[M&M 3e] Defying the Future IC

[Ridai]

Nope has tried to keep busy in the face of now officially being tasked with taking down the Big Bad Villains instead of just... generally helping and hoping for the best. Nope had to be honest, the latter was kind of what he was doing before, though in his defense, he hasn't been doing this long and his power is terrifying to him. Stop a few bad guys, but a lot of watching the forest, trying to see what is going on with Raphael, Manchineel, just... everything. Without getting murdered very dead. Staying in touch with his new colleagues, too. By giving a lot of prior warning to him popping up, as Nope started to notice... regular people being terrified of him. Well, he can't really blame them given his powers and kind of creepy indistinct "appearance" as Nope... but after momentary frustration, it kind of just makes him a little sad and want to stay entirely out of view. So Floral, Helios, and Ariadne see a kind of subdued Nope. Who apparently also has a habit of reintroducing himself, then apologizing when they actually remember him.

When Watcher tells them Raphael is on its own, it's time to dive into the forest, which is mildly terrifying. Thus imagine his baffled surprise when a seemingly regular person just wanders through it. He is in halted personal time for a moment, just kind of checking if he is imagining things, until he goes back to normal time, tries to not make his appearance too surprising. Hands balling, opening again. And the woman just adresses them with all the calm in the world. Okay... wait, he actually recognizes her. Kind of. Second-handedly, in a way.

"Uh, are you Miss... Peters, was it?" Nope ventures, wanting to make sure. There is the feeling of him side-eyeing nowhere in particular, trying to think of how to handle this. "Are you actually... safe...ish here? Only heard hearsay about that." Now that he says this, given how Ms. Peters talks, it sounds pretty dumb, if he has to be honest with himself. And now he has to figure out how to talk to her. Would she get put in danger simply by talking to them and not telling Manchineel? Or them telling her something about what they are planning or asking her about Raphael?

...As the train of thought tries its best to reach a decision, he kind of hopes the others chime in first, now that he already blundered into this.

[Abracadangit]

"Good day," Kal says, wondering if this woman hides a secret, some leverage over Manchineel, or perhaps has simply not yet aroused the villain's ire. "Are you in need of assistance?"

"Doesn't look like she needs any assistance to me," Ariadne comments wryly, in Kal's mind.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Spoiler

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Routining the Expertise check.

Although, on that subject, I'mma also go ahead and Routine Expertise (Local) for 25 to see what the grapevine says about Jennifer Margrethe and Zephyr and Talia Magro.

Lily recognized the woman from some pictures she had seen in local news reports. Ntombi Peters, the only person to have spoken to Manchineel and not be met with hostility, or so the story went. Some people were suspicious of her, given her outsider status and her apparently friendly nature with Manchineel.

Lily wasn't afraid to say that she was one of them.

It was hard to put it into words. But she had...faced Manchineel? No. For one thing, what Lily had done wasn't facing anything; she had cowered and pled and cried and none of it had so much as slowed Manchineel down. Manchineel had not been interested in their words, had not so much as considered mercy. Because that was the other thing. Manchineel wasn't, in Lily's conception, a hostile being you faced. She was a natural disaster in humanoid form, a destructive force of nature. She was something you weathered, something you survived.

You don't talk down a volcano. You don't make friends with a hurricane.

And here Ms. Peters was, casually hiking along the route they were expecting to meet Raphael on. Perfectly calm. Indeed, warning them that the forest was dangerous. That struck Lily as anomalous. Just ever-so-subtly off. It would make sense that Ntombi Peters would not be scared to hike through Manitou Forest, given her relationship with Manchineel. It would make sense that Ntombi Peters would not be scared of the four of them, heroes of the city who had no reason to harm a civilian.

But...you encounter four superheroes assembled in costume...and you calmly ask if they're there to do some sightseeing? No. It doesn't matter if you don't believe Manchineel to be hostile to you. Four superheroes in costume means one of two things: there is danger nearby or they are making some sort of public appearance. When it happens in the middle of a hostile forest ruled by a mad dryad, you can safely narrow that to one.

It wasn't conclusive evidence. Maybe Ntombi Peters hadn't made that connection that fast. Maybe she was just that fearless.

Or maybe it was something else. Raphael moved relatively slowly. ...Maybe at the speed of, say, an experienced human hiker?

Lily's nose suggested that Ms. Peters was biologically human, but it was not beyond transformative powers to fool. And she also detected a faint hint of something bordering on impatience. Perhaps just that of a hiker whose walk had been interrupted. Or that of a minion with a place to be and a job to do.

"It might be wise for you to vacate this area," Lily said. "We have reason to believe a dangerous monster is nearby."

Did it mean anything in particular, that Lily at the moment smelled faintly of mint?

Spoiler

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Bringing up full Olfactory Clarity, Scent Processing, and Scent Intensification and Evaluating her reaction to that warning: [roll]1d20+15z[/roll].

Also going to make a Perception check, both to see if I can detect any indications that there might be more to Ntombi's scent than was obvious, or to like see if I can detect Raphael approaching or whatever because while I definitely consider it plausible that Ntombi is in fact Raphael I'd still only call my probability for it something like 30% or so. [roll]1d20+15z[/roll].

For reference, current Senses effects are: All Olfactory Senses gain Acute, Analytical, Accurate; Radius Smell improves to All Olfactory; Tracking [Smell]; Ranged Olfactory Detect [Emotions, Biology]; Smell gains Counters Concealment [Overlapping Scents], Penetrates Concealment [Limited to Around Objects].

[Dorni]

Helios met the woman's question with a polite smile, but if anything the situation wasn't simple. By this point everyone knew Manchineel and her minions roamed the forests and were not friendly to outsiders. She had a lot of courage to be coming out here at all, and if it were just that Helios might have been merely impressed but credulous. But the question was out of place given their band was in full superhero costume. Even if he went so far as to assume she didn't recognize any of them as the costumed heros that had been fighting the League, there was no way to mistake them for regular people out for a hike. Costumes often meant superpowers. And with the number of minions the League had, they meant danger. They meant that the group that this was a group with a purpose for being here, not a group of tourists sightseeing.

"Indeed, there's no telling when the lady of the forest or her servants will appear."

Spoiler: OOC

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Is there anything at all off about her mystically? Perception [roll]1d20+15z[/roll]
Also going to try to get a read on anything she says to us since the setup gives reason to believe she's hiding stuff (1d20+11)[28]

[Zelphas]

Spoiler: Floral Aside

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Jennifer Margrethe is a well-to-do older woman who retired to Forester's Bay with her husband, Norman Margrethe, roughly three years ago. The reason that Norman Margrethe did not appear in your original searches is that within thirty days of their retirement, Norman moved back to California where they had lived and the two began a from-all-accounts acrimonious divorce in that state. Jennifer is still living and well, but since Norman is not a Forester's Bay local and apparently is not on any social media, it is harder to ascertain his situation without further sleuthing.

Zephyr and Talia Magro are a married couple who grew up in Forester's Bay all their lives. Zephyr worked as a warehouse manager primarily in charge of livestock shipments; the recent events and apparently some personal issues have him on "extended leave" from his position at the moment. Talia Magro (maiden name Tonelli) recently picked up a position as the secretary for Moon River Insurance. Zephyr has a twin brother named Nathan Magro; Nathan was known as a rather shiftless person in the Forester's Bay area, and hasn't been seen in town for several years.

Ntombi Peters (as Nope and Floral already know the woman to be) smiles back at Nope's question. "The wilderness isn't 'safe' for anyone, even a forest as tame as this one used to be," she answers lightly, the reflected light from the river glinting off of her polished walking stick. "Danger's always about; the trick is to learn to see it so you can avoid it, or at least turn it aside when it comes. I'm in less danger than most out here, I suppose."

"Now, that is an important question," she continues, pointing the end of her stick at Ariadne for emphasis. "See, I don't know any of you, and it looks like only a few of you know me by sight, though not in person. So while assistance is always useful--only a fool would refuse a helping hand in the wilderness--I don't know if assistance is what you can give to me, or what I can give to you. Maybe none of us can assist each other."

Ntombi nods to Floral and to Helios each in turn, acknowledging their statements. "Well, those two statements seem to contradict. There's no telling when things will appear, and yet you have reason to believe a dangerous monster is nearby. It seems that the self-styled forest spirit is a bit more predictable than she believes herself to be." Her eyes twinkle slightly with a bit of a smile. "That term, though, 'dangerous monster.' Now, there are any number of things both in and out of town in this little bubble that may qualify, but I'm not sure if the one that'll soon be passing through here truly does. After all, can you blame an animal for following its nature? And believe you me, Raphael's nature is a gentle one; Manchineel couldn't change that--or perhaps she caused it."

Ntombi Peters lets the names she spoke hang in the air for a moment before she continues to speak. "I know there's a time and place for killing. I'm at home in the wilderness, and the wilderness can be cruel. I'd rather not harm an innocent, though, which is why I'm here--to turn aside the danger without harm. Now, if I may ask a more serious question then before, I will ask: Why are you, four people with no clear connection to any of the monsters rampaging around Forester's Bay, standing in the woods between Raphael and the place Manchineel told her to go?"

Spoiler: Floral

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You aren't reading more emotions from Ntombi, either via smell or through other markers. Her tone and behavior has remained remarkably even, calm. She is significantly harder to read than most of the other people you have met since gaining your powers.

The wind is at your back, which is why you can smell it. A complex aroma--rich earth, growing greenery, lichen, and the wet, spongy growths from caves, combined with mammalian sweat and wet odor--all blending together as if from one source. It is a fair distance away from you now, moving in your direction, but slowly. At this rate, it will take several minutes for it to reach you, but it will cross your path here unless it suddenly changes course.

Spoiler: Helios

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Ntombi's tone, inflections, and facial expressions are remarkably even, calm. She is very difficult to read; her words and inflections make her sound trustworthy, but you can't tell if that is true or a clever performance on her part.

You do not sense anything mystical about Ntombi herself, or the air around her, or her clothing. As you are finishing your assessment, you catch the slightest hint of mystical energies at the very bottom of her walking stick. The easiest analogy to the sense you get is like the whiff of damp you might get if someone stepped in a puddle on a rainy day that splashed onto the hem of their pants three hours ago. With where you are and the powers that Manchineel and her Menagerie has been described as possessing, it could easily have come from contact with a mystical source, rather than being generated from the stick itself or the one carrying it.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Lily...actually relaxed, slightly, when she picked up that odd scent on the wind. That was, at least, one concern put to rest.

"They're not, actually. Contradictory, I mean. You can be aware of a danger in the area without knowing whether other dangers may be nearby, or when exactly you will encounter it," she responded, before stopping as if to think for a moment, casting a sidelong glance at Helios, and adding, "Although in our case, that would in fact be in about {several*} minutes."

Spoiler: *

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Estimated as precisely as possible (down to as close as the nearest whole minute) given: an Analytical sense of smell to determine the exact concentration of olfactory particulates on the wind and the current wind speed based on their rate of passage; a +20 Expertise (Nature) to assess the expected scent intensity of relevant substances given that concentration; a +25 Expertise (Biochemistry) to estimate likely rates of initial concentration and dispersal through the air given current wind speed, ambient humidity, and known size of Raphael; a +15 Expertise (Academic) to do be able to perform complex mathematics in her head; the ability to Routine skill checks while not rushed or under duress; and a partridge in a pear tree (let's be honest it's probably Watcher's).

Lily gave a little, patient smile as Peters made her philosophical point. "No, you don't blame animals for their nature. You also don't let dangerous animals hurt people. And if dangerous people are using animals to further goals that will hurt people, then you remove their access to those animals. Ideally, of course, without harming the animals if you can avoid it. If you are trying to say Raphael is more gentle animal than dangerous monster, I'll take your word for it; you seem to know more about her than we do." There wasn't...accusation in Lily's voice, quite, but it was a tad pointed there.

Lily didn't...really have anything against Manchineel's creations, in and of themselves. To be fair, she hadn't really thought about them in any context other than "dangerous". When she had faced them before, she never really put in any particular effort to outright kill or destroy them - but neither had she held back the way she would against a person. She supposed all else being equal, the humane approach would be to neutralize them without permanent harm where possible. It wasn't like she wasn't equipped with plenty of options for that.

"By the wording of your question, and of your intentions, I suspect you know the answer to that," Lily replied. She saw little point in attempting deception here. Raphael's travel speed was a known quantity and a factor in their plan. Lily herself could fly at three times the speed of sound, Nope could teleport all of them in an eyeblink, and she considered it likely that Helios and Ariadne had similar options for swift travel.
Plus, she had Raphael's scent. Either Miss Peters was in fact a minion of Manchineel's in some manner, in which case odds were they were going to be throwing down with her one way or another, or she was what she appeared to be, in which case the odds of her being able to thwart them by either physical force or raising a warning were low.

But that didn't mean Lily would dismiss her. Even if she did not fear her as enemy or obstacle, notwithstanding unknown unknowns, and even if she didn't fully trust her, if she was what she appeared to be she was likely a decent person. Perhaps misguided, perhaps even deluded, depending on just how close she actually was with Manchineel, but still decent for all that. And either way, she could perhaps be a valuable asset.

"We're here to remove Manchineel's access to Raphael. Manchineel's plans are a threat to the people of Forester's Bay, and as best we've been able to figure out, Raphael is a significant component of those plans.
The story goes that you have been able to speak to Manchineel without earning her ire; judging by your presence here, and the fact that you know we are standing between Raphael and where Manchineel wants her to go, I expect the story is if anything understated. I don't know the specifics of your relationship with Manchineel, or what you might have to do to remain on her good side. I won't ask you to put yourself in danger siding against her, and if you would prefer to leave here before Raphael arrives, you are welcome to. We can assist you in returning to town or another part of the forest if you would like."

"Or...if you have any advice to offer us on how best to remove Raphael from Machineel's toolkit without causing her any permanent harm, we would of course appreciate it."

Spoiler

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Let's try some Persuasion. Assuming she's not lying through her teeth, it seems like her motivation here might be centered primarily on keeping us from harming Raphael. As actually harming her is largely irrelevant to our goals, this seems like it might be something we can work with Peters on: (1d20+10)[26]. Since Scent Intensification is on, add +10 if Attractive applies.

[Ridai]

Honestly, hearing Raphael is peaceful makes Nope feel bad instantly. He manages to not emit sounds like "oh no", "aw man", and similar audible distress. But Floral steps up with the problem-solving, and in the end, Nope just stands there, looking to Floral, Ms. Peters, Floral, the ground, back to Ms. Peters, hands opening and closing, sometimes going into pockets (well, at least people around Nope think there are pockets?), coming back out.

Until he decides on a contribution to the situation. Which is just generally gesturing to Floral. Yeah. What she said.

I never said it was a big or good contribution.

[Dorni]

The woman reminded him of some of the lawyers he'd dealt with - he could fully imagine them making arcane technical points about who's the real monster while about to be devoured by a very literal one. The thought gave him some joy.

That said, by the way she spoke she was quite familiar with Machineel and Raphael. She was no bystander hiker. "Just so," Helios added. "We're well aware that many who serve Machineel are also her victims. If there's a way to remove Raphael from Manchineel without slaying her, we would gladly make the attempt."

Spoiler: OOC

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Going to assist Lily's Persuasion: (1d20+10)[12]

[Abracadangit]

Kal considers replying to Peters' elliptical statement, but lets Floral and Helios speak instead.

"She reminds me of prophets and muses I have met before," Ariadne says into Kal's thoughts, dryly. "You want to go left, first you have to go right. You wish for the sun, you might end up with the moon." Kal, in her mind's ear, hears the clicking of a tongue. "If I wanted riddles, I would ask a sphinx."

[Zelphas]

Ntombi Peters listens carefully as Floral lays out the goal of the group, seeming to mull over her words. The walking stick taps the ground absently once, twice.

"There's a scent that fills the air around Manchineel," She begins almost suddenly, looking up into the forest canopy. "Unless you've got a sense of smell better than the average human, it's only noticeable right nearby, but I'm fairly sure it can be smelled for miles to those with the right senses. It's a pleasant enough smell--earthy, growing, like a 'natural' scent made by someone who's never set foot in real wilderness before. That's all it is, if you're a normal human like--well, like just me here, I suppose," she smiles slowly, looking over the group once. "To the creatures that Manchineel's made, though, well...

"Now, it's only my observation and guesswork, mind you, but from all I've seen the Menagerie can't do much of anything when it can smell their mistress, except if she tells them so. She sings, and they dance, and that's all there is to it. Once they're away from the smell again, well then things can change. For the ones that were once human, it means they get to think again, at least a little bit, to go their own way and make their choices. For the animals... well, what would you expect? They act like animals do. Manchineel can rewrite their instincts a little bit, but she can't change them all."

Reaching down slightly, Ntombi Peters taps the stream with her walking stick, making a slight splash. Her smile turns sly. "Raphael, she likes water, you see. She doesn't have much use for drinking it anymore, but she likes the feel of it, the cool wetness, perhaps. I figured that I could coax her into the river and lead her a bit upstream, then leave her to follow her instincts. In a day or two, her mistress will have somewhere else to send her agent of quiet vengeance, having forgotten about her current crusade. Manchineel is a creature of caprice herself, you see; she doesn't plan so much as she acts on what bothers her, or angers her, or intrigues her, in the moment."

As Ntombi Peters looks back up at the four of you, a slight hint of green glints in her brown eyes. The source becomes apparent a few moments later, as a soft green light begins leaking around the trees behind you, to the west of the stream. "I'm afraid I don't have a permanent way to remove Raphael; as long as she is in the forest, Manchineel will find her. She is gentle, but she is also strong, and her first instinct seems to be to follow whatever Manchineel last told her to do. Getting her fully out will be a trial, if that's what you wish to try."

[Quellian-dyrae]

When Ntombi described the effects of Manchineel's scent on her creations...two sides of Lily went to war inside her head.

Floral, the badass warrior-scientist, the genus biochemist who used the shining light of the sun as a resource and all the plants of the world as weapons, who could manipulate vegetable matter on the cellular level and conduct on-the-fly genetic engineering in the heat of combat, got the mental equivalent of a slasher smile and mad scientist glasses gleam. Manchineel controlled her minions through scent, but more than that, it was a specific scent. Something she could potentially analyze and emulate, and wield against them. Among Floral's many biochemical weapons were pheromone scents that could influence and control the minds of others. If Manchineel's creatures were already designed to obey a specific olfactory signature, duplicating it should give her powers a tremendous advantage against them!

Already, plans were shooting through that part of her brain. She would need to smell it herself, of course; Ntombi's description would no more suffice than the description of "a dark haired woman with an interesting smile" would convey the artistry of the Mona Lisa. Getting a physical sample would be even better; even Lily's knowledge of biochemistry wouldn't allow her to reverse-engineer the exact cellular structure to emulate that exact olfactory signature simply by smelling it, although it wasn't impossible that with enough time she could match it with trial and error. Still, limits of human memory would be prohibitive there. But if...

Meanwhile, the Flower Girl was curled up in the fetal position in some dark corner of her mind, wailing in terror and despair.

Manchineel's creations were beholden to her olfactory signature. Lily was, herself, a creation of Manchineel's. One that had once been human, just as Ntombi described. There was no reason to assume that Manchineel wouldn't have bound her to her scent just as she did all her other creations. That she was able to think and act for herself was not evidence; as Ntombi had said, the formerly-human members of the Menagerie could do that when not in range of her.

That part of her mind wanted to weep. She had worked so hard to turn her dinky little flower powers into a practical powerset...and now it turned out that the one piece she had thought was an actual, stand-on-its-own useful ability, the augmented sense of smell, might in fact be her greatest weakness. No power at all, but a backdoor Manchineel had installed to control her. She was defeated before the fight had even begun, all her efforts to become stronger only serving to make her that much more powerful a weapon in Manchineel's hands once she laid claim to the slave she had created. And the worst part was that she had known it from the start. Manchineel was a force of nature.

You don't talk down a volcano. You don't make friends with a hurricane. You don't overcome them in personal combat, either.

Lily kinda swayed on her feet for a moment, as if dazed, half of her brain occupied with plans for inevitable and glorious victory, the other half overcome with visions of unavoidable and hopeless defeat. A single piece of evidence shouldn't cause you to update literally equally strongly in two completely opposite directions.

She took a breath, tried to fuse the two sides of her wildly running thoughts back into a coherent whole.

Call it even odds, then. Work to develop methods to exploit Manchineel's scent, ideally while avoiding personal exposure. Among them, a way to protect yourself from it, the way you modulate your pheromones to be blocked by the natural scents of your allies. ...And work with the others to prepare contingencies to ensure they can neutralize you if you are compromised, Floral advised her with calm, strategic pragmatism.

You'll have to tell them what you are, the Flower Girl warned her in a broken mental voice.

"Thank you," she finally said, and she meant it, the words coming from the bottom of her heart. The immediate tactical information - Raphael likes water, and all - was useful. But knowing about Manchineel's scent...that was critical. Whether it was a path to victory or defeat or both was uncertain, but either way, knowing about it made all the difference.

But then the greenish light came spilling through the trees, and Lily turned towards it. "If you can get clear, now's the time. Nope might be able to help with that. Otherwise...stay behind us."

To the others she said, quietly, a seemingly-uncharacteristic trepidation in her voice, "When this is over...we need to talk."

[Abracadangit]

"Thank you," Kal said, with a small nod. "That's some valuable information. But as my colleague suggests, now would be the time to... re-situate yourself."

As the emerald glow brightens, Kal brandishes a needle, and weaves a quick couple of figure-eights as a phantom web of crisscrossing threads expands out from her consciousness and over the surrounding area.

Spoiler: OOC

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Threadwork Sense Activated!

[Ridai]

"Huh," Nope says on the matter. With persumably very Raphaelian light shining through the forest now, Nope already feels the time crunch, so to direct his thoughts, he makes a sort of arm tucked in karate chop motion towards Ms. Peters. "Ms. Peters do you want to be re-situated and if yes where please answer quickly thank you"

If she wants to be brought elsewhere, Nope does so without delay. In that case, after bringing her there, he quickly asks if she is feeling okay, with a quick visual check if everything still seems where it is supposed to be, before excusing himself and zipping back.

"Hey so I can try to make things not aggressive, but that kind of breaks down if people attack 'em, or I can try to wear things out until they fall unconscious. Former or the latter? Try is the important word here."

...It occurs to Nope that in the past week, they did not get together to discuss, like, tactics, or what sorts of powers they have, or what to go for. He really should have brought that up. Turns out he also gained the Superpower of Hindsight.

[Dorni]

Helios' face lit up. Figuratively, of course. The concept of pheromones and plants signaling each other with scents wasn't new to him, but he'd never thought to connect it to Machineel. It was so simple now that it had been pointed out, but where his excitement lay was the options that this opened up. If Machineel exerted control over her minions with scent signals, then blocking those scents would deprive her of an important tool. "Indeed, this will help us immensely. You have my gratitude. While I cannot promise success, I can promise I'll make every attempt to free Rapheal."

His mind was already spinning with possibilities for this newest puzzle. He'd already worked out a veil to mask him from sight and sound - he could probably adapt it to block out scents. Wait, no, he'd first have to invert it. But would the spell structure remain stable if it was inverted? Or what if he ditched the veil and tried constructing a filter? But for that... The greenish light was a good reminder that now was most definitely not the time for that.

He looked to Ntombi one more time and calmly awaited her decision.

[Zelphas]

Ntombi Peters looks up, her eyes meeting Floral's. Something flickers in their depths for just a moment, gone before it can be registered, leaving them dark and twinkling once more.

"I can find my own way; I know enough not to distract those who are on the job," she waves off your offers to take her away from the area. "Be gentle with her if you can, but despite her gentleness she is a wild creature. She can take more than you think, I just don't know that she deserves it. Fortune to you... Perhaps you should think of a name. I never asked nor answered, but others might, and some folks may wonder what you call yourselves when you're in a group." Waving with her walking stick, Ntombi Peters turns and begins walking east. "Just a passing traveler's suggestion; take it with you or leave it in the woods, it's yours to use."

The forest changed around you at Raphael's arrival.

First was the moss, a living carpet of thick, emerald green life that rolled out in a silent wave and covered the earth all along the riverbank to either side as far as you could see. It grew so thick that you could sink into it if you weren't careful. Then, thin tendrils of greenery slowly rose from the ground or drooped from the branches above, thickening slightly into slender, fuzzy vines of darker, murkier green. They didn't do much to impede your vision, but made moving more difficult, as they clung to everything around them and slowly wrapped what they found in a soft, easily-broken embrace. The air grew thicker, laden with moisture. The temperature rose.

And throughout, the greenish glow beyond the trees grew closer. The vines and new growth darkened the area slightly, making the glow seem slightly brighter, but it didn't truly grow in its brightness as it approached. Instead, it simply intensified, becoming more green, more filled with life. All of you feel it, a sense of growth and growing approaching with the light; to Floral it is not so familiar as to be frightening, but still contains some familiarity with what she encountered roughly a month ago.

Spoiler: Ariadne

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You "see" Raphael before any of the others do through your thread sense. Unfortunately, your thread sense is nearly whited out by the amount of magical energy Raphael is pouring out, so you mostly get a vague impression of a cow-shaped creature larger than any real-life cow, and Life with a capital L. After a few moments of study, you realize that Raphael isn't really using magic, it's more like she is magic, like what she's accessing is magic in its "raw" form, without the refinement of spells, gestures, bloodlines, or other factors. It's closely related to magic, but not quite the same, which is probably why your Threadwork Sense is giving you such a vague image.

Spoiler: Helios

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Looking at the green light as it closes, you get a strange response from your Mystic Sense. You sense no magical aptitude from Raphael, but with every second the Life Magic filling the air around you grows stronger, and its all pouring from where Raphael seems to be. She doesn't seem to be able to use magic, whatever she is; instead, she is magic, as though a fraction of whatever energy that allows magic to function has taken physical form and is now walking straight towards you.

Finally, Raphael herself walks into view. She steps soundlessly on the thick, heavy moss, her deep greenish-black hooves making no sound on its surface. Every inch of her enormous form radiates deep green light, from the tip of her thin, tufted tail to the points of her long, vine-draped horns and the deep, milky greenish-white of her glowing eyes. Her broad back is a carpet of the same moss that now covers the earth around you. Vines and small white flowers wind around her limbs and peek out from behind her long, drooping ears. Her wide, heavy nostrils flare as the wind shifts, and she stops abruptly just before the four of you, her left front forehoof pawing the ground. To either side of her, saplings burst silently from the ground, growing almost instantly into protective bars of wood on either side of the great ox.

Raphael of Manchineel's Menagerie, the Angel of Healing, stands before you, looking at you with eyes that show little but animal confusion, which can quickly turn to fright.

Spoiler: OOC

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Here's a map, in case it becomes needed. The darker green is Raphael's Environment; all movement speeds are reduced by 2 while you are in it.

A battle has not started, but in case one does, I'm going to roll Initiative below:

Floral: (1d20+8)[12]
Ariadne: (1d20+4)[5]
Helios: (1d20)[6]
Nope: (1d20)[9]

Raphael: (1d20+16)[25]

Raphael is very likely to go first, but she does not initiate combat, so you are all good to go.

[Ridai]

As Nope is kind of left hanging, he now looks up at Raphael, fidgeting. "Jesus Christ why is Raphael this enormous?" he asks no one but himself. He has never seen a being this large in person. Especially not this close. And potentially wanting to stomp his bones and guts into the ground as fertilizer.

So since Raphael doesn't look like she will attack immediately, Nope just frantically glances to his team-mates, trying to not make any sudden motions, as he has no idea what they are planning or wanting to do (or what they even are able to do in this situation). As far as Nope is concerned, he is not keen on attacking right away. More like putting more distance between him and Raphael. But they need to deal with Raphael, and he can't just let the others alone on the potential frontline. But he also has never been good with animals. More like being good at being ignored by animals at best.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Spoiler

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Lily's activating Olfactory Clarity, Commune With Nature, Scent Processing, and Scent Intensification. Basically her full Senses and olfactory skill buffs suite, plus Comprehend Plants.

Lily kept from shivering as she felt that supernatural sense of growth pass over her. It wasn't the same thing...but it was close enough to be unpleasant.

She held her hands out before her, a non-threatening gesture. She considered the options here. In some way, maybe some rather important ways, Raphael was...like her. She hadn't really thought about that before, maybe wouldn't have had it not been for their encounter with Ntombi Peters. Raphael needed to be taken off the gameboard, but...she didn't seem immediately hostile. Lily had the tools to neutralize opponents relatively painlessly, but they still weren't exactly fun, or kind.

...And to be fair she wasn't exactly sure of what the proper dosages were for a creature of Raphael's size.

Floral was supposed to be a hero. A hero wouldn't resort to violence as a first choice, right? A hero would at least try to settle things peacefully.

The scents coming off of Lily began to change, from the sweet smell of flowers to something more...earthy, more mossy, but still with flower-like undertones. Something that, to someone with a nose as keen as hers, anyway, still came off as distinctly her scent, but sort of blended with Raphael's own. It was a subtle, nonverbal communication, a sort of combination of recognition and statement. I'm like you.

She approached gradually, hands held out before her, not making any sudden movements. Lily didn't actually have much experience with animals. She was a city (well, small-town) girl born and raised. But...she had a sense of how to do this, or at least thought she did. She couldn't quite say how or why. Maybe she was picking up cues from Raphael's scent markers? ...Or maybe her transformation had changed her on a deeper level than even she had realized. The brain was part of the body too, after all.

If Raphael didn't react defensively to her approach, she'd slowly, gently reach out, and lay one hand on her shoulder.

Spoiler

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Routine Persuasion to try to improve Raphael's reaction. If I'm right that should come to 30 total after +10 base, +5 for Attractive 2 thanks to Humanoid Plant, and +5 for Scent Intensification thanks to Attractive 2.

And if Raphael continued to remain calm, and seemed to be paying attention to her, she would begin speaking aloud. Not so much because she thought Raphael would understand her words, necessarily. But more because...that was how she was used to communicating. That was how she formed her thoughts in a way that could be shared with others. But the actual process by which she communicated with Raphael had far less to do with vibrations moving through the air, and far more to do with subtle changes in the scents she produced, instinctively in reaction to the words she intended to give voice to.

"Our mistress has new orders for you. She wants you to follow us. We'll take you to where new Life needs to bloom."

Spoiler

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I figured out an approach that might work.

Lying through my teeth! I have a good feeling about it!

Deception to try to convince Raphael that Manchineel wants her to come with us. Again assuming Humanoid Plant allows Attractive and thus Scent Intensification to apply, and with a further +2 circumstance bonus for Favored Foe (Manchineel's Minions), that should come out to (1d20+22)[38].

[Dorni]

Flint drank in the sight, the feel of the creature before him. True, some part of him had to admit that when he'd envisioned Raphael, creation and minion of Machineel, he had expected some kind of nightmare monster or maybe a warped plant-creature. He had not expected a cow straight out of a cornucopia myth. But it was far more than that. Rapheal was a creature of Life itself.

The air was infused, radiating, dripping with the aether of Life, so abundant that not only did the plants bloom where she walked, the vegetation grew heavy simply by her mere presence. Like a portion of magic itself taken a physical form. Even the light that radiated from the creature was just more life spilling out of its too-small vessel.

It was amazing.

And saddening that such a creature was bound to Machineel.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, not sure what to say to convince Rapheal to stand down. While he was at a loss, Floral stepped forward to coax the creature. He caught her scent as she went past, a rich mossy smell that was nothing like the minty sweetness he remembered. It reminded him of Ntombi's description of Machineel. Of course - Floral was trying to communicate. He might not know exactly what to say, but he suspected Floral might.

Slowly, carefully, he eased into a relaxed stance. He didn't want to spook Rapheal. Then, just as slowly, he reached out with his will to the surrounding aether, coaxing it to surround Floral and let her be more of what she was, more vibrant, akin to his Lifeshell spell but much more gentle. And, he hoped, more aetherically similar to Machineel.

Spoiler: OOC

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Going to team check with Floral . Routine Persuasion 25 and Routine Deception 26 should give both checks a +5.

[Zelphas]

Raphael stares across the suddenly verdant forest at the four of you, her eyes wide and filled with slow confusion and caution. She doesn't react at first when Floral steps forward; in fact, she doesn't seem to acknowledge Floral at all, her attention focused on Helios, Ariadne, and Nope. Then her nostrils flare, and the tension leaves her form. Her eyes lose the fearful edge, becoming placid and nearly empty. She leans into the touch Floral gives her, a gentle pressure belying her enormous form. Steadily, calmly, she turns to face Floral--

And jerks back in sudden surprise, letting out a snort. Her nostrils flare again, and confusion mixes with alarm in her eyes. She leans her massive head down towards Floral, taking in deep breaths with her nose, her eyes almost squinting; on a cow less enormous than Raphael is, the expression would be almost comical. Around you, the greenery in the air grows noticeably less vibrant, the moss less engulfing underfoot. Raphael, on the other hand, only glows more brightly. Then in a green flash, that brightness rushes towards Floral.

Spoiler: Floral

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Raphael is definitely an animal that was changed; her emotions are slow, basic, and steady. Calm acceptance and a form of love met your words, but when she turned to look at you, surprise (which means fear for an herbivore) suddenly appeared. The love and the fear mingled, creating confusion, and then Raphael came to an instinctive decision. Raphael is attempting to use a power on you. You can choose to dodge it, in which case (being an instinctive snap shot) the power will miss.

Spoiler: If you choose not to dodge

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Floral is subjected to a Healing: (1d20+14)[24]

[Quellian-dyrae]

Lily observed Raphael's reactions carefully. She thought she more-or-less had a decent read on her, but it was hard to be sure; Raphael was not human, and this form of communication was still somewhat alien to Lily. She seemed to respond favorably...but then she reacted with sudden surprise, and unleashed power on her.

Lily wasn't sure what had prompted the reaction. Perhaps Raphael had a sufficiently strong connection to Manchineel and her wishes that Lily's attempt at deceiving her only served to reveal her as an enemy. But...her nose pinged fear, not anger or hostility (not that fear couldn't lead to plenty of damage in itself, of course). And Ntombi Peters had said Raphael was gentle by nature...and even Manchineel couldn't change a creature's nature.

There wasn't really time to think. Half on reason, half on instinct, Lily didn't flinch when the green light enveloped her, standing placidly and letting it roll over and through her. There was no visible effect. She felt a rush of vigor, like she was standing in bright sunlight, but more concentrated and intense. She was uninjured, but she was pretty sure that Raphael had tried to heal her. She wondered if it was some sort of test, if the light would have had no effect at all, or even proven harmful, if she were human.

Regardless, she could work with that.

"It's okay," she said with a gentle smile, gently stroking the fur (or is it moss?) of Raphael's shoulder. "Thank you. But..." What had she been trying to heal? Had she perceived a fellow member of the Menagerie for some reason in the form of a human? Or had she been trying to reverse the transformation Manchineel had inflicted upon her? "We are what we are, right?" she asked. She cupped her hands together, holding them up to Raphael in an offering gesture. A faintly golden liquid pooled within them.

Spoiler: If Raphael drinks the nectar

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Raphael receives Healing at (1d20+10)[23].

(Flower Power currently set to Olfactory Clarity [10], Commune with Nature [5], Scent Processing [5], Scent Intensification [10], Healing Nectar [20].)

"Will you come with us, now?" she asked, still gently, but she allowed a touch of urgency to flavor her scent.

Spoiler

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More Persuasion: (1d20+20)[28].

[Ridai]

Why does it feel like everyone is in on the plan except me?!

Nope's eyes are jumping back and forth constantly. And when Raphael does her... whatever it is Raphael is doing, Nope is gone. Well, for a moment. He reappears between blinks. Felt a flinch coming, and that turned into noping his presence. Back to... back to uncertain waiting!

[Abracadangit]

"What IS that," Kal thinks to Ariadne, not daring to weave a single thread for fear that it might cause Raphael to react. "It's... made from magic?"

"It IS magic," Ariadne responds, in a rare tone of reverence. "Or something that is not quite magic, but a close sister. Hard to say."

"Never a dull moment, is there. For now I'll trust in Floral, maybe she can turn it without any shots fired. And if she can't..."

"Hnn, hnn, hnn," Ariadne laughs, dryly. "Then there is much thread, to be spun."

[Dorni]

Flint's heart jumped into his throat at the sight of all that aether crashing onto Floral. He exhaled when she emerged unharmed. His rational mind told him he should have expected such - as a plant he should expect her to benefit even more from the vitality of Life-aspected aether than a human of her size would. A wave of it should invigorate her, within limits. An over-ripe melon would burst.

That was the worry. So Rapheal wasn't just a fount of Life, she could control it to a degree. She wasn't a wizard - the aether she'd drawn in and sent out hadn't been refined, or woven, or shaped - it was just a wave of Life. That didn't make it harmless. Far from it. Just the size alone meant Rapheal could cause real harm even if she didn't mean it. And if she did, ocean waves always wore away the cliff in the end.

However enormous Rapheal was though, she was still a cow. He'd never owned a cow, but he'd owned cats and dogs and those animals were far more attentive to scents than people. If he wanted to avoid spooking her, that seemed like the sensible route to appeal to. He slowly stepped forward but stopped a little out of reach. Or what he guessed was Rapheal's reach. He gently reached a hand out, palm down. It was an offer - not a demand, but an offer for Raphel to smell him. To allow the cow to get accustomed to his scent. He was introducing himself.

Spoiler: OOC

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Going to routine Persuasion 20 again to keep team checking with Floral.

[Zelphas]

Hesitantly, Raphael leans her enormous head down towards Floral's hands, a surprisingly pink tongue reaching out to touch the nectar. Raphael brings her head up in surprise, her eyes rolling, stretching her neck to look at her own body. A few moments later, she calms again, though twitches race across her skin at irregular intervals. She moves slowly away from Helios as her grows closer, not running from him, but shrinking back from his outstretched hand (as much as a 15-foot ox can shrink).

At Floral's words, Raphael's eyes look over to her before dancing away again. She shakes herself slowly once, the air becoming filled with tangled vines and the moss thickening on the ground once more. Then, Raphael takes a slow, careful step in Floral's direction. It seems she will follow along. The glowing cow's eyes are rolling slightly in their sockets, bouncing away from Floral periodically and roaming from trunk to trunk, and twitches of muscle movement still play across her massive form.

Spoiler: OOC

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Raphael is following Floral! She is very nervous, so sudden movements or sounds have a good chance of frightening her away. Here are some ideas for what to do next:

Lead Raphael far away: If you do this, I'd like you all to roll Persuasion, Perception, or Insight checks. Essentially, you would be soothing Raphael, keeping an eye out for anything that might spook her, and watching Raphael to see whether she is ready to bolt, respectively. Each Hero can pick one check to do. Roll that check five times. You can choose to double up on checks to do team checks, but that takes up your slot for rolling. Also, choose at least a general destination. If you fail any of the checks, something will happen then depending on the check failed.

Bind/Knock Out/Subdue Raphael: This would be a Deception or Stealth check, followed by a power meant to subdue Raphael with the minimum of pain. You may Power Stunt something for this if you wish. You will be able to treat Raphael as though she was an Object for this "Attack", so either don't roll Accuracy and take your DC or roll Accuracy and treat it as a critical hit. If she fails the check, she will suffer the effects; if she doesn't battle will begin.

Surprise Attack: Take a surprise round and unload on Raphael, hoping for the best. Obviously, this is a violent response, but it's on the table.

If you guys don't like any of these, then I'm open to suggestion for what you want to do next. We can either come up with rolls or run it with as few rolls as possible. Getting Raphael to calm down in the presence of strangers and follow you is already an achievement in and of itself.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Floral gave Raphael another gentle pat. She was skittish, but seemed willing to go along for the time being at least. Okay then. That was step one. As for step two, well...

"Guys," she said in a very gentle voice, "I think Raphael is ready to come with us. There's also a bird in that tree over there," she said, nodding towards the tree she smelled one of Watcher's robo-birds in. She was pretty sure that Raphael didn't actually understand human speech, but she elected to keep her words circumspect just in case.

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Just kinda a little post to point out the Watcher bird to the others. Didn't want to jump right into making checks without confirming option 1b is what we want to go for.

[Dorni]

Helios would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit disappointed at seeing Rapheal shrink from him, but he accepted the cue and slowly backed away. "Ok. I'll coordinate with our avian friend and see what can be arranged."

He backed away to a safe distance and let Floral lead Rapheal a bit before he smoothly took to the sky and approached the pigeon. "Hello, Watcher? Are you there?"

[Ridai]

Nope actually has no desire to try and befriend Raphael, between her not liking Helios being evidence not to try, as well as cats and dogs never really getting along with Remy, thus dooming him to watching funny/adorable pictures and videos of said cats and dogs instead. "I, uh, I'll try and watch for... bad things then. Once I know where we're going."

And with that, he quietly blips out of existence once a target location is known.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Time for Perception!
(1d20+10)[19]
(1d20+10)[18]
(1d20+10)[17]
(1d20+10)[22]
(1d20+10)[24]

[Quellian-dyrae]

"This way," Lily said/olfactorily communicated/empathically sent to Raphael, leading...basically in the direction most opposite of their understanding of Manchineel's direction based on Watcher's previous scouting while still being kinda perpendicular to Raphael's original route. She'd stay close to Raphael as they travelled, hoping to keep her calm.

Spoiler

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Persuasion: (1d20+20)[25].
Persuasion: (1d20+20)[23].

[Abracadangit]

Kal may not have had telepathy or super-strong-botanical-pheremone-based... whatever it was Floral had, but a lifetime of growing up in an argumentative family plus years of working in customer service gave her a pretty keen sense for someone else's apprehension, and a knack for calming things down. Granted, most of her experience was with people, not giant manifestations of life force, but as she watched the creature startle at snapping twigs and shrill birds, she figured it couldn't be too different. She kept an eye on Raphael's mood as they went, signaling to Floral if they needed to pause momentarily so the creature could take a breather to calm down.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Insight: (1d20+10)[14]
Insight: (1d20+10)[28]

[Zelphas]

Helios

"Managing to soothe Raphael into walking calmly with you... you all are truly heroes!" Watcher's voice sounds from behind Helios. Turning, he would find a different pigeon landing on a branch behind him, while the first pigeon launched into the air to follow after Raphael. "Sorry, that one's tailing Raphael, this one's roaming, so--nevermind. So? If she was willingly going along with you it would be different, but with Raphael being seemingly just an animal in intelligence she'll panic if I try to pick her up now. I have something that might help; single-use, you're in the forest, Manchineel isn't nearby, it shouldn't trace back to me. I'll get it--" The pigeon goes still for a moment, then swings back to you. "I'll get it to you fast, but you should go help your group. Raphael looks ready to bolt." The pigeon flies off, darting away back towards Forester's Bay proper.

Nope, Floral, and Ariadne

So... things could definitely be going worse.

Walking along with Raphael has been going well for a little while, with Floral's soothing scent and voice helping to calm the ox while Nope keeps watch for threats and Ariadne monitors Raphael herself. Then the group crosses some sort of boundary line, or something in Raphael's head short-circuits, and the ox gives out a low bellow of dismay, charging forward at an angle away from Floral. She only moves a few steps, and the group is able to rein her back in, but in the confusion no one sees the fox hiding in the undergrowth nearby. As they begin moving again, that fox bursts out of its hiding place and flees, a flash of red fur right in front of Raphael.

Helios returns to the group just in time to see Raphael balk, kicking up her forelegs and backing up slightly. She lowers her head, shaking her enormous horns back and forth, her hooves shuffling, obviously looking for somewhere to flee. If the group wants to overwhelm her with surprise, now would be the time; or perhaps she can be calmed just long enough for Watcher to deliver his "help".

Spoiler: OOC

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So, if you want to take Option 2 from above, you will need to do so in your next action; remember that you can Power Stunt if you wish.

Alternatively, you can try to keep Raphael calm for a few more seconds until whatever Watcher is bringing arrives. If you do this, I'll need one Persuasion check and one Insight check. You can Team Check on this. you cannot Routine it. The DC is 25 for each check. If you fail, Initiative starts with Raphael going first. If you succeed, you get access to Watcher's "help", and can use it for an Option 2 attack.