"My pleasure," Folke nodded to Elexi, although he felt a tug of dread at having incurred more direct attention from the Morde Witch.  Food would help with that, and he moved to help with preparations for the meal.

"I'd say we both have stories to tell.  All the more reason to sit at the table over dinner and good company."

Like Rath, Inas relaxes and waits to hear the warlock's tale.

"That was remarkable magic my friend," Saliq said to Folke, looking and sounding like a touch of jealousy was fighting against admiration. The latter won and he smiled ruefully. "Remarkable."

The illusionist took a seat and waited for the tale telling to begin.

Elexi hurries about setting up a decent table of hot tea, stew, vegetables, cheese, and even sweet wine.  He has some dried fish that he offers to Astral, who is at first somewhat suspicious, but finds she likes them quite a lot.   He tells her he sire loved them as well.

Once everyone is seated and has eaten and had drinks, he begins.


“As you’ll remember, my sister and I once were very close, and lived in peace in this swamp.  This was long before all that mess with Syrix and the Mistress, and my sister finding she was drawn to dark magicks.    We were alike then, both powerful within the Glades, but beyond its border, we both could float through dreams of others, sending dreams, or even just looking in on dreams.  It was how we came to know the world, and how I still do, it was how I found Astral.  But I’m limited to just that beyond these borders.   My sister wanted more, she took to travelling and seeking ways to increase her powers, she increasing used her ability to send evil dreams, nightmares, or dreams of greed, or lust, driving those she wanted to do something for her into her will.   We fought over it and I won, banishing her from the Glades.   And so, in time, she took an island as a home.   Kylindra to me, but the Morde Witch to the rest of the world.    Once I was assured you had rescued your young charge here, I decided to distract my sister from seeking you out.   Long has she sent her senses to my swamps, looking for a weakness, a way in.  I had guessed she wished to torture me with some nightmare or another, so I left open a small crack.  She noticed it at once, but nothing happened till last night, when she not only sent me horrific dreams, but had real power behind them.   She has grown far stronger than I am, to do that to me here.   At least she was distracted, and used some of her energies here.   She will know someone broke her spell, someone powerful.   Astral will remain in danger until she is destroyed”


ooc: sorry for the slow post,  this past weekend was a big street festival and Friday through Sunday, we have a lot of traditions for meeting up with friends and usually staying out way too late for good sense.  Great fun though.

As the party wonders what next actions to take, Astral flies down to grab another bite of dried fish and says,  "Let's go kill that evil witch".

Saliq smiles ruefully at the tiny dragon. "It is not quite so easy Little Wing. She has formidable magic, magic of which we understand very little."

The illusionist glances at Elexi thoughtfully. "You speak of dreams... could you allow us to enter the world of dreams and carry the attack straight to her? I admit I am merely human but my Art draws on dreams, fancies, imaginings. I would dance at the chance to walk in a true dream."

"I wonder, can only one imbued with the art walk in someone else's dream, or can they somehow 'bring' another who is not talented into the dreamscape?"

Elexi looks up at Saliq and laughs, "Little wing, I like that, wish I had thought of it."  Then he grows quiet a moment.  "She's your responsibility, can I speak plainly in front of her?"

"Of course," Marissa replied. "We expect no less."

Elexi nods, "I will say again, your best chance to kill my sister is to do as i proposed before you left.  Kill me.  She and I are deeply bound in our strange powers, it will greatly reduce her to end me, and completely unnerve her.  I have given you permission and the means to do this, and I still think its the best plan.".


He closes his eyes,

"So said, Saliq, that thought intrigues me.  I'm not sure it can be done, but I believe it can, but I'd have to come with you.  And, it has many dangers.  A death in the dreamworld would leave your body alive, but without a mind, or soul, or whatever you think makes you a person.  Things would be quite odd there for you, spells would be different, what you think a strength here may be weakness there.  Again, it intrigues me, but I advise against it".

Rath stood up, weapon at his side, looking miserable but striving to cover that with a stone-faced expression, eyes on the warlock. "Take the dragon for a walk, Ehridol."

Inas is motionless, but his eyes drift to rest on Marissa.

And then he waits.

Saliq looks very grim but firm. "I think we should explore the dream option. I am not a master of my art but I am not an apprentice either and...," A slight rueful smile tripped at his lips. "I would not be who I am if the chance to adventure in dreams did not appeal."

His eyes flicked to Rath and Marissa. "I will go as the group goes, but those are my feelings my friends."

"Rath, whether you will or won't and despite your best intentions, shielding the child will do her no favors. But my vote is with Saliq, although for different reasons. We've seen before how magic can rebound in unexpected ways. Given what we saw upon our arrival, it seems a simple explanation that the Morde Witch has become greater than her brother. If that's the case, her inability to slay him quickly strikes me as odd and in truth, I find the timeliness of our arrival a bit too convenient. If killing her brother were her true intent, he would have been dead long before our arrival...at least so I believe given Master Elexi's claims toward her strength. Perhaps instead she seeks to lure us somehow into some magical trap...like a dream perhaps."

Rath slumped and his eyes fell from the warlock, down to his own hands. He went from angry to subdued in the time it took to get out six words. "It wasn't ... I wasn't ... it wasn't Astral I was gonna shield, Marissa." He looked at the little dragon, feeling its eyes on him, but this time he didn't turn away. His voice was choked. "Guess if I can't do it with you watching, little dragon, I shouldn't be doing it." Rath didn't quite sound convinced.

He turned to Saliq. "I don't get it, Musfara. What are we going to do, exactly?"

Elexi remains silent, eyes closed, clearly choosing not to interrupt the discussion.

Astral meanwhile is glancing from one person to the next, looking very intrigued, but she usually is.

"My idea is that we travel through dreams to strike the Morde Witch directly in her mind. It is probably not a front she'd even consider us using but we have seen with our own eyes what such an attack can do. Elexi would be our guide through this dreamworld and we the adventurers."

He paused, then added: "Even should such an attack fail by invading her mind we might be able to come across the crumb of a weakness, some key to defeating her. And... I admit as an illusionist it appeals to me deeply to visit the land of dreams."

Rath grunted. "Right. What could go wrong?" Where Musfara led, Rath of course would follow.

Folke had sat still and thoughtful while the drama played out around him.  All that had moved was his eyes, that and a slight twist of his head now and again to take in everyone around him.  The import of the discussions were significant, and it seemed the skald was trying to sort out his own feelings on the matter.

"What would we need to learn from you to be effective in the dreamlands, Elexi?" he asked the swamp mage.  "Could you teach us to defend ourselves, to understand how our powers work there, before we go after your sister?"

He looked at the others, concern etched in his blue eyes.  "It is the stuff legends are made of, but we must also face reality.  We know how to fight and win in this realm," he waved his hand around loosely, encompassing the whole of the world in the gesture.  "We are strong here.  In the dreamlands, are we as impressive an enemy?  I fear we are not, if only because none of us has been there and knows the ways of that realm.  And don't forget this would be home soil for the Morde Witch, who roams there regularly."

"We should not give up what advantages we have simply to try the unexpected.  Let us do so only once we know it gives us the best chance of success."

Inas looks uncertain as he says, "Yeah, I agree with Folke.  If I can't use a sword in this 'dreamland,' I'm probably no good at all.  An' there's no way we could ever be as competent there than this witch."

Elexi, who seemed almost asleep, opens his eyes.

"You seem divided, and I cannot, and should not, interfere.  But you should know a little of what Saliq proposes.  First, I've never done what you ask.  Second, even great wizards have a hard time thinking about much less travelling to other planes. However, the Plane of Dreams, is one of three layers of the Astral plane,  that strikes me as interesting.  Finally, what Master Inas and Folke say is true, some of your advantages may be different."

Marissa frowns.

"As a neutral party in our discussions, you certainly offer quite a few opinions, Master Elexi. According to what little lore I know, a trip to the astral plane is hardly a jaunt, and filled with perils that even such as we barely understand."

Looking at her companions, she said, "I stand with you, whatever we decide. They say that with great struggle comes great reward, though, truth told, I'd find more comfort sailing through the shoals around Stormhaven than to make this journey. But, as I said, I stand with you whatever the consensus. There is too much riding on this for us not to be of one mind."

Elexi simply nods to Marissa's statement and rises, to return with a bottle of sweet wine, which he leaves on the table,  and then he turns and leaves by the back door.

From your stay there earlier, you know there to be a dock out back and a hammock tied across two of the dock poles.

Rath glared after the warlock. "I don't like him, and I don't trust him," he said in a low voice. He probably didn't need to say that at all. It was no secret. He thought about the ramifications of dream-space, or whatever it was. "My dreams are ... pretty rough as it is," he muttered. "Not sure if that makes me weaker or stronger in there."

That wasn't helping to get the group to a decision, but Rath didn't have much to offer.

Marissa sighs, caresses Astral's chin. The hide is supple and soft, nothing at all like what she expected. As the dragon graces her with a telepathic purr, she turns to the others and says, "Let us decide. I would follow the dream trail, though it frightens me and I do not trust the warlock. What say, each of you?"