[IC] Banners & Blood

[Lioslaith]

"We will have to appease the creature if we are to cross. Let us hope we are more successful than with the dwarves."

[samduke]

A man like creature made from water , we should use caution

[dangelo]

A red deer finds its way to Galinmorn during one of his patrols, and pads along the way for a while. "The river is angry, master. Something angered the spirits who live there." It reports. "We fear to get close, even to drink. It all happened after the men in blue came."

[Flashkannon]

Ginarie listens to the deer give its report, though her understanding of it is limited. Not something they really teach in academies where she's from, but oh well.

"Sounds like the river spirit's in some sort of a tizzy. We could spend some time, try to talk our way past. That deer say why exactly?"

[Lioslaith]

Before he answers Galin will ask the deer if it knows what the blue soldiers did to piss off the river spirit?

”The deer was not specific but he said the river spirits are angry and have been ever since the men in blue came.”

[dangelo]

The deer does not know because it happened during the night, but it leads Galin to a tiny cavern where a bunch of bats live. "We saw it, we heard it, we sniff it, it was evil, master." The bats flutter around chaotically. Oy, there were lights by the river that night, when the men in blue crossed. And smell. Incense . Sulfur. Herbs. Blood." Each of the bats say in turns. "It was magic, master, foul it was."

[Lioslaith]

”Do any of you know how to appease the river spirit?”

[dangelo]

"We never got close enough to ask, master. It is dangerous. The bats reply. "It's angry," they repeat.

[Lioslaith]

”Well let’s go see if we can appease it.”

[samduke]

Very well I urge caution however , when we go to this spirit of water

[Flashkannon]

Ginarie crosses her arms, and purses her lips. "Well, we know where the ritual was conducted. We could clean up the site, maybe knock out whatever's keeping it here. It wasn't arcane stuff, so maybe this is divine or wild magic? If we can't end the ritual, I guess we could appeal to the spirit."

[dangelo]

As soon as any creature approaches the river, the elemental rises in its humanoid form (Large), and a water trident forms in its hand. The other hand raises in the universal sign of "stop."

"No one may pass," it says in Common, heavily accented with Aquan. "The river is closed."

A light blue, jelly-like core bubbles within the creature. There, a druidic seal of Transmutation seems to have been branded by fire.

[Lioslaith]

”Tell us how we can release you from your forced servitude? We need to pass but would do you this kindness before we do.”

Galinmorn will offer up a purified water spell along with his persuasion.

[dangelo]

The elemental receives the purified water and takes it to the bottom of the river without opening the waterskin. "You have my gratitude." Its large humanoid form bows, and the spirit seems to calm. "However, I cannot allow you to ford the river. I must protect it for three more days and three more nights, until the new moon rises black in the sky. Only then, and not a second earlier, will I be released from my duty. Then the river will flow normally again, and you will be free to pass."

You realize that the elemental is intimately connected to the river, a spirit that inhabits this specific region. This means that whoever commands it did not summon it from the Plane of Water, but captured and subdued it within the Material Plane itself. If you travel a few miles upstream or downstream, you might find another stretch of the river protected by a different elemental.

[Lioslaith]

”Sadly we need to cross sooner than that. The blue army will be here and try to kill us. Do you perhaps know who bound you to serve? Perhaps we can persuade them to release you early?”

[dangelo]

"Aye. The one who commands me bears the same blue insignia." The elemental explains. "If they attack you by the river, I am also to join their forces and crush your army."

It bows respectfully again. "You have my gratitude - However, I am bound to my master by powerful magic. It is beyond my will to allow you to pass. Should you attempt to ford my river, I shall face you in battle and crush you, or be destroyed in the attempt. And I advise you against throwing your horsemen at me, for I will drown them in the glimpse of an eye."

[Lioslaith]

”Do you know where the one who bound you is?”

[dangelo]

It thinks for a moment. "Sometimes he comes from the south, and sometimes from the north. He moves fast around these River Lands. Not sure where he went... But he was here when the blue men crossed. He told me to allow them through and only them, no other man nor beast, nor elf nor dwarf, be them running or flying or swimming."

[Lioslaith]

Our intention is to free you not fight you. I wonder if we could somehow make the caster think his spell has failed to draw him back here. Would that be something you might be interested in helping with?”

[samduke]

Percilla
We have no time to go hunting down the one who bound this spirit. From what it sounds like to me the one who did is in league with the enemy forces that we wish to evade.

Speaking to the elemental
We mean to cross this river, I and all these that follow. if you stand in our way we shall destroy you.

Percilla proceeds to enter the river

[dangelo]

Our intention is to free you not fight you. I wonder if we could somehow make the caster think his spell has failed to draw him back here. Would that be something you might be interested in helping with?”

"My own interest matters not - But I will you, my master won't immediately know if I am destroyed. Sometimes he comes to check on me during the night."

Percilla
We mean to cross this river, I and all these that follow. if you stand in our way we shall destroy you.

Percilla proceeds to enter the river

"It will be an honor to fight you, knight." The elemental readies the trident in its watery hands. "I will take your soul as an offering to the river."

[Lioslaith]

Galinmorn shakes his head, ”Perhaps give it a night to see if the Druid will come before engaging?” He says to no one in particular as the two begin to fight.

[Flashkannon]

"Whoa, whoa, hold on! Boss leader, c'mere, I had an idea."

If Percilla listens, she'll whisper, "clearly the river spirit didn't consent to this, and it's bound by conditions - instead of trying to fight them, how about we just turn our uniforms blue? Then we can just pass right on through, easy as pie. Just for a bit, of course."

[Lioslaith]

”That …. Is a stellar idea!

[samduke]

Turning before the river, very well, make camp we will try it your way

[Flashkannon]

"Now, see, it's not just about not fighting here, our enemies have seen the path we're taking, and they have time to set up barriers like this. If we fight our way through every time we'll lose men, and I'm happy to knock enemy heads, but where they shackled unwilling agents like this? Well, that's basically a free ride. Why fight fair, like they expect us to?"

[dangelo]

The spirit of the river remains silent. It assumes a guarding position at first sight of any unwanted presence, its watery trindent in hand.

[Flashkannon]

Making sure they are out of earshot and eyeshot of the spirit, Ginarie starts a little huddle. "Okay, so the land is all scorched around here, yeah? We can't get enough dye to make everyone look like Wilhem's men, but we can disguise them, kinda. I had hoped to save this reveal for a little later, but whatever. One of you hold this, and make sure its kept above the water. When unstoppered, it will produce a smoke cloud large enough to cover our whole army, as long as we keep close. Honestly, the men should have some practice being in its cloud, because I'll be using it in future battles. I'll disguise myself as an enemy officer with a special trick of mine, and we wade on through. Simple, yeah?"

With the assent of her comrades, and enough time for the cloud to billow to its fullest, Ginarie pulls up the hood on her cloak, and twirls in place in a small tornado of leaves. In her place stands a human woman wearing armor emblazoned with the heraldry of Wilhem. She puts on a voice, sounding just off enough from Ginarie to pass under the radar.

"Well, all of you under fog cover, follow me, keep moving in the same direction, and I'll not steer you wrong."

She strides up to the water spirit, and says, confidently, "I and my loyal soldiers of Wilhem will be fording this river." Leaving room for the water spirit to reply, she begins doing exactly that.

[samduke]

Taking the object from Ginarie holding it as instructed in one hand, the other her mounts reins. Waiting long enough for Ginarie to enable the disguise and talk to the elemental. Waiting only long enough for a response, then marching the 300 soldiers to the water. with expectations of a battle with the elemental, while hoping to avoid it.

[dangelo]

The three hundred show apprehension with the idea of marching blindly, but grow more confident after a few rounds of practice. Their noble steed remain steady as long as they can see the back of the horse in front of them, and thus the column moves along without major complications.

Hills open to reveal the half-mile stretch of the ford, and beyond, the way to save King Harald. The elemental rises in its humanoid form, facing the wandering cloud and the general in blue that Ginarie has become. If there be any malice or insight behind its watery eyes, the creature does not seem capable of showing it. He identifies uniform and bows the same way he does every time anyone approaches him. "Say the name of our foe, and you shall pass."