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Holmes: Archelaus can still be heard in the distance, chanting, as the group penetrates the edge of the forest. As soon as the dim light covers our characters, they note that the blazing Rhiani sun no longer holds sway here. The forest is cool. The change is chilling.
Okhfels: Okhfels shivers. He pauses a moment to take a blanket out of his pack and drape it over his shoulders.
Holmes: Alexander notes that the bird thing seems to be following Archelaus.
Okhfels: (which one? Body or mind?)
Sebastian: Alexander makes yet another note in his journal and then turns his attention to Okhfels, studying him.
Okhfels: Okhfels notices Alexander noticing him. "What?"
Sebastian: Alexander raises his eyes questioningly. "Something I can do for you?"
Okhfels: Okhfels starts to speak, then just shakes his head. He hefts his pack again and continues onwards.
Archelaus: >>Okhfels! The Sun is gone, I see you not. Where are you?<<
Okhfels: >>Not far from you. Your spell will wear off, and then you'll be with us again.<<M
Archelaus: >>But...but you must walk the black road with me<< The voice in Okhfel's head sounds disappointed, even lonely.
Okhfels: >>I'm not used to crazy wizards telling me where I should walk.<<
Holmes: Egani sees one of his green birds, and starts chasing it off ahead of everyone. "Looks like a good specimen!"
Okhfels: "Egani, stay with us."
Holmes: "Well, can we just pick up the pace a little? It's just ahead a bit," he asks.
Sebastian: Alexander turns to a fresh page in his notebook and makes a rapid sketch of the bird.
Okhfels: "I'm marching. That's the best for long walks. Go too fast at first, and you have no energy when you get there."
Holmes: Though not far into the woods yet, Okhffels notes that the size of the trees makes it so that one cannot see out of the forest already. There's a sense of being enclosed.
Holmes: The intermeshing of the branches above make it seem almost like one is in a vaulted chamber.
Okhfels: Okhfels pauses once he realizes the Plains are no longer visible. "Egani? We're here, in the forest now. Aside from catching more of your birds, do you have any idea what you want to do next?"
Holmes: The surface of the trees is smooth white an seems to be nothing but wood. No bark. As if the trees are dead, but perfectly preserved as if in life.
Holmes: "Well, I'm not sensing anything specific - the entity of the woods seems to come from...everywhere," he replies.
Okhfels: "Well, in that case, anywhere is as good as anywhere else."
Holmes: Egani says, "I suppose... I was somewhat counting on Archelaus's council, however..."
Okhfels: "What do you want to ask him?"
Okhfels: Okhfels takes no note of the weird tree surface... he's not really a 'wood man'... all he cares about, is that it'll burn and make good charcoal...
Holmes: "Ask him if he can find... some center to it all. Unless we want to try to destroy the whole forest," Egani says. Looking about, the notion seems quite absurd.
Okhfels: "Destroy? Is that what you're after?"
Okhfels: Okhfels shakes his head. "I wish you had said something before you left... it's a bit too late to laugh in your face now."
Holmes: "Well, not neccessarily destroy it...I thought that might be what you would want to do, actually," he replies. "I'm just saying that without finding some...differentiation in the essence here, disrupting any magic will be difficult to say the least. About like destroying the woods."
Okhfels: Okhfels shakes his head. "Well, Archelaus is on his way, ... SOMEWHERE... in his troll body. Are you sure his spell is goign to dissipate?"
Holmes: "Almost certain...it's the sort that should," confirms Egani, analytically.
Holmes: Ahead, in the woods, Okhfels percieves that it seems to actually get lighter.
Sebastian: Alexander's eyes narrow, "That's odd..."
Okhfels: "Then we should camp out until he comes back to this body. With any luck, he'll leave the troll lost in there."
Okhfels: Okhfels looks around. "The real danger in here is getting lost."
Sebastian: Alexander looks suprised, "Getting lost? Shouldn't be a problem at all." He walks to a nearby tree and carves a complex rune into the surface and makes a note in his notebook.
Holmes: Looking at the forest floor, it seems like clay earth with only strange tendrilly white plants growing. It doesn't look pleasant to sleep upon to Okhfels.
Holmes: As Alexander carves into the tree, a white, almost clear sap starts to pour forth from the cut profusely.
Okhfels: Okhfels laughs.
Holmes: A strange noise can be heard from the canopy above, a high piched sound like a wail.
Okhfels: Okhfels stops laughing. "That's not good."
Okhfels: >>Hey Archelaus, do you have any idea what would happen if someone were to cut into one of the trees?<<
Archelaus: >>Fire, blood, and blinding smoke, Okhfels<<
Okhfels: "Oh, that's bad."
Holmes: Archelaus' response seems to be getting harder to "hear." It occurs to Okhfels that he's getting outside of the Dome's radius of influence. Making his ability to cast his mind voice less potent.
Okhfels: "Okay, let's move away from the tree. Quickly."
Holmes: Everyone heeds Okhfels words, and start putting some distance between them and the tree.
Holmes: Ahead, Alexander notes a clearing. Apparently the wood is not entirely uniform.
Okhfels: Okhfels tries to make sure that everyone is together.
Archelaus: >>Twisting...endless...road.>> The words keep fading in and out. Okhfel's misses much of the chanted message.
Okhfels: Okhfels doesn't >>hear<< much of the message, but saying he "misses" it is overstating it. He doesn't miss it in the least...
Holmes: Out of the corner of his eye, Okhfels thinks he sees a shape flitting between the trees. For a moment he imagines it might be a mountain bear. But looking it's not there - and they're not that fast.
Okhfels: Once he's far enough from the injured tree to consider himself safe from sudden forest fires, Okhfels stops the group. "Alright, we're going to make camp here. No cutting the trees... and no cutting the turf for that matter."
Okhfels: "We're going to wait for Archelaus's spell to wear out."
Isadora: Elle says, "Are we sure that having Archelaus with us again is a good thing?"
Okhfels: "Good? Maybe not."
Holmes: Egani asks, "Can you still hear Archelaus, Okhfels?"
Okhfels: "Even being IN here isn't a good thing. But if we're going to do it, I want everyone here, including mad wizards."
Okhfels: "I haven't heard anything for a while."
Holmes: "I'm worried about him," Egani says. "If he keeps wandering in, how will we find him? If you can't talk to him?"
Okhfels: "He'll find us when the spell wears out."
Holmes: "How?"
Sebastian: "That doesn't sound like a very comprehensive plan..."
Okhfels: "Hey, I'm not the only one who can come up with plans, you know."
Archelaus: >>The way is lit by demon glow...now<<
Okhfels: "My job was to get the wizards into the forest. I got the wizards into the forest. Asking me... Ash and Smoke!"
Holmes: "Well, OK, I think we should follow him. Perhaps stop him so that we can camp," says Egani.
Okhfels: "In that body?"
Okhfels: Okhfels sighs.
Okhfels: "Alright, let's go... we're going to have to move fast to catch him."
Okhfels: Okhfels tries to use Archelaus's telepathic chanting as a direction-finder to catch up with him. He sets a quick pace.
Holmes: "Well, maybe he'll turn back soon, and we won't have to tackle the troll body," he says.
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: As they proceed, not long into the woods, and the trees change.
Holmes: They come into a place where the trees are much shorter, and much farther apart. But even more twisted than before.
Holmes: But the most disturbing part of it is that now the sky seems completely occluded by the yellow field above.
Holmes: Okhfels can hear the voice of Archelaus again.
Archelaus: >>Out of a place between the Worlds,Through the Darkness blinding whiteSay the Words, and know the path.Terror walks the Black Road tonight.<<
Holmes: The white fibrous plants on the ground are thicker, on yellowish clay.
Okhfels: Thicker?
Okhfels: How thick? How short?
Okhfels: Okhfels tromps on, going through the 'clearing' if need be.
Holmes: The clearing seems very wide - as usual the size of the trees make depth perception odd.
Holmes: After crossing a goodly part of it, Okhfels sees a road in the distance. Differentiated from the yellow clay by the black earth that composes it.
Okhfels: "Well, drop my clinkers... there's a black road after all."
Holmes: The road runs roughly perpendicular to Okhfels line of travel.
Okhfels: Okhfels looks left, looks right, takes his measure of the voice in his head, and chooses one.
Holmes: Okhfels feels that Archelaus is to the right.
Okhfels: Okhfels goes right.
Holmes: Egani shrugs and heads down the road to the right.
Holmes: As they go along, the ground starts to get whiter, seemingly the fallout of dead white plants crumbled into dust.
Archelaus: Ageless gods will never tire.
Archelaus: Darkling touch steals breath away
Archelaus: Water, Earth, Air and Fire
Archelaus: Agoth walks the Black Road today.
Okhfels: "Hey, Egani. Ever hear of a name like "Agoth"?"
Archelaus: All that was in >>> <<
Holmes: Alexander sees something move off in the distance amongst the dust making it part as it goes through it. So low that he can't see what it is, apparently.
Sebastian: Alexander taps Okhfels on the shoulder and points, "What is that?"
Sebastian: Alexander squints a bit to see if he can make it out.
Holmes: Egani says, "It's a very generic term meaning 'Demon of unknown origin,' Okhfels. Why?"
Okhfels: "Archelaus keeps going on about it."
Okhfels: Okhfels looks. "The dust on the side of the road could be pretty deep by now."
Okhfels: "Keep your eyes open, and keep moving. N Othing ? else to do."
Holmes: Looking back over his shoulder at the spot where the thing was, something catches Alexander's eye. Aysha also see it coming. The thing that is coming looks like nothing so much as it does a giant bloated squid floating down at them, colorful in a murky way, with shortish tentacles. With it's arms it's easily 40 feet long, mostly body.
Sebastian: Alexander moves smoothly to place Okhfels between himself and the floating thing.
Holmes: It rotates as it comes, as if trying to see them with each of it's many eyes that ring it.
Holmes: Looking back Okhfels sees the thing that's causing Alexander to hide.
Okhfels: Okhfels draws his big sword and spins to face it.
Holmes: Amestris starts to chant an incantation in an unknown language.
Aysha throws up her arms and runs directly towards the approaching abomination
Okhfels: Okhfels lets her go. He's unsure what to do about this thing, but he's sure that ain't it.
Holmes: The thing stops not 20 feet in the air from Aysha. And hovers there rotating slowly.
Aysha waves her arms and howls. In fact, it looks a lot like her summoning (from last week)
Aysha points back up the road and yells some more.
Aysha then makes a huge circle with her arms before flapping a hand off in another direction.
Holmes: The thing stops rotating for a moment, then starts rotating in the opposite direction, and starts to head off in the direction that she'd indicated.
Okhfels: "That thing's yours?"
Aysha: "Not... exactly."
Aysha: "It's a guard."
Okhfels: "And you can talk to it."
Aysha seems stumped
Aysha: "It's not talking exactly."
Aysha: "But, it knows it can't hurt me."
Okhfels: Okhfels starts to say something, then holds up a hand. "Never mind... I shouldn't be surprised."
Archelaus: >>The Sun is gone; night takes hold.
Archelaus: Wind of ice, boiling rain.
Archelaus: Twisting space and endless time.
Archelaus: Death Walks The Black Road again.
Archelaus: <<
Okhfels: "Come on, we have to get moving, catch Archelaus."
Aysha: "Don't worry, Archelaus is preparing the way for all of us."
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: *
Holmes: The group has been traveling down this road for...well it's hard to say how long it's been. But it certainly should be night by now. And it's not.
Archelaus: >>The way is lit by demon-glow<<
Holmes: Further, at one point Okhfels stopped concentrating on Archelaus. But then the road started to repeat itself. That is, the group kept noting that it had been over this ground more than once before. Striking off on a tangent hadn't proved any more effective, nor turning around. Only when Okhfels concentrated on Archelaus did they seem to make any progress.
Holmes: As they look ahead, however, there is now a trilithion standing in the way ahead. Archelaus stands before it, smearing blood upon it. Apparently from himself.
Okhfels: "Well met, traveller. Taking up finger-painting?"
Holmes: The troll body slumps suddenly.
Okhfels: Okhfels draws his sword and steps up to the body.
Archelaus: The pale red light that had been hanging around the thing's face fades away.
Okhfels: Okhfels strikes.
Holmes: Archelaus seems to be "transmitting" from his own body now.
Okhfels: Okhfels aims for the head.
Archelaus: We need fire, blood, and blinding smoke. I have blood.
Holmes: A huge rent opens in the troll and if it had any life in it, it's now gone. Something ghostly seems to rise from the body.
Archelaus: " "
Okhfels: Okhfels steps back away from the body. "Ash and smoke."
Sebastian: Alexander speaks up helpfully, "Doesn't smoke usually come along with fire?"
Holmes: High above in the sky, Archelaus' bird still hovers unmoving, a silent harbinger above the scene.
Archelaus: Okhfels hears a low chanting coming from somewhere behind his left ear.
Holmes: The shadowy image of the troll seems to rage silently as well, and races towards Okhfels.
Okhfels: Okhfels braces himself.
Holmes: The spirit thing impacts with his sword, and seems to narrow itself shoving into the blade. Until it's gone, leaving the huge sword vibrating.
Okhfels: "Oh, that's not good..."
Okhfels: Okhfels looks at his sword suspiciously. "What happened?"
Sebastian: Alexander steps away from Okhfels and looks around for someone to stand near. There are, unfortunately, no good candidates at the moment.
Holmes: Haikain, long silent in this woods says, "It's spirit doesn't want to leave. It's infested your sword to keep itself from going to the spirit world."
Okhfels: "Can you talk to it? Is it mad at me? It looked mad."
Holmes: Haikain looks at Okhfels like he's crazy, "If somebody killed you, especially after abusing your body... would you be mad?"
Holmes: Then he gets a litte more philosophical look on his face, and stares intently at the sword, putting a hand near but not on it.
Okhfels: "Yeah, well... if it's going to inhabit the sword, then we're either going to have a truce or I'm throwing it away."
Holmes: "Huh," says Haikain.
Holmes: He scratches his head.
Okhfels: "What!?"
Holmes: "I think..." he halts, not sure. "I think it has some sort of trollish...respect? For you for havning killed it?"
Holmes: "Which is not to say that it's not angry," he warns.
Holmes: "I'm not a troll expert or anything."
Okhfels: "Hunh"
Okhfels: "Well, as long as it's not out to kill me... it's not like I can get a replacement out here." He sheaths the sword.
Okhfels: "Now what's this about needing fire and smoke, Archelaus? What do we need them FOR?"
Holmes: "Oh, I don't know..." Haikain quibbles. "I wouldn't go assuming it doesn't want to kill you, Okhfels."
Holmes: "Again, not a troll expert."
Okhfels: Okhfels sets Archelaus down and unties him.
Okhfels: "Fire and smoke?'
Holmes: Elle stoops to pick something up. "This is Alitia's!"
Holmes: She hold's a ring in her hand.
Okhfels: "Alitia?"
Holmes: The look of normal befuddlemet comes over Archelaus, and he feels himself again. But his head hurts terribly.
Holmes: The thick Trollish Ichor dripping down the sides of the trilithion cover symbols. Amestris reads them aloud:
Holmes: Out of a place between the Worlds,
Holmes: Through the Darkness blinding white
Holmes: Say the Words, and know the path.
Holmes: Terror walks the Black Road tonight.
Holmes: -
Holmes: Ageless gods will never tire.
Holmes: Darkling touch steals breath away
Holmes: Water, Earth, Air and Fire
Holmes: Agoth walks the Black Road today.
Holmes: -
Holmes: The Sun is gone; night takes hold.
Holmes: Wind of ice, boiling rain.
Holmes: Twisting space and endless time.
Holmes: Death Walks The Black Road again.
Holmes: -
Holmes: Now the Door stands open.
Holmes: The way is lit by demon-glow.
Holmes: Fire, blood, and blinding smoke
Holmes: Walk The Black Road �?Š now.
Holmes: -
Holmes: She turns to look at everyone.
Archelaus: "You sound like the voice in my head"
Holmes: Amestris comes over to Archelaus and puts her hand on his head in a very caring gesture. ,
Holmes: "How could you ever have left the majesty of our gods, Archelaus?" she says, shaking her head.
Aysha smiles inwardly, thin and wicked.
Aysha: "I fear your goes are far from this place Amestris."
Holmes: "Let us rekindle our flame of love here and now, and redevote you to the knowledge that comes from the true gods of the deep places," she has a fire in her eyes now.
Aysha: "Only the black ones can save us now. We must make haste; Agoth comes hard on our heels."
Okhfels: "This is NOT good. And I'm supposed to be keeping you all from getting into trouble."
Sebastian: Alexander snickers quietly.
Holmes: From a distance, the squid-thing, redder this time than before, comes spinning towards everyone slowly from over the trees.
Okhfels: OVER the trees?
Holmes: Egani speaks into Okhfels ear, "Perhaps that thing...If we kill it...."
Archelaus: "This is it, isn't it? This portal?"
Holmes: Egani looks at Okhfels hopefully. "But no, what plagues us is probably behind the portal as Archelaus suggests."
Holmes: Elle says, "They must have taken my sister through the portal. Can you open it, Archelaus?"
Sebastian: Alexander speaks up, a bit hastily. "Is it too late to go back for reinforcements?"
Holmes: The squid-beast hovers not far off watching - each eye seemingly having it's own personality, all of them insane.
Okhfels: "Yes, Alexander... yes, it is."
Sebastian: "...I was afraid of that..."
Archelaus: "This is why the diagonal cannot be expressed as a whole num..."
Archelaus stops suddenly, realizing he might have revealed too much.
Okhfels: "Archelaus! How do we open the door?"
Holmes: "Archelaus, throw off your false religion, and return with me to the true worship! Will you do this with me?!" Amestris grabs his head again, furiously staring into his eyes. "Before we cross the threshold."
Aysha begins building a fire on the altar, scraping up the weird growth, grabbing books, clothes, whatever spare stuff she can find that people brought with them.
Archelaus moves his eyes back and forth from her face to the sky and back again. His face still obscured by the terrifying red mask.
Okhfels: Okhfels keeps Aysha away from HIS stuff.
Okhfels: Besides, most of his stuff is metal.
Holmes: The fire catches not only the stuff on the altar, but the trolls blood catches too, from this. The smoke from the fire billows with an awful stench outward.
Holmes: The smoke covers the stone arch, and the symbols on the arch itself begin to glow.
Holmes: "Archelaus!" Amestris screams at him.
Okhfels: Okhfels coughs softly and steps back.
Holmes: Elle looks to Aysha, her eyes asking "what do we do?"
Archelaus gram Amestris hand and without a glance at the rest of the group leaps through the arch, pulling his wife after him.
Okhfels: "Ash and smoke..."
Okhfels: Okhfels follows.
Aysha sends up an ululating cry in case anyone is not already paying attention to her.
Aysha stares at each person in turn, then begins to dance before the altar. It is not a soft dance. It is a hard dance, a dance of darkness and vileness, a dance that promisses nothing and demands all. Aysha's feet and eyes begin to grow green and violet, illuminating the entire site with a sickly glow.
Aysha: *glow, not grow
Sebastian: Alexander mutters to himself, "I knew this wasn't a good idea."
Okhfels: "I think you and I are the only ones who aren't crazy, Alexander... and I'm not too sure about you."
Sebastian: Alexander looks at Okhfels doubtfully. "Didn't you volunteer for this job? Cause I got conscripted..."
Okhfels: "Nope."
Okhfels: "Isadora sent me."
Sebastian: "You came in here because she told you to? Wow... that's some kind of devotion..."
Aysha continues chanting and howling in the background
Holmes: Eventually the rest pass through the billowing smoke to what is beyond. As each steps through, the endurance draining madness of the white wood is replaced by a night just as alien, with light from a strange source unidentifiable that gives hint to the monsterous fortress before them. From somewhere high up on it, a voice sings out calling with a beautifully compelling nature.

Isadora: "...So we need to talk to the ship captain, to get him on board," Isadora finishes as she and Sebastian approach Speckler's structure. "My good quartermaster!"
Holmes: Speckler, standing before his grill, looks up from the careful attention he's giving to some hares he's cooking up (with some interesting looking red sauce on them) and greets Isadora. "My Lady, what can I do for you?"
Holmes: He gives a little bow, tucking his apron in so it doesn't catch fire.
Isadora: "Just a few minutes of your time, that's all. I was talking to Dhazari recently..." She lets that hang for a moment.
Holmes: As he listens, he uses a little brush to put more sauce on the cooking meat. The smell is fantastic.
Holmes: "Dhazari, yes? What did he have to say?" he replies after a bit.
Isadora: "He said they've been having some trouble with missing things over on the Rhiani side of things. Portable stuff. You're the property expert, so I wondered if you'd heard anything."
Holmes: "Rhiani things? Well, I've traded for some trinkets of theirs that seemed like they might be salable, but...well what sort of things? I mean, it's not like they have much of value that they'd miss, as far as I can tell," he says. "But perhaps I just don't know them well enough?"
Isadora: "You can never tell what the Rhiani will get touchy about. Now, we have a drifter out in the swamp right now, so I'll tell Dhazari that it must be him. I'd be absolutely devastated to learn that one of my own people was causing trouble like this."
Sebastian: Sebastian gives Isadora a "You'll tell Dhazari _what_?" look.
Isadora returns with a "Trust me" look, not her most reassuring.
Holmes: Speckler frowns slightly. "My Lady, am I detecting a note of suspicion in your statement? Have you heard something that might impugn my character?"
Sebastian: Sebastian simply raises an eyebrow suggestively at Speckler and smiles.
Isadora: "I said nothing of the sort. It's just that if it were one of my own people, and the Rhiani found out... well, it'd be bad. It'd mean that someone, in my name, was abusing our neighbors. You talk to everyone, so you seemed like a good place to go to spread the word."
Holmes: Speckler seems very uncertain about something for a moment, but then smiles and nods his head. "Well, yes, of course. I think you'll find that your influence will clear up anything like this going forward."
Isadora smiles briefly. "Good. Things are precarious enough around here without the Rhiani having just cause to trouble us."
Holmes: As the pair leave him, Speckler has a look on his face that says that he's making a mental note about something.

Holmes: Isadora stumbles across a dejected Sebastian sitting near his tent. Odd for him at this time of day - Isadora would expect that he'd be out keeping tabs on things.
Sebastian: Sebastian has an odd, sadly nostalgic smile on his lips and seems to be staring at nothing in particular.
Isadora sits down beside him, waiting to see if he notices her before saying anything.
Sebastian: Uncharacteristically Sebastian doesn't seem at all aware of his surroundings. What almost sounds like a quiet sigh comes from his direction.
Isadora nudges him with her elbow, very gently.
Sebastian: Sebastian looks up, seemingly startled from his reverie. "Oh. Uh, what can I do for you, my Lady?"
Isadora: "You can tell me what I can do to help you. I want to go take care of Salast, but the way you look you'll have died of a broken heart by the time I return."
Sebastian: Sebastian winces a bit and mutters, "I dearly hope I'm not being _that_ obvious." He looks up, "Am I?"
Isadora: "You sigh, you gaze longingly, you sit with slumped shoulders. The only thing missing is the empty wine bottles around you, unless I'm the only one who does that."
Sebastian: "Damn. I can't really afford this kind of thing in my profession." He looks again at Isadora, "You, uh, haven't seen Laura lately have you?"
Sebastian: The profanity is very out of character for Sebastian.
Isadora: "Nooo," says Isadora, thinking. "Wasn't she going to look after Leuta a bit, or was that just me thinking wishfully?"
Sebastian: "She was, but I haven't heard from her in days, and Leuta reports much the same thing."
Isadora frowns. "She's not the wander off in the wilderness type, is she? This sounds serious."
Sebastian: Sebastian smiles, almost fondly, "Well there was this time when..." he shakes his head, "But no, definitely not the wander of into the wilderness type at all. And when I spoke to Zoora she hinted that something had happened, and it didn't sound pleasant."
Isadora: "So, we should go have a talk with this Zoora? I could... bring Fazeris, if the two of us alone aren't persuasive enough." The last sentence was a little difficult for her.
Sebastian: Sebastian looks a bit chagrinned. "Um... that won't really be necessary. Zoora can't answer very many questions these days..." He looks at his hands, the bruises are very faint now.
Isadora: "Oops." Isadora smiles a bit, then buries it before Sebastian can see. "Well, the next place to go is her friends--if she had any--or her enemies. For every dirty secret, there's someone who knows it."
Sebastian: Sebastian snaps, "I know! This is my business!" He cuts himself off. "Sorry for snapping. I've looked, but I've turned up nothing, and I'm familiar enough with these sorts of things to know that the longer she remains lost the less likely she is to be found..."
Isadora: "Let's turn it into my business, then. I don't suppose you went to Dhazari and told him how much trouble there might be if Kaitaine women start disappearing into the Rhiani camp?"
Sebastian: Sebastian smiles a bit. "No, and Laura's technically from Sel-kai... Besides, there would be considerable danger to myself, and to those around me if this little... lapse... were to become common knowledge."
Isadora: "Hmm. Well, I've worked to deal with the problem of my folks stealing from his. A little symmetry seems to be in order. Quiet, even."
Sebastian: Sebastian looks at Isadora. He seems almost desperate. "I would appreciate it my Lady... When do you think you'll have the chance to speak with him?"
Sebastian: Sebastian stands up and begins striding purposefully toward the Rhiani side of the camp. He looks carefully for any sign of Dhazari or of Elahra.
Sebastian: He spots Elahra and moves over to her. "Elahra, I was wondering if I could speak to you... privately..." He looks around pointedly just in time to see Dhazari approach, "And what do you need to speak to her about that can not be spoken here?"
Isadora: "Actually, I needed to talk to both of you, on Sebastian's behalf." Isadora looks composed, polite, even in good humor.
Sebastian: Sebastian glances gratefully at Isadora.
Isadora: "Dhazari, you were kind enough to inform me of a problem with missing articles in the Rhiani camp, so that I could go tend to the problem--and by the way, if that doesn't stay tended, I want to know. Now, something has gone missing from our side of the line."
Isadora: "Apparently, Zoora was involved, but she's not so good with answering questions these days."
Holmes: "Zoora..." Dhazari frowns. "She entrances my sister."
Isadora: "So she's a mutual problem, then."
Holmes: "What god she worships is her business..." Dhazari says. "But I sense that Zoora does not speak truth."
Holmes: He tilts his head in a way that saus, "So..."
Isadora: "A serious accusation. And if she's been misplacing her followers, she's also negligent as a priest." Isadora slides a look at Elahra to see what she makes of all this.
Holmes: Elahra is about to explode, "You dare not make such a claim, because you have no proof. And you have no proof because Zoora is priestess of a god of wisdom!"
Sebastian: Sebastian speaks up, "Elahra, isn't Laura a follower as well? You haven't seen her recently have you?"
Isadora: "I dare not?" Isadora barks, her calm vanishing. "If I have to tell powerful Sel-Kai nobles their relatives have gone missing, you'll find out a ruddy damn lot about what I dare not do! Insulting a priest is nothing!"
Isadora realizes at some level that she's interrupting Sebastian's diplomacy, but Elahra's comment hit her temper just the wrong way.
Holmes: "I know not where Laura is, but what's more likely, that a priestess of Andaras has hidden away your friend, or that Laura has simply gotten herself killed," Elahra retorts. "She was soft. Probably at the bottom of the swamp, or in the belly of another giant serpent!"
Isadora: "I'll tell you what I think," Isadora says, advancing towards Elahra. "I think you know where she's gone, and you're covering for your priestess, maybe because you think I won't burn your whole goddamn camp down to find this woman. Because I will, you know." Her fingertips beat out a fast pattern on the rapier hilt.
Sebastian: Sebastian's eyes blaze dangerously. His voice drops almost to a whisper. "Step carefully my dear. You tread on dangerous ground indeed." His hands clench tightly as he slowly advances on Elahra.
Holmes: Elahra responds, "I demand proof of your accusations. If you can't provide proof, then your life is forfiet to me!"
Sebastian: Sebastian slowly extends his had. It trembles slightly as he grips Elahra's chin and forcers her to look into his eyes.
Holmes: "Ask her yourself," Elahra says. "I'll take you to her tonight!"
Sebastian: "That sounds like an excellent plan, but why note right now?" Sebastian still holds Elahra's chin firmly.
Holmes: "Because I only know where to find her at night!" she brushes his hand from her face.
Sebastian: Sebastian tilts his head quizzically. "Very well. Tonight then." He turns to Dhazari, "Would you care to join us? It may be an enlightening discussion for all of us..."

Shadow World

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