Antoinette did travel with them from one location to another without a single random encounter, after all.  Sure, the same had happened on the way to Fairy Town without her, but still.

  "Are there any requests or messages you would desire to be passed along on your behalf, in our travels hour highness."

The king thinks about it and says, "Antoinette... where are your parents?"

Antoinette says, "In the Church of Pelor back home."

"And where is your home?"

"Massellersville."

"Why aren't you home?"

"Because I want my parents back."

...back and forth with the king getting simple answers that don't include explanations. He has to ask bit by bit before it gets discovered Antoinette's parents are imprisoned in crystal and Antoinette has been hopping from one "foster" parent to the next as she searches for a way to free her parents while also helping others in her travels.

The king sighs. "....very well. Antoinette can go with you. But she will be solely your responsibility."

Gale looks sympathetically at the poor little girl separated from her parents and kneels down to give her a comforting hug.

"I understand, your highness.  I'll take good care of her.  Also, a letter of introduction would likely go a long way toward improving our chances of success."

  "If we are lucky, we will have time to help Antoinette's problem at some point."  Which, given the average rate of doomsday problems in a fantasy setting, could be quite some time from now.

Soon, the group is on their way. Antoinette leading them and never complaining about walking. Seems the others tire before she does and she has to be told to stop. Timothius being with the group, however, examines the girl's feet and explains this girl is not only VERY used to walking, but likely didn't notice she was getting tired. This is soon confirmed by the girl napping against Timothius during the afternoon dinner break.

Gale nodded to Hoal, but the look on her face showed she wasn't optimistic.  During the journey, she would make conversation to try and lighten the mood.  Mostly focusing on happy, colorful topics like flowers, fashion, art, and the like.  When Timothius gives his medical opinion, out of curiosity Gale asks what were the clues he picked up on that led to his conclusion.

  Because Timothius is a REAL DOCTOR, from AMERICA.

  "Normally the phrase does not know when to quit is not quite this literal."

Timothius says, "Callous feet, exhaustion after walking so long without complaint. I noticed she had a very slight limp for the past mile or so."

After the break, however, Antoinette wakes up and is ready to keep walking, but Timothius insists on her piggy-backing. She points the way. Just 10 miles later, the group is led deep into some woods to some rocky hill with a waterfall, a pond, and lots of trees, vines, bushes, and flowers everywhere. Antoinette is pointing to a side of the rocky face that is covered in vines. "In there." Antoinette says.

Gale chuckles at Hoal's commentary and nods to Timothius.  "Impressive."

At the breathtakingly beautiful wildflower waterfall pond, Gale looks like she's enchanted, smiling dreamily.

"Wow," she whispers, "So pretty."

She slowly takes in the scenery, kneeling to smell the flowers before heading over to the vines to part them with her staff.

  Hoal is glad themes mean he knows spanish Elven.  He already used his BG slot to pick up Abyssal for racial flavor reasons.  ""Knowing our luck, be ready for armed warriors and spells being thrown our way the moment we cross through."

OOC: I feel like I've started to write a post for this, then got RL'd multiple times in the past

Timothius smiles and cheek-rubs the little girl when she points out the vines. It causes her to smile.

When Gale opens the vines, she finds the Feywild on the other side, as though the cave was only a cardboard cutout. Upon anyone entering, they will notice the portal is inside a tree on the other side.

There doesn't seem to be any ill-intentioned creatures on the other side. In fact, there is a deer, calmly sipping from a stream. Granted, the dear has a navy blue hide that has sparkling stars on it.

Gale girly giggles at the adorable cheek rubbing.  "Anything we encounter are as likely to serve us dinner as to try and fail to kill us if our luck holds up.  But at this point I'm wondering if instead they'll pass out from cute overdose."

She steps into the Feywild and admires the pretty deer.  "How lovely!  I can tell I'm goint to like it here."  She begins to sparkle as well.

  "At the very least, the Feywild shall likely remain aesthetically pleasing regardless of what troubles we face."  Such as magical flying attack dogs that still look like fwuffy doggies.

The deer looks at the team. A reverse-reverb, low-pitched voice echoes a few times off the west, east, north, then south at the team's location, saying, "Welcome. I am Starmap. What brings you to the Feywild?"

Timothius blinkblinks and is silent.

"Apparently," Gale agreed with Hoal.

She's a little startled by the deer suddenly talking from all directions and stands awestruck for a few seconds.

"Um... thank you, Starmap."

She bows politely.  "My name is Gale.  These are my friends.  We are here with a message of peace from our home."

She stops herself from going further, unsure if it would be considered rude.  She tries to gauge the creature's reaction.

  "A recent friend has shown a desire to come in this direction as well, so ensuring their safety comes to mind."  Antoinette counts as a recent friend, right?  Plus she was totally pointing in this direction.

OOC: Waaait a minute, that wasn't an Ascension post at all!

Starmap looks the team over. "And how may I help?"
The deer doesn't seem to be showing any signs of aggression; his tone soothing.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:48, Mon 18 Aug 2014.

"Thank you for the offer," Gale answers, "I'm not entirely sure what you can do for us.  Perhaps you can advise us?  We would like to help secure peace between the Feywild and the Prime Material Plane.  But though I have read many books about the Feywild, there was nothing in them that suggested where to go or who to talk with about opening peace talks.  I don't even know where we are yet."
This message was last updated by the player at 03:19, Tue 19 Aug 2014.

  Hoal opts not to ask if Starmap knows anyone named Roadmap.

OOC: The 'soothing voice' but for some reason reminds me of somebody's story about an Alice In Wonderland styled DnD module being SPECTACULARLY dangerous.  Cattpiillar has droning hypno voice, doormouse is a Monk and will punch your skull in.

Starmap says, "Secure peace? Between planes? Quite a heavy task you have undertaken... perhaps you would like audience with one of the Eladrin Kings. I can help you. But be aware: All things in this place have a price. The secret of the Feywild is that we are all governed by bargains, rules, laws, and deals. No fey can go back on a bargain that they have agreed to, for they know what terrible fate befalls oathbreakers."

"Thank you, Starmap," Gale answers, "Yes it is a heavy task.  But equally worthwhile.  I'm glad you are so helpful.  You have not put a condition or price on your advice.  If you would direct us to the safest way to the most likely and influential ally, you will have my gratitude."

  "Are there any known specifics about what that terrible fate is?"  Things that melodramatic tend to be important... Well, okay things that melodramatic indicating doom tend to be important.  There is lots of melodrama of little consequence to go around.

Starmap looks in Hoal's direction. "Depends on the oath broken. But the minimum sentence is life as a slave." Then Starmap looks at Gale. "Unfortunately, all kindness eventually gives way to price. Even among the kindest. My price for pointing you the right way is that you remember to give my name to your king if things go favorably for you."

Gale had every intention of name-dropping Starmap anyway.

"That sounds like a reasonable price.  I'll be happy to agree to those terms so long as I am able.  Can you tell us how to avoid being trapped into a terrible fate by rules, bargains, and such?"

Hoal inscribes Starmap's name in the most reliable location possible.  The RPOL scratchpad.

"Hmm, an already unpleasant prospect worsened by rumored immortality in some cases."