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Everbloom takes the key and places it in her belt pouch.
As she wanders the Coins district with the others, Everbloom watches them with interest.
Why do they care about these clothes so much? she wonders. It's just... coverings!
She wanders the clothing shops picking up the tiniest, most revealing clothes imaginable. Whenever she tries on clothes that reach anywhere near her collarbone she complains that it's strangling her. Sleeves she calls too tight. Pants? Constraining!
"How can people wear these things?"
In the end, Everbloom purchases a green knee length skirt with two massive slits up each leg, and a black silk crop covered in gold and green beads. She refuses to even contemplate purchasing shoes! Instead remarking, "Nothing's wrong with my paws."
While shopping, she smiles at the others in fascination, clearly considering their behaviour hilarious.
Miraculously, she discovers a letter addressed to her on the street.
After reading it she smiles, revealing her sharp teeth. Then she tears up the note and pops it in her mouth. After devouring the letter, she returns to watching the amusing city-folk around her, curious about their strange ways.
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"Let's see what to buy?" Musing as she goes from store to store she finally decides on a long dark green gown with black sparkly crystals all over the top and bottom edge of the long skirt. She finds a small hat with a black lace veil that covers her eyes.
Tera finds her letter tucked into the handbag she purchases for the evening. She reads it and tucks it back into the dark green bag with black crystals all around the top.
She laughs at Everbloom's requirements for evening wear, and is very excited that Bunny Paras is able to find her dress.
With everyone well prepared and dressed in their finest clothes, you head off for the banquet. You arrive at the address on the invitation to find a sprawling estate surrounded by a tall, wrought-iron fence and overly decorated with statuary, fountains, and a carefully landscaped garden. As you approach the entrance, an immaculately dressed butler opens the door, "Good evening!" He says in a posh, well-mannered voice as he regards each of you with an assessing gaze. With two Kitsune in the party, a dinosaur, and a man dressed in enough fur to make any normal man faint from the heatstroke, it doesn't take the butler long to identify you, "You are the Pathfinders I presume? Very well, please follow me and..." He looks pointedly at Mr Ice and Everbloom, "...don't forget to wipe your feet."
He leads you through a house that seems to redefine the meaning of the word opulent. Everywhere you look is another sign of Lady Dacilane's wealth, with gilded furniture, painted ceilings, gold-spun wallpaper, and valuable Chelish rugs that confirm one or two rumours Enzo has heard of this place. Finally, you are led into a vast dining room containing the largest table any of you have ever seen. Around the table, a veritable who's who of Absalom's most influential nobles are already sitting and gossiping amongst themselves, waiting for the meal to start, and indeed, for their host to make her appearance. The butler directs you to sit near the head of the table and condescendingly points out that since this is only a small meal - just nine courses - you should have little trouble figuring out which of the vast array of knives, forks, and spoons you should use first.
Shortly after the butler has retreated back into the hallway, a tall, handsome, dark-haired woman of Chelish descent enters the dining room. She's wearing a stunning black gown with silver trim, cut after a modern fashion. Somehow, it manages to look sleek despite the bell-shaped skirt, which fans out with petticoats. A bejewelled skull broach fastened to the left shoulder of her beautiful gown completes the outfit, giving her an almost regal presence. She gracefully crosses the room, almost seeming to glide across the floor, and sits down at the head, right next to you. "Welcome to my home." Lady Dacilane says through pursed lips, "I am glad you were able to attend this... this small gathering in honour of my beloved daughter, Junia. I have had the help prepare only small meal tonight, so that we may have more time to talk later." Although she is extremely polite and proper, you can tell she is uncomfortable dealing with people of your social station. You do, however, detect the tone of sadness she coveys is very real.
Thousand-Year Egg w/ Pickled Ginger Root
Duck egg preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice hulls for several months. Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odour of sulfur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavour. The transforming agent in the century egg is its alkaline material, which gradually raises the pH of the egg to around 9, 12, or more. This chemical process breaks down some of the complex, flavourless proteins and fats, which produces a variety of smaller flavorful compounds.
Course 2
Coda Alla Vaccinara
A thick stew traditionally served by the greatest families in Cheliax as a nod to those beneath them. Made of oxtail, entrails, and hide (specifically veal), and various vegetables (celery, carrots, tomatoes, garlic) and herbs (bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper). Raisins, candied fruit, and bittersweet chocolate accompany the dish for the eater to prepare the stew to taste.
Course 3
Mixed Greed Salad
This salad contains Almas golden caviar, Beluga caviar, kreel-caught langoustines, Cornish crab and lobster, plus Florette baby leaf salad tossed in premium olive oil, along with grated truffle placed in a basket hand-made from courgettes, red peppers and potato and decorated with gold leaf.
Course 4
Fugu Karaage
Also known as the pufferfish, the prepared meat from this dish is known for its dangerous and deadly neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin. Thin slices of the fish are deep fried and on an ornate plate with a chrysanthemum flower decoration in the middle. A side of hot sake accompanies this dish.
Course 5
Tori-sashi
Two chicken wings are skewered with leeks, dipped in barbecue sauce and seasoned with a red pepper salt before being grilled lightly, leaving the meat slightly raw. While salmonella typically infests most raw chicken, the high-quality chicken used by the noble houses makes poisoning an exceedingly rare, but still occasional possibility. This dish is served with a small serving of a rare trappist ale from Cheliax, the recipe of which is a closely guarded secret by its monk brewers.
Course 6
Leg of Boar w/ Red Current Jelly and Root Vegetables
Heavily seasoned leg of boar is marinated for roughly two days in a wine brine with bay leaves, thyme and black peppercorns before being slowly roasted in a wood-fired oven for several hours. The succulent meat is then cut immediately before serving, covered in a redcurrant jelly and presented with boiled fingerling potatoes and taro leaves.
Course 7
Ice Wine and Baked Brie in Puffed Pastry
A traditional aged amber-golden Riesling wine made from hand-picked grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine, this wine has a concentrated sweet taste. The accompanying brie has been wrapped in a puffed pastry crust and cooked until the cheese is nearly molten.
Course 8
A Variety of Hard-Shelled Nuts
A wide variety of nuts, still in their shells. Each diner is provided bizarre implements which, with some instruction or experimentation can be used as nutcrackers.
Course 9
Devil's Food Cake
A personal-sized rich and decadent devil's food cake made with fine Chelaxian cocoa and a rare highly caffeinated espresso bean. The cake is served with a dark chocolate frosting decorated with a red pentagram.
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Everbloom smiles at the butler, seeming more amused than offended. She wipes her feet on the carpet, smiling wider as she does so.
"Lead the way, servant."
As she wanders through the excessively furnished and decorated mansion, Everbloom raises her brow in obvious disbelief. She smiles widely. Although it seems that she might be impressed by her surroundings at first, after a few moments it's obvious she's entertained by the extravagant absurdity. Clearly she thinks most of this stuff around her is useless.
Everbloom takes her seat at the table and wiggles her fingers at the butler. "I've got all the cutlery I need right here, thanks."
As the noblewoman glides into the room, Everbloom smiles with interest--right at the skull brooch.
Lovely...
As the first course of food is served, Everbloom's eyes widen happily. She cracks into the egg and scoops into it with her fingers, devouring the egg with glee. Upon completion she licks her fingers clean, and lets out a happy growling moan.
Because she eats so fast, she has plenty of time to chat while the others finish their food.
"Do you eat like this all the time?"
As the others eat, Everbloom watches them, staring longer than feels comfortable. She seems amused with the vast array of cutlery that the other fools at the table seem to be eating.
As the second course arrives, Everbloom looks equally excited, devouring her stew by picking up the bowl and drinking the contents. She licks her bowl clean, but ignores the sweets on the side, not even touching the chocolate, candy. After a few moments of boredom, she eats the raisins, popping them into her mouth one at a time.
"Your brooch is beautiful." Everbloom tells Lady Dacilane. "Do you delight in death, bones or it's craftsmanship?'
After a moment she adds, "I have plenty of fond memories of skulls."
Everbloom doesn't seem to consider anything she's said offensive or rude.
As the other courses are served, Everbloom continues to eat each with gusto. She seems to enjoy all of it, except for the sweet Ice Wine served during course seven.
Until dessert makes its way to the table. Then she stares at it as if it were inedible. She watches the others eat their cake with entertainment.
The butler gives Everbloom a horrified at the suggestion of using her claws, but says no more before leaving the room.
___
"Do you eat like this all the time?"
"In the presence of civilised company," Lady Dacilane says, trying her best to keep the look of disgust from her face as she watches Everbloom lick her fingers clean, "I prefer to have the help prepare larger meals than I would if I were to dine alone, if that is what you mean. If you are referring to the use of cutlery, however..." She sniffs, "I always refrain from using my fingers."
"Your brooch is beautiful." Everbloom tells Lady Dacilane. "Do you delight in death, bones or it's craftsmanship?"
Lady Dacilane's opinion of Everbloom doesn't seem to improve and as the second course nears its end, and you could've sworn you heard her mutter 'savages' under her breath, but it's possible it was just a cough. "I... I do not delight in death." She says, a little taken aback, "Need I remind you of the reason for this banquet? No... I just... I just always thought that it was a beautiful. I picked it up while I was wintering in Cheliax a few years ago, which is of course, evident in the superior craftsmanship." She tries her best to keep her composure, but the talk of death and skulls clearly upsets her a little.
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Tera does her best to look unimpressed by the opulence, but she's positive her mouth fell open a time or two in amazement on the way to the dining hall.
When her host arrives and everyone starts to eat she uses a trick she picked up as a younger woman, and waits to see which cutlery the others are using before she eats each course. She takes only small bites of each of the early courses, but seems to enjoy the Ice Wine and brie.
"Madam thank you for inviting us. It's an honor to be at your table. My condolences on your loss. If it's not too painful, would you tell me about your daughter Junia. If she took after her mother, she must have been a lovely person."
She tries to draw the noble's attention from Everbloom.
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Walking through the opulent abode, Enzo sighs "Ah, reminds me of home."
At the table Enzo sits next to Bunny Paras and explains when to use the various cutlery.
When Lady Dacilane approaches Enzo stands and bows.
"Yes, thank you for having us."
"Did you have the pleasure of experiencing the opera while in Cheliax?"
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Bunny Paras looks impressed at the fancy house. "Wow! This house is fancy, too!"
They sit down nicely together at the table, and Bunny Paras helps Paras figure out how to use a chair.
"Come on, Enzo! Sit by me!"
Looking at all the forks and spoons, she says. "Hmmm! Which one should I use, right Paras? Fanciest last and non-fanciest first, I think!"
She listens to Enzo's advice and smiles. "Thanks, Enzo!"
When the beautiful, fancy lady some out, Bunny Paras suddenly gets very quiet. She smiles nervously, but doesn't talk! She is too shy!
When the food comes out, she says to the butler, "Paras wants some flowers. And water, please."
When the first course comes out , Bunny Paras looks at it funny. She picks out the ginger root and eat it, leaving the entire egg on her plate, untouched! But the ginger is spicy! "Yum!" Bunny Paras says.
At the second course, Bunny Paras doesn't touch her stew, instead she eats the raisins, candy and chocolate. She looks a little sad....
"I'm a vegetarian," Bunny Paras points out. "But, thanks for all the food! It looks so fancy." She is trying to be nice.
Bunny Paras looks very excited when the salad comes out. She picks out all the caviar and lobster and crab, then happily eats the rest of the salad! "Mmmm!"
Bunny Paras keeps eating only the vegetables, fruit, candy, roots and nuts that get served. She looks sad at some much meat on the table. When dessert comes out she is very happy! She eats the whole piece, and Everbloom's too!
"Oh, that's so YUMMY! Is there anymore can left?"
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Mr. Ice carefully walks through the garden. He does not want to step on any plants by accident! When the butler opens the door, Mr. Ice says, "Hello? Oh, no, I'll keep my coat thanks."
When he's told to he wipes his feet on the mat. Then he rubs his arms and shivers. His teeth chatter. "What are w-w-we having?"
Mr. Ice follows the man to the dining room. He takes a seat closest to the fire and asks for a cup of tea. As soon as his tea is empty, he asks for more, and more.
"Brrr! It's cold in here!"
When Lady Decilane enters the room, Mr. Ice shivers in his seat and says "Hello." His teeth chatter some more.
He eats all of his food nicely. Until the soup comes! Then he looks super excited! He eats lots of servings of soup! He does not drink any of the cold drinks. Only boiling hot tea!
"Th-th-thank you for the food!"
Paras draws quite a few amazed and fascinated stares from the other guests around the table. "What is it?" Whispers one guest as the butler places a silver plate of flowers and a bowl of water on the table. Another guest from the other side of the table just can't stop staring and smiling at the dinosaur munching on flowers, proclaiming Paras to be the sweetest thing she has ever seen.
Lady Dacilane smiles at Tera, looking a little relieved to have someone a little more refined to talk with, "Thank you... She... She was my little princess." She gracefully gestures to an enormous painting of her daughter—a rigid, sharp-featured young girl with long black hair—that looms over the entire banquet hall. "A gifted student and exceptionally well behaved. I recall she once mentioned that some of the children occasionally skipped class to tell ghost stories by candlelight. That's just how good she was, you see. Even while the lesser children skipped class to sneak into an abandoned corridor beneath the school, my Junia kept to her studies like a true Dacilane."
As the dinner continues, Lady Dacilane does her best to keep her composure, sticking to small talk, trying not to look disgusted with Everbloom, and making sure the butler supplies Mr. Ice with all the tea he can handle. "Oh yes, the opera was a true pleasure. I've found that no one does it quite like the Chelaxians, don't you agree?" She says to Enzo, keeping the conversation light, "I should like to visit again soon, I hear the newest production of The Six Trials of Larazod is something to behold." She continues, clearly appreciating distraction.
Once the dinner is over, Lady Dacilane shows you to the door herself, causing a bit of a stir among the other guests, who start whispering among themselves as you exit the dining room. While travelling through through the hallway, the butler appears one more time and silently offers you some more of the Devil's Food Cake, each portion individually wrapped for easy storage while on the road. He also passes Mr. Ice a large metal flask of hot tea, the container warm to the touch, before bowing and returning to his position in the dining room.
When you eventually reach the door, Lady Dacilane finally broaches the subject of her daughter and the TriTowers Yard onve more. "My daughter was just one of so many children lost that day at the Tri-Towers yard. With all the rubble in that sinkhole, and the black water rising..." She quiets for a moment, "None of us could get to them. Please, if you find any word of my daughter during your exploration, I would like to know." She places her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. "I have just gone so many years not knowing if she... I just want to put it all to rest."
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Enzo studies the young girl's portrait from his seat as Lady Dacilane gestures to the portrait.
"Yes, if it's not Chelaxian, then it isn't truly opera. Oh, The Sixfold Trials of Larazod is something that needs to be experienced at least once."
While enjoying the hard shelled nuts Enzo says "Lady Dacilane are you familiar with psychometry? The ability to read psychic impressions left on objects or locations." Enzo will attempt to explain the nuances of psychometry to Lady Dacilane.
At the door Enzo says "Lady Dacilane, I have a request that may seem strange. I would like to bring an object of importance with us to the Tri-Towers yard. Something that may help us attract any psychic impressions left behind by your daughter. I sense that your brooch is important and can help us. Will you entrust us with your brooch?"
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"Abandoned corridor beneath the school?" Everbloom asks with a twinkle in her eye. "Did your daughter tell you where its entrance was? It could be important."
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Later, at the exit to the house, Everbloom takes one final glance around at the absurd opulence of the estate.
What a waste of coin!
As Enzo asks Lady Dacilane for her brooch, Everbloom eyes him with interest... She smiles, revealing sharp teeth.
Well aren't you more than you seem...
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When Everbloom asks about the secret corridor, Mr. Ice nods. He leans over to her and says quietly, "That might be where the ring we're looking for is."
"Thank you!" Mr. Ice says as he takes the flask of hot tea. He also takes some more of the tasty cake and tucks it into his backpack.
After Lady Dacliane's sad speech about her daughter, Mr. Ice leans over to her and whispers through chattering teeth, "If we find her, d-d-do you want us to b-b-bring back her body, m-m-ma'am?"
The only jewellery present in the painting is a delicate looking silver necklace, with upside-down pentagram pendant, hung around Junia's neck. While Enzo is scrutinising the painting, Lady Dacilane answers Everbloom with as much grace as she can muster while watching the Kitsune pick at her food with claws instead of forks. "My Junia wasn't interested in taking part in such disgraceful behaviour as sneaking out of class, and so, unfortunately, she did not ask the lesser children where the entrance was. But I'm sure if these children found it, a skilled explorer will have little trouble."
Lady Dacilane listens to Enzo's explanation of Psychometry with some interest and proceeds to ask several questions during the remaining course, leaving her cake entirely untouched. At the door, she clutches her brooch when the strange request is made, "Do you... Do you truly believe it would help?" She seems unsure, having only just learnt about Psychometry, but with Tera's sincere acceptance of her request and Mr. Ice's kind offer, her resolve melts. "Oh more than anything, yes. Yes please!" She says to Mr. Ice's as she unpins her broach and places it in Enzo's hands, "Of course, of course, here please take it. Anything to help, thank you." She straightens up and addresses you all, "Thank you all. I wish you the very best of luck in your exploration."
As Paras toots happily and does a spin in her pink tutu, Lady Dacilane can't help but laugh, genuinely taken with the charming dinosaur. She then looks to Bunny Paras with a wide smile and says, "I shall pass your compliments to the chef. Goodbye and good luck."
It's pretty late by the time dinner is over, and if you don't want to get your fancy clothes dirty, you still have to return to your homes to change. As such, you decide that you might as well get some sleep and start the exploration of the Tri-Towers early the next morning.
Beldrin's Bluff is a rotting ghost town at the edge of a hungry sea. Throughout the derelict landscape, seagulls perched on splintered timbers reflect your passage in their glassy black eyes. Overhead, dark clouds move ashore with the promise of a storm.
A fence of black iron pikes surrounds a block-wide yard. Dead tree branches reach out from the fence like creepy looking arms trying to grab passers-by. A man is on the inside, cutting the trees down. Some of the dismembered branches remain, stuck in place by knotty elbows swollen around the iron.
As you make your way around the perimeter and approach the locked gate, the man looks up from his sawing and stares at you silently. His thinning hair is matted and sweaty. Beyond him in the Drownyard, partially collapsed buildings and three whitewashed towers lean in a lake-filled yard.
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Everbloom appears the next day in her fancy clothes, apparently unconcerned about getting them dirty. She walks through Beldrin's Bluff with an interested smile on her face. With the key in her hand she approaches the gate.
To the man, she asks. "Who are you?"
Without waiting for a response she unlocks the gate and throws it wide open.
Everbloom glances around the property, looking at the ruins, and then the lake. She watches the water flooding the yard with interest, and moves to examine it closer.
As soon as Everbloom opens the gate, the sweaty man stops his suspicious staring and a friendly smile breaks across his face. He quickly approaches before Everbloom has enough time to look around properly, "Good morning! Deris Marlinchen at your service." He drops his gloves and extends a hand to shake the hands of everyone who enters, "My daughter Cassiel attends this school. You should see how she's grown. Those beautiful long braids!" He puts his hand on his hips, and with a big smile asks, "So! How can I help you fine folks?"
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Bunny Paras waves goodbye to her friends and then leaves with Mr. Ice, walking all the way to their home, which is Bunny Paras' rabbit farm! She and Paras get ready for bed and then have some tasty breakfast in the morning with Mr. Ice.
Bunny Paras eats a peanut butter wrap with a big glass of water for breakfast. Paras eats tasty flowers. While Mr. Ice finishes eating, Bunny Paras and Paras go outside to take care of her bunny rabbits. There are so many!
Then they all walk together to meet their other friends and go to the spooky broken school.
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Bunny Paras looks at the broken neighbourhood. "This place needs more rabbits! That would make it much happier."
When she sees the broken, flooded school, she looks sad, and then a little scared. Seeing Everbloom look so brave, Bunny Paras holds out her arms politely.
"After you, Everbloom!" she says with a smile. "After you, Mr. Ice! After you, Tera! After you, Enzo! Oh, don't worry about me! Paras and I will go last!"
Bunny Paras goes through the gate only after everyone else does. She walks up to the man.
"Why are you cutting down the trees?"
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Mr. Ice walks home with Bunny Paras and Paras. He shivers with cold the whole way. He goes to be in his fur clothes, and puts on some fur blankets. He is covered in for much furs that when he goes to sleep he looks like a big sleeping bear!
In the morning he drinks lots of hot tea, and he eats hot oatmeal! When he is done he goes outside to check the traps and fence around Bunny Paras' farm. It is his job to protect the rabbits from predators and poachers!
When he knows it is safe, Mr. Ice walks with Bunny Paras and Paras to the Tri-Towers Yard. He is wearing his warmest furs!
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When he meets the friendly man, Mr. Ice asks, "Does your daughter still go to the school? Looks wet and dangerous!"
"Good question, Bunny Paras! Where is she?"
"I thought I'd tend the grounds while I wait for Cassiel. It was getting a little overgrown, you see, and... well, like you said, it started looking a little spooky. I didn't think of rabbits though..." He starts scratching his chin and looking around the grounds, "You might be right! Rabbits would make this place look a lot cheerier, and Cassiel does so like the fluffy creatures." Looking at both Bunny Paras and Mr. Ice, as they ask him where his daughter is, he replies "Well, I don't know where she is exactly, but she's still here. She just... just hasn't come out yet. But, rabbits, she might come out if she knew there were rabbits up here."
He gives Everbloom a strange look, not quite following her train of thought, "Oh yes. I saved her, you know. I saved many of them—teachers and students. Some still call me a hero, but yes, they all still attend this school."
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Tera has a few things to purchase before meeting the others. She buys a very nice crossbow, 50 bolts, and a grey gritty powder called ghost salt weapon blanch. She takes her time that morning, and covers all the bolts with the gritty stuff waving it in a fire to make it hard and better to hit ghosts.
That's better. Now I can hit ghosts if I need to.
She meets everyone, "Good Morning everyone." She'll follow everyone in except for Bunny Paras and Paras.
"Mr. Marlinchen your daughter sounds lovely. Can you tell us more about her and the schoool?"
"Oh, she is, she is! She's so smart, funny, and her imagination... Well she always has me in stitches whenever she tells her stories." He gazes off to the middle distance for a second, smiling, then refocuses on Tera, "When she comes out, you'll see, she's just such a wonderful little girl. As for the school..." He looks behind him at some of the ruins, "Perhaps Mrs. Heracks would be a better person to ask? She's one of the teachers here, so if you're thinking of sending your child here someday, I think she'd be able to answer your question better than I can." He frowns for a second, confused, "Is that why you're here? I'm happy to help if there's anything else, of course." His kindly smile returns, waiting for an answer.
Enzo listens to the man's unlikely tales with suspicion. However, Deris actually seems to be telling the truth, or at least, he believes he is. "Oh loads, loads. I saved most of them. You folks sure have a lot of questions; perhaps you should meet Mrs. Heracks. She's one of the senior teachers, and even spent the longest time down below. If anyone can help you, she can. Come on. I'll introduce you. She's in Headmistress Kiwu's old office now." Deris beckons you to follow as he starts walking deeper into the yard, "Come. This way!"
The ruined paths of the Tri-Towers Yard wind their way around black ponds and grey, shattered buildings. Deris occasionally stops and turns around to make sure you're following or pointing out the odd black puddle. "Oh, watch that, that one's very deep." He leads you through roofless halls and buildings. Powerful fragrances precede one such hall where a thin path meanders through an abundance of flower arrangements in wild bloom. Just off this path is the entrance to a small classroom. Being a gentleman, Deris Marlinchen waits by the entrance and gestures towards the door, "After you."
Through the door you see ten students dressed in checkered uniforms sitting stiffly at wooden desks, staring straight ahead. No one moves. At the front of the class, a conservatively dressed woman leans against the wall. As you enter, the teacher and all of the children turn their heads at once towards the team of Pathfinders, looking blankly at all the newcomers, and occasionally blinking in unison. However, as soon as Deris follows you into the room, the classroom springs to life. The teacher silently gestures towards the class, the students nod and silently whisper to one another.
"Excuse me, Mrs Heracks. Sorry for disturbing your class, but these nice people have questions about the school." Deris says apologetically. The teacher turns, smiles, and starts silently gesturing as Deris nods. He then turns to you all and says, "Mrs Heracks says that she'll be glad to help." He smiles and adds, "She knows this school like the back of her hand."
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Everbloom looks thoroughly surprised. She smiles widely, eyeing her surroundings with curiosity.
Everbloom bursts out laughing.
Turning to the delusional man, Everbloom says, "Thanks. But we need to speak with the students in private for a bit, yeah? We'll come speak with you again later."
Then she crosses her arms and waits for the man to leave.
When he does leave, Everbloom watches the room to see what changes. Then she tells the others.
"The students look like spirits to me, but that guy is pulling their strings somehow. Guiding their behaviour. Like a... what do you call them? Puppeteer!"
She laughs again, thinking this is entirely amusing.
"The fool doesn't even realize he's doing it!"
With another cruel yipping laugh, Everbloom sighs happily. Then she looks around the room again, ready to investigate the teacher and students.
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"Oh, how wonderful! I am a rabbit breeder! I can sell you some tomorrow. How many would you like?"
Bunny Paras follows the man through the yard.
"Oh, my... I'm not sure this water's up to standards for proper rabbit care. You should probably invest in a nice pool of clean water. And a fence to keep them out of the... water. Also, they really like cabbage. Do you grow any on the grounds?"
Bunny Paras enters the room last, right before Deris, so she does not notice how creepy the kids are being. She seems them whispering and smiles.
Bunny Paras and Paras enter the classroom and look around.
Suddenly Bunny Paras eye go wide and she stops moving. She looks a little scared.
She tip-toes over to Enzo and whispers, "These look like spirits to me... I think that this man is controlling them but he doesn't know that he is controlling them, Enzo! What do you think?"
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Mr. Ice acts like he believes Deris.
He follows the man through the school yard and into the classroom. When he sees the classroom of kids he smiles and looks happy!
He continues to smile at the 'kids.'
Slowly he leans over and whispers to Enzo.
Despite being quite obvious, Deris doesn't seem to notice that Mr. Ice thinks he is crazy, distracted as he is by thoughts of cheerful fluffy creatures. "That's lucky!" He says to Bunny Paras when she offers to sell him some rabbits, "This is a large yard... How about forty two? Yes that seems a good number." He takes notes on proper rabbit care as he leads the way, nodding along with all the advice, "I can't wait for Cassiel to see this place when I'm finished!"
Deris looks at Everbloom with a bewildered expression, and the two continue to stare at each other for an uncomfortably long time. Finally, Tera breaks the silence, and he turns to her with a sad smile. "No, Cassiel is still below... But she'll be up soon! I do want the place to look nice when she does though, so there is a lot of work to do." He nods and starts walking distractedly out of the room. "Yes, there's the trees, and then there's the fence to erect and a garden..." You can still hear him talking to himself as he walks down the hall. "...cabbages and water for the rabbits..."
As soon as his voice fades away, all activity within the classroom stops. The students return to their rigid sitting positions, motionless except for their eyes following you around the room. The teacher also returns to the place you first saw her, leaning against the wall, staying perfectly still. None of the spirits react to you in any way, no matter what you do, they just continue to silently watch as you walk around.
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Seeing the spirits, Enzo stands near the back of the classroom. Enzo discreetly casts detect magic and studies his surroundings.
"Hmmm..." Enzo says to Mr. Ice and Bunny Paras, arching one eyebrow.
"Where exactly is Cassiel?" Enzo asks Deris. "We're looking for another student. Do you know where we can find Junia Dacilane? Her mother has asked us to check on her."
Once Deris leaves the room, Enzo asks his companions "You think he's controlling them?"
Enzo looks a little closer around classroom.
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Everbloom eyes the creepy spirits.
"Huh. So?" she asks the others. "What is it?"
While the others figure out the spirits, Everbloom wanders the room.
Everbloom sifts through the drawers and desks and pulls out a lockbox and three diaries. She flips through the diaries and then cocks her head. "Three journals from three different people, but all in the same handwriting?"
She laughs and shakes her head. "This man's insane!"
"Oooh!" she remarks, but she makes no other comment on what she's found in the journals. Instead she asks, "Can anyone pick a lock? I can't open the box."
Then she goes back to reading the book.
Enzo searches the faces of the students from his position at the back of the classroom, looking for any sign of Junia. Unfortunately, to his eyes, none of the students have the distinctive sharp features, or even the necklace, depicted in the painting from Lady Dacilane's dining room. He does, however, detect the faintest of magical auras emanating from Deris as he talks to the spirits in the room, and he has little trouble determining the school and spell being used.
Before his staring contest with Everbloom, Deris talks to Enzo. "Junia? I know Junia. She and Cassiel are good friends, you know." Deris says, looking deep in thought, "She must still be with Cassiel... Maybe that's why she hasn't come out yet?" He turns to the teacher as if he heard her speak, Hmm? Oh, yes." He nods a few times as the Mrs. Hericks gestures and silently talks, then turns back to face Enzo. "Mrs. Heracks says that if they're both missing, that they've probably skipped class again. Those two were always getting in trouble. She says that the only place she hasn't looked is in the necropolis. The entrance is flooded though, and then there's the... bubbles?" He looks back at the teacher, a little unsure, then faces Enzo once more and shrugs, "Bubbles. Anyway, I'm sure they'll come out when they're ready. Kids will be kids after all."
Tera manages to crack the lock after a couple of attempts but declares the contents uninteresting. She does, however, make sure that Bunny Paras and Mr. Ice get a look before she tucks them away.
The journals don't look very old to Everbloom, certainly not as old as she'd expect.
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Bunny Paras smiles at Deris. She is very happy that he wants to learn about taking care of rabbits so much. "Oh, my! Forty-two is a lot. And my rabbits are only the best quality, so they're quite expensive. How about you start with two rabbits. They are six gold pieces each, for a total of twelve gold. If you take good care of them, I will bring you eight more. And if you like having ten rabbits still, and they look healthy, I will bring you thirty-two more. Okay?"
As Tera looks at her funny, Bunny Paras goes over and looks at the papers, too. She nods at Tera and then goes over to whisper to Mr. Ice.
Then Bunny Paras goes over to hug Paras who is hiding near the door.
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Before he leaves, Everbloom asks Deris: "And where's the entrance to the necropolis?"
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Everbloom looks at the journal one last time and then shuts it. Looking at the others she says, "This journal shows the location of these 'bubbles' that fool was rambling about. Let's check it out before going for a swim."
Everbloom then intends to lead the group to the 'bubbling pool on the school yard' that she found in the journal.