Recovering from the enchantment, Violet likewise swiftly recovers her weapon, moving lithely behind Qvar as she nervously holds her shaft at the ready, the priest moving to the water's edge as he and Caesius see if threats might do what words can not, in the hope of avoiding bloodshed.

On the other side of the boulder, Zertin heads for the pillar that stands in the cave's mouth, Ashlyn sticking close to the mage (perhaps out of concern for his physical safety, perhaps equally as worried that he may yet not be entirely free of the green woman's spell), watching as he raises a wand and invokes the magics contained therein.

The guardian is obviously shaken by the resolve displayed by both Paladin and priest, but screams her defiance.  As she starts to gesture, Violet looses her arrow, grazing her shoulder, but it is too late.

The green woman vanishes ...

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Thus far, their little group seems to be gaining ground on the vile spirit, but Violet - now bitten - knows well-enough not to relax her guard.  And indeed, events prove her correct in her wariness.  "Abel damn you, witch," Violet grates out as the sylvain demon disappears.  "Is she gone?" the young woman wonders, her voice shaking.  "Or merely hidden?"  Fitting another arrow to the string, she slowly turns in a circle, listening intently while searching for any sign of movement.

When the mists took her, she learned something of creatures that make themselves unseen.

OOC - Holding action, ready to loose at anything that pops up. 

Zertin beckons Ashlyn to follow him and walks around the green pillar to the great boulder east of it.

"Strangely enough, that glowing pillar is not magical at all, but there is something on top of this boulder with the strongest magical aura I have ever seen. Almost certainly that is the sword of light we are searching for," he tells her quietly.

OOC: How high is the boulder? How difficult is it to climb?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Tue 15 Dec 2020.

The armoured woman seems happy enough to follow Zertin, though truth be told her motives are more in the nature of keeping an eye on him in case he falls under the green woman's spell once more, and, as she casts her gaze around, also to protect him from the guardian, wherever she has gotten to.

Yet the wizard's revelation that the object of their search might lie atop the boulder sees Ashlyn raise her gaze eagerly, judging the height of the rock before her.

"That must be at least twenty feet high," she judges, "perhaps a bit more."

"I do not think I could scale it either easily or quickly.."

Qvar glances from Caesius to Saeko to gauge their reaction.  Turning to Violet he shrugs ever so slightly in reply, his corona of sunlight slowly fading.  He smiles and asks,  "Abel?  I don't know this name, but I'm glad they stand with you.  We need all the help we can get.  Now lets find the sword."  He turns from the pool and joins Zertin in staring up at the top of the boulder.  He's not much of a climber either.

Zertin reaches back to his backpack and swiftly retrieves a coil of silk rope and a scroll case.

"I have a feeling that Violet may be a better climber than the rest of us, but if anyone else is eager to show their skills you are welcome to try. The rest of us will watch your back."

Padding after Qvar, still keeping a wary eye on the area, Violet catches the tail-end of the discussion.  Lips thinning, she turns to regard the boulder.  "Sword of Light," she murmurs.  "You say...this is not magical?" she queries, dubiously studying the glowing stone.

It certainly appears tainted by the devil's touch.

But after a moment, a quizzical look spreads across her sharp-planed visage.  "Lampyridae," she murmurs, reaching out a hesitant hand.  Perhaps it is similar to the stone mined in the New Continent, that shines in the water-filled lamps of Chaville.  Her brows draw together for several heartbeats before she nods.  "I think I can climb this," the young woman states, "if it bears no deadly taint."  Her gaze darts around the company.  "Others must concern themselves with watching for the demon."  Clearly the demonic woman is the sword's guardian...or gaoler.

OOC - Seems likely I should make a climb roll about now, barring something exploding under my hands when I try.

.....

Hopefully that will happen, because otherwise I need to deal with that 1 I just rolled.  Of course.

Caesius silently shakes his head at Zertin's question regarding climbing.  He knows that he lacks the ability to scale the rock.

Instead he turns to face away from the rock, in the general direction of the pool, sword held ready to protect the climber from anything that tries to stop the retrieval of the weapon.

Qvar puzzles over the various auras detected by Zertin and Caesius.  The nymph is clearly not undead, The green glowing pillar is evil but not magic.  There is something magic atop the boulder, but Violet asked if the boulder was evil.  "Caesius, is there any hint of evil on the boulder?"

He readies a random act of kindness, to cure bruises should an intrepid climber fall.

It does not take long for all to agree that Violet is by far the best climber amongst you (indeed, Hammer might well be expected to have more luck ascending this boulder than Caesius !) and a moment's concentration is all Ashlyn requires to confidently declare the boulder free from the mysterious taint that infects the nearby column of stone.

As Qvar and Zertin watch on anxiously, and with Saeko and the two Paladins standing guard, the young woman begins to climb ...

At first her nervousness betrays her, and she struggles to make progress, but then she manages to set aside the concerns of the moment and concentrates on nothing more than the physical challenge posed by the rock, fitting hands and feet to whatever purchase the rugged stone grants her, fingers seeking crannies, toes finding ledges, swiftly gaining the top ... and returning with her prize.

The Sunsword. Or rather the hilt of that legendary weapon, with a hilt and guard forged of purest platinum, both shaped like the rays of a stylised sun ... but lacking a blade.

Zertin looks at the sword hilt with a mixture of fascination and amusement.

"I suppose that omitting the blade of a sword would certainly make it light!" he chuckled.

"Well done, Violet. I suggest you hand it to Caesius or Ashlyn. Let's see whether the firm grip of a paladin's hand is the key to unlocking the secrets of the sword. If not I will need to study it for a little while to learn what I can about it."

Caesius glances over his shoulder to see what Zertin is talking about.  A smile touches his lips.

"What a fine jest this would be.  If Madame Eva sent us for a weapon, and neglected to mention that it lacked a blade.  Perhaps our next quest is to find a legendary fey smith to reforge the sword."

"Or perhaps, as Zertin suggests, there is some magic at work here."

Qvar chuckles as Zertin and Caesius make light-hearted speculations.  The gods do like their jests, and tricks.  "Is there any sign of the blade up there, Violet?"  Qvar watches, a hopeful optimism lighting his upturned face.  "Buried?  Or rusted?  It is damp in here.  Or magically hidden as Caesius said; invisible?"  One can hope.  He tries to recall any stories he's heard like this.

12:03, Today: Qvar rolled 13 using 1d20+8.  Knowledge religion xSunsword.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:06, Tue 29 Dec 2020.

Saeko looks at the hilt appreciatively.  "It is beautifully crafted," she notes.  "Though platinum seems like a soft choice for a sword.  Even an enchanted one."

"Perhaps it needs sunlight?  That seems in short supply here."

Qvar's ears prick up at Saeko's suggestion.  "What a wonderful idea!" He moves closer to the hilt and smiles encouragingly at it, the dwindling remnant of his earlier blaze favouring the hilt with as-close-to-real sunshine as it's likely to see anywhere in Barovia.

The armoured woman can not conceal her delight that the Sunsword has been found, and suffers the jests and speculations with good humour as she gazes upon the item in Violet's hands with respect and reverence.

"My companions and I have sought this legendary weapon for a long time," she tells them.  "I know something of its history ... I know that the devil Strahd feared the blade and the power of Light that was within it and so tried to destroy it."

"I know that he bade a powerful mage separate hilt and blade ... but before the parts so rent could be destroyed they were stolen."

"And I know that the body of the thief was later found ... but not so the hilt or blade ... till now !"

"Yet if only the hilt be here ..." Ashlyn pauses, thinking.

"Madame Eva said the sword needs be awakened.  'Bring the sword to join the other treasures of the castle' she said, 'a blazing fire protects the place where the lord hides his wealth'."

"Perhaps that wakening will reunite hilt and blade and the sword will be whole once more ?"

You stare at the hilt which provides more questions than answers, and while the metal gleams in the light that surrounds Qvar, it remains unchanged.

Saeko's mouth quirks in a half smile as Ashlyn proposes her theory, and she shrugs.  "We've already tried shaking it," she agrees.

Growing more serious, she looks mostly to the brothers as she asks, "Now that we have it, do we simply walk away, or do we need to do something about," she tips her head slightly in the direction of the pool, letting the question trail off into the gesture.

All of this discussion of legendary swords becomes...worrisome for Violet, and she carefully hands the hilt over to the Lady Saeko.  "Perhaps you might take this," the young woman quietly requests.  "It does not befit the likes of me...nor would I know how to use it."

She barely manages to keep from wiping her palm on her clothing; the idea has come to her that the hilt may be enchanted in some fashion.

"I saw nothing of any blade, shards, or rusted pieces atop the stone," she verifies, shuffling backward slightly and turning to keep an eye out for returning forest demons.  Arrow back on string, bow held ready...she's set.

Caesius gazes thoughtfully at the hilt.  It seems that the quest was not as simple as it had first appeared.  "Since the Sunword is, apparently, of no immediate use to us, we should seek out the Holy Symbol which Madame Eva spoke of."

"Ashlyn, do you know anything of a hill where witches are reputed to gather?"

Though, he thinks sourly, in this gods forsaken land, that could easily be every single mound of dirt.

Zertin holds up a hand to forestall further discussion.

"Not here. The nymph may still be listening. Take the hilt back near the mouth of the cave. I will scan the rest of the cave for other magical auras in case the blade is also here. It should only take a minute or two. Whoever stays to guard me while I am scanning this place, stay behind me so any magical auras on you or your possessions do not complicate the search."

When everyone steps back Zertin will use a wand to cast Detect Magic and will begin scanning each sector of the cave, eventually moving around to the south of the huge boulder so he can scan the nymph's pool as well. If the spell needs to be cast more than once to scan the whole cave he will do so.

Saeko accepts the hilt from Violet with a bow.  "I shall be honored to bear it, for a time," she agrees.  With a nod of understanding to Zertin, she turns and walks outside the cave.  She pauses at the opening, scanning the forest thoughtfully, and then takes a few steps out.

Ashlyn shakes her head at Caesius's question, but at Zertin's request does not elaborate.

"Would you ward the mage or Ireena ?" she asks the Paladin, prepared for either duty.

The question startles Caesius.  It simply hadn't occurred to him that he wpuld be asked to protect just one member of the group.  "I will stand with Zertin." he finally decides.

Qvar nods his quiet agreement with the decisions made by his companions.  In reply to Saeko's question about the nymph he smiles apologetically.  "There is nothing we can do for her now.  We should keep true to our goal, and look after eachother."  His gaze too drifts towards the nymph's pool.  "We should return after we've dealt with Strahd Von Zarovich."

He remains at his brother's side as he scans the cave.