"I can't make any sense of this room, it's almost as if it is designed with so many intriguing details that I can't settle on any one theory, and it keeps shifting. But that apparition is 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. Basically, she left when she was told, unlike Elvanna."
Dez's tail fishes into his coat and retrieves a small vial, which Dez drinks in one gulp before the group proceeds further into the room.
Yrja nods, once again surprised by the depths of Dez's knowledge. She had inferred the woman was a high-ranking jadwiga, but Dez had delivered a mini history lesson. "How do you know all these things?" the witch asks with a small laugh.
Waving to him that the answer could wait, she slowly approaches the apparition. She considers a cheerful wave, then thinks better of it, and bows once she judges she is at a respectable distance.
"Your Highness. Please pardon the intrusion."
She watches the ghostly woman for a reaction.
The vision blinks, looks mournful, and then turns stern. "Whatever it is you want, Grandmother, you won't get it. I know I'm in this nightmare hell you've created and these new visions of...strange commoners won't sway me." She scans you all with eerie intelligence.
She's self aware, this dream fragment, and she won't want to tell you a thing, despite the fact that is clearly not Yelizaveta, save for an echo. Perhaps if you Bluffed her into revealing her desires, bit by bit...
"I'll be honest, I have been called a lot of things: strange commoner is new though."
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Despite the pressing circumstances, Dez lets himself feel the pleasure of Yrja's compliment, quickly responding, "At the University I read A LOT of books."
He proceeds forwards with her, and is impressed with Yrja's directness in addressing the apparition, and surprised by the answer.
Dez gently signals to Yrja to pull back and speaks quietly to her: "I don't think this is actually Yelizaveta, or even her ghost. I think it's some kind of dream fragment, an echo of Yelizaveta, but it's self-aware. She won't want to tell us anything, but maybe we can bluff her, bit by bit. It feels like we need to find out what she wants..."
Dez again approaches, "Your highness, we may be strange, and we may not be jadwiga, but I can assure you were are no vision, and Grandmother has not sent us here to talk to you. Perhaps we can help."
"Help? I'm dead, by my mother's hand." She gazes angrily at her own translucent hand, waving it over the bed and at the wall. She barely pays attention to you.
Dez, you can certainly tell that she feels trapped here, and angry--not really at you, though. She has all the indignity of someone who has been terribly wronged--not terribly surprisingly.
Dez returns to the group and shrugs his shoulders, "Any ideas? I'd say we leave this sad soul alone, but the raven seemed to suggest we need to deal with it..."
"This is not a house of the dead. If she is feeling trapped here, it is because something keeps her here. I suggest figuring out a way to trick her into telling us that, so that we can figure out how to get rid of her and move on."
The fragment of Yelizaveta watches you, flickering. She--it?--begins to extrude long, knifelike nails. It's clear she's growing impatient with your presence. Perhaps if you were to speak to her further...
Orik frowns, ”Dez, we have to put this thing to rest. It’s just like the kids. But I’m crap at … what’s needed here.” He keeps his mouth shut - obviously trying not to just try and talk to the woman - which he now sees doesn’t help much.
Dez approaches her to try to talk again, "I can understand your distress. It seems as if you are trapped here. Is there anything we can do to help you find rest? Would you like us to find Baba Yaga and tell her of your state?"
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Elbrynn turns to the apparition ...
"You know she has no real power ... right?
"You know this moment is yours ... right?"
"You know you are unbeatable in this, you are NOT trapped."
"YOU have the power: the power is forgiveness."
"You're stronger than her, smile, make her weak, show her that evil is meaningless, show her that she has taken NOTHING from you."
"Show her that you hold the power of your heart against her and that nothing she does can break that - trust me, you heart will know, your mind will know, and far far away in the Boneyard, your spirit will echo your power and be released into its next rebirth."
"Be the witch she cannot take from you."
"Be reborn.
Orik shuffles around, "look - I'm better at talking to kids. I don't know if I can help, but I've helped spirits and other folks left behind before." He gestures at Elbrynn and Dez, "they're right, this has to be a kind of torture. Maybe you won't believe me but I'd like to help if I can."
He takes a breath, "and, I don't know how we can prove we aren't visions. But even if we are, I don't know the harm in telling us what happened at least. Why are you here? You aren't really a spirit, so how did you get stuck in this... hut?"
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the dream fragment looks furious at Elbrynn's attempt to calm her...it...whatever it is. " I want to get out, and I want to KILL her! I don't wish you to relay a message to her...actually...yes, that is a perfect idea. I shall relay a message to her...via your slain corpses."
Orik, you can tell she's telling the truth! You've found her heart's desire! Also, she totally ignored your mild queries about how she got here and she very much wants to kill you all.
The image of Yelizaveta splits apart like a pond besieged by hailstones, and reforms into an image of the Jadwiga distorted by fury into something far more twisted and evil, her skin splitting open to show wet grey flesh, her claws dripping ectoplasm.
Round 1 - Dream A Little Dream
Yrja
Orik
Anyanka
Dez
Yelizaveta the Angry
Elbrynn
Bold can post! I'll bot Yrja in a bit.
Yrja also gets a little angry; her companions had tried so hard to extend compassion and help to this ghost, and she responds by wanting to kill them?
"Ma'am, you're not killing anyone. You may have been a queen in life, but now you're nothing but a shadow, and we'll help you pass on so that you cannot hurt anyone."
"I agree, Yrja. Hers was a most ungrateful response. Myself, I found Elbrynn's reasoning quite compelling."
Yelizaveta shakes off Yrja's spell, spraying phantom blood across the floor. "Liar! I am still a Queen!"
"I agree, Yrja. Hers was a most ungrateful response. Myself, I found Elbrynn's reasoning quite compelling."
Looking over at Dez with a wry grin ...
"I'll tell you a secret new friend, it's compelling because it's truth.""It was also, however, a test. A soul would also have found at least some of that truth to be compelling, even through the anguish. This is not that."
"This is a worthless reflection of a great life, a mockery. Yelizaveta WILL be reborn!"
The beautiful blade that has been at the elf's back seems to arrive in his hands as he swings at the apparition ...
The blade known as HUNTER
Unfortunately, the blade known as HUNTER misses Yelizaveta, although it does blow her dreamstuff around slightly.
Dezső studies Yelizaveta's form (studied combat) and muses, "I don't know if we will have trouble harming her with our weapons, but there is only one way to know for sure."
With that, he joins Elbrynn in attacking the apparition.
But (I suspect) Dez only manages to slightly blow around her dreamstuff.
If that is a hit, the damage is
Anyanka narrows her eyes at the form of Yelizaveta (also studied target) and uses her empty hand to create a ball of fire that she places directly on Yelizaveta!
"It is good then, that I have more than weapons."
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Orik sighs, and it sounds like a grumbly rumble of roots breaking through the earth, and he touching the simple wooden symbol around his neck, he summons a protective ward around himself and the party, maneuvering to try and get all the front and rear folks covered.
When he casts the spell, it’s as if an enormous, mostly translucent orange pumpkin grows from his hand, extending in size until the diameter is quite large, but the magic fades after a moment, and people in the group are left with only an odd tingling feeling.
Ahem, the sword known as HUNTER very nicely shears off some of Yelizaveta's dreamstuff. Elbrynn notes that it does less damage than it should have, though...the substance of Yelizaveta is fairly insubstantial.
Dez follows with a bold strike with his dueling sword, but the dream manages to step aside, giving the tiefling a sneer.
Yelizaveta snorts at the druid as the ball of fire extinguishes harmlessly.
She rolls her eyes at the half-orc (she's clearly possessed of the usual Jadwiga prejudices against "lesser" races), but when she senses the magic circle, she hisses.
Yelizaveta is repulsed by the circle for a moment, but then snarls and slaps at its border, dispersing it and shattering the protection.
She pauses and focuses, moving her arms and muttering something.
However, her spell FAILS!
She rises into the air 5 feet.
Round 2 - Dream A Little Dream
Yrja
Orik
Anyanka
Dez
Yelizaveta, -11 HP, flying
Elbrynn
You realize that physical attacks, even magic ones, will only do half damage to this wily dream.
"You think you're a queen? Even monarchs can have bad luck, don't you know?" And with that, Yrja wills fate itself to turn its back to this pale shadow, the tendrils of misfortune curling about her.
The hex breaks upon Yelizaveta like water on rocks...er, like a pebble passing through water...anyhow, it doesn't work.
"I was surrounded by the greatest witches of Irrisen my entire life, dirt-spawn! Your powers are nothing in comparison," says the deposed queen, rather imperiously, her aura ghosting a brighter blue.
"If you all haven't figured it out already, even our magical weapons are not fully effective against this spectre. I have no alternative, but I wanted to make sure we all knew..."
"And I have served the greatest one for all of mine. You will not survive this."
Anyanka moves her fiery sphere right back over Yelizaveta!
Orik is tired of her talking, but improving his companions remains the best course, and he casts a spell.
Dez' sword goes snicker-snack!
"We need to wear her down somehow..."
Dez manages to cut more off the dream-Yelizaveta, earning a small shriek from the phantom.
She continues to rise, now going out of reach of melee.
Perhaps not aware of Orik's spell, she casts one of her own. Haunting visions cloud your eyes and your ears fill with the dreadful moaning of the long dead.
"Your attempts are ineffectual to me," says the tiefling, and makes a little bow with his sword to his nose.
Yrja keeps silent and focuses on weaving her magic. Perhaps she wasn't as powerful a witch as Yelizaveta had been, but she was determined, and she was persistent.
The hex breaks on the animate dream but still leaves a glittering stain on the furious pseudo-ghost of Yelizaveta.
"I have lived in Baba Yaga's hut since I was a child. I do not frighten easily." She moves the sphere back over Yelizaveta, before calling down a pillar of fire onto her!
. Orik looks like he doesn’t really notice the spell.
He raises his bow and tries to arrow the dream.
The ball of fire continues to simply pass through the dream-Yelizaveta, crackling and complaining like a candle in the rain.
Orik fares better and tears two holes in Yelizaveta's substance.
Yelizaveta glares at Yrja and casts at the tiefling witch.
Elbrynn is up!
Yrja waves a hand in front of her face as if to chase away a moth.
"No, thank you. I like being awake right now."
The ball of fire continues to simply pass through the dream-Yelizaveta, crackling and complaining like a candle in the rain.
Orik fares better and tears two holes in Yelizaveta's substance.
Yelizaveta glares at Yrja and casts at the tiefling witch.
Elbrynn is up!
Elbrynn smiles and makes a small gesture as he touches the symbol of Ketephys on his sword
"Star, this thing isn't even real, it isn't even a shadow. Fly true, fly through, treat it like the worthless vapor it is. Blow away its hands when they move, swoop through its face when it speaks."
Elbrynn looks at the spirit and laughs
"This thing is like the mist from a midden! LOL it can't even hold its own shape! Maybe we should light a torch to dispel the smell ..."
Yelizaveta swats at the falcon irritably, but it eludes her.
Round 3: Dream A Little Dream
Yrja
Yrja
Orik
Anyanka
Dez
Yelizaveta, -27 HP, flying
Elbrynn
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"Why don't you try taking a nap? Can dreams dream? I guess we'll find out."
Yrja turns the figment's own magic against her with a flick of her fingers.
Yelizaveta's eyes flutter in shock, and then she collapses to the floor in a puddle of dreamstuff.
Combat is essentially over.
Orik frowns, snorts and moves over, pointing at the others to do the same, ”unless anyone has some better ideas, I’m putting this thing down. Reason obviously doesn’t work on it.” He lowers his bow to deliver a coup de grace
Orik's arrow brings the peace of oblivion to the animate dream. Does it go to the Boneyard? That's for Pharasma to know.
The lights in the chamber begin to brighten and the blood begins to disappear into the mattress. Dawn is coming to this room of so many long nightmares. You need only return to the raven in the prior room to collect your reward.
Yrja sighs. "I feel a bit sorry for... whatever that was. And for the real Yelizaveta. Your own mother killing you..." The tielfing shakes her head. "Not that we have a choice, but I don't like helping someone who is capable of that."
With a final dejected sigh, the young witch retraces her steps to the previous room, looking for the demanding raven.
"Hello? We solved the situation next door."
"Ruk. Awk. What were the dream's desires? Tell me," says the raven, pacing atop a pillar, limned by the endless dawn.
"Ruk. Awk. What were the dream's desires? Tell me," says the raven, pacing atop a pillar, limned by the endless dawn.
"She was trapped and "wanted to be get out" ... we took care of that."
"There was more than merely that," says the bird, fixing Elbrynn with a piercing eye.
Orik waits a moment for the others to respond, then adds, ”vengeance. Does that satisfy you, bird?”
"Well enough. You're a taciturn lot," says the raven, and fusses with its feathers. It holds something in its beak for a moment and then flings it expertly to Orik.
It's a square amulet with the symbol of a bell on it, made of hammered cold iron. On the other side is an Iobarian rune.
"O ye fools at Dawning's Border,
Speaking to the thirdmost warder,
You've done the challenge out of order,
But worry not (ye brains of ordure):
Ye've won the challenge and won the rhyme,
I say before it is daytime--
Seek the sisters-Three-in-One,
Mother, Maiden, and the Crone.
Know the Maiden will take flight
Unless sought by waxing-light."
The amulet hums like a distant chime in Orik's palm.
"Tryva, the Waiting, is my name," says the raven. "I wait no longer."
At this, Tryva crows three times and takes flight.
She flies into the pool. There is no splash when she touches the surface. Instead, she seems to pass into another world and wings off into a glorious sunrise, her form growing smaller and smaller until it disappears. The dawn of the other world brightens into a bright and sunny day and then slowly fades into the the reflection of the pool.
The rune says "Artrosa". It sounds like a name.
Artrosa is a place in Iobaria where there are a trio of giant carved statues, known as "The Three Who Watch".
"waxing-light means 'by the light of the waxing moon.'