For once, Zuriel seems to have nothing to say, though his mouth remains open. He alternates glances between Lilith and Cassie, with an expression that puts you in mind of somebody who has just been hit in the head with a rock.

"Oh." he finally manages to get out.

Zuriel!  You can speculate on your famous relations in a bit.  We should probably get going Maeve cheerfully calls back to the paladin.  She has rarely seen so much water in her life and is a little giddy with the experience.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 387):

"We are far from Hae'driel," Cassie says, winking at Zuriel and nodding in Lyriel's direction.  "No need to put on airs. Unless it's for her benefit, I suppose."

She sighs, takes a steadying breath, and begins to cross the path.

"Let's go meet the Master's sworn enemy," she says sarcastically, breaking the tension with an attempt at humor.  "Better make sure to have all my weapons, my armor, and my beloved companion taken from me first.  It's cool. I've got this."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:11, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Boreas looks over at Zuriel, furrows is brow, then silently crosses the river.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 390):

S'ok Keef says to Cassandra, stepping to her side and drawing his waster.  We'll protect you, right? he looks at Zuriel for confirmation that that's indeed what they're going to do.

Chubbs puffs up his chest and hops along Cassie's other side, looking very intimidating and threatening anything to come at him.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Lyriel furrows her eyebrows at the sprite's pronouncement of Wildheart's fallen name. She then glances towards Zuriel seeing him at a loss for words. I wonder if he knows...

Well I suppose we can't resist an invitation such as this. Shall we? She gives a nod towards the sprite and follows along with the rest of the party.

Zuriel snaps back to reality, and nods at Keef. "Aye," he answers, and then responds to Cassie, exceedingly grateful for her attempt to break up the tension with levity. "I wouldn't worry too much, Cassie. If he's to be wroth with any of us I imagine it will be me. Just think of all the birthday presents I owe him...Veilspire pales in comparison."

Zuriel follows across the river, uneasy despite his outward display of humor.

First my mother, now my uncle...what other family secrets has Father kept from me?
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 16:23, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 393):

You advance down the trail slowly in a single-file line, occasionally pausing to gape in wonder at the towering walls of water on either side.  A faint mist sprays in your face as you near the end, and the barriers seem to buckle under the weight of the river.

Only moments after the last of you reaches the far bank, the barriers succumb to the will of the current and come crashing down -- leaving you stranded on the other side of the river.

There is no trail to be seen here; instead, the rocky banks transition smoothly into a sparsely forested area not unlike the public parks and picnic areas that have been established at key tourist and conservation areas throughout Empire.

You climb uphill for a mile or so, coming to a stop at a crest that overlooks the churning waters far below.  This location offers a great vantage point over the woodlands on every side, though it is still situated far below the aerial bridge you noticed before.

Atop the hill is a smooth, wide stump similar to the one you encountered back at the windy bridge.  A circle of flat stones surrounds it, each engraved with a maple leaf.

Lilith blinks into existence as you approach, her visage predictably cheerful.

"You've reached the western gate.  Affirming!" she giggles, making a grand gesture at the stump.  "Step right up, one at a time.  The Elders are expecting you."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:44, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Maeve hands Wes's lead rope to Boreas and steps on the stump.

I am Maeve of the realm of Gaelia, also known as the Eastern Continent.

She waits expectantly for something to happen.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:02, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

In reply to Maeve (msg # 395):

A bright green light erupts from the circle of stones, creating a transcendent glare that leaves you seeing spots.

When the P.A.R.T.Y.'s vision clears, Maeve is gone.

***

Elsewhere

Maeve finds herself standing near the entrance of a comfortably furnished room in what appears to be a large wooden cabin of some sort. It resembles nothing so much as a woodland shrine, with a series of benches built into the floor astride a central aisle that leads up toward a raised area in the front of the room.

A trio of ancient-looking elves stand on a raised dais nearby, dressed in robes and leaning heavily on their staves.  In the center of the dais is a marble statue of a lightly armored elven archer, with a maple leaf etched over his heart.

The maple leaf appears to be made of a strange mixture of emerald and topaz, and its multifaceted surface glitters fitfully in the soft light provided by a pair of slowly bobbing wisps that hover nearby.

Boreas takes the lead for Wes and steps onto the stump.

I am Boreas.

The emerald begins to glow more intensely.

And this is Wes.  We request an audience with the Elders.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 397):

The same bright light engulfs Boreas and Wes, and they vanish in a similar manner.

***

Elsewhere

Boreas appears next to Maeve, though Wes is nowhere to be seen.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:12, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Zuriel bows once more to the sprite bobbing beside him. "Thank you again, Lilith, for your guidance."

He then turns to Cassie and nods reassuringly.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 399):

Lyriel steps forward hesitantly onto the stump, looking back towards Zuriel for reassurance. I am Lyriel of House Vesper. Bracing herself she waits.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 399):

Lyriel's interaction with the stump mirrors the others, and she vanishes in a burst of light.

Cassie sighs, looking at the stump as though it might burn her.

"Well then.  Here goes nothing," she says, tossing her blonde hair in as carefree a gesture as she can manage before stepping upon the platform.

The cycle repeats itself once more, but the flash of light is far darker than before -- those remaining in the clearing hear Cassie's voice yell out in shock, fear, or pain, but when you vision clears, she, too, has vanished.

***

Elsewhere

Lyriel appears next to the others, letting out a pent-up sigh of relief she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Moments later, the air shimmers near the dais, and a human-sized figure appears near the statue.  It takes Boreas, Maeve, and Lyriel a moment to realize that it is Cassandra, frozen motionless within a solid block of amber.  She looks conscious and more-or-less healthy, given the situation, but does not appear to be able to move or speak.

Zuriel starts as Cassie yells out, rushing to the stump to follow. "Knight-Errant Zuriel of House Siléndril!"

In reply to DM (msg # 401):

Keef stows his weapon in his belt, tightens his pack and marches toward the stump.

Before he can get there, Chubbs hops up on it and croaks loudly.

Keef waits patiently until the toad is done, then follows.

And I'm Keef... just Keef

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 402):

Zuriel, Keef, and Chubbs vanish from the clearing, leaving Lilith alone at the stump.

"That's that," she giggles to herself. "Intriguing!"

***

Elsewhere

Zuriel appears with the others, and takes a moment to absorb the scene around him.  Moments later, a flash of light appears near Cassandra's amber casing, and a second appears: this one containing Keef.  Chubbs appears on top of his master's amber casing, unencumbered, and immediately takes to kicking the prison in irritation while croaking his intense displeasure.

[Private to Keef:
"Treachery, Master!" the staff's voice thunders in your ears.  "I cannot drink in this petty prison, but with a sip of your life force I feel confident I can shatter these walls.  What do you say?"]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:47, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Zuriel's eyes widen in anger briefly before he regains his composure. He puts a hand to each of the amber casings. "Can you two hear us? Blink maybe?"

He looks back towards the elders. "With all due respect, is the encasing entirely necessary? I can vouch that they both came here in good faith to seek your advice. How are they to speak for themselves?"

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 405):

"Yes," the elders answer as one.  "Though we are sympathetic to your request, we cannot risk a confrontation with Veilspire.  Or his minions."

The elder in the center narrows his eyes slightly at Zuriel, adding, "Besides, you'll find that the words of a paladin mean little here in the Wilds."

He turns to address the others.

"To the rest of you, welcome.  Lilith informs us that you are here to seek wisdom from Wildheart, along with a cure for the boy.  The presence of the twisted one's druidess among you is harder to decipher, but we would be happy to handle that for you, as well."

The trio look at Cassie's prison grimly.

"On that matter, rest assured, we have a great many ideas."

Maeve can see Zuriel opening his mouth to protest, and steps forward before he can begin his statement.

The boy is indeed our first priority, and there are other matters of importance which we wish to discuss.  Zuriel wishes to speak on behalf of the druid Cassandra, but that can wait.  She looks more closely at the amber casings.  . . . .they can breath in there, can't they?

She then looks around once again.

Not to mention we seem to be missing a horse.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:09, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

In reply to Maeve (msg # 407):

"They are being held in stasis, and do not require sustenance of any kind.  They can hear us, and they can think clearly, but cannot neither move nor speak.  They are perfectly safe."

The left-hand elder nods at Maeve.

"Your steed is likewise secure, enjoying a quiet stable stall for the duration of your time with us.  Though we approve of your concern for him."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:37, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Zuriel calms himself, content that neither Cassie nor Keef are in any immediate danger. "I think then, given our unusual circumstances, it might be wise to give you the background of who we all are and why we are here."

Zuriel then proceeds to narrate the story of their adventure, pausing for other party members to add their perspectives and fill in details. He takes particular care to describe Cassie and her path to redemption. As the story winds up towards the present, he concludes "So here we are, seeking your advice and guidance. I can only imagine what you must think of this group, but I implore you to consider our request. We come from different places and have different views, but we are each of us trying to do the right thing."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Mon 28 Oct 2013.

Maeve nods gratefully at the elders' thoughtfulness in providing a stable for Wes.

Thank you for your kindness.  Wes has only recently joined our motley group, but he is a good animal and I am pleased that you have seen to his needs. Boreas nods his approval.

I am also glad to hear that our young friend is unharmed.  And even Cassie.  While I leave it to higher powers than me to judge whether she is capable of redemption, I would not see her harmed without having had her say.

I can certainly appreciate your concern, wise Elders.  Keef is our greatest concern.  A man who once traveled with us forced that corrupted crown onto his head and it has been plaguing him ever since.  He took up the staff of his own free will, but he had no knowledge of what it was.  Nor did we, until the druidess told us.

We seek the wisdom of Wildheart to cure him of his curse.

Boreas pauses, rubbing his eye.  The gem hasn't stopped glowing since he entered the strange realm.

As for the druidess, Cassandra.  I cannot say for sure that she is penitent, only that she has begun to question her old ways.  I doubt Zuriel, or any of the rest of us for that matter, have any place to speak for her.  But I ask that you give her the chance to speak for herself and make her decision.  Then, we defer to your wise judgment.