The Pastoral Life [IC]

[Palanan]

Meanwhile, Keys will be examining the flowers. His nerves have already been strained and worn by the day, and he is exceptionally cautious, looking at them from various angles while keeping well away.


Nature
(1d20+2)[20]

[JNAProductions]

It's a portal, that much you can tell. Where it might lead, you can guess, but whether or not there'd be a way back... No clue. And whether or not it'd be harmful to step through, also no clue.

---

Oko welcomes you in.

On the other side is a large, round table. Bunnies sit at the base, munching on leaves, while elk prance around the outer edges of the fey-clearing. A few other humanoids are seated at the table-two women and one other man, besides Oko. One woman is similar in appearance to Oko-not quite as chiseled, but clearly not normal. The other two people seem ordinary enough. They're all waiting expectantly for Oko's return.

"We have a new guest!" he says, to a small round of applause. "And she has brought what she needs for tea. Eldee, if you could prepare some hot water for her?" Oko asks the other unnaturally beautiful individual. Eldee nods, and heads for a well, where she casts her hands out. A small stream of water pours up the side, and into a bucket.

She takes the bucket to the fire lighting the area-far from the only source of light, but the biggest one-and pours it into the cauldron on top. "I look forward to sampling your recipe, my dear."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"These aren't normal wildflowers," Kaytu observes for her part. She bends down to examine them with her herbalists' gloves, careful not to step across them lest she fall into the portal they're marking. "Their roots are too shallow for this forest. Someone had to fertilize them, probably with blood or animal fat..." She thinks of a couple of cults and rituals that could be related, but they're all from old rumors or pure speculation. She shakes her head and stands up. "I... don't want to jump to conclusions. Suffice it to say they didn't grow here naturally, and whoever planted them is probably up to no good. I'd say that's evidence enough to break the circle and close this thing, but..."

Kaytu stares at the shimmering cloud in the center of the circle.

"...our friends are trapped on the other side of it, right?"

[DigoDragon]

"This is definitely a portal to elsewhere," Ellie concludes. "Though exactly elsewhere and if it's two way... that I cannot ascertain from here. I would like to think Pelt has enough sense not to walk into this portal blindly... unless he got pulled in against his will... hmm..."

Curiosity gives Ellie the idea to pick up a small rock and gently underhand toss it across the circle and into the portal to see what happens.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Imma assume you mean rock.

The rock sails through the portal, and lands on the other side, exactly as if passing through air.

[Palanan]

“If something’s taken Pelt,” says Keys, “they can have him.

“—But what if something is here, and Pelt is trying to catch it?” Keys’ tone is unexpectedly bitter, and his meaning is plain: that Pelt may be trying to make himself out as a hero, by catching some “dangerous” creature from otherwhere.

And that…could have other repercussions, beyond the puffed pride of one backwoods hunter.

[Lentrax]

The fox-like woman looks around her. She smiles as well as she is able in this form, which is still pretty well, if she says so herself.

Miyuki finds what she is looking for, the small infuser for brewing tea. She opens it and begins going through her ingredients. She decides on brewing the Deathlight, a tea brewed from a plant that was poorly named, as many flowers are, by unfortunate circumstance. Once the water is ready, not quite to a boil, she hangs the infuser from the handle of the teapot as she pours water over the infuser, which allows the water to fully soak every part of the tea blends.

She then finds the cups, and sets them ready upon a tray, assembling them just so as the tea steeps.

Finally, she seems the tea ready, and offers everyone a cup in turn, if they accept, she pours carefully, each pour an art to itself.

Because all is art. Everything in life. And because life is art, one is obliged to add beauty to every moment they can.

She pours for herself last, setting the tea on a warm rock to keep the pot from cooling without heating it more than it needs.

Settled and seated at last, she turns to her host.

Thank you for your hospitality.

[JNAProductions]

You can feel the ring of red flowers pressing in on your mind. It would be wise to step back and discuss somewhere else.

---

Your hosts welcome the glasses, though they don't drink till everything is poured. Once everyone is situated, they sip the tea, and their faces break into a wide smile. "Delicious!" the ordinary man says. "What ingredients did you use?"

Oko nods in agreement, but says "Let her keep her recipes to herself-it will give a good reason to have her come back. Now, my friend," he continues, face turning a touch serious. "Your friends-they are your friends, yes?-seemed to be in a bit of trouble. My small friends told me that they managed to escape, but the slaver is still at large, and I doubt he'll be stopping soon."

[DigoDragon]

Ellie looks disappointed that the rock sailed right through like the portal weren't there.

"Well, guess it only opens for something living going through?" She ponders this turn, but her carriage of thought veers off the trail with Key's comments about Pelt.

She looks down at the flowers, then moves to step away from the ring. As much as it pains her, this could be a portal that brought forth something dangerous from another plane. Ellie waves her companions to follower her back a bit.

"Okay, we have a ring of creepy flowers and a portal to elsewhere with an unknown destination. As much as I'd love to study this, and maybe collect a flower or two, I have to admit we probably should close this." She glances at the forest. "Of course, we don't know if something is on this side that shouldn't be. Hopefully thanks to Pelt it isn't hungry right now. I could try burning the flowers with a spell. Thoughts?"

[Lentrax]

Friends is an adequate enough term, I suppose.

Miyuki sips at her tea.

Trouble with the trapper? Or trouble is the trapper? I have felt something... off... in the forest. Even in my glade, things are wrong, somehow. But I could not say why that is.

[JNAProductions]

"Morgana's influence," Oko tells you. "She's a bloodthirsty fey, and don't let her appearance tell you otherwise. She enjoys her pets..."

Oko seems more than a little disturbed by Morgana, his face radiating disgust. "Don't get mixed up with her. I may be dangerous, but I am not cruel-I cannot say the same for her."

[Lentrax]

Hmm...

Miyuki sips at her tea.

The woods are becoming interesting. Morgana's influence. It extends to the trapper? Can we diminish it somehow? Or separate him from her somehow?

[JNAProductions]

"Sure, try it," Oko says, and takes a long drink. "But he'd have to want to go. Beyond that, I don't think he's been coerced. He's her partner on the material realm, extending her influence beyond her demesne. And she provides him with unearthly powers, among other, less sanitary things."

One of the elks prancing about moves over to you, and sniffs at your hair.

[Lentrax]

Miyuki hates herself for the thoughts running through her head. But Morgana sounds like something she could not handle. Not herself. And perhaps not even with the others in the village.

The only solution she can think of is that they will have to kill Pelt.

Miyuki sighs. Not at the elk. She is majestic. She holds a hand up, seeing if the elk will let her run a hand along her fur.

[JNAProductions]

The elk, graciously, lets you do so.

Her fur is soft and silky. Very pleasant to the touch.

[Lentrax]

She runs her hands through the fur for a moment, enjoying her return to nature. But soon Miyuki stands and then bows to Oko.

My thanks for the opportunity to meet you. I wish I had the luxury of time. But, the mortals I live among do not. And I am rather fond of them, so I must get to them before they do something rash.

She bows again.

Please, enjoy the remainder of the tea. The Deathlight should not grow bitter until the tea grows cold. I should wish to return for a longer and more proper visit, if it is amenable.

[Palanan]

“These flowers feed on mortal blood,” Keys says slowly, “…but I wouldn’t use magic against them. No telling what might happen.

“We should dig them up, at least a few, to break the circle. After that—the other trap is still out there, and my heart aches that some other creature might be taken.

“So,” Keys continues, “we should spring the trap from a distance, make some noise and thrashing, and then find cover and see who comes to collect their catch.”

[JNAProductions]

Oko smiles, nods, and opens his arms for a hug. "Visit whenever you like! Though do ask before entering-I wish to see you in and out safely, and if I'm not here, I cannot assure that. Good luck, young fox."

---

Spoiler: OOC

Show

As you touch the flowers, if you touch the flowers, gimme a Constitution Save. DC 13.

On a failure, the roots wind into your flesh, dealing (1d3)[3] damage, and becoming attached.
On a success, take one damage, but avoid the implantation.

[DigoDragon]

"No fire..." Ellie looks disappointed that she doesn't get to use her party trick, but it is a good point. No telling if fire might create worse problems.

She stands back from the flowers about twenty five feet and attempts to pull one up with her Mage Hand spell. If it works, she'll have it dropped away from the meaty circle of red, on plain dirt ground, where it could be trampled or disposed of in a very non-flammable way.

[JNAProductions]

The flower takes some doing, and won't budge simply from the stem.

Going to pull at the roots, though, seems to have a better shot. As the first root comes out, the flower screams. A bloodcurdling wail that can be heard for quite a distance around.

[DigoDragon]

"Fire now?!" Ellie asks her companions, startled by the screaming succulent.

[Lentrax]

Thank you, she says, embracing the man.

For though the time was short, it was helpful. Thank you.

And with that, she waves good bye, steps through the portal and starts heading through the forest, on her way toward the village.

[JNAProductions]

Miyuki sees the animals behaving more normally as she makes her way back.

Once she reaches Feypass, she sees Julia, who's face lights up. "You're okay! Miyuki, you're alright! Ellie, Keys, and Kaytu went looking for you-they thought you were in trouble."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"No! Put it back!" shouts Kaytu. "Their roots might be spiritually entangled with someone else. If that's true, we need to break the connection another way first. Probably." She sighs. Of course that's all just a guess.

[Lentrax]

They what!?!

Her ears perk up as she feels the stirrings of fear in her gut. She turns to make back for the wood.

Go back! Tell everyone I said to stay out of the woods until I return!

She rushes back into the trees, searching for a sign of the others.

Spoiler: Survival

Show

(1d20+3)[17]

[JNAProductions]

The Mage Hand putting the root back does not soothe the flower. It continues to scream, its plucked root questing about for something near it.

---

Julia looks ready to question you, but sees how serious you are. "Yes-okay. I'll make sure everyone stays safe. But that includes you-no getting hurt, okay?"

When you start to look for tracks, you're able to find them pretty easily-the other three weren't moving stealthily. So, you start to follow them.

[Lentrax]

Finding the tracks, Miyuki shifts again, back into her small fox form.

She isn’t sure it’s faster then being a long legged human, but it feels faster. She can dart under low hanging branches she would otherwise have had to go around. She runs on, following the trail.

[Palanan]

Deeply unsettled though he is by the screaming flower, Keys caught a hint of fading in the shimmer.

"The flowers are keeping the shimmer alive," he tells the others. "They may scream, but if we pull them all out, we might end—whatever that is."

From his tone it's clear that Keys is uncertain about the shimmer itself, but the unnatural vampirism of the flowers has him entirely set against them.

[DigoDragon]

The scream is more than what Ellie has patience for. Since putting back the flower did not stop the wailing, and that the flowers are tied to the shimming portal, she escalates to a plan B before the owner takes notice and comes out.

"Right, shutting it up now!"

Ellie casts a Firebolt spell. The flame flickers in her hand and she takes aim to hit just the screaming plant. She then lobs it right at the offensive orchid.

"Silence!"

Spoiler: Actions

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Ranged spell attack: (1d20+5)[17]

Fire damage: (1d10)[1]

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Vulnerability, doubles it to TWO DAMAGE!

But you know, is flower. Not many HP.

Do note-there's a lot of flowers. More than can be reasonably immolated in a short time.

The flower goes up in smoke. The screaming stops.

But the barking starts-coming from the other side, and growing louder.