Silly Plots 4: It's not particularly silly, is it?

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

As he has few other options and no other leads, he follows the pooka into the woods, hand on his weapon as he looks this way and that at the scarecrows.

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

Less 'woods' in this case and more a creepy pumpkin patch that is giving way to a creepy cornfield.

As Adir approaches the scarecrows they seem to close ranks as if to prevent him from passing.

It's odd, though, since they didn't actually move. Adir is able to move past them without difficulty, though he'll feel their empty sockets glaring at him from behind.

Why does this dumb place have to be so spooky?

The corn stalks grow thicker and taller, soon stretching so high that one can't even see the sky anymore. Mist drifts between the sheaves.

Thankfully, the pooka is remaining close enough to Adir to keep an eye on him.

"So! Tell me about her," the pooka requests. "Tell me about this Cassie-As-Cute-As-Puppies. I want to know EVERYTHING about her. She sounds very important."

There's a compulsion behind that request. Adir promised the pooka anything. The pooka wants memories of Cassie.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir angles his way through the scarecrows like a man navigating a thick crowd, shuffling sideways, and pursues the pooka as best he can. He hears the compulsion and shakes his head... The pooka's not gonna get a ton out of Adir this way given his sheer willpower, but he does admit, "She's not that important... to anyone except us, I guess. She's my best girl. She's got lots of Frescot things like her dad... hooves and eyes and a great big smile..."

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

"So important to you! Your best girl. You love her so much that you would brave the wilds to find her," the pooka replies as he slinks between the corn stalks. "I can smell her, I'm sure. She came this way. But not down this path, oh no no no! The wilds wind and twist, you know. Twistier the further you stray from the road."

Then?

The corn field abruptly ends.

"Watch your step! Hehehe!"

The ground has been buckled upward a good eight feet, a fault line dipping into the earth. Where the cornfield ends a forest of huge red trees and fields of large clover begins. The pooka deftly hops off the precipice and lands daintily atop a strange rune-carved stone. In the distance, not too far, is a flight of concrete steps that look like they had been ripped from the front of a school. At the top of the flight is a set of double doors that look blackened, battered, and broken. The pooka peers back at Adir, waiting for him to make his way off the cliff and down to the forest floor.

"She was here, do you feel it? Her hoofprints in the soil. A cat found her. What a dreadful fate!"

[Morty]

[Mountain Trip]

Calm Reed, born Peleps Lorana, monk of the Immaculate Order and member of Vigil is here on... a field trip. Dressed in her robe and straw hat and carrying a bundle of supplies with her, she looks almost leisurely. "Here" is a path winding its way through a forest, before climbing up towards the uninviting, sheer slope of a mountain. Calm Reed chose this locale for teaching St. Lazarus some important lessons about the Earth Dragon style, which she doesn't think she can deliver properly in the skybase.

The monk is marching towards the crossroads on the edge of the forest, where the path can lead left towards the nearest settlement, downwards to the lowlands (where Calm Reed arrived from) or upwards to the mountain - their destination. The two people accompanying her here shouldn't be far behind.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir hops down the eight foot gap. He's no stranger to acrobatics. He looks at the Pooka suspiciously, ice blue eyes unblinking, then lifts his face to the air. "Yeah... yeah I think I can..." Adir can be heard sniffing the air. "Your services will no longer be required."

He goes to stride past the Pooka in the direction of Cassie's scent. That's her all right. Daddy's coming.

[Rebonack]

[The Enchanted Forest]

"Aaww, are you sure?" the pooka laments as Adir strides past.

He can certainly smell the child.

She was here.

She walked up those stairs.

And she touched that stone the pooka is perched on.

And then the smell is just...

Gone.

There's the smell of something else here, too. A feline smell. Of shadows and moonlight. It is heaviest on and around the stairs, but like Cassie's scent it just abruptly ends. As if they had been plucked up and placed elsewhere as opposed to wandering off.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir gets down and sniffs the ground. He was close. He had to be. The pooka is ignored.

Crouched like an animal, he's gonna follow the cat's smell until it leads him back to Cassie. If that works. If it can. Or until he can wring this cat's neck to get his daughter back.

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

The trail leads around the stairs.

Up the stairs.

Down the stairs.

And back to the rune-carved stone the pooka is perched on.

Then it stops.

As if Cassie and the cat had just been spirited away to somewhere else.

Which...

Given that fact that this is an Enchanted Forest?

That probably isn't too far from the truth.

"Finding anything?" the pooka asks, a hint of excitement in his voice. This is fun!

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir stands at the apex of the trail and looks at the pooka. "Where does this door go?" He walks over and touches the stone the pooka is perched on.

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

The apex of the stairs?

Where the ruined door is?

"Back to the waking world," the pooka replies, still daintily balanced on one hoof. "Some stairs are made every time someone creates a threshold. But it looks like that one was ruined from the other side."

Indeed.

The door looks like it has had a pretty bad day, considering how blackened, warped, and rusted it is.

Like someone set a bomb off on the door.

Then a stone is touched! Adir will be able to sense some vague awareness within it. The stone wants to know if Adir wants to go somewhere else. If he does, there's a toll to pay.

One memory he cherishes.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Damn it. Adir doesn't want to have to give up memories to this place. He has to find another way... another cost he can pay. He tells the stone no deal, unless it can beg some other price. He thinks these things very hard at it.

"What do you mean sometime anyone creates a threshold? Did Cassie pass through here before it... got wrecked like this? Does that mean she's back in the real world?"

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir will get the distinct impression of the stone laughing at him. It shares a memory, from the perspective of a small child.

A memory of a secret.

A precious memory.

A great hiding spot amidst the roots of a tree.

A tree in his back yard.

A memory given to the stone by Cassie.

It would appear as though Cassie cut a deal with this stone.

"Hmm? No, I don't think so," the pooka reasons, staring up at the door. "That threshold must have been ruined YEARS ago. How long ago was Cassie-Cute-As-Puppies lost?"

[Murkus]

[The Enchanted Forest]

Oh, that pisses him off. Adir's eyes narrow in rage. "Move your ass," he tells the pooka, taking a step back from the stone. He draws an item from his tool kit - an iron hammer and spike. He goes to take these to the stone. He thinks very hard at the rock: Give Cassie her memories back and take me to her or I'm going to break you into little pieces and scatter you so no one ever finds you again.

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

The pooka is rather unceremoniously shoved off the waystone.

Thankfully the creature is quite agile and manages to land deftly on the forest floor.

"Hey! Rude."

He doesn't seem terribly happy about being pushed.

The waystone once again laughs as Adir.

What should it care about being destroyed? It has an awfully boring role. It's a ROCK! Destroying it just means it gets a NEW role. Probably one way more interesting than being a rock.

Uh oh.

It sounds like the stone is unmoved by your threat, Adir.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir looks at the thing. This is worth some consideration. Eventually he drops his body into a squat and tries to take it from the earth where it sits, heaving it up onto one shoulder. The man can lift cars, he can handle a few hundred pounds. He looks at the pooka. "Where's the nearest lake?" If he can't destroy it, he's going to put it where it can sit and rot for a good long while where no one but fish can reach it. Or... other... water things. But why would they need a way stone?

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[Mountain Trip]

Calm Reed, born Peleps Lorana, monk of the Immaculate Order and member of Vigil is here on... a field trip. Dressed in her robe and straw hat and carrying a bundle of supplies with her, she looks almost leisurely. "Here" is a path winding its way through a forest, before climbing up towards the uninviting, sheer slope of a mountain. Calm Reed chose this locale for teaching St. Lazarus some important lessons about the Earth Dragon style, which she doesn't think she can deliver properly in the skybase.

The monk is marching towards the crossroads on the edge of the forest, where the path can lead left towards the nearest settlement, downwards to the lowlands (where Calm Reed arrived from) or upwards to the mountain - their destination. The two people accompanying her here shouldn't be far behind.

Mountain Trip

Fidelia's just a hop, skip or jump behind, dressed in her usual levels of casual wear - that is, a pleasant combo of a shirt skirt and comfy sweater over warm stockings and hiking boots. Her hands are busy tugging on the straps of an adventuring backpack she's borrowed from VIGIL's supply depot as she marvels at the trees around them, taking in the greenery with eyes clearly unused to such abundance. Perhaps enough to make her lag behind, in fact.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Burglars for JUSTICE!]

Fayyaad stays on the ground and watches Cantata's back in case it's needed. She seems to know what she's doing.

Burglars for JUSTICE!

Cantata looks a little disappointed, but acknowledges Fayyaad with a nod. Seems like they'll have to do this the less subtle way. Clipping the device on the rope to her belt, she reaches up and begins to climb, motioning for Fayyaad to stay if he attempts to follow. If she's got to swing over to the window, it won't do to have someone else beneath her.

Cantata will move to check the second window, and then the third if everything looks all clear and not worthy of any note. The third is more active and probably not a wise choice of entry, but better to know of any danger than get caught unawares. Although she'll be more cautious with the third.

[Burglarizing for JUSTICE!]

At the main entrance...

The cube bobs up and down briefly in what is probably a nod. "I say, that'd be awfully sporting of you, my friend! If you'd be so kind as to open the doors, then I can merrily blast away any crooks that present themselves to us. Rather a bother you see, for the longest time I had no idea what my different faces did, but nowadays I know that some of them are quite lethal!"

Seemingly content and assurred that Wren is on the level, Cubert starts floating across the drawbridge, assuming he'll follow along. What awaits them is the first of many insurpassable obstacles for the poor cube - a heavy wooden door with an old black iron handle.

Meanwhile, round the back...

Aside from a faint amount of blue still leaking out of the third floor, the fort remains silent. Cantata's careful positioning of the rope means they have easy access to second or third floor windows, or the roof, without being spotted before they look inside. Take your pick.

[Burglarizing for JUSTICE!]

Wren follows the the cube, keeping a wary eye on the ground for any disturbances that might indicate the presence of more buried mines. A careful magical eye. And then they come on the door! Well, Wren doesn't have a 10-foot pole, so his sword will have to do. He'll poke at the door and the handle a bit with the sword, to make sure it isn't trapped (he's proper paranoid about those by now thanks to the mines, you see) and then, assuming there aren't any, he'll gladly make use of what Cubert has not to grab the handle with both hands and attempt to wrench it open.

[Zefir]

"We will." Spike looks back at the little ship, skeptical.
"You know how to fly it?"

Meanwhile, Spot creeps forwards to investigate the noise.

[The Underground]

Me looks at the ship while thinking. The whole setup and technologie might be simular to somethign she knows, but with her knowledge of the race who build it she's not sure she can handle it.
"I have to give it a try, but I'm sure i can handle the basics pretty fast." she will head for the ship unless my memory is wrong and the noise comes from the ship.

[Arkhosia]

[Burglarizing for JUSTICE!]

Cantata will go with checking the second floor window first, shimmying quietly upwards to get in position. She'll also go for checking the third floor window for good measure before reporting, unless something pressing shows itself beforehand.

[Morty]

[Burglarizing for JUSTICE!]

Fayyaad waits patiently for Cantata on the ground below. They don't seem to have been noticed yet...

[Lord Magtok]

Mountain Trip

[Mountain Trip]

Calm Reed, born Peleps Lorana, monk of the Immaculate Order and member of Vigil is here on... a field trip. Dressed in her robe and straw hat and carrying a bundle of supplies with her, she looks almost leisurely. "Here" is a path winding its way through a forest, before climbing up towards the uninviting, sheer slope of a mountain. Calm Reed chose this locale for teaching St. Lazarus some important lessons about the Earth Dragon style, which she doesn't think she can deliver properly in the skybase.

The monk is marching towards the crossroads on the edge of the forest, where the path can lead left towards the nearest settlement, downwards to the lowlands (where Calm Reed arrived from) or upwards to the mountain - their destination. The two people accompanying her here shouldn't be far behind.

Mountain Trip

Fidelia's just a hop, skip or jump behind, dressed in her usual levels of casual wear - that is, a pleasant combo of a shirt skirt and comfy sweater over warm stockings and hiking boots. Her hands are busy tugging on the straps of an adventuring backpack she's borrowed from VIGIL's supply depot as she marvels at the trees around them, taking in the greenery with eyes clearly unused to such abundance. Perhaps enough to make her lag behind, in fact.

This is supposed to be training, so of course Saint Lazarus (Jenette D'Aubigny to her friends) is here in her plate armor, hiking along completely unimpeded by the suit of steel encasing her undead body. It wouldn't make sense not to wear it, right? If a walking corpse is even capable of cardio at all, having the suit on can only help her out. Similarly, lugging her big zweihander around is no trouble at all if she's more or less immune to exhaustion and pain. In addition to her usual gear, she's brought along a ridiculously huge backpack roughly half as tall as she is, which again, doesn't seem to be giving her any trouble at all. Gods only know what she put in there, but given how cryptic Calm Reed was about what they'd be doing here, I guess she just figured she'd be better off playing it safe and bringing literally everything, just in case.

"Is it always this green?" she asks, squinting at a particularly suspicious oak as they stride forward. Like Fidelia, the closest Jenette has ever come to nature has been a few man-made parks and playgrounds in Inside, and even then, most of those got closed down after the fae attacks got really bad a few years ago. She's a city girl cosplaying as a feudal warrior; the surface of the moon would probably be more familiar to her than this verdant underworld.

[Morty]

[Mountain Trip]

"Until autumn comes, yes." Calm Reed is looking around herself. "Though I do admit... this is a different climate than I am used to. Cooler and far from the sea." She slows down to look behind her at the two. "Not very familiar with the great outdoors, I take it."

[Arkhosia]

Mountain Trip

"Not much outdoors up in Skyside," Fidelia offers. "W-well uh, not for most of it, maybe?" She isn't entirely confident when it comes to the Cloudtops or certain parts of the Raindrop District, having never been able to set foot in them. The former didn't seem likely though - all she could see from afar was glittering spires and jet-black transports. No room for plant life with an aesthetic like that.

"I uh, haven't been to the sea either." She glances over at Jenette, curious. What about her?

[Rebonack]

[Enchanted Forest]

Adir has acquired one (1) waystone(s)!

The pooka, meanwhile, glowers at Adir. He hasn't been very kind to it, after all.

"How should I know? The wilds of the forest are all twisted in on itself. Nothing stays in the same place," the pooka retorts.

Maybe that's true.

Maybe it doesn't know where the nearest lake is.

Or maybe that's false. Maybe it DOES and it's just lying.

Either way, the kelpie probably could have answered that question, but the carnivorous horse didn't want to leave the road.

And the waystone? Well. It's still laughing in its strange silent way at Adir. This is the most excitement it has experienced for a long time.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Burglarising for JUSTICE!]

At the front door...

The door opens safely! With a big, heavy, ominous creeeeak. Beyond it lies a spacious, but sparsely decorated entrance hall. There's two doors on either side leading off somewhere, a larger set of double doors at the back of the hall, and twin staircases leading up to a landing on the second floor, with doors leading off to the left and right there as well.
Lots of doors, looots of ways to go!

"Awfully kind of you. Wretched thing, doors. And there's so many of them to-" The cube floats on in, pauses, rotates, hovers up, rotates back down to face Wren, and gestures upwards. "I say, do you feel that? Something awfully magical going on near the top of the building. Those ruffians must be up to something!"

If Wren can sense magical thingummies happening, he might well feel a bit of a tug somewhere towards the top of the fort as well. An observant eye would also spot a couple of set of muddy bootprints going up the stairs, too. Seems the "ruffians" did in fact go up.

Meanwhile, by the windows...

Cantata observes the following:

Looking through the second floor window, it appears to be on a ledge a little ways up from the hallway beyond. As she looks through, she can see the hallway extends off to either side before ending in a corner either way, acting as something of a perimeter round the outside of the fort, with shut doors at regular intervals along the way. To the left, it looks clear. To the right, she gets a glimpse of the back of a man, wearing a brown hooded cloak, walking off round the corner. A patrol, perhaps?

The third floor layout mirrors the second, albeit with only a single large set of doors visible, partially open, that same ominous blue glow leaking out from within. An ominous hum accompanies the ominous glow, but the hallway itself seems deserted.

[Murkus]

[Enchanted Forest]

The stag makes a grunt of frustration. Well, more than frustration really. He comes very close to drawing his weapon and blowing the pooka into a cloud of feathers.

With a great deal of effort, he leashes his rage. He lowers the stone to the ground. He looks ready to pull his hair out, but he just runs his hands over his mask and walks away from the two mad things for a moment. Eventually, he manages, "There must be something else. Some other price I can pay for a way forward. I don't want to forget."

[Lord Magtok]

Mountain Trip

Spoiler

Show

[Mountain Trip]

"Until autumn comes, yes." Calm Reed is looking around herself. "Though I do admit... this is a different climate than I am used to. Cooler and far from the sea." She slows down to look behind her at the two. "Not very familiar with the great outdoors, I take it."

Mountain Trip

"Not much outdoors up in Skyside," Fidelia offers. "W-well uh, not for most of it, maybe?" She isn't entirely confident when it comes to the Cloudtops or certain parts of the Raindrop District, having never been able to set foot in them. The former didn't seem likely though - all she could see from afar was glittering spires and jet-black transports. No room for plant life with an aesthetic like that.

"I uh, haven't been to the sea either." She glances over at Jenette, curious. What about her?

"The parks in Inside used to have problems with fae shapeshifting people into titty monsters," Jenette points out. "And my mom was afraid I'd get eaten by a talking horse or get abducted and forced to join AMEN if I went outside the city walls," she adds, which in retrospect wasn't that far from what actually happened. I mean, okay sure, it wasn't a horse that bit her, but something still did, and the end result was pretty awful.

"Seaside isn't so bad, though. I mean, when you're not fighting demons or jumping off airships for work and can actually take a few hours to enjoy the sun and the sand," she remarks, feeling a stirring of...of something weird, when her thoughts drift to that mission and the demons she consumed in battle. Oh well, no big deal, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

[Morty]

[Mountain Trip]

"I have heard about that expedition. It is a shame I was unavailable for it. I have not been to the sea since arriving here." She'd rather not dwell on how she arrived for now. "I will try to return there someday. And I would very much like to learn how to fly one of Vigil's airships. But for what I intend to teach you, we are in need of a mountain. At least there is one closer by than when my sifu taught me."

[Arkhosia]

Mountain Trip

Fidelia gives Jenette a rather befuddled look. Tiddy monsters? She's as confused by what that implies as she is scared to ask. "W-well uh, maybe we'll have to find the time to go there sometime?" It would mean she'd have to find a style of bathing suit she's not too awkward to wear, but still.

She remembers the focus of why they're here after Calm Reed continues, turning her attention back to their leader as they continue to hike. What could they need a mountain for? They weren't supposed to, like, jump off or anything, right?

Burglarizing for JUSTICE!!!

A passing patrol, huh? Cantata raises an eyebrow. She slides herself into the second story window, clipping herself off of the rope, before sending the tether back down to Fayyaad and gesturing for him to come up.