Dez's curiosity is equally balanced by his skepticism. "Ok, so we're to fetch something shiny for the raven, perhaps the shiny thing on the pillar over there, so that it gives us the chime of opening. But I don't know why the raven doesn't get it on its own, or why the hut is being so difficult, as we are here to aid its master."
Seeing no option but to take the risk, Dez proceeds towards the pillar, but he moves slowly, looking for traps and also to make sure he doesn't accidentally stumble into an illusion concealed pool or pit.
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The Ustalavian tiefling walks towards the "sun", and sees, from the back, two large birds in a rather small gilded cage. Dez is pretty certain they are eagles, probably golden eagles, a bird common to Irrisen (along with snowy eagles) and also parts south. They may be sleeping or entranced. It seems rather cruel to place two majestic birds in such a cramped rectangular cage--something clearly built for a single bird. They can only huddle, not even halfway extend their wings.
The cage periodically rimes over with frost, then slowly melts in the light of the sun. The door to the cage is not visible--most likely in the front.
What would be involved in climbing up to the cage?
You awaken in a shock, dreaming of falling. Your cozy room is in shambles--it appears that it was no dream. Your bed and items--and you--are all on the north wall, which is now the door. After rubbing your elbow a bit--you may get a bruise--you gather up your possessions. The Hut has changed configurations, clearly, and in some way that suggests Grandmother's keys for her Riders have been returned. You recall clearly that Zorka, Grandmother's kikimora, had told you to sit tight while the Hut was under attack by Irrisen and then by various fey. It was a harrowing few weeks, and the kikimora came by less and less. Then all was quiet...but clearly something has happened.
You clear furniture and bedding away from the door and heave it open. You can see a misty hallway with fireflies and moths..below you. You don't recognize this configuration. It isn't Irriseni, and nor is it Crown of the World...nor is it Triaxus, which you only barely remember going to once.
You can sense a calling of Grandmother's magic and drop into the hallway with a strange twist in your guts as 'down' changes mid-air. "Above" and to the side of you, your door shimmers and disappears. You sigh, but for only just a moment. Grandmother has clearly called upon you to do something.
The hallway stretches on and on for what seems like miles, but you know the Hut is often tricky in the shapes it makes. You sense the pull down one direction and come to a door of warm wood.
A symbol carved upon the door to this chamber resembles an upward facing half-circle resting on a horizontal line. Several arrows point outward from the circle. At the center of the half-circle, a single extended arrow points upward.
The pull becomes stronger, like a pulse.
Dez turns to his companions and pulls out two vials, one with a clear liquid with cloudy impurities that float to the top, and the second a very pale grey of even consistency. He holds up the first, saying "This is a potion of fly, and" holding up the second, "this is something I brewed up this morning that will allow me to ... well ... drink the fly potion and then spit it back into the bottle, as good as new... All that to say that maybe I should fly up there and check it out, and I'll still be able to fly again later if I need to."
Dez waits to hear if there any any objections or other ideas. If not, he drinks from the grey vial and a pale grey aura emanates from his mouth. He then appears to drink the fly potion, but then spits it back into the vial.
Anyanka is rudely awoken by an impact with the wall, which upon further observation, had become the door. Someone had managed to not only enter the Hut, but had set it to some unfamiliar configuration. She rubs her elbow, collects her items, and exits the door. The pain in her elbow subsides only a moment before her guts twist and turn.
So it seems that Baba Yaga has need of me. She draws her scimitar and advances through the door, following the pulling sensation.
Dezső is about to drink the grey extract, when he seems to remember something. "Yrja, didn't you tell us that you can fly now, as much as you want? If so, maybe you should fly up there and investigate and I'll stand ready to drink my extract should you need help."
Orik nods, ”and if a monster attacks I’ll shoot it with arrows! That’s because I can’t fly at all.” He takes a moment, ”and it’s crazy that some of us learned to fly with magic to me I guess but I’m in a walking house trying to accommodate a crow that rhymes.” He gestures vaguely ”or I guess I’m not in a house we’re somewhere el- I’m getting a headache. Anyway, good luck with the plan and be careful.”
"Well, not as much as I want, but for long enough."
Yrja approaches the pillar with the cage and begins to float upwards, careful not to interpose her body between the eagles and the light. She approaches the door, looking for a latch, or some other means of opening the cage.
"Hello there, pretty birds, please don't bite me, just trying to help, that's right, you're very pretty, good birds." She continues to speak to the eagles in a soothing, crooning voice.
As Yrja floats up to the cage with her back to the "Sun", you hear and see the door opening---an unfamiliar woman with Irriseni features, bearing a curved blade, steps into Dawn's domain.
The eagles shift their talons a bit, blinking at Yrja. The tiefling witch can tell that they are not entirely alert--something about the rays of the room has dulled the creatures just a bit.
Dezső watches Yrja float up to the cage with satisfaction, holding his rapier in one hand, the extract in the other, and the potion in his tail. He is not quite at the base of the cage, because he wants to have an angle for a better view of Yrja's interactions with the eagles.
Upon hearing the door open, he turns and is surprised to see an unfamiliar person, stating simply, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
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The druids had said one of the hardest parts of shaping was losing what you take for granted ... especially speech.
He wanted to be free, he was worried about his brother, but this wasn't quite right.
He couldn't shape himself yet anyway, so what was this?
Elbrynn smiled (on the inside); the Brightness, as he had come to know it thus far, shouldn't be making us feel dull & hazy. This was magic, and not his own. This was a lot like witch-magic, the kind he knew of from his friends, well, from before they were friendly to be honest. This withc was already friendly, and she seemed to like flying.
"I wonder if she really thinks we're pretty though ... ?"
Ankyanka eyes down the trio of strangers that had entered the hut. Two tieflings and a half-orc. Probably not locals.[i] An impression that was only furthered when the Tiefling man spoke in a foreign accent, asking where she came from.
"I am Anyanka, ward of Baba Yaga. This hut is as much my home as it is for all of Grandmother's servants. The question is how did [i]you get here?"
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"My name is Dezső, and I come from Ustalav. Baba Yaga's servant, the Black Rider, sent us here, and gave us keys to operate the hut, which we placed in the cauldron. He told us Baba Yaga has not returned as expected to place a new daughter on the throne. And that Queen Elvanna has hunted down the Riders who would herald Baba Yaga's return. The Black Rider died before our eyes. We agreed to help Baba Yaga so that Elvanna cannot spread her winter across all the lands.
I tell you our story because you identify yourself as a ward of Baba Yaga, and we could use assistance in understanding this hut and how to help Baba Yaga. But if you are a servant of Elvanna, you will fall like all the others before you."
The last part is delivered in the same matter of fact tone as the rest. He has his rapier in his hand, but does not raise it.
[ooc]Yes, Dez, you're maybe 40 feet into the room and so is Yrja.
You can tell that the tiefling speaks true, and the sensation of the compulsion, the geas laid upon them, appears to connect to you in some way, invisibly.
The crow eyes Anyanka cooly. "Hail, Anyanka, Ward of Baba Yaga. A Jadwiga was here. The Powers of the Hut have decided she should return to Whitethrone, and you take up her place."
Indeed, as Orik and Dez look around, Kseniya is simply not there!
Anyanka looks at Dezso, not betraying any expression as he responds to her questioning, though internally she feels herself heating up as she hears that Elvanna has betrayed Baba Yaga. The pull she feels in her gut tells her all she needs to know, that the man speaks true when he says that he and his cohorts are helping Baba Yaga as well.
"I am no servant of Baba Yaga." She raises an eyebrow at Dezso. "Curious, you bear Baba Yaga's geas, but you can't feel the pull of someone else who bears it?"
Yrja floats down to ground level to greet the newcomer. Or perhaps they were the newcomers in her eyes...?
"Hello Anyanka, I am Yrja." The witch starts as she realizes that Kseniya was no longer with them. "She went back! Without saying goodbye?" Her face falls a little. "Oh. Well."
She turns back to Anyanka. "How long have you been a ward? Do you know why these poor eagles are in a cage? Can you help me free them?"
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"Interesting that you also bear Baba Yaga's geas. No, I cannot feel it on others, but mine is the life of the mind, not of the spirit." He turns to Yrja and Orik, "Do you feel it? It is a matter we have never discussed. And Kseniya just left? Odd." He turns back to Anyanka, "In any event, I too am curious whether you know anything about the eagles."
Yrja floats down to ground level to greet the newcomer. Or perhaps they were the newcomers in her eyes...?
"Hello Anyanka, I am Yrja." The witch starts as she realizes that Kseniya was no longer with them. "She went back! Without saying goodbye?" Her face falls a little. "Oh. Well."
She turns back to Anyanka. "How long have you been a ward? Do you know why these poor eagles are in a cage? Can you help me free them?"
Orik puts his mouth into a thin frown, ”I am Orik. I think that’s all I’ll say.” He pauses, and nods at Dex ”yeah, I can uh… feel the geas sometimes. It’s hard to describe.” He turns back to the lady, ”will you help us? This place is confusing.”
Anyanka looks around for a moment, noting the caged eagles without much interest. "I am not familiar with this particular configuration of Grandmother's hut, unfortunately. I know just as much as you do."
Dez watches Anyanka carefully. She doesn't look like an immediate threat, and she mentioned the geas first, which seems like a good sign. He trusts Orik to keep an eye on her and returns his attention to Yrja.
"Let me know what you find out, Yrja, and if you need help, like with picking a lock. Do the eagles look hostile? Did your upbringing in nature give you any knowledge of the behavior of these sorts of creatures? I can come take a look too if needed; I read a book at the university about birds of prey."
"They look a little sleepy, but the cage is simple enough to open."
Yrja flies up again, reaching towards the latch, but stopping just short.
"You're not going to attack me, are you? I am trying to help you."
If she doesn't notice anything threatening or suspicious, she unlatches the cage door and opens it wide.
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Yrja can't see anything out of the ordinary, but one of the eagles just reeks of transmutation magic...
When she opens the cage, the eagles shuffle out and flutter clumsily to the ground like sleepy fledglings.
As one lands, it stretches its wings and fluffs its crown of feathers with a few shakes.
As the other lands, it glows and shifts into a half-elven male, leaving a halo of shed feathers around his kneeling person. He looks unsteady but well.
Yrja lands as well, taking a tentative step towards the half-elf. "Er, hello? Are you alright? What's your name? How did you end up in the cage?" She glances uncertainly at the others, especially Anyanka. "Did... Baba Yaga do this to you?"
The Half-Elf brushes himself off, as though there might still be feathers left to fall. He looks up and sees Yrja, at the same time turning and seeing the other eagle; he turns back to Yrja: "The beautiful one is Rising Star, and I am Elbrynn. To all appearances we are fine, certainly more so than in the cage, thank you for that."
He looks a touched bemused ...
"How we ended up there, and the Queen of Witches, well, that's harder to say. I think perhaps we heard her call, as it seems a few of you have; history says she has a peculiar sense of humour too, so reminding me that I seek the Brightness as a way of framing my "invitation" to be here could well be part of her plan."
"Who are all of you? Is this really her fabled Hut?"
Yrja relaxes a little as neither Elbrynn nor the eagle make threatening moves.
"Elbrynn, Rising Star, nice to meet you. I'm Yrja, and yes, this is Baba Yaga's hut. We don't know where it has taken us. But... what is the Brightness that you seek?"
Dez steps back in surprise as one of the eagles transforms into a half-elf, but he relaxes as they don't seem to present a threat and he listens carefully to the exchange with Yrja, for now interjecting only, "The eagle is named Rising Star and they are your friend?"
Turning to Dez, Elbrynn says, "Star is my brother, and he is named in honour of Falling Star, one of the hunting partners of our god Ketephys."
Turning back to Yrja, "The Old Crone's sense of humour is matched ONLY by her keen sense of irony: but the Brightness and my journey are part of the reason I am called "WitchWarden"
The half-elf takes a deep breath like he is about to preach ...
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The raven interjects. "Awk. They are not baubles either. Go find baubles. Or go next door, and defeat that which I cannot."
The raven breaks into a grating chant.
Each night it visits—
Sometimes horror,
Sometimes wonder,
Sometimes prophet,
When dawn wakes, it flees.
It ruffles its feathers slightly, almost like a shiver.
“When you face this thing, you shall know its desire. In
its desire, you shall find your own. Only by sharing this
desire with me can I bind your fates. Once they are bound,
I will be able to see your destiny."
It inclines its beak towards a door you hadn't noticed, to the 'South', away from the blinding false sun.
"Or go and find baubles, elsewhere. It's all the same to me. Awk."
Er, could I interest you in this fine necklace? Or this lovely tiara?" Yrja presents to the raven some of the jewelry they had taken from Nazhena.
The raven gives Yrja a long stare and then flaps off without a backward glance.
"I don't know where we are supposed to find the baubles for the raven, so I guess we might as well go get rid of whatever is through that South door. Seems the only way we are going to get any cooperation out of the raven and this hut. Neither seems to be serving Baba Yaga as well as they could, putting up all this resistance to ones who are here to help."
Dez, you recall from your lore that Baba Yaga, being somewhat fey, has this sort of...frustrating nature. Unhelpful servants, confusing artefacts, et cetera. So it goes. :)
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Dezső will give the room a once over to make sure we aren't missing anything and then will inspect the south door.
"Anyanka and Elbrynn, are you coming with us? If you are also connected to Baba Yaga, then it may be she means to bring us together, especially since she has taken our Jadwiga wrestler away from us."
Dezső will give the room a once over to make sure we aren't missing anything and then will inspect the south door.
[dice=Perception (extra +2 vs traps)]1d20 + 15
"Anyanka and Elbrynn, are you coming with us? If you are also connected to Baba Yaga, then it may be she means to bring us together, especially since she has taken our Jadwiga wrestler away from us."
"I will absolutely come with you; there is something I am meant to learn here, and I believe this compulsion was meant to bring us together."
Orik has an annoyed look on his face at the raven’s rhymes, and seems sour at more people connected to Baba Yaga, ”alright, well, I won’t mind if you come, just don’t rhyme. We’re very tired.”
He looks down at his bow and checks the string, ”and that first rhyme is a riddle. The answer is a dream or I’m a bard.”
He looks up, ”so we have to face a dream or something. Not sure how you face a dream but that’s the riddle.”
Dez doesn't find anything else of use in the room of Dawn. The door to the South is a plain, unassuming wooden door. When Orik mentions that you are to face a dream, you could swear that the "sun" dimmed for just a split second.
"I don't know where we are supposed to find the baubles for the raven, so I guess we might as well go get rid of whatever is through that South door. Seems the only way we are going to get any cooperation out of the raven and this hut. Neither seems to be serving Baba Yaga as well as they could, putting up all this resistance to ones who are here to help."
"Of course I'll be joining you. My entire life has been in preparation for this moment."
Orik points at the light, ”see? It dimmed. I’m not gonna say it again because there’s weird magic but - how are we going to face … that? Are we gonna fall asleep first?”
"I'm not much for poetry, but you're certainly right. I also have no idea how to fight a dream, but I guess we are going to find out."
Having already listened at it and checked for traps, Dez opens the South door once the others are in position.
The wooden door, at first small as if leading to a cramped garret, swings inward soundlessly, and grows in size majestically, to perhaps ten feet wide by twenty feet high, its color fading from golden pine to the washed out grey of moonlight on stone.
You see a large circular chamber, perhaps 70 feet across. A polished stone statue of some sort of guardian and a banner stands in the center, and spokes of darker stone divide the room into the hours of a clock. In each hour division, an image of the Sun begins to rise, until it reaches the top of the room, where a white-sheeted bed rests on the floor...covered with unnerving blood spatters.
The room seems to rotate if you glance away from it, both clockwise and counterclockwise. Pale candles illuminate the room in twelve sconces, but the gloom seems to threaten to overwhelm them. You can't see a ceiling, even with darkvision, but it must be some sort of dome, by your guess. Despite the grandeur of the room, the air feels somewhat stuffy and close.
"This is strange," Yrja gestures towards the solar images and the bed. "Who sleeps at noon?" The witch thinks for a moment. "Well, vampires, I suppose."
Following one step behind Dez, she extends her arcane senses, wary of this strange place.
There is nothing magical in the room beyond the usual background noise magic of the Hut.
A shimmering, flickering image begins to appear on the bloodied bed. You can see it's a woman, pale as many an Irriseni, with red-gold locks, and a lost expression on her face. She observes you silently, her image distorting and stretching like a soap bubble.
You can tell she's a Jadwiga...most likely a high ranking one.
That's definitely Yelizaveta, the thirteenth daughter of Baba Yaga and former queen of Irrisen. She reigned from 4513 AR until 4613 AR, when she was taken away by Baba Yaga and replaced by the current queen, Elvanna.