ooc: How funny you should ask that Raknesh! Actually, when Stefan and Tanzy both came here, the first thing they were offered was food, with various results, so it's a very smart question...

The witch nods at Raknesh's question. Actually, most of the time it would be a very bad idea to eat something here. The first thing a newly dead person is offered is food. It binds them to this land. In fact, that was Raina's duty when she lived here. She welcomed the dead in. Her brother does it now. Hopefully this Tanzy of yours hasn't been foolish enough to accept it she sighs. It's a very powerful pull though. I suppose we'd better expect that she has. As for these, she gestures to the berries, they are not wholly of this world. That is why they heal your half living flesh. They are alive themselves. Hence the...flavor. You'll be alright to partake, but only of this! Take some for later if you like, though they won't keep long.

Indeed the flavor is salty and far too much like blood for comfort. Bryon rejects the offer, but fortunately she isn't too horribly wounded so she can afford to.

She leads you forward then, and as you go you can feel the healing of the berries, knitting together flesh and in your cases, various internal afflictions.

As you trudge through the snow a massive black building looms in the distance. It is clearly a palace of some kind, with sharp pointed spires, dozens of them, and a great wall around the place as well as the rest of the city. It's a few miles off yet but looking at it already fills you with dread.

Raknesh, you spot three flying shapes high above the city, circling slowly as though keeping watch. The others don't seem to notice yet, but there's something about them that makes your heart quicken and your feet seem not to want to move. Your best bet would be sentries, lookouts of some kind.

Tanzy: pm

Reassured, somewhat, Raknesh ate enough berries to restore his health. He kept some more, as advised.

As he spotted the 3 beasts, he pointed toward them and commented

"I suppose we should do all we can to avoid being noticed by those things? They feel dreadful..."

The witch glances over and sighs. At least there are only three. He must not know about you yet. Raina's holding strong I'd say. Those are his sentries, not that many would be fool enough to sneak into such a place as the black palace. Or need to for that matter. Still, even just one of those is more than you could handle. We'll have to take the tunnels I'm afraid she sighs again. This is going to be awful. I hope your puny minds can withstand them. Even I am nervous for what I might see down there. My fool son always was a sadist. Alright, let's try for it then I suppose. Follow me please.

She then leads you back through the wood, albeit a different direction this time, and after several minutes more of trudging, you find yourselves looking down at a black shiny circular grate, leading into darkness below. She lifts the heavy thing with incredible ease and stands, frowning down. I suppose I'll go first she mutters and proceeds to climb down. Everything is dark and as you follow you hear a distant dripping noise and the slick tiled floors are wet beneath your feet. She snaps her fingers and torches you didn't even know lined the walls suddenly ignite. It's a large tunnel, several feet higher than your heads, and the floor is lined with shiny red tiles. All is completely quiet save the constant dripping and the echoes of your own footsteps.

ooc: Ok, let me know if you have any plans and please roll fort and will saves so I have them ready when I need them.

PM

No plans

rolled 10,22 using d20+6,d20+7.  Will, Fortitude
+5 to the Will save if it is mind-effecting.

That woman really knew how to inspire courage and instill hope thought Raknesh, annoyed.

At least this time she would be up front and, maybe, her presence will rebuke some of the possible trouble.


14:42, Today: Secret Roll: Raknesh Kaltash rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  fort save.

14:42, Today: Secret Roll: Raknesh Kaltash rolled 26 using 1d20+15.  will  save. Add 2 for possession or mind affecting.

As you go through the tunnels you hear a sound approaching. Crying. A little girl approaches, sobbing and covered in blood. H-Help!!! she wails, sinking to her knees.

Your blood pulses heavy in your veins and the air feels thick and suffocating somehow, though you can still breathe with difficulty. Something is wrong, but the girl seems to look genuinely in trouble, curling up into a ball.

Tanzy: pm

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 19:33, Wed 01 Aug 2018.

"You do not fool me" he said, doing his best to be assertive.
"Reveal yourself!" he added, his weapon manifesting in his hand.

ready action: fire if it moves closer or try anything suspicious.

Prizzard was entirely fooled, blinded by a soft spot for suffering children, but between the feeling and Rakneshs words, he stopped and held his scythe in a less casual manner, though not exactly a combat stance.

The little girl looks stunned at Raknesh's denial of her, and she immediately begins crying all the more. P-Please! Please help ME!!! the last word becomes a scream of fear and worry. It will eat us all! Please, do something! Hurry!! she wails. Prizzard, is having a hard time not obeying right there, and he takes a few steps closer unless Raknesh stops him. The girl looks eager for this, desperate even, reaching her arms out to the man hopefully. Meanwhile you all can't help but feel...tired. It started out so small, so imperceptible but with every passing second it increases. You're not so much sleepy as fatigued, numb.

ooc: -2 to all rolls, attacks, etc btw. And if Raknesh doesn't stop Prizzard, he's going to want to help her and will make an action to do so....


Tanzy: pm

 PM

It goes against everything Raknesh stands for, but in this land, one has to forget about normal moral integrity.

So, before Prizzard succumbs to the girl's trap - and before whatever she is using to weaken them worsens, he fire a volley of arrow directly at her.

                    arrow, fire, holy
ATT 1 : 25  DMG: 11,5,6
ATT 2 : 31  DMG: 13,1,4
ATT 3 : 17  DMG: 17,2,4  (nat 1)
ATT 4 : 31  DMG: 12,1,5

I'll wait to read what happens to react. If she dies, I assume his head will clear fast enough to show it an obvious trap and he will feel a little embarassed, apologizing. If she lives or the effect continues, there shall be outrage at his attacking a child, even stepping to block further attack.

Some of Raknesh's arrows hit and she looks at you with complete and utter surprise, and to your absolute horror she shudders, whimpers, and sinks to the ground, still alive but clearly dying. W-Why?! she sobs, turning pale, eyes accusing Raknesh as tears run out of them. I just want to go home! I just want to go home!!!  By now Raknesh is starting to second guess himself.

PM

Shocked at first at the attack, the shock lasts longer as the apparent child seems to survive the arrows, for now. Excuses for her survival flash through his mind, lips mouthing and dismissing a few in a short time, the words too quiet to hear. He takes a step back as he suddenly realizes this cannot be a real child, but is too stunned to attack it for the moment. He suddenly notices the magic weighing him down and looks to their guide with both confusion and accusation.


rolled 26 using 1d20+6.  Will DC15
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Tue 21 Aug 2018.

Raknesh felt torn between what his heart and his head were telling.

It was obvious no normal child could have survived one of his arrows, let alone more than one.  And a normal child would be completely unable to avoid any of his arrows !

But... her face... her cries...

If Rocky was there, he could help him, strengthens his mind.

But he had sworn to bring back Tany, whatever the cost for him, so he called upon his training to focus his mind on this one task and exclude all else.

If he was wrong, he would carry the heavy weight, but no more than if he caused the death of another companion by his inaction.

"Forgive me..." and he fired again.

                    arrow, fire, holy
ATT 1 : 35  DMG: 12,5,8
ATT 2 : 30  DMG: 11,4,5
ATT 3 : 26  DMG: 18,3,12  (nat 1)
ATT 4 : 20  DMG: 15,4,9

Prizzard, as you look to the motherwitch, you realize finally that she has been immobile this entire time. She's said nothing, merely watched as usual. She tends to want to see how you all do before getting involved, you've noticed. You don't know if it's because she's lazy or merely curious, or likely some combination. Now, however, her face is tight and pale, her eyes glassy, and as Raknesh looses his next volley of arrows, you both notice the woman fall limply to the ground. Indeed you are both feeling weak and numb yourselves, but nothing like her!

The little girl shrieks angrily, furious at being thwarted before disappearing in a haze of black smoke. The relief for Raknesh is so intense your knees shake. As you turn to the witch you see she is still conscious, laying on her side, staring off into the distance and muttering, It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Nothing.

ooc: Feel free to try a heal check or some such thing.

Prizzard seems in shock, knowing her power. He's definitely not somebody you'd want stitching a wound, let alone diagnose mental trauma. He spoke the most obvious part anyway, in his stunned state. "It had to have been aimed at her.." he mumbles more, quietly, definitely thinking to himself as he stares at where the girl had been.

DC15 Listen:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
"So strong a mere scent effected us? Too weak for that. Illusion? Trauma? Trap? What was that creature? Spirit, dead, magic? Strange land. Books, studies, should have known. Motherwitch, but how? Fake? Or fake. Magic. Magic, felt pressure, tired, depressed motherwitch. Emotion.. magic? Magic creature, ghost?  Might be a manifestation, no way to know. If only.." and his thoughts return to his head as the shock wears off.

---

rolled 27 using 1d20+16.  Know Arcana

heal 19

Raknesh felt a huge weight leaving his shoulders as the girl-thing ran away.

"Your place is really one trauma after another" he said as he turned to their guide, only to see things were, in fact, worse than what he believed.

"What now?" he muttered angrily as he checked her vitals.

"I have no idea, your guess is as good as mine..."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:56, Fri 24 Aug 2018.

Raknesh tries to search the woman for wounds, but she appears to be very weak for no reason at all. Now that the girl is gone, the rest of you start to feel your strength returning slowly. It will still be a few minutes before you feel yourselves though. As Raknesh continues to try to help the motherwitch, she finally looks at you and with a gasp of desperation she says, Get me away from here, too close to where...she was.... You can tell it took all her energy to say that much and she goes limp, eyes still open but completely spent.

Prizzard: pm

Raknesh started to move their passed out guide back toward the entrance, as he didn't know if she was talking about the strange girl and, if it was the case, if she had fled for good or was still waiting to trap them further on.

After a moment more of thought, Prizzard moves to help Raknesh.

You are able to drag her between the two of you easily and the further you get from where the girl was, the more she seems to come to. At last she bids you release her and she sits, shaken but at least conscious. There's something terrifying about such a powerful being with such fear on her face. That was close. Too close. I did not realize...That, was the soul taker. I think. I had thought it was nothing but a rumor! So my upstart son really does house the filth! You see, the more powerful you are, the more vulnerable. If you can't get away from it, it will take your very will to live. Stay there long enough and you'll never recover. Just a living, limp corpse. It doesn't help that it comes in the form of innocents or friends. If we're to go in this way we can't make that mistake again! she shakes her head, still trembling.

As you talk you hear approaching footsteps at a fast run. You're still in the tunnel so your guard is up naturally. The figure is a ways off still but there's something familiar about it...

ooc: Please roll spot, wisdom and listen checks and let me know your intentions too.

Tanzy:pm