Sun Hunters

[Erik Vale]

Abbants eyes flick over the coach before returning to Ovel.
"I did arrive as they were dismissed, and wasn't given mine in the first place... However given that we're leaving, is Rampage going to be being paid for by the eye, or do we get to wait around?"

[Sliver]

"I'm acting as your Hunter token for now..."

[Erik Vale]

Abbant's brows furrow slightly.
"No, Rampage. My Bison."

[Sliver]

"Right... You have a bison... It can stay here for now, whichever stable you left it in will take care of your... Rampage, don't worry."

[Erik Vale]

Abbant nods, a slight frown the only sign of his disliking of his loss of personal steed.

[Sønderjye]

Lose end? How in earth could we be considered lose ends? Noegle is completely incapable of understanding this strange man until a thought strikes him. Was that how your previous Sunguise ruled?
The shouting was useless because YOU chose not to respond to it. This may be a suprising fact to you but it's unpolite to ignore peope. "Stunned into helplessness" as you so blatantly put it implies that there was something to be done.
Noegle will quite intentionally avoid eye contact with the half-naked elf on the way out.
He does think that he is the leader Noegle rationalize There must be a reason for that, is it his experience as a hunter or his age?

Noegle stops hearing Ovel speak. Who have been dead?

On the ride he'll ask Abbant if he can teach him drow sign language. He will ask ask the others to learn the language with the argument that it will be a major advantage if they were able to communicate in such a non-verbal secret language.

[Erik Vale]

"No, merely how I've noticed most people in power act. And I do believe you understood the motion." Abbant smiles.


"I can teach, but it'll go slow... Perhaps we can find some Pearls of Speech..."

[Sliver]

Ovel doesn't answer Neogle, but groans as you approach the carriage.

"I'm Mouse! And this here is Sir Purrington!" The young woman announces. "And we'll be your drivers for today."

"Meow" Purrington says.

"Nope, you lose!" Mouse laughs.

"Meow meow. Hiss."

"Whoa there, what a filthy mouth you have mister!" Mouse puffs her cheeks. "With that attitude, I'll paw-n you off to some wizard. How would you like being the familiar of some fat geezer?"

"MEOW! Meow meow!"

"Well, that will be your problem then."

"Meow, meow. Meeeow."

"What? It would look ridiculous for you to have a mouse familiar." She laughs again.

"I think he meant having you, Mouse, as his familiar." Ovel suggests.

Mouse's expression turns blank immediately and she stares at Purrington, who seems to roar with laughter.

She pouts and slinks into the driver's seat as you climb aboard. Ovel slides over to her as well, probably to give directions, before returning and joining you inside.

"Mouse is talented, but her mouth rarely stops." Ovel says after a few minutes into the ride, once you have passed the gates and left the city. "It's probably just a coping mechanism, but I wish she chose something else for her quirk. She could have been a great agent if she could encounter a silence and not insist on filling it with babble. You might find her interesting, Noegle. He isn't really called Purrington, you know. He's Leeon, yeah, I know. They're both from the Catpaw family. You might have mingled with those in your past. But she's different, as you can pick out from her name. Her parents took it pretty hard, so she only has Leeon to look out for her. He's a good brother. Not many would sacrifice so much for so little..."

[Erik Vale]

"I assumed familiar, but brother? That is an oddity..."

[Archmage1]

Elariel watches the pair of Purrington and Mouse interact, and she smiles softly. It's always nice to see such love.
"So much for so little? I think you underestimate how important family can be, Ovel."

[Sliver]

"He is sacrificing the rest of his family to stay with her. The Catpaw family is quite large. Compared to how much he lost, family and resource wise, she is a small reward. It only means that she is that much precious to him that he decided she is worth it."

[Archmage1]

Elariel sighs.
"Perhaps, but then again, perhaps he knew that she needed him, and that the rest of the family would be ok without them."

[Sliver]

Ovel sounds baffled. "That much is obvious. What are you trying to say? He wouldn't severe his ties for nothing. He did it because she needed someone, but he wouldn't have done it if he had not cared for her very much. I really don't understand what you think I'm missing."

[Archmage1]

Elariel sighs, shaking her head. If Ovel doesn't see love for what it was, it was unlikely it ever would. Still, she should at least try.
"He loves her. You don't seem to understand that. I'm sure you are smart enough to make allowances for it, but I'm not sure that you really understand what it means."

[Sliver]

The carriage grows dark and cold as Ovel shakes with anger. "You insolent brat! Do not dare to speak to me of love. I understand it very much. How can I get it into your thick skull? She is precious to him because he loves her. She matters to him not because she has worth as an ally or as a resource. She is precious to him because she is his baby sister, and he is her brother, and he loves her and decided that his duty is to be there for her, and that is more important to him than anything. So you will shut up and get off your high horse, stop thinking that you know of things that you have no idea of and claim that I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED ME TO MAKE THE BIGGEST SACRIFICE IN MY LIFE." He finishes, almost screaming.

"Purrington" jumps in through the window and meows softly. After a few moments, Ovel's outlines soften slightly and he leaves with the cat.

[Archmage1]

"So you became a shadow for love. Interesting."

[Erik Vale]

"You do know there are ways to gather information without making people angry, Elariel?
Abbant seems mostly unphased by the shadows rage.

[Archmage1]

Elariel nods.
"Yes. I wasn't expecting Ovel to react like that."

[Sønderjye]

Noegle wishes he had brothers like Purrington. He doubts that his brothers would have done anything like that. He spreads out his arms in a pleased gesture. Ah, lady Mouse Catpaw and sir Purrington Catpaw, what an unexpected pleasure to meet you here. You look as healthy as ever, how's business?

Noegle place himself so that he can have a conversation with the drivers.

[Sliver]

Purrington perks up as Noegle decides to climb out and sit besides his sister, but turns away and continues meowing at Ovel, who doesn't reply.

Mouse blushes. "Please, Sir Noegle, don't be so embarrassing. My brother's name is Leeon, nobody calls him Purrington..." She says, her grip on the reigns tightening, poorly hiding the tension in her voice. The Catpaw family is relatively minor nobility, compared to Noegle's family, but with Mouse being basically an outcast, her social skills with nobles are non-existent, and her nervousness is obvious to Noegle. While knowing her seems like something obvious to Noegle, as her form is so different than that of the rest of her family would be quite interesting to Noegle, while knowing something that another noble house finds shameful is also advantageous, it is clear that Mouse finds Noegle's interest and seeming familiarity unnerving. She scratches her left hand before speaking up. "I didn't know the Bearathions sought to place a member as one of the Eye's Hunters..." She says, hesitant. "I'm alright, you know... Being a driver doesn't usually pay well, but Salamander's is contracted by the Sunguise, so it's actually quite decent. And I get to go out of the city quite a lot, so really, it could have been much worse." She says and absentmindedly reaches out to scratch Leeon behind the ears. He purrs softly before shaking his head and shifting to a spot out of her reach, continuing his discussion with Ovel as though uninterrupted.

Spoiler: Noegle

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If you want to continue talking to Mouse, we can move this to PMs.

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Spoiler: Dantie

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It hadn't been that long of a journey. Your tribe was living some way to the south of the capital, Clara Noctem. Just by a small lake you were proud to call your own. But that vision... Perhaps you should have kept quite? But you heard the stories. They say that the spirits give you strength and allow you to push beyond your limits! They say that your people are tuned to the land... It was exiting, to know that you were Sighted. So you spoke to your elder, a man who served your Master and was freed to lead your tribe. And he told you to go, follow the vision. For your Master.

You were walking through the Gwinveer Forest towards the lake. The vision seemed to indicate that the entrance would be near it, although finding it in this forest would not be an easy task. You set up a small camp for the night, your feet growing sore. When you ran, when you hunted, you were used to charge through the fields and open plains. This, this is something else. Trudging through the forest, looking out for bad footings in the undergrowth, watching not to step on anything slippery, sticky, living or poisonous... Well, you don't have the practical know-how, but you are sure you are handling this much better than most in your tribe. You know things!

Setting up the camp wasn't hard, but if your silent shadow companion would have helped, you wouldn't have complained. What is the point, anyway? Sure, the elder said that this thing was an agent of the master, the Eye Sunguise, as they call him, but wasn't there a better way? And those others that you saw in your vision, how is this thing going to help them find you? It made no sense...

"Seth" The wind whispers, your fire flickering and barely sticking to the wood. "Seth..." It speaks again, now you are sure it wasn't your imagination. You look around, but you can't see anything. But the shadow seems unnerved as well, at least that's what you can tell from the emotion a shadow can show, darting back and forth.

"We do not have long." The voice speaks again, growing stronger and more defined. "I need you and your companions. You are on the right path, but the path is too long. I sense a pathway... It is dangerous, but... Yes, come to me. Gather them and come."

The stars seem to wink out and plunge the forest into darkness. When a sudden burst of blackness, you can see again.

You find yourself at the edge of the forest. Or, a forest. A twisted one at that. Black and white, bleached of color. As you look around, the shadow by your feet, what joy that he came with you, seems to try to point at a direction. And then you notice another group of people.

As the long hours pass quietly, eventually the carriage stops. The sun is barely visible as you hop down and out of the carriage. As Elariel's feet hit the ground, it's only moments before the slightly shorter Mouse is almost too close to her, glaring. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. Nobody speaks to my friend like that! If I ever hear that you upset Ovel again, I'll be on you like fleas on a dog." She lets out a hiss and spins on her heels, storming away to tie down the horses.

You seem to have been moving mostly south, south west, towards the Gwinveer Forest and the Faxtelio Lake behind it. The vast farms surrounding Clara Noctem are nowhere to be seen, and nothing but green grass, flowers, various herbs and bushes spotting the plains. Far ahead, the hint of a forest can be seen.

Mouse pulls out four tents out of her pouch, each fitted for two people and already comes with a sleeping bag, and adds in a campfire. Moments afterwards she draws even more gear, although this one is out of a bag of holding, and a pot of stew is being prepared. "Chicken or vegetable stew?" Mouse asks. "Those are the options. I have some powders for seasoning, if you want yours more spicy or sweet, so don't be shy." She says.

As you eat your meal, the wind picks up. "I don't like this..." Ovel says, his first words since Elariel.

"You are too far." The wind whispers, barely audible. "Not enough... Faster."

The sky darkens above you as Ovel groans in pain, his edges break and tendrils expand from him. You are caught within Ovel, unable to move, before you are even able to rise from your ground. Bowls drop as the world spins around you and you find yourself in... Somewhere.


You blink once. Twice. Then you realize what is wrong. Besides everything. The color is gone and you find yourselves in some twisted version of the planes that you were just in. Except everything is black and white. Except the sky. It's just black. In the far north, you see a giant stone dragon sticking out of the earth, only his head is visible, spitting white fire. Back to the south you see the edge of the forest, something bright in the center. At the edge of the forest is... A goliath.

"Ovel?!" Mouse asks, shocked. A man, nearly six feet tall, stands among you with Leeon clinging to his head, sniffing him. His features are strong, even though he looks at his hands perplexed and confused, but with him being all black, like everything else, it is hard to tell much else.

Elariel recognizes the place from her studies. The plane of shadows, a dark place that shuns the light. It is a plane overlapping the material, fueling much of the shadow magic cast there and also used by wizards and planar travelers to cover great distances. It's morphic nature means that, while resembling the material plane, any landmarks you know would be twisted. The dragon in the north would probably be the legendary Darastix Mountain, but the center of the forest is also giving out light, which shouldn't exist in this place. But what of Ovel? Shadows, the undead, exist on this plane. Yet he has a body...

"I..." He says, shaking his head. Leeon hisses at the gesture and leaps off into Mouse's arms. "Sorry." Ovel mumbles. "I have no idea what is going on... It felt like I was being torn apart. It could be that something used me as a portal... I still have connection to one other shadow, the one that should be with Seth, the goliath singer, so... I think that Seth is who we see up ahead. Perhaps whatever did this, used my connection to transfer us along with Seth to this place. But... Why..."

[Archmage1]

Elariel calm equanimity continues to hold as Mouse threatens her.
"I spoke the truth. I believe it is better to know than to be lied to. If you disagree, that is your choice. I was not expecting his reaction to be what it was, but changing the past is difficult."

As Mouse prepares the camp, Elariel surveys the area, taking in the strange plants around her. Some were familiar, and some were not. She starts gathering some of the unfamiliar ones, meaning to research them later, preserving them in her spellbook.

"I think chicken stew would be the more interesting choice, and I would prefer mine to be spicy. Most food I have eaten after leaving home has been rather mild."

As she eats her meal, Elariel thinks, but before she can come to a conclusion, the weather shifts, and magic sings through the air. Before she can react, she is paralyzed, and then she is in the plane of shadows. She dusts herself off, and looks around, taking in the twisted vegetation, and the caricatures of flowers.
"The plane of shadows. Not a good place to be."
Her voice is soft, and distracted, and her head turns slowly as she looks around the plain. And then Mouse speaks, and Elariel's attention is drawn back to the group, and quirks her eyebrows.
"Ovel, I presume? I take it that this wasn't deliberate on your part? Interesting. But odd. Presumably, that voice we heard had something to do with this. Did anyone recognize it? It sounded like it was judging progress, but there are several meanings of what it said. I don't see anything immediately dangerous, but if we stay here for long, that is likely going to change. Do you have a way out?"

[dantiesilva]

Though the journey had been short so far, it had none the less been very challenging to Seth. He had never been outside of the open plains before, and now had a better understanding of why his people lost the war, while the enemy was used to all kinds of terrain, his own people were stuck in their ways. They had lived their for generations, where children inherited their homes from their parents, or built their own. To leave the tribe for anything but service to their master was unheard of. Thankfully he was one of the best when it came to survival in his tribe all alone, and so while the environment was very different, between the stories he had heard from those who had come before him, and his own common sense he was able to stay away from most of the larger threats. Only hunting for food when he needed it, and always leaving a small offering of whatever he had caught, as well as a bowl of water aside for the great spirits that watched over him and his tribe.

Then there was that dark spirit who had to follow him, the elder said he was a servant of their master. However that did not stop Seth from feeling uneasy around it. To say it was unnatural was an understatement in his eyes, and he could have sworn he had seen the thing defiling many of his rituals a few times over. However he had been warned to offend the creature would bring the wrath of its master upon them, and so Seth had remained quite most of the journey. Only asking it things that needed to be answered, nothing more, nothing less.

So that night when Seth set up camp he was surprised to hear the wind speaking to him. I am listening great spirits. Seth called out as he bowed his head in reverence to the unseen voice, after all it had to be the spirits, look at what they had done to the flame, the man thought to himself after his voice, like boulders scraping against each other sounded. Looking back to the dark spirit that was to travel with him while keeping his head bowed he could not help but smile as it got more and more nervous. It is about time the great spirits take their wrath out on you for defiling their offerings. he thinks to himself.

Great spirits how will I know it is the ones that walk the path? Seth voice rumbles once more as he watches the world around him begin to change ever so slightly, as one by one the many stars in the sky begin to go out. When he opens his eyes again Seth looks upon a twisted forest, and slowly rises to his feet as he looks around, taking note of the dark spirit that happened to follow him. I assume these are the ones you wish me to bring to you great spirits. I promise I will not fail you. Seth calls out before slamming his fist into his chest. And so using his teachings he lets his voice rumble forth in the distance until it comes in contact with the group in the distance where the dark one pointed.

Spoiler: Message spell

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Strangers have you been called by the spirits here as well to serve the eye in search of the sun?

With the message sent Seth draws his greatsword in case these were merely foes trying to take him off of the path to enlightenment.

[Sønderjye]

Ah, of course Leeon, how foolish of me Noegle says apologizing. He will smalltalk with Mouse some of the way, making sure not to mention her family(since he imagines it to be a unpleasant topic). We don't have to play it out. If Leeon speaks non-feline he'll also converse with him.

When the carriage stops Noegle is the first one to jump out. While it was nice to finally have a longer conversation with non-peasants, Ovel had been kind in his description of Mouse. It was like someone had replaced her whatever organ produced words with a decanter of endless words and only allowed the geyser option I'd like chicken, for seasoning do you have paproka?

When everything turns black Noegles fingers extend and claws replaces fingers. He keeps his hands on his back as he moves closer to the goliath. That depends, are you Seth? He shouts in response to the message.

[Sephir]

Ellyrion almost draws his chain as the planes shifted, finding himself in a very strange place "Ela, is that the dark place you were reading in your books ?" He asked softly, taking his place besides his sister. The Shadow Hand Discipline he studied had an innate connection to the plane, but he himself was not interested int it. "We should not tarry here long, THe place stinks of death"

[Archmage1]

Knowing that Noegle had used the one response that the spell allowed, Elariel turns her attention to Ellyrion when he speaks, and she nods as he asks his question.
"One of them, yes. Power can be gained here, but at a very high price. Departing, and doing so quickly is a priority. Otherwise... every moment we spend here is a risk, and the longer we stay, the worse the risk is. I know there are portals out of here, but I don't know where they are, or where they go. Once that goliath responds to Noegle, we can decide which way to go. It probably makes sense to head back to the city, as major things tend to correspond across the planar boundaries. I would expect a dark form of the Clara Lux, at least, to be there, and there may be a portal out there. Probably not, but it's a destination. Staying here too long can affect our motivation to move, as the cold seeps into our spirits."

[dantiesilva]

As one of the creatures he had directed his spell at responds by shouting, Seth almost goes deaf. The spell was meant to avoid drawing unwanted attention, not to make the other person deaf. So it took a few seconds before Seth could respond, speaking aloud as he slowly walked forward, sword still drawn just in case. I am indeed the one known as Seth, however that doesn't answer my question. Seth says as his voice rumbles across the distance, no longer aided by magic.

[Erik Vale]

"That would be us. Did you bring us here?" Abbant calls back, striding forward.

[dantiesilva]

Hearing that these were indeed the people he was there to meet, Seth places his giant greatsword back across his back as he ponders the question for a moment. When he thinks he has found the right words to express to outsiders of his tribe on what he knew happened he spoke up. While it was not I directly who brought us all here, I may have had a part in it. For the spirits spoke to me, telling me that the they needed us to come to them. Quickly at that, they are the ones who brought us all here, knowing that the path we would walk would be riddled with danger, however that it was also the fastest way. Seth says to everyone as no more then ten feet separate the two groups.

[Archmage1]

Elariel looks at the goliath, but she soon speaks.
"So you arranged our transport here. You do have a way out then?"
She doesn't seem particularly happy about Seth's choice of route.

[dantiesilva]

As Seth looks to the woman who was addressing him he thinks on her words for a moment before deciding that he had to have explained it wrong. I know of us coming here, I did not choose it. And only when we have done what the spirits wish shall we be able to leave. I advise not leaving the path they have made for us though. Or else we may become lost in this land of no color. Seth says looking around, having never been to any of the other planes before he knew not what this was, and the stories of where his ancestors went to dance with the spirits was a much brighter place then this that was filled with war by day, and feasts by night.