A Faerie Affair - IC III: In the Court of the Faerie King

[Pyon]

Kyu waits to stop glowing, being more than annoyed that her spell backfired on such an important moment again. Clearly her enhance ability spell was cursed to never work properly. When the glowing stopped she went to hug her parents. "Are you alright? Did everyone make it back okay? How many of us are here?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

They look around to make sure. "Yes, we're a little winded but I think we're all okay." Then there's a pause. "Wait, where's auntie Miyu?" Casting around frantically, no one is able to find Kyu's crazy aunt. "Oh, Kyu, this is terrible! You two were always so close!"

Kor, meanwhile, finds a shiny! It's a smooth, green orb made of polished stone. It looks somehow special...

[Majin]

Kor is happy they seem to be safe, but he is not certain the danger is over. Some smaller spiders could be tracking them. So he decides to keep lookout. But then a nice green bauble grabs his attention.

Kor nonchalantly flies to the green orb and swipes it. Then he flies to a remote tree branch, and starts inspecting it. He turns it around, sniffs it and tastes it, trying to produce an effect, as to Kor it seemed like the orb was somehow special (he found it near a fae village after all).

[Pyon]

Kyu brought both her hands over her mouth in shock. She held back tears but the corners of her eyes were giving away that she wanted to cry. Sniffles were the only sound she made for a bit until she regained her composure. "Maybe she made it out... We don't know." Kyu said, forcing herself to smile. "Yeah she was always creative. She made it out I'm sure! And..." With her arm she wiped her eyes. "And my friends and I are going to save everyone! We're going to get help, we're going to get really strong and then no more villages will have to be destroyed."

[Ninja_Prawn]

"That's our girl!" Kyu's parents say, hugging her. "We're all rooting for you."

The orb doesn't do anything when Kor licks it, but he does notice some small claw marks on it. The marks are the same size as his own hands...

[Majin]

Kor notices Kyu talking with some older pixies, who sort of resemble her. Probably her parents. Good thing they'd made it out okay. He then turns to the orb and frowns (as well as you can without eyebrows). The bauble looked like it might have been handled by Kor himself, but that didn't seem very likely. Was there another faerie dragon nearby? Kor had better hide the orb. The previous owner might be looking for it after all. It didn't seem magical, but it couldn't hurt to have Astra check it out later.

Kor flies to Ferb. "Say, was there another dragon living near the village? A dragon like me, I mean".

[tgva8889]

Orianna accepts Ferb's congratulations with some cheer, though for the most part she seems interested in taking a rest. She makes a quick walk around the area to make sure things are safe, then takes a seat somewhere and simply tries to catch her breath.

[WindStruck]

"Wow that was..." Astra takes a breath and lands on a branch to rest. "Intense! I'm so sorry about your village, Kyu!"

Now looking at all these refugees... some former residents of Pinkleaf, others now fleeing refugees who were already refugees... it dawned on Astra that this was going to be a lot of work just helping all these people survive. Not to mention finding them a home that would actually be safe and fighting against the forces that commanded such evil.

For the time being, as the grim realization set upon Astra, she got to work checking all of the others to help make sure everyone was ok. Even a small cut left unattended could make a nasty infection!

[Ninja_Prawn]

Kor flies to Ferb. "Say, was there another dragon living near the village? A dragon like me, I mean".

Ferb nods. "Yeah, there was. Fish, he called himself. He died fightin'... not far from here, actually."

Astra finds a lot of people with minor injuries. It looks like she's going to be busy for a while...

[Stan]

There isn't much Opal can do to help with the healing. She checks for any signs of spiders and then goes to talk to Ferb and Orianna.

"Ferb, you mentioned a safe haven you were planning to move the villagers to? As we already lost the opportunity to pack and leave in an orderly way, I think we should go ahead and go there now. I know everyone is tired and scared but we should get them moving as soon as everyone has had a short rest. The spiders could find us any time, we might have only a couple of hours respite."

[Majin]

"Oh... I'm sorry. I just found this", Kor says and holds up the orb. "I just figured this would have belonged to one".

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Oh, yeah, that's his. He took it everywhere with 'im. I never asked why..." To Opal: "I was thinkin' to take 'em to Coppertree's fort. The spiders don't know where it is, so it should be safe."

Today is Greengrass, 1492. It is 3:20pm.
You are in the woods, not far from Pinkleaf.

The ragged band of refugees takes a little time to rest. Kyu, Kor, Opal and Ori gain the benefits of a short rest. Astra, please make 4no Wisdom (Medicine) checks. A thin drizzle makes it through the canopy, making everything slightly wet, but at least you don't see any more spiders.

As Ferb and the village elders start to gather everyone together, Kyu's parents flutter over. "Are you going to the faeries, then? Oh, I hope they decide to help us..." Kyu's mother gives her a new raincoat. It's a dark olive green and not very stylish, but she wraps it around you anyway, saying "it's not summer yet, dear. Don't you go catching a cold now."

[Pyon]

Kyu loves over the color and frowns. "I don't like the color..." But either way she closes it up and snugs herself up in it. She looks at the ground for a few moments trying to find the words for what she wanted to say. "Please be careful." She looks back up at her parents. "No one is allowed to be eaten by spiders until I come back. You have to promise!"

[Stan]

"Ferb, how far away is the fort and in what direction? Maybe we should escort you but I'm not sure."

[Ninja_Prawn]

Astra tries to heal people of the cuts and scrapes they picked up in their flight, but there are so many! You have hardly scratched the surface by the time the others gather together, itching to be moving on.

"No one is allowed to be eaten by spiders until I come back. You have to promise!"

"We'll do our best," they say. "Good luck!"

"Ferb, how far away is the fort and in what direction? Maybe we should escort you but I'm not sure."

"If this is where Fish died, I think I can get them there alright. It's... that direction. Maybe a couple of hours' walk."

[Majin]

Sounded like the orb had been special, though Kor didn't know if it only meant something for that Fish fellow. Since Ferb didn't seem offended about Kor keeping it, he decides to drop the subject. It was fancy shiny after all.

"I think we should go with them? It's just a couple of hours, so it's not that big of a detour. I wouldn't want to stop to rest yet anyway, and we'll be safer in a bigger group", Kor says to Opal and Ferb.

[tgva8889]

Orianna stands to join Opal, Kor, and Ferb. "I think providing some additional security is a sound plan. At the very least knowing more precisely where these fae are staying might help us in discussion with the court. Although that attack certainly makes me feel a greater urgency to get to our destination." She looks around the group, then adds, "Either way, this doesn't seem like an ideal place for us to set up our final camp."

[WindStruck]

Astra was getting pretty tired from today's travels, and then when she expected to have a nice time in Kyu's village, they were attacked by spiders! And then they had to flee! And then there were so many people that got hurt and killed! And now they wanted to keep traveling!

She was starting to feel pretty weary, curling up in some ridiculously-sized blankets for her in the cart with dumpling. But they were getting a little damp.

"Mm.. it probably is best if we go with them. But I really need a nap..." Maybe just a small nap to rest a tiny bit. Everyone should be fine and not die of gangrene within the next 30 minutes...

[Stan]

Opal agrees. "We'll get going as soon everyone has regained their energy."

[Ninja_Prawn]

Today is Greengrass, 1492. It is 5:30pm.
You are at Fort Coppertree.

Everyone is nervous and jumpy. For hours, you pick through dense forest, wondering whether the next half-glimpsed shadow or sudden rustle will be hostile... but nothing happens. Kor gains one level of exhaustion and Orianna gains two. It is almost anticlimactic when you arrive at a sort of wall. Seeming almost a natural arrangement of trees and shrubbery, it has an undeniable defensive quality.

Ferb shows you a hidden entrance and leads you in. The fort looks natural on the inside, too, a maze of thorny plants dotted with tiny holes that look like rabbit wardens. It is almost a surprise when a pair of faeries pop out of one of the holes to greet you. "Ferb. Welcome back. Did you bring the people from Pinkleaf? Good, good. I'll let them in," begins an older, beaded man that Kor instantly pegs as a druid. A bronze-clad woman, younger but no less haggard, gives a start when she sees you (it takes a few seconds), reaching for her tiny sword. "Ah, my apologies," she bows, "I didn't see you there. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Madame Olwen Oakenbrook, and that was Sean Coppertree. We... we are all that's left."

Her haunted eyes are difficult for you to meet, so it is a relief when Sean returns. "As much as I'm happy to see so many people safe, you've left quite a trail." Ferb apologises: apparently he was too tired to remember to cover the group's tracks. "Don't worry. I can patch things up. You, newcomers, can you help? Have you any skill with illusions?"

[WindStruck]

"Illusions? Uh.. uh... like this?" She tries doing a little trick with Prestidigitation.

She sighs. "I'm afraid I've got nothing to help cover the tracks we all made... you're all that's left? Just.. you two? Here?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Oh, um, well..." he glances at Olwen. "There are lots of other refugees, now, but... when we started, there were eight of us, trying to defend the forest. We were part of Soren's court back in the day, you see, but we left - or were exiled. Ferb, Olwen and I are all that's left, and it's all we can do to provide this sanctuary. What brings you here, anyway? You look like you've still got some fight left in you..."

[tgva8889]

Orianna, as exhausted as she is, waves Sean off. "Do you have anywhere I can rest?"

[WindStruck]

"Well... we come all the way from Queen Lydia's court. King Soren and Queen Rena had requested aid, and well, she sent us...." The tone of Astra's voice would probably lead them to believe she could have probably afforded to send quicker, better aid by other means... or at least, a bit of lack of confidence.

In any case she continued by asking, "So you were exiled?? Why?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

Orianna, as exhausted as she is, waves Sean off. "Do you have anywhere I can rest?"

Sean flies over to a patch of shrubbery, using his magic to make it bend and twist into a comfortable bed. "You can rest here for now."

"Well... we come all the way from Queen Lydia's court. King Soren and Queen Rena had requested aid, and well, she sent us...." The tone of Astra's voice would probably lead them to believe she could have probably afforded to send quicker, better aid by other means... or at least, a bit of lack of confidence.

In any case she continued by asking, "So you were exiled?? Why?"

Sensing your concern, he says in a kind tone "perhaps you have more to offer than you realise. In truth, it is a surprise to me that Soren and Reena even sent for aid. Maybe there is hope for them yet... as for myself, well, I wouldn't know where to start. My story is long, and I have heard that I tend to ramble."

[WindStruck]

"Well we've all had a long day and not much else but to listen. Well, maybe Ori is going to pass out from exhaustion from the looks of it, but I had a nap on the way here. Did it have anything to do with their feud?"

[Stan]

Opal gives a bit of encouragement. "Well, we're not going anywhere else tonight. Perhaps after we've settled in so we can give it full attention. Our goal is to invoke the intervention of King Soren and Queen Rena in a large cooperative effort. The more we know, the more likely we will succeed."

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Alright, alright, make yourselves comfortable. Oh, wait, the tracks!" He rushes off to cover the tracks left by the people of Pinkleaf.

"He... could be gone a while," mumbles Olwen. "I'll tell you what I know, instead. If you think it'll do any good. So, Sean, myself... the others... we were part of Soren's court. Lived in his enclave. I was a sworn knight... maybe I still am." She goes on to explain how Soren's court (known to its inhabitants as the 'Palace of Jewels') used to be a nice place to live, where you could always count on the other faeries to have your best interests at heart. The loss of that trust seems to be the overarching theme of Olwen's story. She is uncertain about when or why things changed; it seems to have been gradual. "It was worse for Sean, what with him being so close to Soren. The King used to listen to him all the time, but lately a new favourite has had his ear." Apparently, it was the spider invasion that finally forced Sean and his allies to leave - they believed that something had to be done to protect the forest, whether or not the court would support them.

All in all, Olwen takes about twenty minutes to tell you this. It is clearly a struggle for her to sustain the effort of talking for that length of time. Sean has not returned yet.

[Majin]

Before Olwen starts his explanation, Kor asks Astra to check the Orb he found for magic, just in case.

Kor listens to Olwen's story, though his head nods slightly. At the end of the story, he sniffles indignantly and says: "Hmh. Well it sounds like Soren's kind of a jerk. You can't abandon your old friends just like that. I wonder what could be more important than this..." Kor wonders how they could get through to Soren. Maybe Kor should steal a shiny from him, to teach him a lesson. Although that might not be very diplomatic...

[Stan]

Opal was tempted to go help Sean to be useful but realized that she is not subtle nor airborne and would just make new tracks as they went.

After listening Opal pats Olwen gently on the shoulder. "Thank you for your vital help and information. Now, you need to rest. I'll patrol the edge of the fort until Sean gets back. I'm sure there are some pixies not too exhausted who can help."

Opal tries to find a few Pinkleaf residents who are not injured or exhausted and asks them to help out by finding a good hiding spot on the walls and watching. She knows that the little ones in her group had already been travelling all day before the attack and were in no shape to be asked to do more.