Inside 71: All I Want For Thanksmas Is You

[Rebonack]

[Dread Bog]

Rose watches the spider cocoon the first soul, growing larger and more dangerous looking. She's really hoping that isn't going to eat every single one of the souls and then try to eat her, too. She's getting really tired of devils doing that. Then the soul eating explanation follows and Rose's expression brightens considerably!

"Oh wowie, really? I saw them all melting inside that big centipede and thought maybe they were just getting dissolved away. But if eating them helps them AND it helps me then that's a good thing, right?" Rose replies, her voice bubbling over with empathy for these poor lost souls. She looks back at the corpse in her hands, a wide smile stretching across her still glowing face. She considers the soul's pitiful, acid marred countenance, wondering who this person was. But she's going to find out, right? "We're going to help each other, okay? Now I just need to figure out how to- EEEEEP!"

That 'EEP!' would be Rose's reaction to her lower body hinging open into an absolutely massive mouth full of acidic green crystal teeth and flesh of white hot magma. A tongue of hissing orange molten stone lashes out of the fiery abyss, warps around the soul, and yanks them inside as the maw slams shut behind them.

Rose's eyes are huge, her hands grasping at nothing where the soul was a few moments prior, her whole body frozen in place at the shock of what just happened.

A single rose blossom, burning at its heart like a fiery ember, grows in her hair.

She definitely wasn't expecting that.

After a few seconds she manages to stammer out, "Umm... y-you said something about a palace?"


[Plum Mountain Park]

They were really good plums.

Anywho!

To the tree!

Sphinx will eventually arrive at the threshold tree were quite a few fae appear to be gathered. Standing up on a large flat stone where they can speak to the crowd she'll see a trio of gaiads who MIGHT be Chimera when she's split apart? They're talking back and forth with those gathered, and those gathered don't sound very happy.

[Deathkeeper]

[Plum Mountain Park]

Sphinx gets up to the edge of the crowd and listens in. Though really, it doesn't apply to her, so she'll just wait until her sister(s) are done talking.
Once they're done and the crowd starts to disperse she'll try to corner them to talk.

[bc56]

Dread Bog

The spider devil laughs at Rose. She seems so silly, startled by her own body like that.

As for Rose? A small voice now sounds in her head. A man's voice, but thin and weak.
He was a conqueror. His armies swept through his homeland and united it under one banner. But he had a dark secret. He was a great commander, but no warrior. In the martial culture he came from, it was a disgrace despite his many victories. He rants from a crystal cage within Rose's mind, urging her to conquer, to rule and despoil, to accumulate wealth and power to herself. He's part of her now, and his urging, while not very strong, can't be drowned out. His tactical cunning floods into Rose, his experience leading armies (from the rear) is added to her own. It was his fate to pursued by enemies through the swamp for eternity, until a hunting devil, made of all bone and muck, devoured him. It was later broken open by the eel devil, which consumed its souls.

"The stronghold? Yeah, it's where our lord stays. Anyone as important as a noble would be brought there." The spider devil shakes her head. "But, Succubus, I would give up searching for her. If she's there, she's as good as dead. Even we creatures of terror fear to go to the stronghold. Best case, she'll get ransomed back to your Queen for a hefty price."

[Rebonack]

[Dread Bog]

Rose doesn't notice that her upper body has grown subtly more alluring while her draconic lower half has become slightly more imposing in its shape. She's busy focusing on other things.

Oh...

That's so sad. He wanted so much to be recognized by his people for his tactical genius but because he couldn't fight they never acknowledged him. They always resented him for being weak. And that contempt lead him to do... terrible, cruel things. These poor people. They're probably all like this, aren't they? People who were sick, or sad, or broken, or outcast. And that awful state drove them to be awful, too. Can she heal them? They're dead. But part of them is still alive, right? Can she help them?

Rose moves over to the dead devil and gently picks up two more souls, tucking them under her wings. Then maybe picks up another? How many were inside that terrible centipede devil? How many has the spider wrapped up so far? She had been hesitant before, but not as much now. This isn't eating people. It's trying to rescue them. And it doesn't hurt that Rose felt her internal store of infernal power jump back up again, too. She doesn't swallow the other souls she's picked up though, not yet. She's just... holding them. For later. Maybe. Feeling that surge of power she's inclined to be more avaricious with the bounty of souls she acquired. But she's still sharing! That counts for something, right?

You have a lot to say at me, but can you speak with me? I'm Rose. I want to help you. Who are you?

She's gotten memories and skills, but what about his name?

"But... my Princess only went into the bog a few seconds before I did," Rose objects. "She couldn't have gotten much further than I did, could she?"

Unless time is being weird in this stinking swamp and she's been down here far longer than she thought she has.

"Maybe I should go back up to the surface? She might be waiting up there for me. She's strong, stronger than I am. I'm sure she's fine. Just..." Rose pauses as a thought occurs to her. "Oh... she might think I'm dead. I did... kind of shoulder-check the Queen of Poison in the nose so my Princess could get away."

Well.

That's certainly a feat to casually mention.


[Plum Mountain Park]

The conversation will eventually wind down with many of the faeries departing. Some look sad. Others look angry. Others look like they're at an utter loss.

And some?

Look incredibly relieved.

Then Sphinx approaches the trio of gaiads discussing their plan from atop the stone.

Snapdragon is the first to spot her. "Oh hey look what the cat dragged in! Dandelion and I had a bet going on how long you would last and I totally just won."
That's... good to know?
Dandelion rolls her eyes at Snap's antics. "Hey dude. Looking good. You feeling okay?"
"Umm... hello Sphinx. Or, um, do you want me to call you Mister Nimrod still?" asks Lambslaural.

[Deathkeeper]

Plum Mountain Park

Sphinx goes over to the sisters and sits down on her haunches in a dry spot. She looks rather pouty actually.
”Hi everyone. I feel...weird. I feel free, mostly in the legs and wings. But also terrible because not having thumbs is awful. And my paws and fur got soaked from the snow when I landed and this pooka dropped snow on me. But I also feel super smart and yet confused because Sphinx and people keep making fun of me.” She looks down as she says this, likely making it obvious what the concern is. She tries to adjust her clothes but can’t manage it with her paws. Her jacket still hangs open as she can’t pull the zipper closed.
”So it’s been a time. How have you been? I came to say hi and ask for a volunteer to help me stop a killer faerie. You can call me what you want. I don’t think my two halves have figured out what our name is. Howard called me Sphinx of Nim.”

[bc56]

Dread Bog

"You WHAT!?" The spider devil quickly grabs the three souls she'd webbed and scurries away. "Get away from me! I don't want to be seen with a madwoman like you!"
That leaves Rose and two damned souls on the swampbed, with a possible lead to a stronghold that she has no idea about the location of.

[Rebonack]

[Dread Bog]

It looks like Rose's new acquaintance just scurried quickly away. Hmm... Well. She probably shouldn't tell anyone else that she smacked Sapphira and lived. It will probably make other devils she meets sort of freak out like that, too.

Okay.

What does she know?

There's a fortress. Sekhmet might be there. Or she might not. Rose has no way of knowing. Sekhmet can (apparently?) make portals back to the mortal world. So even if she's stranded in the bog somewhere she can get away. She just needs time to regain her strength. Probably.

Maybe?

And then there's the matter of the soul she ate talking at her but refusing to talk to her. Maybe... he just needs someone to talk to? That's how people are, sometimes. Rose is pretty sure the horrible centipede wasn't listening to the poor man's plight at all. He wants her to gather wealth and power but... why would she want to do that? She has her park. It's nice. And she likes creating things for other people to use. She used to amass wealth and power back in her adventuring days, but that was mostly just to try to find a way to break the contract on her soul.

Hello? Can you even hear me? Rose tries again.

Are these souls just... crazy? Are they even aware of what's going on? She isn't sure. But what she IS sure is that if she's just carrying them around some other devil is probably going to try to take them from her like that spider-devil did. Why had she just given them away after working so hard to kill that centipedeel? That wasn't very smart. Rose really needs to be a little less naive about the way things work down here. Maybe the other two souls she's carrying have some insights?

"I hope you two are a little more willing to talk to me," Rose sighs as she *ugh* opens her mouth again. This time she knows what she's doing. That part of her is hungry but she's still the one in charge! That horrible molten maw yawns wide as she uses her wings to shovel first one soul and then the other inside. Then with a SNAP! the jaws slam shut! Two more ember blossoms grow in her hair as the jaws on her lower body become more obvious. Before it was just a molten rip along her lower body that vanishes when it closed. Now the mouth and crystal teeth are plainly visible like the jaws of a crocodile or dragon. Her upper body, likewise, grows in devilish seductiveness. One half becomes more beautiful and one half becomes more monstrous.

And THIS time Rose notices.

"Umm..." she pokes at a crystal tooth with a finger. "I know those didn't stick out before..."


[Plum Mountain Park]

"The pooka dropped snow on you?" Dandelion asks.

"Yeah! It was really... funny..." the pooka begins, only to trail off when Dandelion fixes her with a withering glare. "Sorry Miss Sphinx..."

"Umm... well... there's probably a way to change you back. Just like there is with us," Lambslaural reassures her sister. "It's just, umm... a matter of finding out what it is."
"Yeah! Don't look so glum, sis. With your crazy computer catbrain you'll probably be able to research it in no time," Snapdragon adds. "Tell us a bit about this creeper you're looking to ice."

[5a Violista]

[In the Painting]

As much as she'd like to just feel the body warmth of someone else, June actually is pretty grateful that he actually won't be in the same bed.
And...depending on how deeply Arthur sleeps and how quickly he goes to sleep, she might actually still get to use the bed-double. Maybe. She'll see.

She shakes her head and induces a yawn: "I am fairly tired already," she claims. "I do not think it will be hard to sleep."
Besides.
She's planning on not sleeping at all.
Or maybe sleeping under the bed while the bed double takes her place.
Not sure. She'll see how tired she actually is.

[Deathkeeper]

Plum Mountain Park

Oh no, all of her sisters already are trying to help her change back. What if they think that she’s worthy of mockery like this, too?
Still a question was posed, so Sphinx can oblige with some exposition wait what is that feeling she-
”I come here bearing this Task
To slay he of Nuck’lavee Mask,

By Sphinx of Quartz did I come warned
Of black fungus his victims adorned

For plagues comes from his fetid breath
Sending townsfolk to maddening death

So let fly pure water; let fly his Name
Lest your sister face unending shame.”

Sphinx blinks at her audience.
”Um. Sorry. Sphinxy things.”
Curses. Her pentameter was off.

[Rebonack]

[Plum Mountain Park]

The three sisters share a look with each other.

Yeah.

Definitely sphinx things.

Lambslaural immediately moves in for a hug. She wraps her arms around Sphinx and then makes a shooing motion at the pooka.

Go on, get out of here!

The small fae reluctantly hops off Sphinx and finds a tree to hang out in instead. Thankfully there are quite a few of them in the glade.

"I know it isn't in our weald," Lambslaural says. "It must be somewhere else? Is it in the City? Or maybe out in the countryside?"

It WAS in the City at some point, judging from the victim that Sphinx had found in Arkhma Street.

[Deathkeeper]

Plum Mountain Park

Oh no, hugs! Sphinx wraps her weird lionish paws around Lambslaurel. Between the strange state of what her arms used to be, the leonine shape, and the feminine torso, this is a very strange feeling.
"The victim I saw had a trail that led to the docks. It might be cold by now, but I needed to find its Name. It's Arrvak, by the way. We need to rebuke him and douse him in fresh water to banish him. That's why I needed one of you."
Gaiads are generally good at finding water sources. And they have hands if they just want to use a bucket and pond.
They could probably also help her refit her clothes with gossamer but she doesn't actually know about that and therefore doesn't know to ask.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Buttercup, You're Under Arrest!]

"Hmm..." Buttercup replies, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "MAYbe. I know Big Mamma Buttercup is called Big Mamma because she's the BIGGEST Buttercup and kind of our mamma sort of? She's the WHOLE springtime part of the Enchanted Forest! That's pretty big."

Just enormous.

"She didn't tell me why we needed to stop naming people just that we did. Oh! And there was a thing! There was going to be a special dance that was going to let Big Mamma Buttercup use one of our bodies but it got stopped so unless there's another one she can't be here," Buttercup explains. Then she looks concerned! "What do you mean conflict I thought we were friends?"

[Buttercup, You're Under Arrest!]

"...huh. So she's really big." Ithuriel had honestly assumed it was just kind of a name more than an actual size thing. "So the thing stopped her from coming here. I guess she can't for the moment then. But what about talking through one of you? Or if we wanted to go to this enchanted forest? You getting anything from her?"

She sighs and rubs her forehead. "And we've been over this, Buttercup. Turning people into Buttercups is not a nice thing to do. You don't make friends that way."

[Rebonack]

[Buttercup, You're Under Arrest!]

"I don't think she can talk through me?" Buttercup replies, looking thoughtful. "That's what the summoning dance was for. If it had worked, then Big Mama Buttercup would have been able to talk through one of us and do magic through one of us and lots of things!"

The 'lots of things' probably wouldn't have been great for Inside.

"Oh yeah! You could always got to the Enchanted Forest to talk to her! There should be a great big threshold tree in the middle of the weald one of my sisters grew into. You just walk through there and then you're in the forest."

That's probably the magical forest Nick was talking about.

"I haven't been to the forest yet, I'm sure it's really pretty. Maybe we could go together!"

Because friends do things with other friends. That's just what friends do.

"No, Big Mama Buttercup isn't talking to me right now. I think she just had the one thing to say to make you feel better and safer," Buttercup reasons. Then she pouts when Ithuriel insists something crazy! "It does TO make friends. It makes more friends named Buttercup. That's why we do it. But not right now, because it makes people who aren't Buttercup scared sometimes."


[Plum Mountain Park]

"So we just need a bucket to douse this jerk with? Haha, that's great! Okay, I'm in!" Snapdragon says, stepping forward. "You guys stick around here and keep hashing out the plans for the fireworks. I'll help sis drive off a soggy skinless jerk."

Then?

She begins prancing off toward the City's bay.

"C'mon Sphinx! Time's a wastin'! The faster we get this done the faster we're sure that this trouble maker doesn't murder anyone else with weaponized halitosis."

Off she goes!

[Deathkeeper]

Plum Mountain Park->Docks

"Thanks Snap."
And off they go, to the docks district.
"So. Um. You all look nice." Sphinx mumbles. She gets why they're not super fond of being faeries. Dietary issues, living in trees, and being separated from each other. But she can't help but feel like they still look a bit more normal than her.
Though if the gaiads forgot clothes again Sphinx is likely trying to figure out if she should say something about it.

[bc56]

Dread Bog

Rose eats two more souls. She feels her power grow even more. What must it be like to be an Archfiend, with the power and knowledge of countless souls at your disposal?

The two new souls are quickly integrated. One was the head cook for a noble household. She brutalized and abused the servants under her, ordering beatings for the slightest mistakes and finding cruel and unusual punishments for them. Her fate was to be dragged through the mud and beaten repeatedly. The other is a huntsman who enjoyed setting cruel snares and harming animals and the occasional human. He was fated to be devoured by wolves over and over until the eel devil ate both the wolves and him.

None of the souls seem particularly aware of either rose or each other, just babbling over one another in their attempts to push Rose into the sins they committed in life. She's encouraged to lord over others, to be harsh and cruel, to take from others for her own benefit. They don't deserve it anyway.

As for her increasingly monstrous features, Rose will get no reaction from them that she doesn't cause herself.

In the Painting

Arthur leaves and returns with a mattress and some blankets. He'll wait up for June to fall asleep (or "fall asleep"), then lie down to sleep himself. Once June's sure he's snoozing, about an hour later,
when he starts snoring, she'll be free to perform whatever mischief she wants.

[Morty]

[Plum Mountain Park - Mercenaries]

"Well, here we are." Olvisin has since changed into a padded vest, hooded sweatshirt and combat trousers, along with a backpack. Her pockets and the backpack are full of tools and ammunition. She tried to go for an inconspicous look, but it didn't quite work. "I've heard this area has a heavy fey presence. That means we need to be on our guard. Let's not introduce ourselves to anyone unless we have to, for starters. Don't use our full names if we do."

[5a Violista]

[In the Painting]

June lies in bed, pretending to fall asleep for a while. The knife and its pillowcase is under the pillow, and the cold-again water bottle is next to the bed on the ground. Her eyes are mostly closed, only seeing out a little bit.

When he's snoring, she opens her eyes completely and waits, watching Arthur.

Slowly, always keeping an eye on either him or the door or the window, she creeps out of bed, kneels down, and grabs the bed-double. She puts it on the bed, pulls the sheet up over it, and then takes a single pillow and the hidden knife down under the bed.

June positions herself so that she can look out if she needs to.

Sure, she's tired.
But she needs to stay awake, in case Arthur wakes up and decides to check on her. Or if the window or the door creaks open. Or...well, she's not sure, really.
She yawns and holds the pillow like a body pillow and does her best to stay awake.

[Rebonack]

[Docks]

"We look like complete goobers," Snap laughs in reply. "Like imagine if Chiron looked as goofy as we do. He would be an absolute laughing stock."

Sounds like Snapdragon isn't a big plan of the whole gaiad thing.

"Don't get me wrong, having my own body is cool, but it's a lame body and faerie stuff makes zero sense. At all. Ever. Full-stop. I'll take being the tail over this hands down no questions asked."

Strong opinions!

And Snap has in fact conjured a shirt for herself!

Of the trio she's the most likely to actually remember.

"So how did you find this stuff out about the nuckelavee anyway?"

Overhead comes a scampering sound, like little hooves on one of the nearby roofs. That pooka is probably following them.


[Dread Bog]

"Friends, please, you're all talking at once," Rose whimpers.

Oh no this was probably a bad idea. They're all talking over each other and they can't hear Rose. They're all trying to push her into doing bad, mean things. It's like having a little devil on your shoulder telling you to be nasty. Except instead it is a BUNCH of little devils.

How awful it must be, being an arch devil. How maddening it must be to have that cacophony of voices pushing you to do terrible things. She's actually starting to feel some measure of sympathy for Sapphira. What must it be like, being her? To get bombarded with all those voices telling her to be terrible?

Rose reaches deep and grasps hold of the name Buttercup, using its brightness as a bulwark against the voices. She's better than what they're telling her to do. She'll figure out some way to help them still.

"Okay. There's a fort. And... well, I haven't seen Sekhmet down here. Maybe I should check the surface? Sapphira is probably gone by now, right?" Rose says, turning her eyes upward. After a few minutes of deliberation she begins swimming back up toward the surface. Once she's getting close she'll douse her glow so her position won't be quite so obvious to someone looking for her.

Hopefully the Queen of Poison has given up looking for them.

"I'm going to find a way to make you guys good and nice and kind and happy," Rose says as she swims upwards. "I know you can't hear me, but I'll find a way. By sun and moon, by stars and stones, may my words endure, though all else fades away. I'll find a way to redeem you like Sekhmet redeemed me. I swear it."

But what had that spider devil said? A temporary reprieve to eternal torment, right? That must mean there's a way to get them out again, right?

[Deathkeeper]

[Docks]

Sphinx continues to squirm.
"I think you look more...coherent than I do." At least Snap's human part is oriented correctly. Sphinx can't help but feel like hers is angled wrong. And right. Gah.
"I went on a quest to free a soul from a Sphinx of Black Quartz. It's risky, I know, but I couldn't let her be stuck as a paperweight forever! She got cursed for failing to kill this thing. That's why I have to. The rest of it I learned at Philip Memorial. I got a part-time job there, actually. I'll let you know if they have anything good on magic crabs."
Oh, yeah. If there's any way to distract Snap from news that her sister did something really stupid, it's talking about crabs.

[bc56]

In the Painting

It's a few hours later before anything interesting happens.
Slowly, cautiously, the door creaks open. A shadowy figure tiptoes into the room, taking care not to wake the sleeping Yssa. The person, whoever they are, starts sneaking their way to the vanity, where Yssa keeps her jewelry. Arthur's presence seems to surprise the intruder, but since he's sleeping deeply, they continue on.

Dread Bog

The souls don't stop babbling at Rose's assurances.
But she manages to swim to the surface. The rank bog air fills her lungs. There's no sign of Sekhmet.

But the Stronghold is obvious.

What else do you call a structure which seems to epitomize the idea of gothic castle, impossibly tall and branching throughout the sky, its stonework bleak and weathered, a perpetual thunderstorm raging above it.

[Rebonack]

[Docks]

"What the heck are you talking about? I've made of like half a dozen different things mashed together in a way that doesn't make any sense!" Snapdragon replies incredulously. "You make perfect sense. Your Sphinx. What else would you be shaped like?"

She's about to ask what a Sphinx of Black Quartz is but then CRABTALK!

"Oh that would be really cool I've never actually been in that library before it's a little too creepy if you ask me but hey did you know I saw this GIANT crab the other day it was so cool it was like the side of an island just popping up out of the ocean and it totally wrecked the beach that I was measuring hermit crabs on but who cares because GIANT CRAB am I right?"

She's definitely right.

"So I've been organizing an expedition from the IU marine biology department to go check it out it's going to be SO COOL I managed to get Stormy Skies to agree to pulling one of those pegasus cloud chariots out there with a bunch of us riding in it since that's way easier than taking a boat OH and I got a tissue sample from it it was like nothing you've ever seen before I bet the density was just out of this world and it had this really cool magical buttressing to help it get around the square cubed law since of course any non-magical giant crab would just collapse under its own weight and-"

Snap is going to just keep going unless Sphinx stops her.


[Dread Bog]

At first only Rose's head surfaces. She casts her gaze around. No sign of Sekhmet. No sign of Sapphira. Those are both good things, right? She's pretty sure they are. Next her shoulders and chest break the surface.

Ugh. It smells terrible.

Gross bog water.

Blech.

Rose shakes herself off and works at wringing the filthy muck out of her hair. It's probably a futile task. She decides to let her lower half remain below the surface, using her wings and tail to swim through the mire toward the castle. It doesn't look THAT terrifying to her. Just like... well. It actually kind of reminds her of that weird magical castle she and her adventuring companions fought a powerful vampire lord in years ago. The sort of place where the architecture only works because spellwork is preventing it from flying to pieces.

The spider thought Sekhmet might be in there. That's where she would be if she had been captured. But... Sekhmet is strong, right? She would have been able to prevent herself from being grabbed!

...right?

With a sigh, Rose continues on toward the fortress. It's her only lead and swimming around blindly in the bog really isn't going to help her find Sekhmet.

[Deathkeeper]

[Docks]

"Snap, there's a TON of sphinx permutations! Aside from all sorts of subspecies (and artist renderings) with differences in if the human part is only the head or head and shoulders or head and chest or all that and a little of the arms like me, there's the androsphinx and the beaked kind and the non-winged kind from Egypt And the kind that are usually bearded men as seen in Babylon and other kinds." She pauses for a moment.
"Wait I haven't seen a mirror do I still have my elven ears?" She does, in fact.
"And of course you should come! Now that I'm guarding PML it's absolutely, one hundred percent safe for my sisters! Though maybe after those big plans of yours are done?" the speech did seem like they're prepared to try downsizing very soon. Howard would probably appreciate it if she didn't bring faeries into the library. Considering that the place has books on faeries and it seemed to specialize in bad stuff.

[bc56]

Dread Bog

The castle looms large above Rose. A lightning strike illuminates a giant figure standing guard in front of the gate. Easily three stories tall, it carries a huge sword twice that height. The light fades, and when the next bolt strikes, there's nothing there. Spooky!

[Rebonack]

[Dread Bog]

Rose squints at the hulking figure, feeling a little suspicious. She decides to fly over the gate and the outer wall instead.

Why?

Front doors are for people who want to get clobbered by monsters.

Or in that case giant devils that may or may not exist.

Honestly Rose still isn't seeing any terribly compelling reason to be terrified of this place. Is it just the big... statue? That might not be there? That had the spider so scared? Rose isn't sure but she isn't going to take the chance if she can avoid it. So over the wall she goes!

She's looking for anyone who she might be able to talk to.

This should be easy, right?

Just ask if they saw a succubus with a ball of flame between her horns come this way. If not then everything is fine and Sekhmet wasn't captured. These devils definitely wouldn't lie to Rose, right?


[Docks]

Snap nods sagely at Sphinx's reply.

"Oh yeah definitely different sorts lots of them! You've still got your ears."

Good news right?

"Well... I guess if you insist I can visit some time. But magical stuff really isn't my thing you know? Magical animals ARE really neat but I mostly study the normal mundane ones."

Snap loves all crustaceans.

She just loves crabs the most and hermit crabs the SUPER MOST.

"Soooo... How are we supposed to find this evil faerie anyway? We have got a plan, right?"

No, we don't.

[Deathkeeper]

Docks

”Well!” Sphinx declares as she tries to make this sound good.
”Victims of the creature have pretty distinct dusty black fungus on them. Presumably poisoned grain and stuff does too. That was on the body with the trail that came from this part of town. So we’re looking for dusty black mushrooms we can track to a starting point or lair.”
See? Totally a plan.

[bc56]

Dread Castle

Rose flies over the wall and finds herself... In the castle gardens? It's hard to call them gardens at all. They're withered and full of foul muck. Something begins crawling up her leg. There's a large iron-bound door leading into the castle proper, but there's also a horribly overgrown greenhouse over there and a tangled thicket that might have once been a hedge maze over there.

[Rebonack]

[Docks]

"So the plan is to just wander around and hope we find some dusty black mold?" Snap asks, sounding a bit skeptical. "That seems like a long shot. We're basically just counting on serendipity being on our side."

Which means, of course, than they round a corner and find-!

-another street. This one leads out to a pier. There area few people fishing and a pelican sitting on a post watching them in hopes of some free fish.

Everything seems fine here?


[Dread Bog]

Rose heaves a sigh.

"Where IS everyone?" she grumbles aloud, giving her leg a shake to try to dislodge whatever happens to be crawling on her. "You would think for a place filled with all the mean people who ever lived hell wouldn't be so empty. Hello? Is anyone here? I'm looking for a succubus with a little ball of fire between her horns that might have come this way."

Seriously.

Where is everyone?

No doormen? No guards? Just a general feeling of spookiness. Rose has visited high-school haunted houses that are more unnerving than this place. Totally unimpressed so far. Maybe all the devils who live in the terror swamp are just cowards. The centipede ran like a coward at the first sign of trouble. Same with the spider.

Let's see...

Hedge maze. Green house. Castle.

Rose should probably check the castle first and foremost, but the greenhouse is kind of making her curious. What sorts of plants would be growing in such a miserable place? She decides to take a quick peek over there just in case there's anything interesting.

[bc56]

Dread Castle

Rose heads over to the greenhouse. It's overgrown and impossible to see into. But when she opens the door, she can see mostly thorny vines and dead-looking flowers...

And a single rosebush in the center of the room, oddly out of place in the disheveled settings.

And then it unfolds.

"Hello? I'm looking for a succubus with a little ball of fire between her horns... Oh!" Rose sees herself and looks startled. The two Roses are now staring right at each other.

[Purple Eagle]

[Shooting Range]

"We go research fey sightings and then investigate them," Olvisin says. "After finding out as much as we can so we don't go in blind. Hopefully no unwilling transformations happen. I'm pretty attached to this body."

[Plum Mountain Park - Mercenaries]

"Well, here we are." Olvisin has since changed into a padded vest, hooded sweatshirt and combat trousers, along with a backpack. Her pockets and the backpack are full of tools and ammunition. She tried to go for an inconspicous look, but it didn't quite work. "I've heard this area has a heavy fey presence. That means we need to be on our guard. Let's not introduce ourselves to anyone unless we have to, for starters. Don't use our full names if we do."

[Plum Mountain Park - Mercenaries]

Chidi's stil wearing what he was, only now he has his hood on, as well as a pair of sunglasses. He looks quite inconspicuous, more so than Olvisin's trying to be. "Got it. Let's have a look around." He looks serious now, and ready to get down to business. "I'll use the name 'Hoss Delgado' if anyone asks."

[Rebonack]

[Dread Castle]

Wow is this place ever a dump!

What's the point of even having a greenhouse is you're just going to let everything die?

Everything except that one rose bush in the middle that actually looks-

Wait.

What?

Rose blinks, a little aghast at looking at herself.

"Wowie..." Rose mutters, tilting her head to the side a little bit to peer at her double's lower body and that awful mouth on it. "Wowie zowie do I really look that scary? Um... Hi! ...me? I really hope this isn't some sort of weird trick I'm getting so tired of devils attacking me today. I just want to find Sekhmet and go home."

Well what else would it be besides some sort of weird trick?

"Are you just some other devil disguising yourself as me to be confusing? I'm really not in the mood for that right now. Please."


[Plum Mountain Park]

Coming in from the outskirts of the park things look... pretty normal from here?

There's a parking lot and some picnic tables set up. The sort of things you would expect to find in a normal city party. Though one thing that stands out is the warning sign near the edge of the lot.

Remember the three prohibitions!
Do not give your name to a faerie.
Do not accept food or drink offered by a faerie.
Do not thank a faerie.

Remember these rules and have a safe, fun time in Plum Mountain Park!

The area near the tables consists of a grassy meadow with a few stills pools of water and the occasional wild plum tree. The pools are frozen over and there's a light dusting of snow on the grass and trees. It looks quite pleasant and no other worldly beings make themselves immediately apparent. A little trail leads off toward the tree line past a huge boulder to the left of the trail.