Dowrenland - Emeralds & Roses

[Erasmas]

"Oh, Hatta? He won't be following us. That's what the hedge maze is for; when he's in that state he isn't clever enough to remember the way out, and the thorns prevent him from escaping by smashing his way through. Rather ingenious really."

[Erasmas]

"Well... you are welcome to stay if you'd like. But I am on rather urgent business and am afraid that I am long overdue."

Without further ado, the white rabbit jumps into the water and begins swimming in a most-decided direction.

[Linguz]

Skrib shrugs and makes sure his things wouldn't be damaged by water before going in.

Spoiler

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If anything of his would be damaged, he used mage hand to keep them above the water.

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia sighs... then waits to see if anyone else is going to brave swimming.

[Vladislav]

Timble tests out the waters with his toe. "Brr, cold." Since the food he gathered will most certainly be lost or ruined in a swim, he eats as much as possible in a short time, and whatever he can't eat, sets aside for the others. He then begins to unbuckle and stow his armor in preparation for a swim.

[Tegannie]

Jessica prepares herself for a swim as well. Making sure everything else is secure, she pulls out her notebook. She reads her words, quickly trying to remember as much as she can. She folds the paper with the ink side inwards, and stuffs them down the shirt of her armor, hoping the leather will help keep it mostly dry.

Seeing the mage hand, Jessica asks, "Would you mind carrying my notebook? I don't want to lose what I've written."

[Linguz]

Skrib, in the water and floating his lyre above him, turns and nods. "Sure, just put it on the lyre and I'll grab it." He moves the lyre close to her and waits for it before adding the notebook to what he's levitating. When that was done, the insectman continues swimming.

[Tegannie]

Relieved, Jessica pulls the papers out of her shirt and carefully places on top of the floating lyre. "Thank you very much, Skrib!". She slips into the water.

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia digs around in her backpack for a moment... then puts her chalk into one of her oil jars. There. Now they won't dissolve.

She then slowly wades into the water. "Alright then..." she sighs. Who knew adventuring involved so much running around and getting wet?

[Erasmas]

You each lower yourself into the water and begin swimming, after stowing away your various gear. Following in the direction that Enya has begun paddling in, you can see a forested shoreline some distance away. As you swim on... you find yourself beginning to feel very sad. You couldn't really explain why, but your thoughts turn to the depressing things that have happened in your life, and in your adventure, as of most recent. As you press on, you get the feeling of tears beginning to well up behind your eyes and are soon choking back the urge to cry.

And just about the time when you feel the weight of you current mood starting to make it difficult to continue on, you spot something some distance off... in the water.

[Erasmas]

Alessia, Jessica, and Skrib all can see that the approaching object appears to be a boat of some kind! Yes... yes indeed. They see a mast sporting a sail full of wind!

As the vessel comes closer, you can see that the three individuals onboard are slightly altering their course to intercept you. One of them comes to the bow and calls out in a language that is strangely familiar to some of you.

[Elven]"Ho there! Whom do you serve?"

[Tegannie]

Hearing the language of her mother does nothing to improve Jessica's mood, instead it recalls even more memories of her childhood. Wanting to get out of the water as soon as she can, Jessica responds to the man in elvish.

[Elven]"Lo! I am a cleric of Pelor, god of the sun. My friends and I are new to this land."

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia stops swimming once she spots the boat. She grumbles a little bit as the sailor calls to them in a language she doesn't speak. "..Okay, I caught 'Pelor' there..."

[Linguz]

Skrib stops swimming and keeps the bundle above him. "Jessica, you mind translating?"

[Tegannie]

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I'm going to assume you meant Jessica, not Teg. Because I'm not swimming in that lake, Jessica is

Jessica responds to Skrib in Common. "It's Elven, he's asking us who we serve. I told him we are new here."

Switching back to Elven, she asks the man in the boat, "Do you speak Common?"

[Erasmas]

As they sail closer, you see the one on the bow move to a second elf onboard. The two exchange dialogue for a moment, before the second moves to the front of the boat. He then calls out, in the common tongue.

"You are not kesir! What banner flag do you rally to?!"

Enya, who has also stopped making forward progress, paddles in place as he answers.

"I am Enya Tapuk, messenger to Her Majesty, Queen Mirana Callevasia, Ruler of the Ivory Port and the Kingdom of Clubs!"

The elf calls back over his shoulder, relaying the information to his companions, no doubt. He then goes back to the work he was doing onboard as the ship sails ever closer. As it does so, you notice a couple of strange details that distance had shrouded before. The boat appears to actually be the top side of a turtle shell, flipped over. It would have to be the largest turtle shell that you had ever seen, but... well, there it is. The other odd detail is that the elves on this ship were slightly blue in coloration and had webbed hands and fin-like ridges here and there.

Spoiler

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When they get closer, the one that has been steering the boat tosses an anchor off the stern and the boat drags to a stop. The other two come over and begin extending their hands to help you each into the vessel. It is not a large boat, by any means, but you all are able to fit onboard with relative comfort, with space enough to walk around... should the mood strike you.

[Linguz]

Skrib lowered the items down to Jessica once they were on the boat, letting her get her papers back. He returned the lyre to himself, took it in both hands, and began to play a simple melody. "Thank you for helping us out. I am Skrib Adanech. What may we call you elves?"

Spoiler

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Perform: (1d20+4)[18]

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia clambers up onto the boat, and immediately tries to wring out her hair. "Okay. So where are we going now? It's just one thing after another with this place..."

She doesn't even seem particularly bothered by the turtle shell boat.

[Erasmas]

[Elven]"Jerynn... the anchor."

The elf at the stern says calmly, after which the tallest of the three dives overboard. The remaining elf moves about with cat-like grace, tightening various ropes and such. After several seconds, the diver returns and places the anchor back into the boat before climbing back aboard. He immediately begins coiling the rope in a meticulous manner. The serious-looking elf that was steering mutters an incantation and exhales heavily at its end, causing the sail to fill with wind and the ship to list forward. As you begin cutting your way through the water once more you begin drying yourself the best that you can. You can see your course alter slightly, heading towards what looks like the mouth of a river. The one that did not dive down takes a crouching position near the bow and turns toward you. You see several old scars across his back and chest, and his left ear is missing its pointed tip. He looks you all over before speaking.

"I am called Aerrond. The highest one is called Jerynn. Our lead man, at the behind, is called Corrintha Lyrim. I believe your people speak the term 'Captain' on vessels of the sea? And to answer you, lady... we sail to Nevande; our home."

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia stands up, finally, and stretches. While she's not particularly tall, she does have a lean, wiry sort of build, making her seem to extend quite a bit further than she should when she stretches.

"...Alessia du Chumleigh. And I'm half expecting this boat to get attacked by some sort of lake monster. That usually happens in stories like these."

[Tegannie]

Not an elf?

Getting on the boat and grabbing her booklet, Jessica corrects the strange elf (in common) "In our world, elves more closely resemble myself. I am half-elf."

After they mention where they are heading, Jessica pulls out her paper and pen and asks, "And what kingdom is that in?" writing down the place and the kingdom is in. "My name is Jessica, by the way. And it does no good to be so pessimistic, Alessia."

[Erasmas]

"That is possible, but the Jabberwocky sleeps at this part of day."

Aerrond replies coolly. He then turns to Jessica and responds as well.

"I do not know this word 'elves' you speak. Why are you half this thing?"

He then turns and speaks to his comrades after the second portion of what Jessica had to say.

[Elven]"She asks what kingdom Nevande is in."

The one called Jerynn laughs heartily while the one called Lyrim says, flatly.

[Elven]"We serve under no flag; we are of Nature's Kingdom."

Aerrond, who has been chuckling as well, eventually states, "Nevande is close to kingdom of the White Queen, but not her land. She is a good ruler, but not ruler for us. We live on the Forest of Bajja, the home for our fey brothers and sisters. Bajja is king here; but he is now missing from us."

[Tegannie]

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As they sail closer, you see the one on the bow move to a second elf onboard. The two exchange dialogue for a moment, before the second moves to the front of the boat. He then calls out, in the common tongue.

"You are not elf! What banner flag do you rally to?!"

Aerrond replies coolly. He then turns to Jessica and responds as well.

"I do not know this word 'elves' you speak. Why are you half this thing?"

Umm, why does he not know a word he (or at least, one of his shipmates) just spoke? Just wondering...

Confused slightly, Jessica responds (in Common), "The name of the language you spoke to us is called Elven where we're from, those who speak it are called elves. My mother was one, my biological father a human. Thus, I am half-elf. But now is not the time to talk of these things. I am looking forward to setting foot upon land again."

While talking, she writes down the info about their kingdom.

[Linguz]

Skrib looked to the elf who spoke last. "What happened to Bajja that he's not there now?"

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia looks up at the sky, mumbling lightly to herself. "Is this the same plane, or... I wonder if time still flows the same way here..." She shakes her head a bit.

She's not paying much attention to the conversation, except to note that this 'Bajja' is apparently missing.

[Erasmas]

Aerrond says, "Hmm... we are called kesir, half-elf."

He then replies the Skrib.

"No one know where Bajja is. After the War of Broken Peace, he could not be found. Many think he is dead, but not kesir. Forest still alive... Bajja must be also."

You sail on, eventually entering the mouth of a river and continuing downstream, under the canopy of a great woodland. The sounds of birds and creatures surround you as you pass through dappled patches of sunlight and shade. The kesir onboard your vessel had lowered the sail and taken to an oar on either side as their captain called out directions when the water got moving quickly enough. You spot a magnificent elk running alongside you through the trees... almost as if he were racing you. Butterflies and some kind of luminescent creatures flutter this way and that, lighting upon flowers of bright vivid colors. Soon, you notice other movement among the trees out of the corner of your eye. But each time you try to fix your gaze upon it, it seems to not be there at all.

You get the distinct feeling that you are not alone.

[Linguz]

Skrib looks around and keeps his ears open. "How do your people feel about non-kesir? And what about people like me? Will I have trouble or...?"

Spoiler

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Can you check my modifiers? I'm unsure and on a phone.
Spot: (1d20)[2]
Listen: (1d20)[1]

[Erasmas]

"We kesir are cautious of those outside our forest, especially in these times, but we are not a hasty creatures. If peace is given, peace is granted."

[Yuki Akuma]

Alessia sits down on the deck again... and decides to actually investigate the leather satchel she was given earlier. After all, she's got nothing better to do!

[Linguz]

Seeing her do that, Skrib copies her, checking his own satchel.