Neia seemed oblivious to Cress mood "Excellent..." she said as she plop down on the bed.

"I am what you may call a sorcerers or a scholar and now that I re-remembered your tongue we could communicate easily. "

"Later, if you are interest and would care to stay in the sanctuary I could teach you one of the languages of the people of these parts but unless you have an ancestral memory or you are connected to a hive mind it would take some time..." she made an odd choking sound which took Cress a couple of seconds until she figured it was what Neia sounded when she was laughing.

"Before we start do you have any questions to me?"

Okay the sudden language gain that was one thing, but then why was she tasting all her stuff and acting like she'd never seen hair?  What caught Cress by surprise was the word re-remembered.  Which meant that she had at least come in contact with Earthlings that spoke English twice?

Sitting down on the bed, Cress looked at Neia.  Questions... yes only about a hundred, but given the laughter- she figured Neia was probably thinking her too stupid to do much more than nod and utter monosyllabic sounds.  She took a deep breath.  It wasn't anything she hadn't experienced before at home on Earth.

"You've met other humans, like me?" she clarified.  "So... where is here?  I'm looking for my father.  He came here about eighteen years..." There was no way of knowing if time passed here as it did on Earth.  "He came here quite a while ago, when I was just an infant.  He had red hair like mine," she said.

Neia reached out and touched Cress hair again, she seemed genuinely fascinated with it.
"No, you are the first hoooman I ever seen." she answered in a jolly voice.
"You are in the Sanctum of the Fallen. It was used for centuries to house those whose mind have been broken from the use of magic but in the last four decades it was also the home of the Order of the Silver Key." at that she pulled the chain on her neck and showed Cress a silver key.

"We are scholars, we seek to understand the demons that come to this land learn from them and on them."

When Cress mentioned her father Neia shook her head "I have not met him but if he passed through here perhaps there is a record of him. If you will tell me his name I'll try to search for it in the archive. I fear that without focused time period the search might take some time." she patted Cress hand.

"Oh before I forget, demon come from different realms, please understand that nothing is done here to insult you in anyway. If some of the actions or words you encounter seem offensive please understand this is due to cultural gaps and not intentional. Please communicate your distress so we will better understand your people."

Cress looked at Neia curious as she reached out and stroked her hair again, but she did her best to concentrate on what Neia was saying.  Sanctum of the Fallen.  She also honed in on the confirmation that magic existed here.  That explained the bracers.  Order of the Silver Key

Looking at the silver key, Cress nodded.  "So visitors... er demons all come here through the same area?" Cress pinched her chin.  That didn't seem right, and she was certain she had it wrong. "I came through on the beach a few miles back.  Um... I think it was the site of a significant battle with... pirates?"  She said, not sure what the group would have been called.  "I found these," she said showing Neia the gauntlets.  "They showed me some sort of historical record."

She hadn't missed the part about it being four decades.  So only 40 years?  Interesting.  Cress tilted her head as Neia patted her hand.  It was a reassuring gesture.  She wasn't expecting that.

"Um... yeah.  His name was...is..." she corrected,  "Anathan Twilleg." She shrugged.  Cress hadn't expected to find her father with a simple check once she got here.  She figured it would take time, so anything that was written here was just a bit of a boost.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:28, Sun 19 Dec 2021.

Neia pulled a little notebook, it was made from leather and the pages had a yellow tint to them but it was the same principle. Using what looked like a coal wrapped in string she wrote things in the note book.

"There are many standing stones, there is one here near Brothone but there are others spread across the land. I am sorry I am not familiar with local tales of pirates, I do know there was one pirate that used to attack the cost, they called him Dread Pirate Roberts but I think he is gone... sorry I am not into local crime."

When Cress pulled out the bracers Neia made the same ooo sounds as before "So very interesting... how exactly did they showed you the historical records?"

"Standing stones?"  Cress asked.  She was genuinely curious.  She hadn't remembered stones other than the black alter type stone when she'd arrived.  Had she missed something?  Probably.  She had been more than a little overwhelmed when she arrived.

She nodded.  "I saw beings that looked like you, fighting them," she explained. "They overwhelmed the invaders... I think." Truth was the images she watched focused more on the death of the female with the bracers than the end of the battle.  Still she filed away the name Dread Pirate Roberts, and couldn't help but internally wonder if he had a propensity to say 'as you wish'?

Inspecting the bracers, Cress pressed her lips together.  "Well," she said.  "I didn't do anything other than mimic the pose shown on the stone.  It was a sort of," she did her best to recreate the same pose- not really expecting the sequence of events to return.  She suspected it had more to do with the rock and the glyphs embedded in it than the bracers.

"I think they project images and what I watched on the beach was... intentional.  A sort of living cenotaph to whoever found the bracers.  I was able to watch the entire battle as if it was taking place right before me."

Neia listened carefully taking notes.

"There is a standing stone at a beach nearby...." she said "The illusions you describe sounds very powerful, too powerful to be illusions... perhaps it was some sort of mind magic?"

She ran her finger over the racer thinking "Once my people controlled all the coastline but that has ended long ago. Most of my people are at Brothone  and some and the frozen city of Steedon. If what you saw was a pirate attack it stand to reason the Brothone guard would be sent to deal with it."

It was Cress' turn to take careful note.  "I'm sorry, Mind Magic?" she asked. Pretty much the only magic she'd ever heard of consisted of Fantasy Books, Wicca, and David Copperfield, and she assumed that all of those weren't even close to what she'd experienced with the bracers.

Neia listed several locations and Cress shook her head.  Without a map they were simply words.  "I don't know those locations.  Do you have a map or a globe?" she asked.  She nodded when Neia mentioned the guard.

"So you mentioned that people come here because of magic.  Is that damage because of this Mind Magic?" she asked, looking askance at the bracers.  "I did get them to project a cat."

Neia considered Cress "Yes, magic that affect the mind, placing images only in your mind. It is a lot easier to do the effect you describe with mind magic than with illusionary one."

She looked at Cress with intent "What is a globe? as for maps, no these are rare as the art of making them have been lost for many centuries. Oh people come here for many reasons, some are just wrong in the head, some are born that way, some get cursed and others break their mind with the study or malpractice of magic."

"So... If someone had been on the beach they wouldn't have seen anything... It was just me." She was saying this more to herself, contemplating exactly what that meant.  It surprised her how quickly she was accepting that magic existed and that it seemed to have specialties akin to medicine.  Then, she quickly concluded, the bracers were the other type of magic... illusionary.  Those battling on the beach had seen the duplicate forms of the female pirate.  "I think the bracers create the latter," she said.

When Neia asked about the globe Cress took a second to contemplate.  "It is a spherical map," she said. It surprised her that there were no maps in these parts.  Unfortunately she hadn't spent much time officially studying how to make maps.  She'd mapped out the theme park but that was a rudimentary diagram and nothing that used actual map making skills.  Still she might try.  If they were rare, than maps would be a way to make money.

She focused again on Neia's explanation of the residents.  She nodded. "It's good of you to take care of them then," she said.

Neia considered Cress words, "Depending on the magic, if the mental image was sent on a broad range, anyone could have been affected or it could be just you. It is difficult to tell without testing but magic can be dangerous. Mind magic even more but there is no safe magic. If you like, stay with us, work for us and in return you'll get food, shelter and schooling, yes?"

When Cress mentioned the spherical map Neia burst out laughing "Why would anyone put a map on a sphere? it is not very convenient to carry or look at... demons have such odd customs."

Cress listened and nodded.  She had to admit that she was a little intrigued by the prospect of learning here.  She gave a slow nod. "Okay," she said.  Honestly it was a fair deal and she didn't have anything that was pending.  She smiled at that.

As for the globe, Cress furrowed her brow.  It was hard to explain exactly why a globe was necessary.  After all these people may not have globular travel... a thought struck her.  Was it possible that this world was flat.  She dismissed it.  Still...

"You know I could probably try doing some mapping if you like."

Neia had not much interest in maps, she was not going to waste paper that could be used for essays just to draw where a stream was.
She did needed someone to aid her in the chores of the sanctum, the fallen.
Cress role was mainly to wash dishes and sweep the stone corridors during the day and make sure the lamps are on over the night.
She had little contact with the fallen, although she heard them scream, moan and bang the walls she didn't met any. She had a feeling Neia made sure to shield her from them.

Neia herself was an odd one, she was probably a little cracked herself and eccentric for sure. Cress had a feeling most people whom ended up in the Sanctum were like that.
The other residence kept their distance from the pair, the first month was dedicated to tutoring the local language that was called Idznian, after the name of Neia people the Idzn.

It was not a difficult language and after a couple of months Cress could communicate well and read and write with a descent amount. She learned the Idzn once had a strong presence all over the coast but that some war a few centuries ago had crushed their civilization and those that were scattered were living in this region.

Neia refused to tell her anything more about Order of the Silver key telling Cress there would be time for that later. First she needed to prove she was a scholar, to both of their surprised Cress found she had a knack for magic. Neia had a special magic she called the Kiss of two minds, it allowed her to shape a spell inside Cress mind. For a limited of time Cress was able to cast the spell and in most cases she was able to retain the spell inside her mind learning the logic behind the mental construct.

Neia was very impressed with Cress magical progress, the more difficult spells were still beyond her, she needed to be more precise with her gestures but Neia told her she hasn't met many student who mastered so many spells in such a short time.

Her quest to find her father faltered, Truusqix spent many weeks searching but find no records of her father.

The sky were slowly changing colors and now were red-orange, the days were getting shorter and the weather was getting cooler. Evening were dark now and the hint of winter was in the air.

One morning she found Truusqix outside her chamber, he gave her a deep bow "Salutation for the sun Glory be the morning and blessed be the dawns Cress ... I was wondering if you might assist me with a new fallen arrival."

As the days passed and the seasons began to change, Cress stood at the window to her chamber, looking at the red-orange sky, and set her journal aside.  She couldn't complain.  They were good here.  She'd learned a lot, but her entire purpose for coming felt very far away- perhaps not even here.  She was aware that there were multiple portals from different places, and she'd surmised that perhaps the bronze door she'd stepped through might not have been a consistent doorway to this location.  If that was the case- well her father might not be here at all.  He could be galaxies away or perhaps even in a different time on this planet.  She wasn't a physicist and  what she did know was vague- without resources to check the different theories.

She turned and moved to the door, opening it.  Seeing Truusqix, she returned his bow.  "Um sure," she said.  She assumed he had to have a reason for asking her.  Shutting her door, she followed him to wherever he needed her.

Truusqix looked relived that Cress agreed to help.

He guide you deep into the belly of the sanctum, where the hard cases of the broken were housed. Dark dank corridors, steel doors and heavy reinforced stones this section looked more like a dungeon than a place of healing.

"We got her a few nights ago, a merchant found her on the road... or so he claims. There had been cases of people buying other people before... terrible ordeal. She doesn't speak but she look like you so I figured she might be from your world. I tried speaking with her offering her food, drinks but she is in this ahm catatonic state, I dare not offer her the Fuzz."

Fuzz was the drink Truusqix offered Cress the first day they met, it was imported from the far north and it was expensive as much as it was disgusting.

They reached a red heavy door, Truusqix placed his hand on the door "Be ready, she is ahm not well."

Cress took a moment wondering if she should find Neia and tell her that she was helping Truusqix.  After being her for a few seasons she still a little sketchy on exactly how much communication happened between groups.  She suspected that Neia knew that Truusquix was coming to her door, but...

Her head turned, and she had to hurry to catch up to the scholar.  Cress' eyes kept moving as she followed Truusquix down into the areas of the sanctuary that she'd never been.  The steel doors were...frightening... interesting.  After a few minutes of looking at damp, dark, and yes somewhat terrifying, she skipped forward a few steps to walk beside the sage.

So... he was talking about slavery.  Cress offered a nod, somewhat relieved that it was considered repulsive here too.

Wait... what?  "Looks like me?  Human?" she asked not really expecting clarification.  It was just surprising.  She'd figured that finding someone like her here would be near to impossible.

Cress wasn't sure what constituted this woman's problem.  It was possible it was... fear, but she couldn't exactly explain to Truusquix that if she hadn't seen the vision on the beach that she would have been terrified upon meeting him.  Still Cress nodded.  Yeah offering that drink was probably not the best plan...

Pausing in front of the door, Cress looked at it from one corner to the other.  God she was lucky that she'd come to understand the nature of this world before experiencing this world.  Could she have ended up here?  Terrified?  She mulled it over for a moment- probably not.    She'd always been good with weird.  Perhaps something she'd picked up from her dad?

She gave a slow nod and considered for a moment and then walked to the door.  Probably martial arts was the better option than magical arts.  Especially if this woman was having trouble with reality?  Cress readied herself to be able to move and adapt if the woman became violent.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," she said and stepped through the door.  Before speaking she assessed the situation and the woman.  Provided that things seemed quiet she'll offer a hello.

The door opened into a small cell, there was no windows for this cell and the only light came from some sort of etching on the wall. Faint greenish glow that bathed the room in an odd color.

At the center cross leg sat a girl, to call her human was stretching it. She had three thick fingers at the end of each limb, her ears were long almost ten inch long and were pointed. She had long flowing black hair and wore glasses. She wore a very skimpy white outfit and there were black runes on her thigh, legs arms and face.

She was also floating three feet above the floor, her hair was flowing upwards like there was no gravity and she swirls of dark smoke billowed from her hair hands and feet placing her at the center of a whirlwind of black particles.

She made no notion she noticed the door had opened and she seemed to be focused on a book in her hand.

So.... Not Human.

Though after inspecting the figure, Cress realized the existence of a nose, lips, and glasses might have led Truusqix to believe she might be from her world?  She couldn't help but smile a little at that thought.  The floating was cool though.  So was the book and Cress really had to like her sense of style.  Oh yeah... the stranger had hair.  Damn... It was nice to see someone with hair again.

Okay focus... It was pretty clear the woman was making use of magic, so... Cress cast Protective Song of the Sea.  Better safe than sorry.

Scratching her cheek, Cress gave a few more seconds of contemplation.  After all the odds of this woman speaking English were pretty... Oh what the hell.

"Hello there?  I guess because we both have glasses and noses they assume we can communicate."  The one requiring the other... it only made sense.  Holding up her hand, looked at the five fingers.  "Fundamental difference though...that and I'm assuming language?"

Cress spoke the few encantation words and made the waving motions of her hand, as always she felt nothing but she knew that she was using her own mana to power the magic.

Neia told her that natives to the land can sense their own mana reserve, pretty much like when could sense when you were hungry or thirsty. As a new comer Cress senses were not that training although Neia was pretty sure that with time she would learn to feel her own reserves.

She did felt when the net of invisible lines settled on her skin and created a protection sheath around her.

Cress got into the chamber she noticed that the book itself was not real, it was made from the same particles although more condensed.

The girl didn't answer her eyes focusing on the book reading her lips muttering something soft, over and over again.

"Ring around the rosie

A pocketful of posies

Ashes, ashes

We all fall down."

Nursery rhymes? Well that solved two questions...

Somehow this woman knew about the black plague on Earth, or her civilization had somehow ran the same gamete eventually creating the same nursery rhyme that talked about millions dying under the bubonic plague.  Apparently it also involved the same custom of carrying nosegays and burning bodies.   Of course, the rhyme wasn't using the original 'a tissue, a tissue' did that indicate that somehow along the lines of their culture there would be an American type split off that would change the line to ashes?  Now that seemed a bit more coincidental.  The likelihood of this woman being from an alternate version of Earth or having a knowledge of Earth was more likely.

The second question was that this woman was speaking English.  Which... at first seemed natural, except there were over 7000 languages spoken on Earth.  While English debatably might the most common language- if it was, it was only by a scant margin.  It was equally possible that someone eavesdropping on Earth or coming from a parallel universe should be speaking Mandarin or Hindi.  Even Spanish was a possibility if they were talking about Geographic reach and sheer spread.

Cress tilted her head and looked at the woman.

"The cows are in the meadow,

lying fast asleep

Thunder, lightening, we all stand up!"

She gave it a try.  Not many people knew there was a second verse to the poem.  Maybe she was aware of it?

The girl, woman? she appeared early twenties.

Was speaking in English, not just any English but one with a British accent.

"Ring around the rosie

A pocketful of posies

Ashes, ashes

We all fall down."

Again and again, she said the words, the book disappeared and she was hugging her knees still floating in the air. Her hair formed a halo around her the black particles around her began spinning faster.

Cress stood a moment longer, watched the swirling increase, and said "Nope."

Other than throwing a rock at the girls head to break her concentration- nope no rock there.  Cress walked to the door and exited, shutting it with her whole body.

"Not human," she told Truusqix.  "And I don't know how to deal with that.  Some nasty spell she's doing in there.  Let me know if you need translation, but I can't do anything against that level of magic other than tell you it's pretty big.  And I can do that without the spell." She nodded, pressing her back to the door she fully expected a cartoon like boom or perhaps just to die.

Truusqix bowed his head in understanding "It is pity she is not hoooman like you, although you share language?" he seemed perplex by this.

When Cress mentioned a spell Truusqix shook his head "No, she is not casting a spell. What we are seeing is some sort of a reflexive natural response. She is very attuned with the elements. I am not sure which element it is tho. I have heard about the regular one, fire, water, wind and earth but there are tales about those who can draw from wood, metal and even spirit but I never seen anything like that..."

He sighed "I don't she is fully aware where she is, her mind was broken either by magic or by other trauma... thank you for your aid and have a good day." Truusqix began to slowly shut the door

Cress didn't move as Truusquix bemoaned her failure.  She looked at the woodwork behind her and then at the scholar.  If he didn't think it was a spell, well he knew far more than she did.  Her stance changed so she was leaning with her arms folded.

"Okay, so if you could speak to her- let's say you were dealing with someone from here that had the same symptoms.  How would you try to reach her?"

She had her eyebrow raised.  It wasn't like she was the kid the counselors at her school asked to help with troubled kids.  She mostly was the one they ignored because she took care of herself and didn't cause trouble.  Good student, not perfect.  Bright kid, not the Sterling Scholar.  But, she knew how to ask questions and learn from the answers.

"So I can talk to her, but I'm not trained to deal with this sort of thing.  I need training," she said and held out a hand.

Truusqix looked puzzled at Cress "Training? do you need training to breath or feed? you need to listen, you need to speak softly and let them tell you what ail them. You need to provide comfort when needed and restraints when required. As for this poor soul." he pointed at the door "I would sit with her and listen, if she is in her own world I would take with her. I would let her know she is not alone and when and if she will be ready I will be there to listen to her words."