Solvistania stares ith a look of distaste at the scarecrow, but she keeps her voice carefully neutral as she responds, "I be not of what you see. Joined of two mortal enemies I am, to become something more and less of each."
Darren's eyes dart between the scarecrow and the rest of the group muttering. "This is ridiculous."
"We can clearly see that you are a Fey.
Now open your eyes to let us through.
And we'll be on our way."
"Each of us has a tongue, we don't flap it aimlessly,
But if you listen to our songs, you'll let us go peacefully.
Scaring us is useless, we've see worse and we've seen best,
On our way, we've lost friends, but we've never lost our aim.
" Fear paralyses my body
Fear strangles my dreams
Fear freezes my soul
Fear hurts my heart
Fear criticizes, every word stabs
Fear bends my will
Fear makes my decisions
Fear ban, bars, banishes
Fear clips my horizons
Fear darkens my blue skies
Fear kills my chances
Fear drives me
Fear inspires me
Fear strengthens and hones me
Fear is a warning
Fear is a guide
Fear empowers and focuses me
Fear is a tool and a weapon
Fear has no power over me".
Dipolmacy
"I'm a bird on a mission, so for your sake
why don't you give us all a f~+$ing break."
Ilona erupts into mellifluous laughter the atmosphere seeming to lighten a bit.
"I've traveled where few have been and back"
"The weight of the world, with this white bone pack"
"From the halls of the dead, that again echo forth"
"To the dirt of the land where lies my corpse"
"But alive again I walk these ways".
"So stand aside, per chance I rage".
Diplomacy
Solvistania looks at the scarecrow and keeps her voice level. "We see passage through this Realm and nothing more. We are searching for my kin. Erunthalion the Eldest is his name. Has he passed by you?"
"She speaks the reason for all of us here."
Gilian shakes her head at the two first answers: "I think he won't listen to anything that does not rhyme", she murmurs.
Turning to the hanged fey, she answer in a louder voice:
"Looking for her brother,
We follow this small sphere,
Erunthalion is his name
And great is his fame.
Have you met this fellow
Hanging from your gallows?
Would you let us through
Or tell us the price due,
For our way is still long,
In this place we don't belong."
Sky rolls his eyes at this silly children's game
"The path leads us by"
"Alas, we cannot fly"
"so kindly let us pass"
"Or we will kick your ass"
"Well, most of us can't fly. Guess that extra sylable woulda screwed up your couplet, eh?.
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"You should be careful how you speak to me.
I am a lot more than what you see.
The one that you seek is known to me;
Erunthalion you may call him,
But in this lands he is known by another name:
Twilight calls him beloved and that is Briar's shame.
Now, Twilight has mayhap forgotten about him,
But Briar does not forget and does not forgive.
If you are his friends, you should be wary;
'Cause Twilight may be this realm's Queen,
But Briar is of all that you now perceive - King!"
Solvistania stares at the scarecrow-fey and purses her lips. The look in her eyes is not friendly.
"Briart you say, my kin wronged you.
Do you wish vengeance on those who follow along his path
knowing such actions are folly
for should you succeed
you will still be left hanging on your gallows."
Darren's frustration shows as his breathing becomes an audible, rhythmic pattern and he reaches for his blade. His hand grasping the hilt, his words become hard as steel "This has gone on too long."
Ilona looks at the growling Dorn and leans in speaking in a dulcet voice yet carrying an undeniable edge.
"You should calm down, unless of course your goal is to prove useless as a guide by ruining our chances before we've truly gotten started.I'm sure your liege would be really proud of your contribution if it all goes to hell now."
The smile she presents is utterly without guile, yet carrying a subtle note of sarcasm.
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"I will let you pass
But heed this warning:
These realms are becoming
More dangerous with each passing day,
As you would say
In your realms where Sun holds its sway.
Briar holds your friend
Deep in his Tower of Thorns
And you will have to pass
Through Deep Swamps and Woods of Black Willows
To reach his throne.
I stand neutral in this game
Between Queen and her King,
But I grow weary of it
Since the crossroads are my realm
And those who walk the roads are less and less
In numbers, as you would say in your realms
Where Sun holds its sway."
Ilona's sharp tone cut through the Dorn's rising anger and the scarecrows declaration of passage brought him back to his senses. His hands dropped to his sides and he let out a sigh. Though he held on to his reservations of Sarcosans, Darren could not deny her words. He had nearly put them in all in danger.
Starting needless fights is pointless. I need to be in greater control of myself.
"I will let you pass
But heed this warning:
These realms are becoming
More dangerous with each passing day,
As you would say
In your realms where Sun holds its sway.
Briar holds your friend
Deep in his Tower of Thorns
And you will have to pass
Through Deep Swamps and Woods of Black Willows
To reach his throne.
I stand neutral in this game
Between Queen and her King,
But I grow weary of it
Since the crossroads are my realm
And those who walk the roads are less and less
In numbers, as you would say in your realms
Where Sun holds its sway."
"We thank you for your aid,
for the warning and the tale,if you can point us the trail,
we will leave you to your shade;
One last thing before we leave,
on our way through swamp and leaves,
Can you name the three dangers,
That would catch any strangers
Fore they reach the dark tower,
And its vengeful master?"
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"Wise you are to seek
The knowledge to guide you far;
I will reveal the dangers three
That will find you while you travel
Down the road that you seek:
Be careful of the children small
That have died before their time
And now stalk this twilight realm
Caught between the dream and briar-vine.
Be careful of the woman old, gone bitter and cold
That stalks these murky roads
Seeking lost souls to
Bring the pain upon.
Finally, and this is my warning last,
Hold your friends near you fast,
'Cause there are spirits of the
Willow trees, that will take them
And make them see
The things that are not there,
Driving them to pain and despair."
"For your help you have our thanks,
We will stay within our ranks.
Going through with great care,
for we know the dangers there.
You are a scarecrow with a mind,
but to us you were kind,
so we wish you all the best
and leave you to your rest
at crossroads your domain,
and hope you come to no bane,
or what else can bring you pain,
whether foe, or common rain.
Just show us the road to thorny tower,
so that we can go there with our power."
"How the hell are all of you so damn good at coming up with long rhymes off the top of your heads? I think the lot of you missed your calling. I hear there's nothing old Izzy hates more than bad poetry.
Solvistania shakes her head in irritation. These childrens rhymes annoyed her for some reason, probably due to her own troubled childhood memories.
"Are we ready to resume our journey now?" She asks in a voice tinged with annoyance.
"Well, who says that I missed my calling? There used to be more minstrel knights around, before the Shadow prevailed. But know, I think that I'm the only one, if I'm one at all."
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Scarecrow grows silent and the globe of light bobs past him, taking the left branch of the road. You follow it for some time, but at some point road becomes more narrow, and the woods around it somehow more threatening. Bare branches look almost like long-fingered hands that are trying to rip at you, and the small bushes of herbs alongside the path look poisonous and malicious.
Suddenly, the path seems to lead nowhere. Even the trail behind you disappears and the only thing left is the circle of light and the eerie forest around it. You feel a terrible loneliness and deep sense of depression and sorrow. You feel as if you lost something dear to you and you can not get it back. Not ever.
The encircling shadows felt as though they were reaching out to Darren, calling to him to join them. Stories his father had told him of times long past, began to make their way to the forefront of his mind. He could see his peoples failures in the darkness, he could feel the pain of loss those stories told, and he could sense the doom they brought with them. He was lost in his memories, his voice came out barely above a whisper.
Fighting the despair off, Duncan observes his companions and says:"Stay close people. Remember the final warning of the scarecrowHold your friends near you fast
Darren, no more scouting ahead, it is too dangerous, we go as a group."
Duncan's words pass over deaf ears as Darren continues to whisper to himself. Now completely oblivious to those around him.
Will save
Requiem
Ilona
Ilona feels the sense of dread pass her, simultaneously sensing the ominous feeling along the bond she shared wit Requiem.
Looking around at the reactions of the group, she begins to speak, her voice a clarion call that seems to challenge the encroaching darkness.
"Fear is a weapon of the shadow. You are what the shadow fears, they seek to avoid facing you by scaring you off, you are stronger than that, we are stronger than that.Fear has no power here, we have already been through darkness and death. We will triumph because it is what we do"
Will save, Racial +2 vs fear, +4 from Ilona.
Sky stops dead in his tracks at Ilona's words. You are trying to lead us into a trap" "Why don't you go forward and prove how 'Brave' you are then"?
Gilian shivers down the path as the shadow seem to close on her. Her vision starts to blur and the air darkens around her.As she starts to gasp, Ilona's voice cuts through the shadows.
"I think I liked him better when he was a summoned shade. He was a lot less prone to whining then."
Solvistania, long used to the self doubts already existing in her mind, finds it easier to resist the despair emanating from the shadows. She notes Sky'tor's words and glares at him, "If we intend to trap you here, Sky'tor then I have not done very well have I, as I am also trapped here."
Will save vs. Fear
The Darkness was still calling to him, the pain of loss was still there, yet somehow the calming words of Ilona kept him from drowning in a sea of despairing thoughts.
How strange that she is able to continually pull me from overwhelming emotions and allow me to see the truth of things. Am I truly worthy of being called a Dornish warrior?
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Sky stops. His arms drop and his head bows. He seems oblivious to his surroundings.
Shadows deepen and the circle of light grows dimmer. Outside the circle a pitiful sobbing announces that someone is present. A shadowy forms looking like thin, emaciated children gather around the light, careful not to step in it...
Duncan takes his defensive stance and tries to determine their exact situation.
With a glance, he tries to determine what the children really are, whether they are spirits or more corporeal, how many are there and what would be their best course of action tactically, to penetrate their circle if possible or something else.
"Oh come on! I thought I was all done with crying ghost kids for a while!"