Chapter 6 ~ The Party's Over

[herself]

It did, but it wasn't very good

Still coming up with something worthy of sharing!

/ooc

[jcftao]

Susanna waves goodbye to Bizenghast with a promise to find her after going with Hadrian. She turns and follows the man into the forest.

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Moonglimmer and Attercop are high in an oak tree. The elf cannot see the bridge from her vantage, but she does see the fairy retinue travel northward close by the river. She can see Otis moving following Queen Titania. The fairy king is with her. Guards, fairie lords, and servants move together. A cage is carried by four servants. In it are Fungo and Erwin, alive but in bad shape.

Shortly afterwards, Moonglimmer can see the lone form of Bizenghast following well behind, and coming out of the brush near the river is the dwarf named Bengar. He is carrying the bronze spear she had left behind. He looks soaking wet and ill tempered.

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Susanna, Bizenghast, and Bengar, tell me your actions...

I will describe Susanna's journey and also what the captives (Fungo, Otis, and Erwin) see in another posting.

[connivingsumo]

Bizenghast: Sorceress


Bizenghast is saddened Susanna is leaving with the stranger, but she remembers Haridan had the same markings as her. "I hope that's enough to trust."

The Sorceress continues to follow the caravan. She starts to wonder how she will get into whatever structure they shelter in because they'll likely have a guard. "I hope I know what to do when the time comes."

The tiny woman continues to follow.

=============
Memorized Spells:
L0: Smoke
L1: Sleep
L1: Sleep

Spell Book:
(L0) Smoke (tea cup size/volume)
(L1) Read Magic
(L1) Detect Magic
(L1) Sleep

[herself]

As she follows Hadrian, Susanna will look over her shoulder; to see if she can spot any of her companions, but also to note any visual landmarks should she need to come back this way by herself.

[jcftao]

Hadrian leads Susanna into a grotto deep in the forest. He climbs down and has to duck down to enter a small opening.
Susanna hears the sharp crack of stone on stone as the man kneels.

Shortly, sparks fly and catch. A small tuft of dry grass ignites and then Hadrian lights a crude torch of cattails. He leads Susanna through narrow passages, downward until reaching a large open vault. The silence is deafening. Susanna is not afraid, she can sense the man holds no malice in his heart.

Hadrian lifts the torch and Susanna can see the walls of the cave are filled with drawings of animals and people.

"It is our story, little one. I had no other to tell it to. The others in the village all came to Everspring from different paths...some by accident, some by trickery. I drew these pictures to remember my home...I knew I would die before seeing my home again. I would smell the grasslands and hunt the auroch no more. You came to Everspring and I knew you were sent by the All Father to guide me home."

"The markings on your forehead are of our tribe. I am not your father, but if you are of my tribe, I shall be as your father. How you came here and why you do not remember your homeland, I do not know. The fairie queen has taken the children of humans before. Maybe she or her people took you as a child? I know not, but we are here now and that is what matters most."

I'm sure Susanna has a few questions.

[herself]

I'm sure Susanna has a few questions.

Heck yeah.

Susanna reaches out one hand and barely touches the drawings, not wanting to smudge them. Do any of these images seem familiar to her? The aurochs would surely be memorable if she'd seen them before?

She then touches the side of her head. "Some say I am...addled," she says. "I do not know what happened to make me this way. Perhaps my...forgetting, is somehow related to my leaving the tribe. Perhaps whomever took me from this place--" she gestures to the pictures again-- "perhaps they had good reason?" She can only hope that her father is truly her father, and if he isn't, well, that he acted with good intent. "I must have been very young," she adds. "For I have always lived in the forest." She know she sounds stupid, but she trusts Hadrian and wants him to know her past.

(Did her father also have the mark? There would be all sorts of implications, either way. I don't know how to call that one...)

She looks again at the pictures on the wall. The wide grasslands are indeed very different from what she knew of her home with the person she called "Father", in the forest. "I would like to see such a place as this," she says. "I will help you escape from here," she tells him. "But I cannot abandon my friends either. Can we not work together? They also seek to leave this horrible place."

[jcftao]

This bit regards what Fungo, Erwin, and Otis see....

The Hall of the Fairie King

The forest opens up and you see a stone keep sitting on a hill. It is lit by large braziers and torches. The portcullis is open and the drawbridge is down. Two hobgoblin guards stand at the entrance.

The inner courtyard is flagged stone and yellow banners with symbols of stags on them hang down from the walls. A stable and other outbuildings are in the courtyard. A servant is leading one of the large stags into the stable.

The keep is at the far end of the courtyard. A narrow staircase leads to an open door, guarded by two more hobgoblins. Torchlight illuminates the hallway.

Inside the keep, the great hall is alight with torches, the tables are decorated with garland and flowers. Servants bring wine and great plates of fruit and cheeses .

The Fairie King and his Queen are seated in ornate carved chairs at the end of the hall. Standing at the queen's side is a young child, clearly a human, fair-haired and handsome. Titania strokes his head and dotes upon him. The king drinks a goblet of wine and watches as a goblin in jester attire juggles turnips.

Otis is seated at a table near the queen.

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Erwin lies in a clean bed in a small chamber. The window is closed and a small fire is lit in the fireplace. A fairie maiden cleans his wound and pours a thick liquid that looks like honey onto it. She dresses the wound and wraps a clean bandage Erwin. She lifts a goblet of wine to his lips, "It is honey mead, milord. You must drink to regain your strength. My lord's told me that you are a servant of the Green Man? That is good. We welcome you and hope that your wounds will soon fade."

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Fungo lies in a damp cell, no light but for a dim candle. The straw is rank and Fungo feels a rat crawl across his shackled legs. Past the prison bars, the jailer, an ugly hobgoblin, sits on a stool nearby, eating a bowl of gruel. He spits something onto the floors and sneers at the hobbit. "Liking your accomodations, milord?"

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Actions?

[greyarea]

Fungo smiles and pets the rat that runs by him (if it lets him), looking at his jailor, I've always wanted to know what a hobgoblin home looks like. This is much nicer than I imagined. Name's Fungo. What are you called?

[merias]

Erwin thanks the maiden and revels in his new accommodations, better than any he has seen in a long time. He wonders if Fungo's are any better. He asks the maiden "Can you tell me about my little Hobbit friend? Can I see him?"

When he is alone he'll open the window and door to try and get an idea of where he is in the keep, and if he is being guarded.

[badams30]

Otis - Charmed FIghter

Otis will try to take mental notes (not his strong point, obviously) of how many guards there are, where they are at, etc. For now he'll sit silently and if he gets the chance, he'll inquire how Erwin and Fungo are doing. He'd like to get an opportunity to speak freely to the King and or Queen, but for the moment he's going to stay relatively quiet and bide his time. He would like to take a tour of the keep and learn where things are, but for now he'll wait. If the King or Queen look his way or give him the chance to speak, he'll compliment them on their keep.
"This is a nice castle, your kingdom is pretty. It reminds me a little of my home. Can you please tell me if Mr Erwin and Mr Fungo are okay? I'm worried about them, I wish I could see them. They're all good people, honest."

OOC: Otis will play it cool for now. He'll try to gather info vs sticking his neck out too far at the moment.