can you heal a spider? And then we can go.

I assume there's no spider concept of a "girlfriend" Alifa can communicate.

[Valmark]

Yeah, not really.

My kin wished to kill you. It is regrettable but fair the matron replied It is dead. We shall mourn then put it where others will consume the body. there wasn't a whole lot of hostility coming from the spider, though she clearly didn't like what Kat did.

[Xihirli]

Oh. Okay... well, I'm glad we could help. We'll be on our way. May the End guide your steps.
Alifa flew over to Johnny and mounted up on the blue nightmare for the first time.
"Let's go, all."
"What about the spider?"
"It's dead." Alifa helped Kat mount up behind her. "To the mountains!"

And the party, Boots and Ethrindae on a celestial and Alifa and Kat on a fiend, took to the skies.

[Valmark]

It was the first time Alifa saw Johnny fly.
He didn't have wings and did not need them- his hooves left burning footprints in the sky as he galloped, riding on a bed of heat through the day. He and Tilly were more or less equally fast, with Tilly occupying a bit more space due to the wingspan.

With their speed, the group could see the mountains before long- they glistened under the sun, the never melting frost of the Ice Maws shining light, even a little annoying to look at.
"With a magical gate leading to a land of eternal cold it could kinda make sense that the ice doesn't melt despite the heat. By the way" Kat poked one of Alifa's spider legs "Does it tickle?"

[Xihirli]

"No, there's chitin in the way that keeps it from tickling me," Alifa explained. She took off the mask and grimaced as the legs receded.
"It was a weird feeling... I didn't hate it, but I'm not going to wear the mask around much," Alifa said. "Plus being able to climb really good isn't that helpful when I can fly."
Eddie, what have you got on the Shadowlands so far?

Boots, for the trip, was actually seated behind Ethrindae, and took full advantage of this to hug her wife and leave little kisses on the back of her neck.

[Valmark]

As Alifa went to remove the mask, she searched around her head but could not find the part where the border of the mask should have been.

There was only her face.

Ethrindae though meanwhile was super happy.

[Xihirli]

"Gods damn... BOOTS!" Alifa called.
Boots swooped in closer on Tilly, looking to Alifa with interest. "What is it, Lif?"
"This thing's cursed."
"On it!" Boots shot a rainbow out of her hand at Alifa, and the mask peeled off easily.

Distant Remove Curse.

Alifa took it in her hands and stuffed the mask in her portable hole.
"Thanks, Boots!"
"No problem!" And Boots went back to coating her wife's neck in kisses.

[Valmark]

"Yes... It was certainly weird" Kat nodded along "I hope it's not offensive if I say that you look better this way. What I talked to you about my... Reaction... I think I figured out what was it really about. But let's not talk about it right n-"

Kat didn't finish the sentence. As they got close to the Ice Maws, the sun setting, a massive ice boulder was hurled towards Tilly.

Attack roll!
[roll0] adv. [roll1]
Damage [roll2] bludgeoning damage. Upon Tilly getting hit, Ethrindae makes a [roll3] Athletics check to not start falling since there still ain't a saddle.

Tilly needs to make a DC 20 Strenght save to not go Prone and start plummeting down, and if she fails Ethrindae start falling either way. Boots has wings so who cares.

If Boots wishes to catch them it's an Athletics check (or for free if someone uses Feather Fall, since they aren't in danger then). Though Tilly *is* super heavy.

[Xihirli]

"Eth!" Boots called as Ethrindae fell from Tilly's back.
Alifa reached out and suddenly Ethrindae sank as if through water, still going down, but significantly more slowly.
"Tilly, get Ethrindae and onto solid ground!" Boots jumped off of her Pegasus's back, wings outstretched, searching for the source of the boulder and strapping on her shield.
Alifa also slipped off of her nightmare, strapping her shield on in a way that mirrored Boots. Johnny, bring Kat with you into the ethereal plane until she sees an opening. Keep her safe until she decides she wants to join the fight. And she followed behind Boots, flying with her blackened wings.

[Valmark]

As the nightmare disappeared, and Tilly raced to the ground, the light reflecting on the ice mountains made it hard to spot anything but the ice boulders that were coming straight for them.

Give me disadvantaged perception checks to spot the hurlers.

Also boulders on Boots and Alifa!
[roll0] [roll1] bludgeoning
[roll2] [roll3] bludgeoning

DC 20 Str save to not be knocked down.

We'll hold off for now regarding initiative.

[Xihirli]

Alifa started falling, but a second Feather Fall kept her from going too quickly down. "Keep going!" She yelled, righting herself sixty feet beneath Boots and following behind slowly.

Boots nodded, and the winds all about her picked up in a miniature cyclone that propelled her forward... and turned the air burning around her into a tornado of rainbow flame. She sped rapidly in the direction the boulders were coming from, a vortex of light and heat blazing up toward their assailants.

Casting Investiture of Air, activating Investiture of Flame. New fly speed is 60 feet, ranged attacks have disadvantage.

[Valmark]

It was about time for Boots to be able to see something- though not what she wanted. She spotted Kathleyîënis reappering on Johnny before she disappeared between the ice's lights, at a point a good three hundred feet away from where she was. She didn't see anybody there, but could tell where Kat disappeared to.

Alifa did not, as another boulder completely filled her field of view- Boots homewever noticed that it's trajectory was weird, not arched like you'd expect a thrown rock to have. More like as if it sought Alifa out.

Tilly meanwhile touched the ground and started flying along it.

Another Bouldy, Alifa.
[roll0], [roll1] bludgeoning damage
Blah blah strenght save blah blah

If anybody can cover the distance right now initiative, otherwise keep going like this.

[Xihirli]

Boots tucked in her wings and moved back down toward Alifa, who managed to avoid a boulder, and hugged her close with her free arm. They vanished in a shower of sparks, reappearing next to where Kat appeared.

Dimension Door.

Alifa: [roll0]
Boots: [roll1]

[Valmark]

Appearing next to a hidden valley between the icy peaks, rounding the corner Boots and Alifa came onto an ongoing battle.

Kathleyîënis, riding Johnny, was kiting around two mastodontic icy creatures- claws sharp as knives, thanks to her superior mobility they were having an hard time getting hold of her.

That changed as winds picked up- Kathleyîënis found herself shiver, before realizing that the winds were leaving her bleeding. The group soon realized that the 'winds' carried with them tiny, viper-like ice beasties that had bitten into her body. Before she got surrounded, out of the snow emerged a creature Boots and Alifa had yet to encounter.

Standing seven feet tall, an agile woman with a rat-like face, sharp-ish claws and a leather armor emerged from the snow as if she wasn't bothered in the least by it. With a leap she hoisted Kathleyîënis off of Johnny, pulling her out of the winds, and landed back on the ground with the elf in her arms. Aiming a crossbow, she shot into the empty space above Johnny.

"Explode"
The bolt detonated mid air, disperding the winds and the snakes- unfortunately Johnny was also thrown on the ground, though he seemed fine.

The ratfolk started speaking.
"You're a good shot, kid. But completely unsuited to the Maws- this isn't a fight we can p-" turning towards the newcomers, the woman sized Boots with her gaze and stared her up and down.
"Good warrior. I propose an alliance- I believe joining forced would be enjoyable for both parties. What do you say?"

She spoke in near perfect Sylvan when addressing Boots.

Alright so.

Kat and Imris are 30 feet off to the side, with Johnny 20 more closer to where the 'elementals' are.

The two big elementals themselves are 60 feet in front of Boots and Alifa. You know they are decent enough shots, though it looks like fighting up close may be what they're actually meant for.

[Xihirli]

"Sounds good!" Boots responded in casual sylvan.
"Leave one of the ice elementals alive," Alifa said, and pulled from the Far Realm Illumi-naughty, burning with wrathful fire and in the face of the ice elemental.
"Mgehye'bthnk! ah nafl ah'n'gha!" Attack! Do not kill! Alifa ordered it, and flew further away to avoid any melee.

Boots flared her fire up brighter and shot like a star in between the colossal ice elementals, her whip coming out to strike into it with light shimmering from it.

Tilly, go ahead and bring Eth up, the boulder throwers are now occupied.


Illumi-naughty
Whispering Aura (Start of its turn, enemy must make a Wis save to avoid
[roll0] Psychic

Attack! Extra d8 is fire!
[roll1]; [roll2]+[roll3]
[roll4]; [roll5]+[roll6]

Boots will Quicken Fire Shield (warm shield) and strike each one twice.
Elemental Left "Lefty," that Illumi-naughty is also fighting:
WHIP
[roll7]; [roll8]+[roll9]
[roll10]; [roll11]+[roll12]

Elemental Right "Righty:"
WHIP
[roll13]; [roll14]+[roll15]
[roll16]; [roll17]+[roll18]

[Valmark]

Wis saves! [roll0]
[roll1]

As only one claw got in, the group rapidly noticed that against the eternal frost of the ice golems fire was only so-so effective.

Resistant to fire! 18 misses, 20 hits.

The two golems seemed very unhappy that Boots got in the middle, and started trying to cut her apart with their claws- while the hits were powerful, Boots did have pretty good armor.

At the same time, winds picked up around Alifa- she felt tiny prickling sensations, and the snow around her body turned a little red as the snakes hiding within the winds bit at her skin.

Swarms do not miss after occupying your space, Alifa.

[roll2] cold damage, DC 17 Con save or be Restrained. If Restrained, become Paralyzed.

On Boots!
[roll3] [roll4] slashing and [roll5] cold damage
[roll6] [roll7] slashing and [roll8] cold damage
Add 11 Slashing and 7 cold damage to the crit.
[roll9] [roll10] slashing and [roll11] cold damage
[roll12] [roll13] slashing and [roll14] cold damage

Then it's you.


The ratfolk shot a crossbow bolt near Alifa, but it went too wide for her purposes.
"Fight the wind with explosions if you can, to disperse it. It'll take forever if you try to fight it normally"
Kat stood up, got back on Johnny, and figured she would be more useful running by Alifa pulling her onto the Nightmare and taking the air away from the snake swarm.

"I already hate this place"

Ethrindae and Tilly hadn't gotten there yet.

[Xihirli]

Alright so

[roll0] necrotic to the snakies
[roll1] fire to the golem who hit Boots twice
[roll2] fire damage to each golem that ends its turn within 5 feet of Boots or tries to move away from her.


Alifa opened her mouth and spit out black steam that circled with eyes of burning blue ember. They gathered around the icy winds and, as Illumi-Naughty vanished, the steam elementals pouring from Alifa's face exploded to vaporize the ice snakes in eight explosions of hot blue fire.

Boots smirked at the golems. "Hear that? My sister killed all your friends and now it's four to two!" The whip came out, swirling over her head to cut into both golems.


EIGHT 'SPLOSIONS ALL OVER THE SNEKYBOYS

[roll3] fire
[roll4] fire
[roll5] fire
[roll6] fire
[roll7] fire
[roll8] fire
[roll9] fire
[roll10] fire

Boots, keep up the fight! You got this! Everyone else will be with you in a second!
WHIP on lefty!
[roll11]; [roll12]+[roll13]
[roll14]; [roll15]+[roll16]
WHIP on righty!
[roll17]; [roll18]+[roll19]
[roll20]; [roll21]+[roll22]

[Valmark]

The first explosion scattered the winds, dispersing the snakes before they could go after anybody else.

It... Didn't look like the golems cared. They were probably incapable of such a thought.

It was at about that time that Tilly barged into the battlefield, Ethrindae on her. That seemed to trigger something in the golems- instead of continuing the fight, they simply disintegrated, the ice fragments falling to the ground- wind picked up, and the fragments started being lifted and scattered away and around.

Kat brought Johnny back to the ground, while Ethrindae rode up to Boots.

The ratfolk reloaded her crossbow, and turned to the group.

"And here I thought I was the only one stupid enough to come here. Though you don't look overly dressed for the occasion"

Everybody who doesn't have Resistance or Immunity to Cold will do a DC 10 Con check every hour to not attain a level of exhaustion. The DC will go up at set intervals (I don't think you'll be here long enough for the DC to go up, but who knows).

Kat's shadow armor shifted, turning into skin-thight studded leather armor with fur gloves, jacket, boots and collar.

[Xihirli]

Boots looked fine for the moment, and Alifa seemed pretty happy.

Boots resists cold for the next ten minutes, Alifa just does.

"Oh yeah... I guess we didn't think much about it being 'the winterlands...'" Boots confessed. "We're looking for the land of the ice giants. Where are you headed?"

Alifa nodded to her FLAMING HORSE. "Anyone who's having trouble with the cold, stick close to Johnny." She wrapped an arm around Kat. "I'm Alifa, this is Kat. The rainbow one is Boots, and coming in on the pegasus is her wife Ethrindae. And who might you be?"

[Valmark]

Johnny looked at Alifa like someone who missed the punchline of a joke.

Nightmares would still have trouble with cold. Their riders/those close to them too.

"My name's Imris. And... I was headed here" the huntress presented herself "I've been tracking my daughter down, and her trail led me here. But... It does seem like I bit off more then I could chew"

[Xihirli]

"Perhaps we can help," Alifa suggested. "Did she have an object she kept with her at all times?"
She turned toward Boots. "You do have that prepared, right?"
Boots nodded. "Yeah, I haven't changed my spells up much since I prepared that."

[Valmark]

"I do not believe she carries anything any longer" Imris said monotone, looking down at her crossbow.

Ethrindae seemed to pick up something on that.
"I think it could still be helpful if you joined us" she said "Our group has access to special senses beyond simple tracking, if you can't find her traces" making eye contact with Alifa, Eth brought a finger to her head.

"Even if that wasn't true, I'd still appreciate not having to hide from the monsters around here"

[Xihirli]

"Starting tomorrow, I can prepare locate creature," Alifa confirmed. "And I have telekinesis, but it doesn't let me detect people I can't see," Alifa explained to Ethrindae.

"What do you know about where your kid went?" Boots asked. "Don't you have any clues? Why come to the mountains in the first place?"

[Valmark]

"She might have found a cave or something that let's her check on things from safety- we used to live underground, and she never got used to it. In addition her eyesight used to be bad- I... Don't know if that's still the case" hearing that, Ethrindae nodded to herself.

"And I don't know. We... Haven't spoken in a while. A lot of what she does is a mistery to me"

"Should we find a spot to camp in, then? What are we looking for by the way?" Eth asked.
"Phisically, I mean. Do we know what exactly should we find?"

[Xihirli]

"To find the Winterlands? No, so Locate Creature may be helpful to locate the giants as well," Alifa said. "To find the child... a child, right?"
"She's talking about her daughter like she's an adult. Alifa, you can make a warm place to camp, right?"
Alifa nodded. "I can, but Johnny and Tilly can't fit."
"Tilly, take a break." Boots dismissed her.
Johnny, can you avoid the cold by resting in the ethereal plane?

[Valmark]

"An adult, yes. She should be around your age" the ratfolk sat down, chuckling "I may be old, but I think I'd be able to track down a child'
"You aren't that old, right? Still got plenty of life ahead of you. We should have about the same age in proportion" Ethrindae stated, sitting by Imris' side.
"Right... In proportion. But..." Imris stared at her crossbow again "Who knows what might happen before the end of this hunt"

Tilly was dismissed, Johnny went ethereal after replying I'll come back if it doesn't help and seeing Kat dismiss Hootie Peter told Alifa I think I'd like to take a break as well.

[Xihirli]

Alifa nodded and shunted Peter off to another dimension.
Then she sat down and a circle of black feathers surrounded them, slowly building up a translucent black barrier around them that would give them a warm place to talk and rest.
"Tomorrow, Lif can cast Locate Creature. If you don't have another way of tracking her, it would be best to rest," Boots said. "Eth, can you do your hide-thing around the hut, so no one finds it?"

[Valmark]

Imris nodded- and without laying down a bedroll or taking off her equipment, she simply laid on the snow, hands crossed under her chest. Her sleeping position made her seem dead, really.

Ethrindae started making her shadow dome.
"I'm not super sure it'll hide Alifa's barrier, though" she mentioned "I wonder why the golems ran. Maybe they just needed to confirm our numbers, or tryto shoot us out of the sky"