*The magic of the witches is brewing*
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"The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.
As if in proof of that dire prophecy, a badly wounded mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of Lady Argentea Malassene. He told the village council that the noblewoman's escort came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures near the edge of the Border Wood. He alone escaped, and Lady Argentea was dragged away into the forest. Now the townsfolk cast fearful eyes toward the snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten their peaceful village."
Merge can be seen from a mile away walking twords the village from the woods. The supplies he purchased have proven to be insufficient in the abnormal cold so he has returned to purchase more. Upon hearing of the newly ferocious beast he thinks to himself Maybe it was a good thing I came up dry on the hunt...
Merge approaches the inn deciding it be best to wait this trouble out rather than risk his life... More so that usual that is.
Lyda ran through the forest as fast as her feet would carry her. Ghost flew ahead silently, keeping a look out, while Shadow followed close to her side. Not one of them looked back. Lyda never got a good look at whatever had closed in on them. Instinct just told her to run. Lyda broke the edge of the forest and saw the town in the distance. She didn't want to bring whatever it was that was chasing her to them but there was no other option at the moment. Half way there the dark, foreboding feeling ebbed away. She took a second to look over her shoulder and noticed nothing was following her. Whatever it was stopped at the edge of the forest, hidden behind the shadow and leaves.
What was happening? That was her forest. She knew every tree and path in it. But very recently, its whole being seemed to change. Cold snaps in summer. Strange beasts. She feared no creature in the forest's depths but whatever that was sent her running. Lyda started to shake with exhaustion and fear. Her legs gave out soon after and she sank to the ground. Shadow likewise sat and panted beside her. Ghost landed on Lyda's left shoulder on the specially made pad. He was the only one that seemed unconcerned. But the way he puffed out his feathers a little as he looked at the forest gave away his unease too. What was happening to her home?
Lyda entered the town less confidently than usual. Shadow didn't even respond to the guard at the front she usually played with. She went straight to the most comfortable place in town, the general store, to talk with Helen. Afterwards she'd head for the inn. For the first time in nearly 30 years she felt safer in town than the forest. A good night's sleep would help. It is here she finds Merge, the strange, pale dwarf she often saw in the woods. She sits at his table, her companions sticking close out of fear from the previous experience. "The woods...I don't know them anymore," is her simple statement to him. She absently pets shadow as he lays close by.
"Hello Officer. Winter is coming."
Cassandra grimaces as the guards ignore her, their eyes gaining the all too common far away look as her words are taken from them by the guardians of time.
"Right. Well it's been a lovely chat, where's the largest fireplace in town?"
She smiles as they direct her to the inn, and heads that way, her pack tight on her back and her eyes drifting over the houses.
Not a sign of firewood anywhere. Those roofs won't stand.
She finally stops in front of the inn, admiring the stonework, then peeks to the side where the logs are stacked.
"Finally someone with sense. Let's hope more of the village listens to the innkeeper than the cat."
Her lantern chortles in agreement, and she settles it absently. Entering the common room, she notices Lyda and Merge sitting, and Shadow curled up beneath the table. She looks to the rafters, and sees no sign of Ghost. Taking a startled breath, she's interrupted by the innkeep urging her to get out of the door. She does, sitting at the table and noticing ghost hiding in the girl's hair.
"Hello Shadow, there's some treats for you as usual. Good day Lyda, Ghost, won't you introduce me to your friend? It's been a while since I found a door nearer the town than the woods."
Cassandra settles her gear against the table leg, and looks at Merge expectantly. Her whiskers twitch in amusement, and her eyes glitter with good humor.
Lyda looks up but her expression remains neutral. Cassandra appeared at more random times than anything else in her 50 years experience in the Border Woods. This time seemed no different than the last ones. Even with what was going on in the forest, she didn't question Cassandra's appearance. Best to roll with it. "Merge, Stray cat. Stray cat, Merge," is Lyda's introduction. It was easy to tell there was a lot more on her mind.
Ghost swivels his head to look at Cassandra and blinks once before swiveling away.
Shadow however, gets up and sniffs Cassandra's pack for the promised treats. It smelled like more than just treats in there though. Smelled like dried meat as well.
"Who's been a good puppy? Of course you have."
Sandy smiles at the introduction, scratching Shadows ears.
"You may call me Sandy, if you like. Now I have to feed the bottomless pit before he helps himself. Promises are important."
She pulls some wrapped and cured meat from the side of her pack, and offers it to the wolf.
"I don't know that you'll be surprised to hear that things are going to become more exciting in the next few days, judging by ghost's perch I imagine they've already started. Still, we should be up to the task of it, if you will accept my aid? It is very nice to meet you Merge."
Merge nods twords what seems to be Cassandra's general direction as his beard moves into the shape of what seems to be a smile. Being a man of few words, the only thing he says is.
"Nice te meet you to! Been gettin my ear chewed off about some beasts roamin round the woods. Didn't see 'em myself, there was talk of a guy what came te town yellin a lady getin draged away? Was thinking of checking it out but I could never handle something like that me self...
As strange as it may have seemed, Mikhail felt at home for the first time in years. He loved the cold, always had. There was something honest and pure about winter. Entirely deadly as well, but still honest with it. The locals seemed concerned so he assumed this was not natural. He had ceased maintaining preconceptions now that he was so far from home. This land had ways of surprising him constantly.
Mikhail did have to admit that there was something off about this cold as well. It felt malicious when he skirted the edges of the forest, there was no other way to describe it. That should have warned him off but it merely told him he was going the right way.
He was so far from home that is was difficult to take anything for granted and indeed, outright unwise to do so. Still, he had specific purpose in coming to this town and one thing seemed universal, if you wanted information, you found the most popular local alcohol dispensary. Most towns had an inn of some sort and cold weather made it a favorite gathering place.
He swept into the inn much like the cold weather that had swallowed the nearby wood. His heavy coat looked almost Andoran in style but clearly intended for harsher climates. Scattered about it were a handful of spots were insignia had clearly been torn free. He carried a rough looking pack with a hodge-podge of travel gear that looked as though it came from a dozen sources. Alongside of it was a ill-used looking musket of some design but judging from the scorched wood and twisted metal around the firing mechanism, it would not be seeing any use in the near future. A pistol at his waist was in a similar state. The gently curved sword riding his opposite hip, on the other hand, looked perfectly serviceable.
He was handsome enough, with sharp, cunning features that put one in mind of a half-feral hunting dog. There was the ghost of soldierly discipline about his person but also unpredictability. It was easy to read him as a man with no attachments, with nothing to lose.
He strode up to the bar and ordered a glass of the local rotgut, knocking it back with the ease of a man used to drinking far fouler things in the name of inebriation. When the bartender came by to refill his glass, he asked the man, "I am looking for bad magic, know of any?"
The bartender looks up and down Mikhail, and relays the information making its way through the town. The inhabitants are fairly loose with gossip, and so different ideas can be heard around the inn and town. "Not much else to my ears from nearby. But crazy talk of strange creatures attacking 'em like that, I'd say the bandits just knocked him good and silly."
Shortly thereafter though, a woman in flowing coat and garments enters the inn, followed by a few others. Merge,Lyda, and Cass recognize them as the town council, with the leader as Ionnia Teppen. Aiden can recognize them by tales alone. They make their way to the trio and start conversing. "Good evening friends. The rumors have had startling revelations of the lands outside our town. The attack the mercenary experienced has left us wary. And he seems to be talking of strange fey as well."
"I don't know that you'll be surprised to hear that things are going to become more exciting in the next few days, judging by ghost's perch I imagine they've already started. Still, we should be up to the task of it, if you will accept my aid? It is very nice to meet you Merge."
"Not exciting," Lyda says. She reaches a hand up to Ghost, absently scratching under his wing. He liked it there and lifted the wing for better access. That seemed to calm both of them down enough for the owl to find his usual place in the rafters.
"Something in the forest. Mean. Evil." And that was a word she rarely used for she believed most things had goodness within them. She had to.
When the council enters she, like the rest of the inn looks there way. It was rare to see the whole council like that. They seemed...scared. What was this about a mercenary? Bandits in the forest? Her head sinks down to the table. "My forest," she says sadly.
"Ah, friend, there are patterns to this sort of story," Mikhail said, knocking back his second glass of rotgut and settling with his back to the bar to eavesdrop rather blatantly on the conversation between the three oddest souls and wealthiest looking bunch in the inn at the moment.
"Take the three associates sitting at ease. They have the hallmark eccentricities the skilled souls in this land so often exhibit," Mikhail spoke easily in accented Taldane, the most common tongue he had encountered. Clearly he was content to amuse himself, rather than try to horn in on the conversation for the time being. "Those addressing them are the best dressed I have yet seen in my admittedly short time here. Local council?"
As interesting as Aiden found their conversation to be, he still had some semblance of manners and moved out of eavesdropping range. This took him over to the bar, where he took up position near the stranger in the big coat. Whiskey, please, and something for the gentleman here. Turning to Mikhail, he continued If he will allow me, of course. Even among my people we have heard of you. Aiden indicates Mikhail's sword with a thrust of his chin, I would be honored if you would allow me to buy you a drink.
Cassandra smiles carefully at the new arrivals, keeping her fangs covered as she studies them. It looks prim. As the council explains, her eyes grow worried.
"The people are capricious, even fickle. This can sometimes seem mean, but they are rarely fully evil in my experience. Is the man reliable? Where did he see them? What? Oh, it's you Shadow"
Her voice is soft and rolling, each word precisely measured with a strange accent. She leans into the table as she speaks to the council, her ears perked forward and eyes serious. For a moment, she almost looks like she's hunting, then it fades as her knee bumps shadow and she leans back to give the wolf space.
"Ah. Well. Forgive my curiosity, please. It's a failing. The story is interesting, but how can we be of assistance?"
The barkeep pours a glass of whiskey for Aiden, and nods towards Mikhail, with another mug of ale. "Aye, they be the council. Fair folk to the town. Just as well, a place like this has not but comradery and fair trade amongst the folks. Those three though..." he says pointing to Cassandra, Lyda, and Merge. They be the strong type. The kind who know of things beyond this town. Their minds know much of these parts of our world."
Ionnia speaks again at the three seated. "We wouldn't ask if we felt it wasn't of utter importance. But we haven't more than an infancy of a militia to work with. Unfortunately we can't spare a soul to investigate for ourselves. If the mercenary was telling the truth, I'm wondering if you three would even be enough of an investigation team. He was very badly injured, and seemed shaken when he recounted the winter creatures who fought him. But we can't let this go unchecked. His name is Yuln Oerstag. If you can help, you may wish to learn all you can from him. This attack was...not right."
Merge stokes his beard as the council woman speaks to him and the Lady's. After she finishes his gaze wanders over to the bar, landing on the two men who seem to be looking at the council.
"Well... I suppose I can't say no the yea... We are gana need some help though.
Merge rise's to his full impressive stature and yells.
Mikhail quirked an eyebrow at the stranger offering to buy him a drink but did not turn down the offer. It was easier to let others make up their own stories about him. Tacit confirmation of a mistaken identity could spin into a whole imagined web of interlocking lies that he would barely need to tend. Far more effective than trying to stitch together a tale by himself.
"Don't mind me," Mikhail said in his curious accent, raising his tankard in Merge's direction, "I was merely planning on following you three and then swooping in to steal the glory at an opportune moment, please carry on."
Mikhail smiled broadly and took a hefty draught from his tankard. Ale was typically not his libation of choice but refusing a free drink was in exceedingly poor form. "As I said earlier, these stories always have patterns to them," he confided conspiratorially to the bartender and Aiden, "It is merely a matter of knowing when to step and when to stand."
"If the mercenary was telling the truth, I'm wondering if you three would even be enough of an investigation team."
"We're not," Lyda says more to herself than the others. Her mind was still running through whatever had driven her out of the forest. She knew Merge could handle himself in the forest. And Cassandra was strong and had magic. But she didn't think it would be enough. She looks over to the bar to the one that spoke up. She cocked her head to the side like Ghost usually did to gauge him. He looked strong, but he carried odd weapons. He spoke confidently but almost too much. If nothing else he might distract whatever that thing was long enough for them to escape. "He'll do," she says to Merge and Cassandra.
Aiden mentally filed away the people at the table: dwarf graybeard, probably more spry than he looked; tiefling with pets, perhaps a bit more cause for suspicion, but he doubted Sarenrae would approve of him holding the woman's heritage against her; finally a catfolk. Those he had no frame of reference for at all. Turning his attention back to the dwarf, he asked "Volunteers for what, jadd?"
Merge smiles at the two men, ignoring the second ones question and instead gives them both a hug.
"Good to have yea aboard then!"
If he is injured we should tend him before the snow spreads.
"I suppose that could be so."
Cassandra looks at the three hugging men a moment longer, then turns to the council.
"You want us to investigate, but what if the man spoke true? You'll want to prepare your village, certainly. If we are to be your agents, there are the matters of proof, and expectations as well. What would you have of us, what would you offer, and how might we prove our service on your behalf? Lastly, how long might this service last? Questions which I'm sure you've already answers to, or you'd not have approached so openly."
Cassandra smiles widely, her eyes merry as the council considers.
"Perhaps the most important question remains, why did the mercenary escape? Was he let go? That may not have an answer but we must think on it."
Sandy's pack falls over, and she reaches down to right it. Tapping the lantern back into place perhaps a little more firmly than required.
We'll help, of course. This is Lyda's home, but no need to be bound for it. No need at all.
"You remind me of uncle Yuri," Mikhail wheezed through the embrace before eventually prying himself free. He took a moment to straighten the lapels of his battered coat and collect his things before moving to join the rest of the small band of oddities. The cat-thing worried him a bit but he kept it from his face. This land was rife with strange beings, all of whom expected to be treated as well as or even better than humans.
Deciding that he probably wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this, Aiden relented and decided to roll with it. "Exactly what is it that we have boarded, jadd?"
Again Merge ignores the pressing question and decides to give the man his name.
"What's with this jadd stuff? Te names Merge lad, don wear it out."
He gives the man a final squeeze before letting him go. He goes back to his seat dragging the two new Comer's alongside him. He pulls up a chair for the two and sits in his own. Suddenly his face take's on a serious guise.
Now let's talk bout what te do about this crap what's going on.
Lyda shakes her head. She reaches across the table and places her hand over Cassandra's mouth to stop the line of questions. She then turns to the council and asks, "Yuln? Once they tell her where the mercenary is, she gets up, hand still on Cassandra's mouth, and gentle guide's her away. Cassandra was asking the right questions but to the wrong people. She also highly doubted any writ of order from the council was going to help. Not after what she say, or didn't see. And not against bandits. And it will last as long as it takes to make the forest safe again. That's what she at least intended to do. Merge seemed to have rounded to others up as well.
With a whistle, Ghost and Shadow are following along, weaving through the crowd until they are at Lyda's side. She also doesn't remove her hand from Cassandra's mouth until Yuln is in front of them and she does so with a flourish that says "continue".
"We thank you for this bravery. It is of utmost importance that we discover the foul play in our lands, and save the Lady Argentea. If by the gods grace, she is still alive." the council spoke gravely. They offer to lead you to the battered mercenary, and offer a reward for your efforts should you return. "The mercenary can answer most questions you might have. But take care when you see him. He is still shaken."
Cassandra keeps talking genially behind the hand then stops when lyda guides her away realizing. Once the hand is gone she starts again, quietly, trying to be soothing.
"Sorry lyda, you're right of course. Hello Yuln. We have questions! Questions that you might, oh you do, have answers to. If that's, well... We're wondering if you can tell us what happened. In the wood. We've been told that things were bad, but not really bad, but maybe bad enough, and that you have answers. Oh, just think about something happy.
Sorry, I didn't mean to remind you. Sorry! Better now? Of course it is. So that's why we're here, to see what answers you have but then you'd have to answer questions and you don't seem to want to talk much. I know how that can be, Mad is like that when she worries, she doesn't talk much either. When she does, she has a lot to say though, so you get really good at listening. We're good at listening.
You should try talking, it might make it better. You know? Sometimes you talk to someone else and they tell you it's going to be all right, and they're lying but you still feel better. I won't lie, it might not be all right for a while, but you could still talk to us. You might feel better. You might even like us. We're very likable, once you get to know us, and we were hoping that maybe you would. Get to know us that is. After you talk to us about the woods of course.
Easy, easy. Don't bite your tongue, that's uncomfortable. We had questions, questions you could answer if you wanted to. Just the easy ones, you don't have to think about the hard ones. Just let the easy answers out. They want to come out, but you'd have to want to talk. You know, open your mouth and just see what falls out. I bet you saw a lot.
Woah, hold still. Don't see it, just talk about it. That's right, look at the cat, harmless cat. Winter is coming. There you go, just let it all slip away."
Cassandra sighs as the man stares blankly at her.
"You're going to have to ask him Lyda, and don't mention the. Well. You know. The trees and stuff. He'll get upset again and I can't count on my unwelcome gift to calm him again."
Lyda pokes Cassandra with something sharp. Her hint to get to the "point". Some might have found Cassandra's talkativeness annoying. Lyda did sometimes but it was fine. She didn't talk a lot. Cassandra could talk enough for two and then some. Lyda stays near the back of the room with her companions. Some were not comfortable around wolves and less around a half demon. A half-cat was another matter.
"Right. The direct approach. Can you tell us who hired you and where the job went wrong?"
Cassandra speaks very slowly and precisely, her earlier chatter and accent entirely missing. Her voice is warm and soothing, like tea on a cold night.
Merge snickers at the hyperactivity of the cat woman, she reminded him of his sister Usha. Never out of things to say...
Aiden politely cleared his throat before saying "If I might interject, qitt, I believe the more pertinent question would be 'who or what attacked you'?"
Mikhail grunted in agreement. He had always found it was easier and more effective to let the subject of interrogation feel they have taken the lead in any questioning. The more they assumed they were in control, the more they could be guided to the information needed.
The council takes you to the Willowbark Apothecary to see Yuln. When you enter, he waves you closer to speak with you. He is heavily injured, and his nose and fingers show a blackness of severe frostbite. "Would that I could go with you, but my hands aren't much for a weapon right now." He flexes his fingers as best he can, though the movement is almost nonexistent."My ancestors would ridicule me for fleeing rather than fighting until the end. But I faced enemies that even the greatest warriors in the Linnorm Kingdom have faltered against. Though I think I slew at least one of them before they dragged Lady Argentea away. He speaks rather sternly when recounting the attack.
As Cassandra questions and chatter berate his ear, his face twists and contorts. First his face is a look of confusion, then one of amusement. He laughs at you all, a good sign given the sight of his bandaged body. "I guess the tales of you catfolk are true. A chatty bunch, airy of the mind, but not unkind. Well, I can only give so much. I was hired on as part of her caravan security. It was nothing special, a job most in this line could handle. But as we skirted the Border Woods, we were attacked. We thought it was bandits at first, nothing we couldn't handle. But then came the cold fey of the north. They appeared among us and the battle turned quickly. My people speak of the winter-touched all the time, but I never expected to see them this far south."
Aiden glanced curiously at Yuln's blackened skin, silently wondering what could cause such a thing. Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he asked "Who are these 'winter-touched' and what would they want with your charge?"
"You say you saw the people, but can you describe their colors or sigils? They have houses and allegiances which we might know some of their motives by."
As aiden asks his question she smiles at him, with somewhat too many teeth, then looks inquiringly at Yuln. As she does, her lips slide back down over her grin and she turns serious once more.
"If you are from the lands Linnorn, you must certainly have some experience. Did you have true iron, or the southern steel? The latter would not end them, merely inconvenience. I honestly don't know if we could find true iron in this town. Lyda? Merge?"
"Fey creatures who have sworn themselves to the White Witches of Irrisen, those who stole our lands from us during the winter war. Tiny sprites no taller than the length of a man's forearm. But don't let their size fool you. Legend says they've taken a sliver of ice into their hearts, and their touch deals the harsh bite of winter. As for what they might want with Lady Argentea, I've no idea. But if one of the White Witches took her, no good shall come of it. The winter-touched do nothing without the leave of those who placed the ice in their hearts. If they're here its because a White Witch sent them, and much worse will follow."
He smiles at Cassandra questions. "No banners or colors of identity lass, but you're on the mark elsewise. Cold iron. It and fire are all that can harm them. It burns them, and otherwise kills them. They fear it. Here, my longsword is made of it. You can use it to help slay them should you find them. Maybe you'll have better luck in rescuing the Lady Argentea. But please make haste." He hands his longsword to whoever will take it.
At the talk of witched and fey, Lyda opens her coin pouch. She frowns at the sight. A gold coin and a few silver. Not enough to get any cold iron if she wanted to anyway. She looks up at Cassandra and shrugs as if to say she did not know.
She had some spells that produced fire but she had not prepared them. Torches might be the better option. They didn't cost much.
Merge takes hold of the longsword and gives the man a wap on the shoulder.
"Thank yea lad. I'm sure this'll come in handy. Now, off we we go then! Man needs te get his rest and we need te get going if we want any chance of finding em."
Merge begins to set out the door.
"So we find these things and kill them? Sounds simple enough," Mikhail said, following Merge out the door. He sorely wished his guns were still in working order, he would like to see how well these invincible agents of winter did against high velocity lead.
"A gentlemanly gift. You must take care of your wounds, let me settle the blankets again before we go. Would you accept a cat's blessing? I intend to leave no debt in the offer."
Cassandra smiles, then follows the others, her ears perking up at mikhail's words.
"That should be your first hint that things are going to be complicated. Whenever someone mentions one of the people, and you find yourself thinking things are simple, then they are going to be very deeply twisted indeed. Nothing is ever black and white, I'm sure you'd agree. We live in a world of endless grey with splashes of color all around us. Half the fun is smearing the paints."
"I like gray," Lyda says looking down fondly at her wolf companion who consisted mostly of that color. Sensing affection, Shadow moved closer and looked up as she reached down to scratch his head. An angry ball of feathers alights on her shoulder, opposite the wolf. She turns to Ghost and scratches his head too. "And brown."
Yuln accepts the CLW, and breathes a sigh of relief as your magic mends some of his aches and pains. His breathing becomes easy, and hearty again, and he lays back in the bed looking to get some rest. As you're ushered out of the Apothecary the council relays all information to you in regards to where exactly the attack took place, and the carriage that you're looking for. They suggest gathering supplies before going into the woods to make sure you're fully prepared for anything that may happen.
Aiden frowns. "I suppose bringing some food would be good. What other supplies would we need?"
Out of everything, Mikhail tensed visibly at the sight of the spell worked upon Yuln but seemed to be forcing himself to relax as they leave.
"Warm clothing and strong liquor," Mikhail mentions, his moment of discomfort receding back behind his jovial mask, "One to keep you warm and the other to keep the snow off."
Merge shakes his head at Mikhail. "Just te cloth's, out there if you're drunk... Your good as dead."
Lyda rolls her eyes. She was used to Cassandra's lack of ability to survive, but now she had two others following along. Alcohol in the cold? Merge summed that up quite nicely. And the other one was wearing clothing far too flowy, like something from warmer areas. If winter was coming early they were up for a rude awakening. Then again, so was she. She was used to a cyclical winter. The cold was supposed to come in winter not whenever it wanted. Thankfully, she found her body was fine winter or summer with minimal clothing. No extra purchases here.
"You probably know better than I what we'll need to care for the lady when we find her, Lyda. Talk with Helen? We can sort out debts later."
Sandy hands Lyda a small purse.