Simon struggles to keep his knees from shaking, even as a grown man he's afraid of graveyards at night. "Don't get too far away, ok guys?"
Fear, and darkness, affecting his senses, Simon is aware of nothing other than his shaking knees.
"It'll be fine Simon. It's interesting, I see plenty of game trails through the trees and this area is much lusher than I would expect. I wonder if the bodies are properly interred?"
Kast will be harmless/hiding in B9.
Take 20 to hide carefully in the branches there.
20+0= 20 stealth
Kast wraps his arm around his longspear and waits quietly.
This could take a while. But we soldiers are used to waiting.
Othoe looks around carefully and checks out the grave in front of him in particular.
"Can someone provide a light source? It's getting a bit dark - unless we're in hiding that is."
I'm much better with people than all this nature. I hope the others are strong here.
Chrystosm, standing in a relaxed position with his sword and buckler at the ready, grins. "At least they won't have to drag us far if we do snuff it here. I just hope they give me a patch with plenty of sun. I've still got my lantern if you want it, Othoe, but I think we're keeping quiet for the time being"
Dorial walks cautiously around the cemetery looking for the best hiding spot.
To no one in particular, "How long were we planning on waiting?"
Simon, the trees rustle behind you, an accompanying breeze brushing over your cheek as something, or someone slips behind you. Nimeon tries to reassure you, pointing out game trails and wild looking foliage through the enveloping night.
Simon tries to voice his fears, but only gibberish escapes his mouth.
Kast resists the urge to answer Simon, somewhat out of common courtesy to avoid embarrassing his friend, but also to remain hidden.
Okay...remember your training. First cast light. Then stab the bad guys. Gnolls probably...
Nimeon waits, uneasy in the cemetery but comfortable being outside at night, trusting his elven eyes to see by any light available.
Othoe shrugs at the increasing darkness.
Before too long I won't be able to see my hand in front of my face let alone some body snatchers!
He tries to make himself comfortable behind the tombstone and sits quietly.
Except for the breeze and a few rustles in the underbrush, there is nothing until the moon is high, and something stirs in the shadows beyond its reach:
"What do you hear?
Do you know?
or do you fear
what does not show?"
The voice is light and lyrical, though...off...somehow.
What? Was that Simon again? No, it was coming from somewhere else...
Othoe looks around to try and determine the source of the speech - and to check to see where his allies are.
Othoe, you aren't certain just where it came from. At first you thought one side of the clearing, by the big tree, but perhaps it was from behind that gravestone on the other side. However, you are able to find Simon (he's the one blubbering 10ft away), Dorial seems to be hiding in the trees not too far from him, Chrystosm is lounging on a gravestone near the center of the cemetary, and Nimeon has yet to fully to commit to coming out the trees.
Kast, however, seems to be missing.
Kast stiffens as he listens.
Perception
Kast, the voice could be anywhere as far as you can tell. in fact, at one point, it seems like it comes from right above you. or not.
Oh, that's some creepy singing, nothing uncreepy sings in a graveyard at night!
Simon, while you can definitely hear the singing, it does you no good as far as pinpointing where it is coming from.
At one point, you think there might be...music... that accompanies it, though the exact sort of instrument is beyond you.
Tis not your place
this holy glen
Tis not a space
For living men
That doesn't sound human! Where is it coming from?
Chrystosm, who at this point has been idly picking his teeth with a dagger-point, looks up upon hearing the singing.
Nothing like a bit of music on a summer evening
He draws his rapier again, standing upright and calling out:
"Do you do requests?"
Dorial, it's hard to tell. At one point, the music seems to come from the trees around you, then fade off again.
"Tell me Tell me
Oh tell me true
Why you’re here,
What do you do?"
Chrystosm, who at this point has been idly picking his teeth with a dagger-point, looks up upon hearing the singing.
Nothing like a bit of music on a summer evening
He draws his rapier again, standing upright and calling out:
"Do you do requests?"
you are also unable to find the voice, but "it" seems to see you and your rapier quite clearly,
"A challenge yes?
From you to me?
Oh Shall we dance?
Oh shall we see?"
Though the voice fades, the violin-like music picks up pace, a lively dance tune spreading out to encourage everyone that hears it to dance.
Dorial:
Kast:
Nimeon:
Othoe:
Simon:
Voice of Dancing Doom:
Round 1, Init 16
"Uhm, what? I don't dance...my knee..."
Will save
Laden with years of childhood trauma of never wanting to dance because of his deformity, Kast resists the urge to dance. At little bit of Kast dies inside...again.
Dancing is stupid anyway.
"Who's there?"
Perception
Kast casts light on his longspear.
Try as he might, Simon can't help himself as his feet start to shuffle, then his knees start bending, but not from fear, rather they flex with rhythm in time to the song. His arms swing as his shoulders dip, his hips gyrating in sync with the haunting melody. Though he'll never admit it later, it's the best the bachelor has ever danced in his life.
Amazed at his new found rhythm, Simon is oblivious to all else as he watches himself dance.
Dorial looks again for the voice but suddenly has a desire to start dancing. She moves her body in a fluid motion, swaying with the wind and trees.
I haven't taken the time to dance like this in such a long time. I should do it more often!
I do enjoy a good jig now and then to clear the little gray cells.
Othoe begins to do a little jig over the grave and then stops himself, realizes what he's doing and shudders...
...he carefully steps OFF the grave and looks around in the near darkness.
Nimeon casts his gaze into the shadows as the singing starts.
As the dancing begins he does his best to resist.
The jig begins to take hold, and as his feet move of their own accord, Nimeon calls out to the darkness.
"We mean you no harm, please show yourself."
Chrystosm starts performing a lively Cheliaxian tarantella.
Ha ha! Ah, wait... WHAT?! I don't want to be doing... Do I? I don't know...
He continues capering about, a slightly worried expression on his face.
The enchanting music continues, a voice weaving it's way through it in answer to Nimeon's assertions.
If no harm you mean
Just as you say
Then prove it true
Put the blade away!
Kast leans on his longspear, trying to take the weight off his leg. The lighted point blazes light above his head.
Perception
"We don't mean you any harm. And please don't make me dance," Kast tries a less defensive posture.
Diplomacy
I'm surrounded by gravedancers. I wonder if this is how Pharasma wants it.
"Have you ever tried sheathing a blade while dancing?" , cries Chrystosm. "I'll probably skewer somebody if I throw it away, too!"
He makes the attempt anyway
I SEE you!
"I have no weapon out, and we mean you no harm. Come forth, please, and show yourself that we may talk face to face in a calm and mature manner."
While Othoe does see he pretends not to and continues to look around.
"We are simply here to gather some information about the illness plaguing the nearby town. That is our only purpose in being here. Please, help us in that endeavor."
What a fascinating sight! I've not seen anything like that before.
"Really, you can trust me."
I think my talking needs work. I should practice more and improve.
"Have you ever tried sheathing a blade while dancing?" , cries Chrystosm. "I'll probably skewer somebody if I throw it away, too!"
He makes the attempt anyway
"We don't mean you any harm. And please don't make me dance,"
The music mellows, the song seeming to move,
"Of you and you and perhaps you tooYour words ring clear and mostly true
So come, you sit, don’t walk away
We’ll sit, we’ll talk ‘til break o’ day"
lighting on the tallest gravestone in the closest row, a tiny cricket-centaurish creature finally stops her singing, the lovely soprano drifting to a stop.
"Now, what business do the living have in this haven for the dead?"
Kast tries to maintain his sense of calm and non-threateningness as he relaxes on his longspear and watches the others dance on graves.
"Greetings, I am Kast Phaer. Hail and well met." Kast begins to move towards offering the cricket creature a Lastwall fistbump, but immediately realizes that the gesture might be the wrong one to give.
"These are my friends, Simon..." Kast points to Simon as Simon dances in his soiled britches. "...and Othoe, Dorial, Chrystosm, and Nimeon."
Kast scratches his head.
"How long will the be dancing?" Kast politely inquires.
She raises one faint silvery brow in the mooonlight, "My pardon. That should stop soon since I've laid my song to rest for the moment."Her voice lilts at little at the mention of the song, and one leg brushes another, letting out a single pure high "C" for a moment before it fades away.
Her nose wrinkles at the introductions, and she hops to a spot further away from Simon before continuing."A pleasure, I'm sure. Excuse me if I don't curtsy. How can I help you and your friends?"
Reluctant to stop and fearing he'll never dance so well again, Simon feels the rhythm fade from his steps as his movements slow, then halt. His attention captured by the cricket centaur, Simon gapes open mouthed but silent, waiting for his pulse to settle and the gift of speech to return. The wet slick of his breeches sticking to his leg doesn't help the matter.
As the beautiful little creature wrinkles it's nose and hops away, Simon feels the flush of shame at his obvious cowardice. His gaze drops downward as his throat constricts, the old, familiar pain of disappointment flooding through him. His sight falls on the grave at his feet and his fresh footprints, quickly he scampers from the disturbed soil, wondering if the evening would get any worse.
Gods, what have I done! Soiled myself again and disturbed a grave. Will I forever be like the lion from that children's story?"
"Don't worry Simon, there are worse reactions, you'll learn to accept such things."
Worse things out there too.
Nimeon bows to the lady of the forest.
"Greetings lady. We come to this place of death looking for answers. A terrible plague has beset the people of Falcon's Hollow and we've taken the task of finding out where it comes from and how to stop it. Know you anything of this?"
Chrystosm, after picking up and sheathing his sword, gives his aching calves a quick rub.
"Ouch. You're quite the fiddler, aren't you?", he says to the creature with a grin.
Chrystosm, after picking up and sheathing his sword, gives his aching calves a quick rub.
"Ouch. You're quite the fiddler, aren't you?", he says to the creature with a grin.
"A fiddler? oh yes, indeed! But when visitors come to Dance beneath the light of the moon, we dare not disappoint. It is part of the contract, after all."
"Greetings lady. We come to this place of death looking for answers. A terrible plague has beset the people of Falcon's Hollow and we've taken the task of finding out where it comes from and how to stop it. Know you anything of this?"
"A plague, is it? I had wondered why we've had so many recent immigrants, yes I had." Stalking up and down the edge of the stone, her wings twitching and stretching behind her. "Oh, this isn't good, not good at all. Our world grows thin with so many new additions, and if it is a plague, there can only be more intrusions, more additions."
"This won't do, no not at all." With a flit of her wings, she's airborne, clearly agitated. After a moment, she lands once more." Fix it. The intrusions must return to their natural level. The truce is precarious enough as it is."
"... This won't do, no not at all." With a flit of her wings, she's airborne, clearly agitated. After a moment, she lands once more." Fix it. The intrusions must return to their natural level. The truce is precarious enough as it is."
Othoe tries to follow her speech and makes some wild conjectures as to her meaning.
"We do plan to fix it if at all possible. It sounds like you have no knowledge of this plague, but perhaps you can help in other ways... With whom do you have a truce?"
It sounds very much like they are allowed to take a few townspeople from time to time into their 'keeping' to keep some peace or other. So who is the real power in Falcon's Hollow?
Immigrants? Additions?
"And could you explain what you mean by immigrants, friend?"
As the cricket-creature speaks, Kast tries to discern the creature's background and lore, if he can recall any from his previous life as a scholar.
Know (Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, all +7)
"It is part of the contract, after all."
Contract?! What contract?
"A plague, is it? I had wondered why we've had so many recent immigrants, yes I had."
" Fix it. The intrusions must return to their natural level. The truce is precarious enough as it is."
Truce? Immigrants? So much mystery!
Know (Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, all +7) - what is this thing talking about?
Kast waits for a break in the discussion for a chance to speak.
"Excuse me, did we get your name?" Kast again resists the urge to Lastwall fistbump and instead just makes two fists of his own and bumps them.
"You mentioned a truce, a contract, and immigrants? What do you mean by that?"
"A truce, *the truce*, between the we and the thee, the nurturers and the harvesters, the green and the gore... between us, and you, so to speak."
At the request for a name, she leaps, flits and lands, as graceful a curtsy as anything with her legs and knees could possibly execute.
"Twigzystril Zap Caprice, if you please," she announces, as if that should be self evident.
"but please... so many questions, and so little time, the moon slips into the branches even now. Immigrants for us, Cast-offs for you, life-less husks and yet, they give life still, in their own way." With one hand, she motions to the field about her, and then the trees and vines that encircle the place.
"But balance is key, so key! Too many and our world will fall. No, your plague does not have its origins here. Plague, disease, rot, they have their place, but it is not here. That is our vow, upon the contract. The dead sleep their sleep and dream their dreams and feed the trees, all that remain. If the balance shifts, though, it will be for ill, and plague will not be all that haunts you."
Ahhh! They use the dead in some way to maintain the balance of nature in the area. Very interesting.
"Twigzystril, we shall do our part to end the plague. Interesting that you say it is not from here - do you know where it is from by chance? Anything you can do to help us is greatly appreciated."
Hrm.
"To maintain the balance should we bury the plague ridden dead somewhere else? Would that be helpful?"
One of the fey, she must be speaking of souls. They have left this place and await Pharasma's judgement.
"It sounds as if this place is held in trust, Othoe, and Twig does not allow the plague to flourish here. We must look elsewhere for our villains."
"Er, Simon, steady on man, get a hold of yourself."
Othoe casts Prestidigitation and cleans poor Simon up a little bit to make him more presentable to our guest.
"Can I get you anything? Are you OK?"
Kast nods as the creature speaks, trying to place the information into his memory for future use.
"How long has this truce been in effect? Was it negotiated between man and your kind? Or is it something older or different?"
This is interesting, but probably not something for a soldier to be involved in.
Simon breathes easy once again as Othoe shows him the kindness of cleanliness. His voice returns along with his calmer emotions.
"Thanks, my friend, I've often shamed myself in moments of fear and it seems I've done so again. My apologies." Simon stretches both hands, one towards Othoe and one to Nimeon, offering Lastwall fistbumps for his companion's understanding and support.
"Dorial, what do you make of this relationship of nature between the graveyard and the fey. Does Twigsyztril speak of things that you may understand with your skills?"