Many hours after the meeting with Meliam, Beloc returns to the badger. He seems quite a bit calmer, refreshed even. "I have arranged accommodations for the night, for those wishing to not sleep in the Badger. Whenever you all are ready, just head back up and someone will show you to your room. I suggest you take advantage of it. It may be a while before such comforts come our way again."

"We leave at dawn." Beloc turns and heads back up to retire for the evening.

Shiaran laughs with him.  Then she shrugs her unoccupied shoulder and lifts her hands in a show of surrender.  "Wizards.  What can hound, eh?  Have a good night. "

Once the dwarf has said his courtside, Shiaran heads back to the Badger.  She introduces herself to DW-01 and finds a quiet spot to study.  When Beloc arrives with news of accommodations, she accepts in silence.

When everyone has decided on their night, she pulls Beloc off to the side.  "I owe you an apology. "

Beloc looks up from the journal he is reading to find Shiaran standing at the threshold of the door. “You know one of the defining traits that separates a good leader from a head one? Humility. Something I think we all could use a little more of. Well, maybe not Sypher.”

He waves her into the room. “Please, come in. Have a seat.” He waits a moment for her decided whether or not she continues to entertain the conversation. “It’s not just knowing that every member of your team has a voice, some louder than others”, he adds with a slight grin, “but also listening to them. I understand your concerns, and had the roles been reversed, I may have had the same reservations.”

“I’m curious. How do you see all this going? Our task is unnaturally daunting.”

Shiaran takes a seat and listens.  When Beloc switches over to the mission, she shrugs.  "We will persevere and get the job done and restore Fildegarne to its natural state.  I may not act all 'peace and calm' like Sypher, but we share the same faith.  Iehova will provide what we need.  We do our part and we will succeed.  We just can't be stupid about it.
 Iehova I trust.  Mortals have to earn it."

"I hope I can say that the mission on the snipers has moved the needle a little bit more in my favor. I realize we've only known each other for a few days, but believe me when I say that we share a common goal." He pauses for a moment. "My experience with humans has been limited, to say the least, but I'm learning as well. You are a far more impulsive bunch than I am used to."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:38, Fri 03 Nov 2017.

Shiaran grins sheepishly.  "I may be a bit more impulsive than most humans.  If you averaged Sypher and me, you'd have the right idea."

Beloc chuckles. "Yes. I like Sypher. We practice different sorts of magic, but they really complimented each other back at Midway when dealing with that summoning circle. I feel that connection is going to be key moving forward."

"He is the most honest, loyal, reliable man I have ever met and I'm not just saying that because he's my...because of our relationship." She runs her hand through her hair.  "Anything else?  I need to get some sleep, maybe try to find some snake tongues and monacles before we leave in the morning."

"No. Get some sleep. We've got a long road ahead of us."

Shiaran heads to her quarters and decompresses.  She spends a little time copying over the spells into her own little spellbook, having an epiphany along the way about a new kind of spellbook.  Once completed with the copying, she arranges her gear for a grab and go scenario.  It's a practice she developed during her adventuring days camping in the wilds.  Satisfied, she lays on the bed, fully dressed in her leather armor, and wrestles herself to sleep mentally.

Sypher also finds a bed offered by the elves.  He arranges his own gear in similar fashion to Shiaran, says his evening prayers, and is fast asleep in moments.

The night passes without incident. Those that sleep do so peacefully, while those that don't are able to make good use of their down time. At Lithuanwe's order, those in sleeping quarters are woken and summoned just before dawn's first light, as the rest are fetched as well.

In Lithuanwe's living quarters, are large breakfast spread has been placed out for anyone with an apetite. It consist of mostly elvish specialties, though Shiaran spies all too familiar cuts of meat fetched for the occasion as well. Lithuanwe sits at the head of the table, waiting patiently as everyone arrives.

"A fine morning to you all. I trust the accommodations have afforded you some degree of much needed rest. You'll find all the provisions you've ask for have been delivered to your vehicle. If any of you are hungry, please, be my guest but for a short while more and eat to your fill. Beyond this I won't keep you from your mission any longer".

Beloc wakes well before sunrise and it already packed and ready to go when the attendant comes to fetch him. He nods and follows him over to Lithuanwe's room.

"Thank you again for your hospitality. The respite is quite welcome, and it was refreshing to see a familiar face after all that has happened."

He sits down at the table and waits for the others to arrive.

By the time the attendants head back down to the Badger to fetch R.E.B.O.R.T., he and his dedicated wright have all but finished setting up their mobile workshop. He leaves DW-01 to finish up while he heads back up to meet with Lithuanwe. "Finish up here.I will return shortly."

"Coi geou qe authot", DW-01 replies.

R.E.B.O.R.T. arrives to find Beloc and the others already there. He sits down but does not eat.

Sypher arrives looking refreshed and calm as always.  He selects a small amount of food from each kind, but a good variety that fills his plate.  He sits and says a small prayer before beginning his meal.  He will engage in small talk with those around him, presenting a kind and likable person to all.

Shiaran arrives last.  She is slightly red in the eye as if she did not get enough sleep.  Her plate starts with a pile of meat and gets fuller.  By the time she sits down, she has two plates full of food and two drinks, juice and milk.  The snarfing down of the food begins in earnest and she does not talk unless spoken to.  Instead, all of her concentration is on a book in front of her filled with arcane symbols, diagrams, and pictures of weird mage stuff.

Once everyone has eaten their fill, conversation between the host and guests remains little more than small talk. Lithuanwe, followed by his retinue, escort the party back to the Badger. Armed with the knowledge of a direct path to the Dead Orchard, Beloc will be able to guide Shiaran and act as navigator for the trip.

Having said their farewells, the Badger's diesel engines rumble to life and the group presses forth with the mission at hand.

The speed at which Shiaran can take the Badger through the wood is little more than a crawl, but the path is clear and dry enough that the risk of getting stuck is minimal. By Lithuanwe's reckoning, it's a three hour road trip through the back "roads".

The first two hours are uneventful, and boring at best. The scenery doesn't change much from deciduous forest. The rolling hills persist, and wildlife is scarce.

Once the Badger reaches where it should be a little less than an hour out, the air begins to grow thick. Not hard to breath thick, but hard to see. A blanket of fog slowly envelops the vehicle as it presses forward, until visibility is little more than about 50 feet in all direction. Even looking up to the sky...

Survival check to maintain proper bearing

Thought the fog is thick, the Badger creeps forward, slower than ever now. The sun's light from above struggles to pierce through the dense haze, resulting in Shiaran having to activate the flood lights on the Badger. Even then, with the added illumination, the visibility still remains short and difficult at best. After another hour, which should mark the journey coming to a close, the Dead Orchard is nowhere to be found. Only gnarled trees and dead scrub brush. Very little vegetation thrives here, mostly in the form of mosses and lichens.

Another 30 minutes of lefts, rights, and roundabouts later, it become painfully obvious the group is lost.

The poor state of the surrounding plant life is a good sign that the Badger's crew is close, but nothing resembling the orderly rows of an orchard can be found.

"Oi don't suppose this is a good time to state Oi need to relieve meself, is it?" Krem asks from the backseat. "Too much a' that elven tea. Oi'm bout to pop".

"I could use a chance to stretch my good leg for a moment or two as well, to be honest. Maybe we can regroup and get our bearings?".

"I'm sure now is as good of a time as any. This fog and its surroundings feel a bit unnatural." He unbuckles himself and makes his way to the exit of the Badger.

"Stretch your legs, do what you need to. I'll scout the area a little try and get our bearing before pushing forward."

Sypher keeps his senses sharp as he steps from the vehicle.   Once Shiaran is out, and has had a chance to relieve herself, he does the same.  Then he returns to the Badger while she looks about, keeping in sight of the group.  She was likely looking for spell components.

Beloc hops out of the Badger and begins to surveil the area.

Aside from whatever noises are being made by the party, the only other noise is a dull and eerie sigh of wind that resounds at a continual pace. The raven on Shiaran's shoulder sits silently as she forages. Darius stands at the front of the Badger, making several gestures with his hands. A warm, orange glow emanates from him briefly. Once it stops, he looks around, puzzled.

Beloc notices Krem as he steps off behind a thick clump of dead brush to relieve himself. Sypher looks and listens intently, in his perpetual state of calm awareness.

A loud yelp suddenly pierces the silence, from behind the bush where Krem went. His voice is muffled and unintelligible. It grows unnaturally distant sounding in a near instant.

Beloc draws his blade and rushes over to the thicket Krem ducked behind. His armor quickly envelops him in stride on the way.

"Leukos, go!"  Shiaran speaks without thinking about what she said.  The raven springs from her shoulder into flight toward Krem.  She is not far behind.

Sypher follows and soon passes her.  Both have their swords drawn but unlit.

Everyone who rounds the bush finds that Krem is no longer there. There is a sickly, teal green color to the fog where Krem once was. It floats lazily, like pipe smoke. The teal haze forms a trail going off in to the wood, through thick bramble. Two drag marks line the ground, likely Krem's feet.

Faintly, you think you hear a panicked and distant howl from Krem.