Outside 41: Inside Outside, outside Inside

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac looks down at the sheet innocently, adjusting his glasses in a just slightly over-the-top fashion.
"Oh, just some blue entoloma, Emetic Russula, Imp stool, Stinkhorn, and the ever-important what-the-bloody-hell-are-you-doing-here?!" he says, hissing the demand quietly as his head whips back up to look at her accusingly.

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"Heard some cool stuff about your school. Might try to get in myself!" She keeps a straight face. "I like to learn things. Might be up for learning some magic, you know?"

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac scowls.
"What do you mean 'heard?' You were there! And you-"
Technically got him into the same school as his girlfriend and made him realize he had stupid amounts of magic potential. And made him near-immortal.
And got Tab the only friends she's had in ages.
And made Merissa go from picked-on to star-athlete.
"Gah, never mind that! You're still totally hiding something! If you just wanted to check out the school you'd be there, not tagging along on a trip for a subject you clearly already have covered." he says, suspicion never leaving his voice.

[Rebonack]

[The Village of Kinderleigh]

It really wasn't much to look at, as far as any outside might be concerned. The highest level of technology was the water wheel and mill turned by the current of the Gneir river. It clanked along as it had for decades, barring seasonal repairs, grinding out the wheat and corn and barley harvested by the villagers. Three years ago the John Cooperson family had purchased some solar panels and appliances for their home, but mutterings of witchery eventually compelled them to move to Inside. That left the village down a barrel-maker, but since the village previously had two barrel makers the Peter Cooperson family wasn't complaining about the additional business.

Yes, this was a sleep, backwards sort of place by the standards of those living deeper into the Nexus. But out here on its fringe people still stuck to the old ways. They had traditions! And what would a people be without their traditions?

It was traditions that had gotten Corvus Bowyer into trouble. The sight of the field. The waving grain. Corvus clenched the little paper bag filled with sweets and money tighter in his talons as the memories returned unbidden.

The fall-time bonfire had attracted them.

On that night when the division between the land of the living and the land of the dead was at its thinnest, the people of Kinderleigh performed their rituals and offerings and festivals to keep the spirits appeased. Corvus, honestly, never really thought much of them. Not since Atropus' descent had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they didn't keep the restless dead away. No, it had been Corvus' cudgel and arrows that had sent the few shambling corpses that wandered into town back to their graves.

And some months after Atrops had fled, the rituals hadn't done much when the carrion swarm descended upon the village, either.

Corvus was sure it had been the smell of entrails burning on the bonfire that attracted them.

A storm of feathers and beaks and talons and purifying flesh had descended on the festivities. Corvus had watched in horror as villages caught in that vile maelstrom had dissolved into feathers and gristle, only to rise on teeming, tainted wings to join the cawing chorus.

While others fled from certain death, Corvus gathered his gear, dowsed his arrows in pitch, lit them aflame, and earned the ire of the carrion swarm. He had known at the time that he couldn't possibly win. But he had to try. He had to try despite Mary screaming at him to run. He had to try because of her. If only to give his beloved a few more seconds to flee from the undead storm.

Burning ravens and bits of fly invested meat littered the ground by the time it reached him. The old alchemist bombs proved to be duds, all save one. The monster hadn't liked that much. But by then the swarm was all around him, pecking, clawing, shrieking. The stench was overwhelming. Corvus had fallen to his knees and vomited gristle mixed black feathers that spawned new birds to join the flock. With each heave he felt a little raven-shaped part of his soul being ripped away and drawn into murderous murder.

And then?

Then his body dissolved into feathers and beaks and offal, just like those of his fellow villagers.

He hadn't been sure what death would bring at the time, but he never would have guessed it would involve staring up at Elestra Evercraft as an undead raven sitting in a magic circle.

"Do you desire to save your village?" she had asked. Her voice dead, dispassionate. "Become my servant and I will give you the strength you need to do this thing."

Corvus tried to speak, but only a gurgling caw escaped his beak. So he nodded, instead.

"Then go."

Elestra touched her staff to his head and the birds that had been molded from his corrupted spirit returned to him en mass, his form swelling with each as he grew into a huge, horrible undead abomination twisted by Elestra's dark magic.

A raven of omen.

He destroyed the carrion swarm down to the last bird. He freed the souls from an eternal agony of being rent at by spectral ravens. And then, from that day forward, he served as the familiar of Elestra Evercraft.

Elestra was nothing if not an understanding employer. Corvus wouldn't call her compassionate by any means, but she was thoughtful when it came to her most esteemed servants. He was given a small stipend for his services rendered. It wasn't for him, of course. What would an undead bird ever want to buy for himself? No... it was for someone else entirely. For the half of his heart still beating.

As Corvus circles over the village he spots her in the same place she was nearly every morning, tending to her vegetable garden. Corvus tips a wing and descends, dropping his paper bag atop and old morning glory choked log near the garden before hopping off himself. He ruffles himself and shakes to straighten out his now shining feathers, slick and fragrant with oil of myrrh. Once content with his appearance he gives a loud caw.

Mary wipes her hand across her forehead, smearing it with dirt, before turning toward Corvus and smiling.

The old dead bird could swear he felt the other half of his heart beating again.

"Hello there, beautiful bird," Mary says in her musical voice as she joins Corvus on the log. "What have you brought me today?"

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"Hey, it's hard to get to know the faculty and their teaching methods from a website. I noticed a chance to look into how stuff is taught, so I took it! Hey, what're the normal classes like? Just a lot of talking, or do you do things?" She seems to be ignoring the accusations of having been at the college before.

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac sighs. He supposes that if she's so titanically bored that she terrorized a school for laughs maybe she would take classes to kill time. Regardless, she'd have the advantage over him no matter what, so he might as well humor her.
"We do labs in Alchemy a lot, but nothing hard-core in the introduction class. My art class is basically all projects. I like it, even if I'm the only one who can see all the colors I use. I'm actually taking courses on Illusion and Transmutation magic and I'm not even taking magic theory, so you don't even need to do the text and lecture-heavy ones. Prof. Grimmel over there is a bit dry, but everyone has been nice enough. Prof. Almet is always really nice to me, even though I've accidentally turned her into three different furry animals."
He shakes his head. He can't help but chuckle a little. In hindsight she really had looked funny.

[Fenric]

[Building in the Abandoned City]

The walls are quite sturdy, so up to the second floor Atorre goes! The dust is thick and there are no footprints here: the previous group did not get to this part of the building.

There is a hallway along the interior wall. There are several empty rooms that might have been offices on the exterior side, all quite empty. At the end of the hall is another remarkably well preserved door, locked. There is a square discoloration where a name plaque might once have been, but it is long gone, perhaps removed when the previous owners abandoned the place given there are two screw holes that might have held it in place once upon a time.

The overwhelming impression is a controlled leaving, not flight: they took their time and took their belongings with them when they left.

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"It's always nice to have superiors with a sense of humor," Vivian says with a smile. "You going to need help finding your list? I'm not going to hand them to you, but I'm willing to give hints."

[Recaiden]

[Abandoned City building, 2nd floor]

so they knew this was coming. Atorre gets a start and slams the locked door with the point of his shoulder, hoping to bash it open off rusted hinges.

What did they do to this place?

[Fenric]

[Abandoned City building, 2nd floor Corner Office]

The spells that kept the door intact don't handle being smashed: there is a rendering splintering crash and Atorre tumbles through. Nothing comes out of the tube that is pointing at the door, so it's a bit hard to tell what the trap used to be.

The room has two sizeable shelves of very old looking ledger books, written in a scribbly script that the Nexus has long since forgotten how to translate. Seems an odd thing to protect with a trap that looks liable to be lethal.

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac chuckles.
"Oh, did you scout out the whole place, or do you just have mushroom radar? I know I saw two on the way..."
And he will turn back to look for those two he remembers. They were less than a quarter mile away.
And of course he'll gesture for her to walk ahead of him. Like he'll us he turning his back to that girl.

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"To your left, and up a bit." If Isaac looks... yeah, there's some on the side of a tree.

Vivian keeps a straight face.

[Recaiden]

[Abandoned City building, 2nd floor Corner Office]

The spells that kept the door intact don't handle being smashed: there is a rendering splintering crash and Atorre tumbles through. Nothing comes out of the tube that is pointing at the door, so it's a bit hard to tell what the trap used to be.

The room has two sizeable shelves of very old looking ledger books, written in a scribbly script that the Nexus has long since forgotten how to translate. Seems an odd thing to protect with a trap that looks liable to be lethal.

It was doubtless very important to someone. A dangerous library or personal records or criminal books.

Atorre glances around, thumbs through a few books, and leaves.

The next stop is the center of the city. It seems likely that whatever is wrong with this place came from there.

[Shadowcaller]

[Darkwater Mine]

Wenomir jumps out of cover and tries to get behind the ethereal being in a single, fast bound. But he doesn't attack yet.

"Your plans went awry, friends. Why don't you settle down so we don't have to do something ugly?"

"Indeed, those who were hired for that are dead". Wraal laughs as he keeps approaching: if nothing stops him, he arrives very, very close to the goblins. "You'd better listen to my friend...you won't have a second chance" he says, staring right in their eyes, the shotgun pointed at (their) face level.

Sophia walks towards the group, blades drawn.
Now, mind telling us what you were hired for?
She inquires, biting into her hand and ripping out a small piece of flesh to intimidate the group with a display of her regenerative powers.

[Darkwater Mine]

If the ethereal being notices Wenomir, it doesn't seem to react in any peculiar way to his presence. "Savages." She points out while the other goblin next to her promptly wets her pants. Ew. The only one that seems to be perfectly calm is the energy being who is still glancing at it's computer. The gaggle of goblins nearby makes no move to intervene either.
"Don't think you've won yet. "Egarath, take me out of here!"

The ethereal being looks up again. "Customer, you're made of flesh. My generator hasn't made compatible with living things yet. I'm afraid you simply have to discuss things over with these gentlemen over here. I assure you I won't let you to come to harm however, as is customary to clients." It replies with a nod before turning to Sophia and the others. "Perhaps we can work out a future deal once all this is settled if you're curious about my findings here."

The goblin looks exasperated at him for a moment before turning over to look at Wraal and the others. "Well, you bunch can just sod off. I have nothing to give you so I'm just gonna leave... and never come back. How's that for a deal?"

[Fenric]

[Abandoned City: The Great Building]

Is it a temple? A palace?

The gates were picked open seven years ago, nothing hinders Atorre's progress.

The compound is singularly odd for either a palace or a temple. A number of large, low buildings stand in neat rows on one side. On the other, a wide empty space gives no clear evidence to its former purpose. The door to the main building is similarly unlocked and standing ajar...

Inside, the initial room is large, with low stone tables set up in rows giving it a temple-like appearance... but they're too high to be pews. The surface of the granite table is mostly smooth, but pitted here and there. A channel has been carved along one of the long sides, sloping gently toward the far end of the room. The channel is heavily scorched and pitted: something nasty flowed though it once upon a time.

At the far end of each row is a large barrel containing varying quantities of a sickly glowing, bright purple goo.

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac takes the mushrooms with a muttered thanks and puts them in the bag.
"What's next, Oh Mushroom Genius?" he asks mockingly.

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"Well, what's next on the list?"

Vivian will know the preferred growing places of all things on the list, and will be able to list a number of uses for them if asked. She doesn't help, but she'll tell him if he's too far off...

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Minutes later, Isaac shoulders his now-heavy bag.
"Well, that's everything that we're supposed to get. What now, Mushroom Expert? You can't go back with us or your trick is blown, but you might create a bit of a stir when Grimmel realizes that he's short one student. And then of course more when he realizes he actually wasn't." he says with a smirk. Why does she stir up an odd sense of familiarity? He wonders.

[Lost_Deep]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

"Hah, didn't you hear the intro? I'm a local who isn't going to school right now. But you're right, you'll likely be leaving soon, and I can't follow." She shrugs, and turns to go, but looks over her shoulder at Isaac as she leaves. She's smiling. It's an innocent smile... no. It's not an innocent smile. It's a purposefully innocent smile. It's a smile that's entirely to innocent to be innocent. "See you soon."

And she's off.

[Deathkeeper]

Mushroom-Dotted Forest

Isaac practically snorts at that fantastically suspicious smile. Oh, geez. He makes especially sure to check that nothing of his is wrong or clearly magic before heading back to get out of here.
'Vivian' didn't hurt people, even if her sense of humor sucked. And if anything, she might have just been there just to see him squirm around looking for the trap. It probably had been pretty funny. And she's not hooked up to a giant magic web or anything, so it's not like they couldn't deal with whatever minor things she could have planted on things from over there. He really doubts anyone could have messed with these mushrooms beforehand just for the sake of a joke.

[Recaiden]

[Abandoned Non-temple]

A space for presentation, it appears to Atorre. He first takes a barrel, and slowly wheels/inches it back to the teleporter to be sent off and analyzed.
If he can.
This place is screaming trap, and if this body weren't so expendable they'd be terrified.

Wait.
Another part reviewing the memories picked up something. In the locked building there was another room. Below the ledgers and untranslateable books.

He hurries back!

[Fenric]

[Abandoned City]

The barrel is mostly but not quite empty: it is easy to move. The goo sloshes around a bit more than its apparent viscosity should allow for, but considering how long it must have been sitting here it is obviously no mundane substance.

And back Atorre goes. Honestly, it would have been easy enough to ignore at first: it just looks like a well. There are some scratches on the floor and wear on the rim that showed a lot of use... but "well in a desert", so how surprising is that, really?

On closer inspection, though... there is scorching and pitting around the mouth of the well that is very close indeed to that on the granite tables in the central building. Looking down, the well is deep: easily fifty meters as shown by the faint purple light at the bottom.

The elves had been dumping that stuff into this well?!

[Ionbound]

[Mallside and Back Again]

Pheobe and, presumably, Archer make their way back to Elestra's tower. Pheobe is carrying some of the stuff they bought, mostly the clothes.

[Rebonack]

[Elestra's Tower]

You presume correctly!

Archer is still carrying all of the larger purchases in a bag of holding, mostly because lugging around furniture in the normal fashion would be kind of silly. As the pair near the tower a shadow briefly falls over them from a raven circling overhead. Before long the bird descends, alights on the ground, and begins hopping along somewhat awkwardly along side them. Every now and again he is forced to sort of half-fly to keep up the pace.

"Well well! You must be the newest student," the bird croaks. He could pretty easily pass for a living animal, especially since he recently oiled and preened his feathers. The scent of myrrh oil is pretty heavy on him and does a great job of masking the smell of decay. "I'm Corvus, Elestra's familiar. And I can't help but notice that my good friend Elestra has been rather anti-social with her introductions and never bothered to ask your name."

The bird puffs himself up a bit as he bounces along.

"However, as a well-mannered gentlebird I can't personally abide with that sort of social faux pas and so I'm inclined to ask, might I have your name, my fair lady?"

Archer rolls her eyes at the bird, but doesn't comment.

[Ionbound]

[Elestra's Tower]

Pheobe grins as she also rolls her eyes and says, "Not Nevermore? Sad. I'm Pheobe, Sir Corvus," her tone becoming exaggeratedly sarcastic as she finishes what she's saying.

[Morty]

[Darkwater Mine]

"I'm a bit old-fashioned, and I don't believe in letting people leave after they got an entire mine worth of people killed," Wenomir says. "You're going to have to do a little better than that."

[Recaiden]

[Abandoned City]

Not good. Was this then a deliberate act, poisoning the surrounding groundwater with this magical goo? By the whole society or just a part? Or maybe this was meant to be not a well but a safe disposal place for the fluid. One that broke open after they had gone.
Certainly explains why this place had the one functional door on it.

They need to know what's in those books. And what this stuff is. It's moving too much; hope it's not somehow alive. This could get really bad.

Okay, now he knows. Now he can explore that main building that seems to have been the source.

At one of Atorre's more isolated laboratories - sure anything goes in Skyside and the lawless ocean, but they need to live in those places still if something goes wrong - basic tests are being run on the sample of good recovered. How acidic is it, how viscous. What is its density and specific heat. What does it do to various substances on contact. If they can isolate small enough quantities, what does it look like under a microscope. Pure data-gathering experiments.

Just in case, only Kep-model minions are working on this project.

[Rebonack]

[Elestra's Tower]

"No, not Nevermore," Corvus replies in a deadpan tone. "Not Poe. Not Huginn. Not Muninn. And yes, I'm aware that I'm a raven named Raven. As it happens, my named was Corvus before I died and Elestra turned me into a raven of omen. I fully grasp the irony of that particular fact."

From his somewhat indignant reply, it's pretty obvious that these are jokes that Corvus has endured on a pretty regular basis from the people he has interacted with.

"And none of that smarmy sarcastic attitude, if you please. Elestra is busy with her own studies and research most of the time. Unless she considers it necessary to oversee some part of one of your lessons personally, I'll be the one instructing you."

Corvus holds up a wing to put a stop to any potential objection.

"Elestra can see and hear whatever I do. She can relate what needs to be said through me just fine. Which means I'm your tutor for the foreseeable future. I've done this twice now, so I do have some experience with the subject matter. And just a reminder about Elestra's warning, the last two students decided to ignore Elestra's rules regarding the basement and perusing the topic of lichdom. As such, they were both expelled in a permanent and lethal fashion."

[Ionbound]

[Elestra's Tower]

Pheobe tilts her head and says, "Huh, didn't catch that last one. Anyways, if you are to be my teacher, I apologize. And, as for the subject of Lichdom, while I don't understand Elestra's reservations on the subject, I will respect them. As for the basement, I'm not dumb. No doubt there's something dangerous down there that I don't want to mess with."

[Rebonack]

[Elestra's Tower]

By now the trio are passing through the gate into the courtyard of the keep. The two (disguised as usual) draugr at the entrance show no sign of reaction as they pass. They're standing guard, after all! Everyone knows that guards are supposed to look at stoic and stuff.

"Tutor is a bit more accurate," Corvus corrects. "I'm just the assistant, after all. But I'll be handling your lessons for the most part. All of the basics, most of the advanced work. Elestra might personally check in on any projects you have if she feels the need, but I won't promise anything."

He hops and bounces and flaps along as they head for the main tower.

"The pragmatic explanation is that the reagents required for becoming a lich are quite unsavory and will probably attract unwanted attention to Elestra's estate," Corvus sighs. "Adventurers and mercenaries sort of attention. The kind of attention Elestra doesn't want. The less pragmatic explanation is that becoming undead is bad."

That's a weird thing to say, coming from an undead raven.

"Even if you keep your own soul, becoming undead changes you. It twists you. It turns your view of the world inside out, or else amplifies all of your worst qualities. It makes you stagnant, tough, and unyielding. It can deaden your emotions and steal all light and life and sensation from your existence. Because that's what you'll have, existence, not living. Elestra is studying ways to give undead more of the positive qualities of life. I'm, in part, a result of that research. But I can tell you I've been warped by what happened to me. I'm not the man I once was."

Archer opens the door to the keep and Corvus flies inside, alights on one of several perches spread around the tower, and gives a loud caw.

"Obviously. Since I'm a bird."