For Every Light a Shadow (23/9/20)
Sept 30, 2020 17:00:25 GMT
Pieni, Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed, and 1 more like this
Post by BB on Sept 30, 2020 17:00:25 GMT
They gather one by one in a private room at the Fair Four Winds, Sheryl having organised a small feast of snacks and drinks for them all. As BB enters the room, though happy to once again see her friends, immediately checks in with Sheryl. The memories of that time in the woods outside Vorsthold still very much fresh. Sheryl smiles along, saying she’s fine and eases BB’s frown, but that undercurrent of concern is still there.
A lot can be hidden behind a smile Sheryl, I just hope you’re as okay as you say you are.
They’re all here to support and figure out whatever this cloak means for both Sheryl and the Fey Courts that she calls home. There’s obvious ties to the Raven Queen but how directly involved is she, if at all? Sheryl thinks there’s a group of people trying to start a possible war between the Summer and Winter Courts, but who and why?
It’s a lot to muse over, people’s drink being left untouched or chugged down with further fervour.
Eventually Sheryl produces the cloak in question from her satchel, BB’s hand automatically goes to hover over her component pouch, Ghesh and Arkadius going rigid for a brief second, but the moment passes as no evil whirlwinds of raven feathers shoot through the air. Sheryl explains her want to use a particular spell on the cloak, something called Legend Lore. Maybe it will give some answers, but even through the enthuthiasm there is a hint of doubt.
I do love a story. Nothing can go wrong with a little story right?
Once her components are laid out on the table, ivory stripes arranged just right, Sheryl begins to weave her magic and at its climax it produces a rather ominous poem rather than a full story.
A shiny trinket to trap a bird, to teach and sing another’s song.
Though interesting it’s not enough, they will have to find Arvel themselves after all and get him to talk. And so their things are gathered as the group goes to employ Aurelia’s help once again.
A simple enough plan. Find Arvel, get Sheryl’s answers. Whether he answers willingly or not will give us answers in itself.
Now in the Feywild, those tempting sunflowers nearby, Sheryl zooms into the sky on Astra’s back only to find no one nearby? Only a large mountain loom, named Karrvarzt according to Faye and Sheryl, and also a place of history for Queen Titania. With no other leads they proceed ahead, Arkadius and Blue taking their turns to circle the treetops of the forest that hugs the mountain as the rest of them proceed on foot.
It’s from their lofty positions that a pixie is briefly met, its swerving to avoid Arkadius placing them on a crash course into Blue. In the high octane argument between pixie and magpie they all hear the mention of a great gathering at the mountain. The Glorious Company is back.
Well, we certainly know where Arvel will be then. But how does one draw a fey away from their own party?
Drawing closer to the mountain proper, though it’s hard to tell with the mischievous air of the feywild, they notice more creatures amongst the trees all heading in the same direction as them. Hitting the edge of the forest, the bustle of bodies getting busier, they all emerge into a clearing housing a humongous redwood tree. Its very being intent on growing around a large boulder that resides next to it.
Here the many creatures of the feywild have gathered to watch the golden column of the Glorious Company march home, the whole proceeding dutifully observed by Queen Titania herself. As the Queen of the Summer Court silently watches from her perch, expression intense as ever, their group concocts a plan. Though they know where Arvel is now, they must catch his attention and draw him away somehow, persuade him a meeting is worth his time. It is quickly decided that with Faye’s magic a startling message will be communicated to him, we know what he’s involved with and it would do him well to meet us. So Faye, Sheryl, and Taz move closer to the procession, between the magic and muscle they’ll be able to get out if things go wrong.
With the Queen herself nearby would anyone really risk doing something to her daughter? How far is this group willinging to go?
BB and Ghesh soon spread out into the crowd, Arkadius taking his usual spot in the sky. Though it’s difficult not to accept a drink or stray daisy in a party of the fey, they still manage to get a look around. From Ghesh’s confirmation of a head nod and lack of fret from Arkadius they’re confident no one of a non genuine vibe is present. Looking back towards the Queen, Arvel has finally made his presence known before her, though Arvel seems to twitch slightly as he bows towards her.
Guess he got Faye’s message then.
The various speeches and proclamations are lost slightly to BB, technical niceties of courts and high nobles have never made much sense to her. But something is said of holding back the soldiers of the Winter Court at the borders, and that gets worried looks darting between the scattered group. But things are moving swiftly as Arvel gets up to make his proclamation, including a story around the heavily implied location of an apple tree.
Is that his coded response? But where the bloomin’s hells is an apple tree round here?
The others, after regrouping, are also perplexed of this tree until Faye cleverly gets some information from a fellow soldier of the Glorious Company. And once they all get there, my goodness how could they miss it. The very branches of this tree stretch and twist in wondrous ways, the canopy itself seeming to grow in on itself. On approach the leaves and branches fold this way and that to create a winding path up the trunk, going higher and higher as gravity seems to invert and revert multiple times.
As they finally reach the end they all find themselves in a dome crafted from the canopy of the tree itself, and at its centre Arvel silently waits. Sheryl doesn’t hesitate in her questioning, and Arvel acts confused in her actions, but it’s obvious he’s hiding something from her.
After all that this bloomin’ cloak has done to her and you still hold back your answers. Holding power while not caring for another’s suffering, how cruel.
But unexpectedly Arvel offers a one to one duel, protected from true damage by golden magic, with every hit equalling a question that can be asked.
I expected and dreaded violence today, but this I can maybe be okay with. Still, why can’t we all just talk it out?
Sheryl accepts without hesitation, taking the offered golden pin of protection as Arvel fastens his own to his armour. Weapons slowly drawn, metal reflecting the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, they both dart towards each other as the tension breaks like shattered glass.
Well, Arvel never said anything about not helping Sheryl and I certainly have the perfect spell for avoiding hits.
She extends a hand in Sheryl’s direction, muttering hushed words of the arcane as the flowers tattooed onto her arms shift in a slight breeze, and in the next moment Sheryl completely disappears from view. With her new found invisibility, hints from Faye and Arkadius, and numerous distractions from Ghesh and Taz towards Arvel (is that a mouse scampering across the ground?), the fight shifts in Sheryl’s favour at first. But Arvel’s response, though truthful, is entirely minimal.
Arvel then pulls the fight back towards his favour, landing numerous hits on Sheryl and asking numerous unsettling questions of her. The confusion in her face gives away that she was expecting them as little as the rest of them.
Perhaps that was his goal all along, with all of this. To seed confusion and doubt in Sheryl’s mind. But why?
At the peak of this duel the invisibility drops from Sheryl’s form at the opportune strike, her dancing blade striking deep into Arvel. The golden protection that was assuredly there before now suddenly lost. A chilling silence fills the space as the pin clasped to Arvel’s armour dulls and blackens to obsidian, a single raven feather adorning it. Most of them miss it in that moment, attention drawn to the dying breaths of the leader of the Glorious Company, but Faye catches a glimpse of a retreating figure. Disappearing into a void amongst the upper canopy an unseelie fey escapes the scene, adorned in intricate scarred sigils upon their skin and armed with multiple knives.
As Arvel’s still warm corpse stays propped up in Sheryl’s arms, the smaller woman already reaching for the components needed to bring his soul back, the Green Knight steps into the room. His face a rapidly changing storm of emotions that finally settles on disappointment, and it takes all their heartfelt confessions of the circumstances to convince him to even consider that this wasn’t intentional, that there was outside interference.
The panic starts to slowly rise inside of BB, and though Sheryl’s manner is calm and collected, it’s hard not to acknowledge the similarity to the calm before the storm. The panic doesn’t ease as the Green Knight insists of their group's removal from the Summer Court, that Sheryl faces the trial alone. But there’s an authority and presence to this knight that makes it hard to speak up and question.
I guess our presence could do more harm to the situation than help. Stay safe Sheryl.
With fleeting goodbyes and well wishes they find themselves back in Portal Plaza one again, the group now one person short.
A lot can be hidden behind a smile Sheryl, I just hope you’re as okay as you say you are.
They’re all here to support and figure out whatever this cloak means for both Sheryl and the Fey Courts that she calls home. There’s obvious ties to the Raven Queen but how directly involved is she, if at all? Sheryl thinks there’s a group of people trying to start a possible war between the Summer and Winter Courts, but who and why?
It’s a lot to muse over, people’s drink being left untouched or chugged down with further fervour.
Eventually Sheryl produces the cloak in question from her satchel, BB’s hand automatically goes to hover over her component pouch, Ghesh and Arkadius going rigid for a brief second, but the moment passes as no evil whirlwinds of raven feathers shoot through the air. Sheryl explains her want to use a particular spell on the cloak, something called Legend Lore. Maybe it will give some answers, but even through the enthuthiasm there is a hint of doubt.
I do love a story. Nothing can go wrong with a little story right?
Once her components are laid out on the table, ivory stripes arranged just right, Sheryl begins to weave her magic and at its climax it produces a rather ominous poem rather than a full story.
A shiny trinket to trap a bird, to teach and sing another’s song.
Though interesting it’s not enough, they will have to find Arvel themselves after all and get him to talk. And so their things are gathered as the group goes to employ Aurelia’s help once again.
A simple enough plan. Find Arvel, get Sheryl’s answers. Whether he answers willingly or not will give us answers in itself.
Now in the Feywild, those tempting sunflowers nearby, Sheryl zooms into the sky on Astra’s back only to find no one nearby? Only a large mountain loom, named Karrvarzt according to Faye and Sheryl, and also a place of history for Queen Titania. With no other leads they proceed ahead, Arkadius and Blue taking their turns to circle the treetops of the forest that hugs the mountain as the rest of them proceed on foot.
It’s from their lofty positions that a pixie is briefly met, its swerving to avoid Arkadius placing them on a crash course into Blue. In the high octane argument between pixie and magpie they all hear the mention of a great gathering at the mountain. The Glorious Company is back.
Well, we certainly know where Arvel will be then. But how does one draw a fey away from their own party?
Drawing closer to the mountain proper, though it’s hard to tell with the mischievous air of the feywild, they notice more creatures amongst the trees all heading in the same direction as them. Hitting the edge of the forest, the bustle of bodies getting busier, they all emerge into a clearing housing a humongous redwood tree. Its very being intent on growing around a large boulder that resides next to it.
Here the many creatures of the feywild have gathered to watch the golden column of the Glorious Company march home, the whole proceeding dutifully observed by Queen Titania herself. As the Queen of the Summer Court silently watches from her perch, expression intense as ever, their group concocts a plan. Though they know where Arvel is now, they must catch his attention and draw him away somehow, persuade him a meeting is worth his time. It is quickly decided that with Faye’s magic a startling message will be communicated to him, we know what he’s involved with and it would do him well to meet us. So Faye, Sheryl, and Taz move closer to the procession, between the magic and muscle they’ll be able to get out if things go wrong.
With the Queen herself nearby would anyone really risk doing something to her daughter? How far is this group willinging to go?
BB and Ghesh soon spread out into the crowd, Arkadius taking his usual spot in the sky. Though it’s difficult not to accept a drink or stray daisy in a party of the fey, they still manage to get a look around. From Ghesh’s confirmation of a head nod and lack of fret from Arkadius they’re confident no one of a non genuine vibe is present. Looking back towards the Queen, Arvel has finally made his presence known before her, though Arvel seems to twitch slightly as he bows towards her.
Guess he got Faye’s message then.
The various speeches and proclamations are lost slightly to BB, technical niceties of courts and high nobles have never made much sense to her. But something is said of holding back the soldiers of the Winter Court at the borders, and that gets worried looks darting between the scattered group. But things are moving swiftly as Arvel gets up to make his proclamation, including a story around the heavily implied location of an apple tree.
Is that his coded response? But where the bloomin’s hells is an apple tree round here?
The others, after regrouping, are also perplexed of this tree until Faye cleverly gets some information from a fellow soldier of the Glorious Company. And once they all get there, my goodness how could they miss it. The very branches of this tree stretch and twist in wondrous ways, the canopy itself seeming to grow in on itself. On approach the leaves and branches fold this way and that to create a winding path up the trunk, going higher and higher as gravity seems to invert and revert multiple times.
As they finally reach the end they all find themselves in a dome crafted from the canopy of the tree itself, and at its centre Arvel silently waits. Sheryl doesn’t hesitate in her questioning, and Arvel acts confused in her actions, but it’s obvious he’s hiding something from her.
After all that this bloomin’ cloak has done to her and you still hold back your answers. Holding power while not caring for another’s suffering, how cruel.
But unexpectedly Arvel offers a one to one duel, protected from true damage by golden magic, with every hit equalling a question that can be asked.
I expected and dreaded violence today, but this I can maybe be okay with. Still, why can’t we all just talk it out?
Sheryl accepts without hesitation, taking the offered golden pin of protection as Arvel fastens his own to his armour. Weapons slowly drawn, metal reflecting the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, they both dart towards each other as the tension breaks like shattered glass.
Well, Arvel never said anything about not helping Sheryl and I certainly have the perfect spell for avoiding hits.
She extends a hand in Sheryl’s direction, muttering hushed words of the arcane as the flowers tattooed onto her arms shift in a slight breeze, and in the next moment Sheryl completely disappears from view. With her new found invisibility, hints from Faye and Arkadius, and numerous distractions from Ghesh and Taz towards Arvel (is that a mouse scampering across the ground?), the fight shifts in Sheryl’s favour at first. But Arvel’s response, though truthful, is entirely minimal.
Arvel then pulls the fight back towards his favour, landing numerous hits on Sheryl and asking numerous unsettling questions of her. The confusion in her face gives away that she was expecting them as little as the rest of them.
Perhaps that was his goal all along, with all of this. To seed confusion and doubt in Sheryl’s mind. But why?
At the peak of this duel the invisibility drops from Sheryl’s form at the opportune strike, her dancing blade striking deep into Arvel. The golden protection that was assuredly there before now suddenly lost. A chilling silence fills the space as the pin clasped to Arvel’s armour dulls and blackens to obsidian, a single raven feather adorning it. Most of them miss it in that moment, attention drawn to the dying breaths of the leader of the Glorious Company, but Faye catches a glimpse of a retreating figure. Disappearing into a void amongst the upper canopy an unseelie fey escapes the scene, adorned in intricate scarred sigils upon their skin and armed with multiple knives.
As Arvel’s still warm corpse stays propped up in Sheryl’s arms, the smaller woman already reaching for the components needed to bring his soul back, the Green Knight steps into the room. His face a rapidly changing storm of emotions that finally settles on disappointment, and it takes all their heartfelt confessions of the circumstances to convince him to even consider that this wasn’t intentional, that there was outside interference.
The panic starts to slowly rise inside of BB, and though Sheryl’s manner is calm and collected, it’s hard not to acknowledge the similarity to the calm before the storm. The panic doesn’t ease as the Green Knight insists of their group's removal from the Summer Court, that Sheryl faces the trial alone. But there’s an authority and presence to this knight that makes it hard to speak up and question.
I guess our presence could do more harm to the situation than help. Stay safe Sheryl.
With fleeting goodbyes and well wishes they find themselves back in Portal Plaza one again, the group now one person short.
