As the wizard and warrior converse, the tiny bear yawns and wakes up. Its still nighttime and the occasional shift and falling of snow can be heard. When it sees the wizard, it tries to hide within Ty's clothing seeming afraid. The firelight illuminates the area. Near it its warm.

Nulgaz laughed lightly. ”Aww, I seem to have frightened the bear. Aww poor dear one no one is going to hurt you while I am here if I can help it. I know my fangs are big but I’m not that scary am I?” She looked to Ty for an answer.

The bear trying to hide within her clothing startled Tyrael.  She gave a yipe and almost jumped up and out of her seat.  "Hey!  Easy there, fuzzy."  she said, trying to be be and sound gentle.  The little bear was only a young bear so she didn't want to scare it but she wasn't used to animals trying to hide inside her clothes.

"Nuls, you are positively beautiful." the Half-Elf said.  She was distracted with sitting back down while trying to calm the bear cub.  Unused to handling animals, other than horses, it took Tyrael several minutes to try and calm down the cub.  "Easy, fuzzy.  It's okay.  Nuls tries anything with you and we'll toss her into the snow outside.  But I'm sure that she's friendly so let's give her a chance, 'kay?"

She looked over at Nulgaz. "Sorry, it's a cub.  Not used to people."

Nulgaz fussed over the bear from a careful distance. She wasn’t very familiar with how to deal with animals. Sure she studied all about their habits and anatomy and mating habits but that doesn’t stop them from suddenly biting. She looked around taking a quick survey of the animals present. She was glad the other seemed to have a way with them. Not that she wanted them harm but animals misunderstand even more easily than humans.

”Aww how did it get out here all alone in this snow? It is lucky to not have gotten attacked by something. At least it is warmed tucked up against you than outside unprotected. I could put up some protective spells but I like to wait until someone is sleeping. Speaking of which, how long have you been up at this point?” she asked.

She tried to think of other solutions to the cold, mentally paging through her grimoire, while thumbing the ring. She looked at the state of the church. Too much for Mending but maybe Make Whole.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:39, Sun 01 Oct 2023.

Tyrael started to stroke the bear cubs fur, trying to calm it down.  "Fuzzy here is not mine.  He belongs to a friend and I'm not sure where she found him.  I'm just sort of bear watching, in addition to horse and wagon watching."  She said to Nulgaz before turning her attention back to the cub.  The Half-Elf lowered her voice and spoke to the animal in a soothing tone.  "It's okay, fuzzy.  Yes, you are a good bear.  very perceptive.  Always keeping an eye out for me.  Such a good bear."

Tyrael kept on petting and soothing the bear cub but it was to Nulgaz when she spoke.  "I don't have anything against any protective spells.  It's just been my sword and shield, and these thin walls, keeping the bad things out and the warmth in.  So what do you like to do for fun?"

OOC:
Tyrael Mournstrider rolled 19 for Handle Animal.

Nulgaz smirked noting the avoidance of the question. To her this meant the answer must have been uncomfortable, a long time was likely. ”Don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding the question,” she quipped. She adjusted herself into a much more comfortable position, one where her pack wasn’t jammed against her kidneys. Her upper lip played with her fangs as she thought of a suitable answer to the question posed to her. ”My answers are boring. I like a quiet night with a book reading fascinating facts or trying to understand a puzzle. I also like the solitude of the forge with that echoing ring of the hammer. And lastly I like telling stories while drinking with friends.”

She paused for a moment and pondered if she should put up the protective wards yet. She decided against it; better to save for when they weren’t as aware. She turned to Ty and asked, ”What about you? What do you do for fun when not holed away in churches in the snow?”

Tyrael looked up at Nulgaz, a confused look on her face.  "What question did I avoid answering?" she asked.  "I am not that complicated a woman, Nuls.  My life is an open book.  I fight, I kill, nothing too sophisticated.  I suppose that I could hide some things from you, but that is only because we've just met and there's no telling if you plan on killing or robbing me while I sleep.  I really hope that you don't, of course.  I'd much rather have you as a friend and ally, and given the weird stuff that has been going on in this place the last day, the help would be appreciated."

"There's nothing boring about what you do for fun.  You live you.  When I'm not questing or campaigning, or training, I'm living life.  Carousing in taverns, drinking with friends and friends I haven't made yet, and enjoying the occasional tussle beneath the sheets.  Does that surprise you?"

Nulgaz shook her head. ”No it doesn’t surprise me that much. It’s not like you juggle goslings as a hobby or something.” She gave a snorting laugh.

She stifled a yawn and continued, ”I had asked about how long you had been up. I was going to offer to let you sleep for a few hours while I took watch. But, you are right, you don’t know me at all.” She wanted the sleep herself but had the feeling she was the fresher of the two of them. If it got too much later she would put up the wards just in case.

"There's a way to get around that."  Tyrael said with a grin.  "We just have to get to know each other, and hopefully not kill each other in the process.  In answer to your question, I've only been out her about a day, though it seems like its been months.  I guess I've gotten so used to being around people, and being able to talk to people, that being here by myself is....uncomfortable."

She settled down, stretching out her legs to the side of the small fire.  The Half-Elf held the bear cub close, petting its fur to calm it.  "Juggling goslings, hmm?  I've never tried that before.  I suppose that we could give it a try, when we find some goslings.  Might be worth it for a laugh."  she looked thoughtful for a moment.  "How long have you been on the road?"

”Either a few days or forever. It feels like both at the same time. If you have any questions for me I’d be happy to answer them, I don’t have any secrets I am aware of. Maybe for now you get some rest or at least relax,” she said.

Nulgaz stood up and gave a good stretch with her arms over her head then proceeded to stretch her legs. A couple quick squats and she figured she would feel more awake. She stood near the fire and made gestures as she invoked arcane words. A twenty food radius audible alarm would make a good first ward. Secondly she concentrated and made sure she could fit the both of them and the animals in the twenty foot radius of her next spell. The words and gestures were considerably more complex . The ring made her feel more confident as she articulated each element of the spell. It was called a tiny hut but really it was a hemisphere with temperature control that kept off the elements except in extreme circumstances. At least those on the outside would have no idea what was inside, well except for something creating smoke. She had no idea if that mattered to the purported  undead but it was an added bonus to the shelter.

”Ah. That is much better,” she said before sitting down again. The warmth of the fire was less necessary but something could be said for a nice dry heat. She stretched and got into a more comfortable position and regarded her companions. ”I am sure you dealt with the undead as you said, but it sure seems quiet. Do you think they will come back?” She left unsaid that it felt too quiet for her comfort. That was usually the quiet before the storm. She was also concerned for these others, Ty’s true companions. Nulgaz wanted to do something to help but she had no clue where they were. Being a wizard had its benefits but she was far from a diviner. She shifted uncomfortably at the thought of the others possibly being in danger. She looked around and contemplated their own safety. She drew her falchion and placed it across her lap.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:00, Wed 18 Oct 2023.

"I suppose that I can relax a little more, with you here now."  Tyrael said.  she continued to stroke the bears fur.  "It's funny but only a few hours ago there was a horde of undead pounding on the windows and doors of this place.  It sounds crazy, I know, but I watched them clamber up out of their graves and shamble over here.  I fought them off with a few well tossed bottles of flaming oil.  Well, fought them off is probably a bit strong.  Let's just say that I irritated the hell out of them."

the half-Elf glanced towards the door when Nulgaz wondered about when her companions would return.  "I hope that they get back here soon.  We've got places to be.  Hopefully before any more undead show up, or anything worse.  Speaking of which..."  Tyrael gestured to the Falchion in Nulgazs lap.  "You any good with that?"

Nulgaz chuckled and patted the falchion. ”This is easily my most powerful spell. I had an aptitude for it for some time but my magic makes it much better depending how much I put into it. I could kill a gourd at six paces. And occasionally just get the stem. Eh, I am always trying to get better but I am not a soldier. It helps when I can plot the trajectory and focus on where I am sending it.” Nulgaz shrugged but grinned back accenting her protruding tusks. She adjusted her cloak behind her and continued to try to find a more comfortable position. ”It really is too bad,” she continued, “that I can’t summon beds. But still I guess we can settle for a toasty room temperature for the next six hours or so.”

She paused, stopped breathing and blinking for a moment. She scratched at her nostrils and turned back to Ty. ”Did you kill any of them? There was no evidence of undead. There was evidence of some charring on the ground but that was it. Did you do anything before they appeared that might have triggered an illusion?” She searched her knowledge for a spell that might have caused the effect. ”What about sound or smell? That tends to require more powerful spells.” Nulgaz looked to Ty in curiosity.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:08, Thu 19 Oct 2023.

"Well..."  Tyrael started to reply but stopped mid sentence.  She looked up at the ceiling, her face furled in concentration as she tried to remember details about her interactions with the undead.  She was pretty sure that her molotov cocktails had set some of the undead on fire, but she couldn't recall if any of them were destroyed.

"...now that you mention it...I heard them pounding on the door but..."  She fell silent once more, deep in thought.  "...if it was an illusion, or some other kind of magic, I don't think that I would know."

Nulgaz considered the different schools of magic. She didn’t think you could polymorph something into undead. In theory conjuration could summon undead from somewhere but she didn’t know any particular spell that could manage it. There was no spell she knew of that would let regular raised undead disappear. She wondered if blink zombies were a thing. She kept coming back to illusions. They weren’t the only solution but it made the most sense. ”Where were you exactly when they appeared? If it was an illusion either you triggered a trap or an illusionist was watching from somewhere near by. And that leads to my se one question, what would someone gain from scaring you into staying in here?”
This message was last edited by the player at 17:56, Sat 21 Oct 2023.

Tyrael looked around the large main room of the church.  "I was here.  Sort of.  I mean in this area, when I heard the noises outside."  she said.  If what Nulgaz was saying was true, then had Tyrael set off a trap?  She didn't think that she did, but then what did she know about magic or traps?  Both were painful, but she was hardly a scholar in each.  "I don't think that I was doing anything that might have set off a trap or a spell.  I was just in here, maybe digging in the back of the wagon, but here."

”Unfortunately,” she said, ”that doesn’t give me any ideas. You would not have missed a glowing sigil. That doesn’t eliminate some form of trap I don’t know. Or that there is someone hiding here and directly casting it. All the better that  the ‘hut’ is up. It gives us a little privacy.”

For a moment she slowed her breath as best she could and tried to listen. She had no idea what she expected. It wasn’t like she was especially good at listening for clues. It just seemed the thing to do. More perfunctory than anything.

A strange sound comes from above and sitting on the rafters is a dove. It tilts its head "Wrong you are. Church is old, very old." What in the world? It looks like the bird Tyr saw before.

Looking to the half-elf Nulgaz asked, ”Ty, do you know each other?” She stood up from her comfortable position and looked up. Cupping hands around the sides of her mouth she called out. ”Mister Bird? So old that maybe spectral projections of the dead as protectors? Maybe from the buried or even from catacombs down below?”

She took her time to look up at the bird. Then she thought to take a good look at her surroundings and how the church itself was laid out. She pondered places stairs or doors could be hidden. She tried to remember if there was a mausoleum in the church yard. It was a wild guess, maybe it was just an old church doing its old church things. She shrugged.

Tyrael started at the birds voice.  Looking up to the church ceiling, there was a dove.  It looked the same as the bird that delivered the message from Dreamljocht.  "We're old friends."  She replied to Nulgaz, keeping her eyes on the bird.

"Welcome back.  Anything new from the others?  They're on the way back, right?"

The bird gives the odd wizard a strange look "Catacombs beneath? Not sure. As for who I am, I am a avatar." He adjusts his swings and tilts his head "I am not concerned of this place. And as far as I know, far as I know. I can do little. Guidance of course. Guidance. Telling you what I may now solves nothing. One must discover it on their own." What a strange bird.

Nulgaz thought about what she noticed about the layout of the small church and its yard. If there was something below it would only be accessible one of two ways as far as she could tell. She thought it safer to first investigate the option that kept them inside. ”Did you examine that way down over there? It looks blocked but sometimes that is a trick, an illusion or a mechanism. There also another door outside that might be worth investigating again.”

She thought about the bird. An avatar, guidance, just a talking bird, whatever it was it admitted it could it help with this situation. If there was something to find they would have to be the ones to find it. The fact an avatar was interested in their actions was interesting in its own right. She thought this small church must be more significant than it first looked, something not hard to believe. Lost knowledge can be hidden in the most innocuous looking places.

Tyrael regarded Nulgaz critically for long several minutes.  The Half-Orcs way of thinking was interesting, like a fighter.  She wanted to check out all of the entrances and exits from the church, just as Tyrael had done when she had first arrived.  That was good to see.  It meant that Nulgaz had a good head on her shoulders.

"Relax, Nuls."  Tyrael waved a hand around lazily.  "I've checked the place out.  Beneath that pillar over there is an entrance to the basement of this place.  Not much down there unless you feel the need to pray to Gorum.  I've barred all the doors and windows that I could find to keep the outside things....well outside."

She turned her attention to the messenger bird.  "What Guidance can you offer us....uhm...do you have a name?  What do we call you?"

"Offering you guidance whenever you ask isn't what I intend. Provide insite of course. Perhaps what you seek is not outside but somewhere within no? If you do not know what you are looking for then your not looking correctly. Wise bird I am. Call me...Sunny. That fits." The bird flaps his wings out "If what lies outside is really no?"

”I wish I had Detect Magic memorized. I would check if you were enchanted to make sure you don’t have to look inside to disbelieve what I believe to be an illusion. ‘If you don’t know where to look you are looking wrong’ and all that,” she said as started rising to her feet.

She pulled her cloak and the rest of her clothing back into position. ”Still,” she continued. ”I do have another option open to me. It won’t help if it is an illusion, which I am still leaning towards, but it could help if it is something else. I might as well. If anything it will give me a chance to look at those ways down.”

Nulgaz walked toward the the way down inside. Calling up the complex memorized formulae and the concepts of what would have been the material components, she cast See Invisibility. She gave out a sigh and looked around. The spell didn’t help with illusion or concealment but she figured it didn’t hurt to search the small area in earnest in addition to anything the spell might have revealed. The spell would last an hour, she hoped she might have a chance to scale back down outside and check out there as well but first things first. She looked around for obvious invisible things and searched.

"Well Sunny, I do hope that whatever lies outside stays outside."  Tyrael replied, but then thought about her answer for a moment.  "Scratch that.  I hope that whatever was outside was just an illusion.  That sounds a bit better, I think."

She looked over at Nulgaz, watching what she was doing with some interest even though she did not fully understand all of it.

"I dislike you. Really. I don't. Your talking to a avatar-a being of pure magic and you doubt it because you cannot cast a spell?" The bird seems aggrivated. And dissapears. Then re-appears above the half-orc. It dissapears once more and voila! Appears right at Ty's shoulder.

The spell is cast from Nulgaz but it reveals nothing.

”Pardon me, I meant no offense. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. I was more concerned I was misunderstanding you. Plus I wasn’t sure if the spell was here or on our friend here. Honestly, illusions are not a specialty of mine and this place is so old it may have magics I have never even heard of. But because of your help, I am sure we are safe from what she saw,” she said to the avatar. Nulgaz continued to look around while talking. She felt like she had to be missing something, the illusion had to come from somewhere. With the blocked door checking the outside entrance would have to wait. Even she knew better than to leave in the middle of a conversation.

OOC: She is going to examine where the ladder is blocked off.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Fri 17 Nov 2023.

"Hey now, let's not fight you two."  Tyrael said lazily.  "This place is too small for a proper verbal match, and you'd probably wake the cub."

"Feel free to check out the building, Nuls.  Matter of fact, why don't I show you around."  Tyrael rose to her feet and gathered up her shield and sword.  "You've already seen the upper floor, there's not much up there.  I haven't found a way to the roof yet...but I haven't really gone looking.  We've got this big room here and there's the basement area beneath the pulpit over there.  Where do you want to go?"

She looked over at the enchanted bird.  "You want to tag along, Sunny?"

"This isn't a fight. Its a argument between a half-orc that acts like she knows everything against a simple bird who she cannot kill that knows so much more. I cam here to let you know your allies are safe and get insulted because she does not trust anyone. Be wary, warrior. A mage cannot be trusted. As for spells going off or whatnot there isn't any. But why trust a avatar? You wish to wander around after precautions were taken to keep people in so be it. Mess up what has been done. Go on. This shall be amusing. Do you want to have a intellecutal debate mage? You will lose quiet quickly. This is why I do not come often for I offer aid and get tossed aside like I am nothing. I shall leave. Yes I shall. You know your friends are safe. Some of them are at the very least. As far as I know of they are coming back but it will take tike. Take time." The bird flaps his wings and sighs deeply. Or whatever the bird can do to well sigh.

The ladder is blocked off by a gate on the floor with probably heavy wood and whatever was fond around the area-Whatever the warrior found. Bricks boards, anything heavy.

"Sunny, relax.  There's no need to get your feathers ruffled."  Tyraels tone was conciliatory.  Things seemed to be escalating pretty quickly with the magical bird and she wanted to try and calm it down.  "Nuls wasn't trying to insult you.  She was just curious about you.  It can't be every day that you meet up with a divine, intelligent avian such as yourself.  Who wouldn't be?"

"Thanks for delivering the message that Dream and the others are okay.  That means a lot.  I've been sitting here wondering what had happened with them.  I mean, should I go chasing after them because they may be in trouble, or are they all dead and I should continue on with the quest, or maybe they are on the way back after finding Hailie?  In between magical, possibly illusionary, weirdness, my mind does wander a bit."

"Come back down here and let's have something to drink, or eat.  We only really have trail rations and water so you'll have to excuse the meagre hospitality and...do you eat or drink?"

Nulgaz snorted loudly then shrugged. Looking up at the bird she said, ”You don’t like half-orcs do you? I am not trying to disagree or insult. What I am trying to do is figure out what is going on to make sure we are safe. It could have been a spell but you say now. Which means likely vanished or the undead are really good cleaning ladies or…. Ugh!” She let out a frustrated grunt and muttered insults at herself.

She looked towards Ty in frustration. ”I am so stupid. Divine messenger, divine building… Divine! They weren’t illusions, it was evocation, divine evocation! Or would that be invocation? That’s why there was no evidence, don’t you see?”

She slapped her forhead and shook her head. ”Destroy Undead!” she said like it was self evident.

Fed up with being insulted countless times, the bird decides to leave with a 'poof!' Sunny? Insulting him without realizing it and he already stated they were alive! Alive! All of thos jumble about this place being divine yet why would it turn on them with undead? Its a insult! Before he 'poofs out' he looks at Nul "Divine? Divine? You insult all magic! This place is cursed! I said it and you can deal with it." Insulting a avatar!

Whoosh! Poof! And its gone without a trace!

After some time, something hits the door several times. Looking into the church, the cleric and the others are visible. Well three of them-Halie, Dream and Gordo. Not Sam or Anton. Haile is definatly cold, shivering badly despite Dream's extra clothing. Seems they have returned, some of them. To them-nothing attacked them least not lately. And they returned some time after the bird vanished. Haile was brough to the abandoned hut, revealing her dead parents. In time they are buried back to rest within the graveyard. Its up to them. She is told they were frozen and arrows were used on them but who did it remains a mystery. Halie insist they are removed from where Dream buried them-easy enough. Whatever happens remains to be a cold experiance. Well not cold. Well it is a mystery. At least her parents rest within the churchyard. Cold, tired and miserable, they wait outside. Why were they so far from where she saw them last? Baffling. Maybe they were taken or were worried about Haile. Maybe they were lost. Its a tough call. Perhaps it was magic? It remains unknown. The lost her parents, her sister lost within the darkness and now Sam is missing....

The small bear looks up from the wagon and starts to cry or whimper. Something to show dismay unsure of who has come.

Bump bump bump.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:09, Fri 15 Dec 2023.

Sunny disappearing suddenly was surprising, and maybe a little frustrating, but there was little that Tyrael could do about it.  She spent the rest of the time talking with Nulgaz.  That pleasant distraction lasted up until there was banging on the front door of the church.

Tyrael was up immediately, her weapons in hand as she went to a window at the side of the door to see who, or what, was making the racket at the front.  Peering through a slit in the boarded up window, the Half-Elf gasped.  She ran to the main door and began to pull apart the hasty fortifications that they'd erected.

"Hang on!"  she shouted, pulling open the doors.  Tyrael started ushering them inside.  "Glad to see that you're alive but you must be freezing.  Get inside and  grab a spot by the fire."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Tue 19 Dec 2023.

Nulgaz frowned at the response of the bird. She had no idea what god of which it was an avatar but she figured some form of crab or badger or something else with a surly manner. She returned to her warmed dome and sat down next to the beasts. She curled in on herself, pulling her shoulders in, and tried to stay out of the way of the reunion.

Dreamljocht entered the old church, not remembering ever to be so glad of the safety and warmth the building provided. He gently brought the shivering Halie near the fire. "She needs warmth; she is cold to the bone, losing her winter gear. Do you have some warm broth ready perhaps?" he asked Tyrael.
Turning around he eventually notices the newcomer, probably someone with orc somewhere in his bloodline: "Hello, you're new blood for our party it seems. I'm Dreamljocht, Dream for short. Halie is the one who needs the warmth of the fire. We almost lost her." and turning to Tyrael: "Sam is probably still out there. He is a tough one, not to kill so easily. We ran into some family of Halie who tried to kill us. Sam lured her away. I hope he will make it here as well in time."

Nulgaz got up to make room and gestured the others to join the rest around the fire.

”Please come in and sit down. I erected a dome of warmth centered on the fire, which I am sure helps on its own. Can I help in any way?” she said as she proffered her cloak.

Fangs bared she attempted to smile, however her forehead was creased and her eyes darted around assessing things. She fretted and kept an eye towards outside. She wondered would the next visitor be the lost companion or a horde of undead… or a combination thereof.

"Sams a big boy.  He'll be fine."  Tyrael said as she moved quickly to the wagon to pull out a warm blanket.  She ran back to Hailies side.  "Let's get you by the fire and warmed up.  The bear cub'll be happy to see you."

After making sure that Hailie was by the fire, and a pot of tea was put to warm up, Tyrael had a chance to introduce the group to Nulgaz.  "Guys, this is Nulgaz.  She got caught out in the snowstorm and found her way here.  Nuls, these are my companions, Dream, Hailie...wait, we're short one."

Gordo steps in with the rest of them, seeming almost unbothered by the cold. A little offended as both Dream and Ty seemed to overlook him, he goes directly to Nulgaz and says "and I'm Gordo, nice to meet you.". Was it because he is a Tortle? Was it because he wasn't part of the "original party"? It seems unlike them, especially after his help in their search for Halie and her rescue.

”It is nice to meet you Gordo. As said I am Nulgaz Fallenash, wizardess exceptional, non-specific. Please, sit, relax, tell us what happened. Feel free to unburden yourself of your Gordonalia.” After greeting the last of the group she moved herself to the side. She felt there was much for the others to discuss. She hoped her own prodding would get enough for her to understand as well. Idly she spun the ring.

She sat by the fire, miserable and shaking, trying her best to get her teeth to stop chattering and get some warmth in her. Her mood was sour but she was very appreciative to those that tended to her and those that aided her in getting back to her friends. "S-she w-was...my s-s-sister...told me...s-she killed my p-parents...I...did-didn't believe her..." She clenched her jaw, not wanting to openly cry in front of everyone. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself, she looked around. "W-where is m-my cubling?"

First, Dreamljocht turns to Tyrael. "I haven't introduced you to Gordo, our new companion. We met on the road and he was instrumental in bringing back Halie alive and relatively well. He has been a good companion on the road these hours that turned to days." He stays silent for a moment and continues: "And I have to thank you for your trust that eventually we would return to you. It must have been a long lonely wait, lonely till Nuls came to your door. I tried to sent you a divine message: did it reach you?"

He keeps silent for quite some time more. Then he turns to Halie: "You know those remnants we found were from your parents, do you? I studied them for some time, and I'm quite sure they didn't die from the arrows in their wounds, but from a extreme chilling cold. How and when I can't say."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Sun 07 Jan.

"Nice to meet you, Gordo.  Always a pleasure meting someone new...who doesn't want to kill us"  Tyrael offered her hand in greeting.  Turning to Dreamljocht she continued.  "I missed you too, Dream.  We got your message, but what we really needed was your divine presence.  There were undead."

Tyrael sat beside Hailie and put her arms around her.  It would take a few more minutes for the tea to boil and in that time the Half-Elf was going to use her body heat to try and warm up Hailie.  "The cubs in the wagon.  We've been getting along famously since you've been gone.  Do you have any spare clothes?  You need something warmer, and dryer."

Halie nodded as she stared into the fire. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they ran away from her like I did…freezing to death was a better alternative than staying there with my sis…her.” Inwardly, she vowed vengeance even if it was against her own. Her sister had severed that familial bond when she had taken the life of those that gave her hers. When Tyrael’s arms came around her, Halie tensed for a brief moment before giving in to the extra warmth, her body relaxing. The shaking was slowing as she held her hands out to the fire, clenching and unclenching her fists to bring the feeling back. “I don’t have anything unless it was all left here. All of my gear and everything wasn’t with me when I woke....c-could...you bring me the cubling?”

"You can borrow some of my clothes if you need, Hailie.  I don't have much but it's dry and warm."  Tyrael said.  How had they run into Hailies sister out here?  Maybe Hailie lived around here?  "Oh....the cub.  Right.  It's probably warmed than I am...and softer.  Give me a minute."

Tyrael rose and went to the wagon, where the bear cub had been sleeping.  She roused the sleeping animal, bringing it over to Hailie.  "Hey little guy.  Got a surprise for you.  Look who it is.  remember her?"  After leaving the bear cub with the Ranger, Tyrael brought Hailie a cup of tea before walking over to Dream.

The Half-elf put a hand on Dreams shoulder.  "You're going to have to fill me in on what happened out there later.  In any case, take a load off your feet.  I'll take the watch and make sure that nothing followed you back here.  I've been staring into the woods for so long that I think I'm developing a bond with the land and an immunity to sleep."

The cub wakes up and sees Haile. It charges at her and leps into her arms crying a few times! Besides this, the church remains quiet save the group talking to one another. Sam doesn't make a entrance-course its possible he's a thief. Or is injured. Maybe dead. Hard to tell. Haile has just his bow and arrows, dressed in a makeshift cleric cloak for warmth. Silence comes. It seems peaceful-for now.

Mwahahha. No really. Peaceful.

Dreamljocht stands and walks to the cart. He rummages through all the packs and bits and pieces to see if there are any spare cloths for Halie. For weapons Halie has to use the small ones they gathered from the dead it seems.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:38, Wed 24 Jan.

Tyrael would keep a watch while the rest of the group rested.  She made sure that the main door fortifications were back in place, and took up a position to the side of one of the upper floor windows.

"....okay stay awake, Tyri."  she muttered, rubbing her arms for warmth.  "It's not like you haven't been awake for hours...and...more hours already.  What's a few more?  Just to make sure that everyone downstairs is safe.  "

Tyrael leaned forward to glance out the window for the...well she had lost count of how many times she'd looked out at the woods.  "...and I'm back talking to myself..."

Nulgaz walked up slowly, avoiding causing a startle. She cleared her throat. Softly she said to Tyrael, ”Sometimes that is the best person to talk to.” She spoke quietly enough not to bother the others dealing with important issues beyond her knowledge. She continued, ”And didn’t I ask you to get some rest earlier?”

She found a place to sit. ”I hope you don’t mind that I help you keep guard. I feel useless over there, at least here I can do something if an emergency arises,” she stated. She fiddled with her ring and hummed lowly a song from her childhood.

Tyrael chuckled and rubbed the bridge of her nose.  "Yay...you did say that I should catch some rest, but...honestly...I was more interested in you than in sleeping at the time.  Part of it was to make sure that you weren't planning on knifing me in my sleep.  Don't get defensive, I'm sure that you had the same concern as I did.  That was at first, but you were...are...an interesting person to talk to.  And there was a magic talking bird.  Those don't come along everyday.  How could I sleep?  I do appreciate the offer though."

Tyrael pointed down to the floor below.  "Now...well they're tired, cold, and who knows what else. I'm just tired.  So I should be able to keep watch for another few hours.  It wouldn't be the first time that I've had a long night of worrying about bad guys in the shadows."

"And I wouldn't worry about feeling useless.  I'm sure that you'll have the opportunity to prove yourself.  It's the life of an adventurer, am I right?  A little spilled blood and we'll all be the best of friends.  What is that turn that you are humming?"

Nulgaz chuckled loudly then hushed herself before speaking. ”I am a mage. I am much too smart to knife you when I have a giant falchion .” She pondered for a few moments before continuing, ”That bird… really didn’t like me.” She gave a grin and cast her eyes up to the rafters just to make sure.

"See what I mean?  Interesting."  Tyrael said with an amused grin.  "Normally I would get a scowl and some proficiency providing display of knife skills as a form of silent threat on my life.  But you?  A mage who would rather off me with a falchion?  You don't come across those too often.  Not that I often have people threatening my sleep.  I'm a really nice girl once you get to know me."

"And who can figure out magical birds?"

Halie hugged the cub, burying her face in its fur and trying her best to not cry though it seemed to be a losing battle. That loneliness crept upon her as the thought of her family basically having been slaughtered and Sam missing…she still had those here with Dream being here the longest. She was unaware of time passing, lost in her thoughts, her emotions and finding comfort in the cubling. At some point, she had shifted and laid down, cuddling up to the baby bear and passing out from exhaustion.

The rummaging of the cart had brought some plain clothes to light. But they were dry and most surely warmer than anything Halie was wearing when Huxtar handed her his finds. "Change into this and lay close to the fire for your sleep. It's the best way to warm up and be a healthier person in the morning. Tyrael and Nulgaz will keep watch while Gordo and I will sleep our exhaustion away as well."
Dreamljocht watches when Halie falls in a deep sleep, hugging the cub, another source of healthy warmth.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:15, Mon 29 Jan.

The night passes by uneventfully. Soon, the sun is out and its not snowing. It seems relatively peaceful. Yet Sam has not returned. Strange. Everyone slowly gets up. Some spare clothes are given to Haile. And the cub seems asleep in her arms. After what just happened, its a nice reprieve. So many people were lost or unknown. Besides this most of the group is together.

Gordo wakes up peacefully. Even though the cold disturbed him less than the others, it's nice to sleep somewhere warm, without having to worry about guard duty. He makes a mental note to return the favor to Ty the next night, as he also looks exhausted.

He gets up, takes a long look out the window, and then starts some stretching and focus exercise he'd been neglecting for too long.

When Halie gets up, he asks her: "Feeling warmer? Last few days were tough, eh?". It's unclear if he only talks about the cold or also about the whole fiasco with her family and with Sam missing.

Nulgaz cleared her throat and spoke, ”It sounds like there is a lot to sort out. What  do we do next?” She stifled a yawn and blinked hard a few times. While waiting for a response she made sure her gear was all properly stowed away and secured.

"Basically we have two choices. The first is waiting here for one or more days to see if Sam survived. It wil give us some time to regain our strength, especially Hailie could use more rest. Our second choice, and sooner or later it will come to that at last, is to ready our gear, make the cart ready, hitch the horses and continue our journey, on the road searching for Sam." lays the cleric the main choices on the table. "I have a preference for the second option, but I would hate to leave Sam behind without searching at least."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:12, Wed 07 Feb.

Nulgaz gave a sad shrug. She turned towards the speaker and said, ”It is best if i abstain considering I don’t even know what a Sam looks like.” She finish adjusting her pack and readied herself in case they were going. It was much quicker to take it off then it would have been to don it. ”He is a companion I assume?” she queried.

Tyrael groaned, turning over and pulling her blanket over her face.  It had been a long night...er nights...and she was exhausted.  Having only managed to be relieved on guard duty recently, she was trying to catch up on her sleep.

"....wait here..." she added, if her sleepy opinion would count for anything.  "...let Sam catch up....Hailie get warm...and Tyri sleep...."

Halie had looked up to Dream when he offered her the new clothing and numbly accepted them as she stood up, on autopilot. Instead of going off into another room for modesty’s sake, she simply changed where she was. Nudity wasn’t something she was ashamed of nor was modesty drummed into her. It came down to that matter of life or death. Once the dry clothing was settled in place, she curled back up to the cub to fall asleep, desperately wanting to forget the torment that she had been through…


She was the last to wake, her head throbbing and her lips dry though she tried to lick them to moisten them. It took several moments for Gordo’s words to register and she looked up at him from her seated position, those large hazel colored eyes full of sadness. “I could probably do with another layer…this won’t do out there in that kind of weather.” This came from a place of experience. As Dream laid out their choices, Halie chewed on her bottom lip, pulling bits of the dry skin with her teeth, an anxious habit of hers. “I…think we need to continue on…there’s no point in staying.” The words sounded harsh even to her own ears and she could due with some more rest…but her perceived pragmatism would always win out.


“Sam knows our destination and if he were smart, he wouldn’t come back here. I doubt he would want us to stay put while he is...gone.” It was bitter having to admit to this…to even have to say it but there it was. The cycles of the seasons continued their steady dance despite intense heartache…the grief of her loss and the desire to just sleep the days away. “I appreciate the concern for my well being, but I’ll be fine…I am not, nor have I ever been a delicate little flower who wilts at any sign of adversity. My vote is to press on…”

"It seems quite clear, we're leaving. I suggest we'll leave a message for Sam in the unlikely case he'll wind up here eventually." Dreamljocht starts scribbling a message, not naming their destination to prevent anyone else accidentally reading the message from getting to much information about their plans.
"Let's start packing all things to leave this sinister place."