Geedra took in the scene and shrugged. She was ready to go back to the hallway, not quite capable of understanding the larger picture she’d just been a witness to.
Skäne stands, stoic and steadfast as he mulls the words, deeds and portents at work before and around them.
"As Krosh stated... the vættr move around us, guide our skien for weal or woe. We all walk the same vegr ..."
He flashes a rare smile as Byakko claims his prize;
"... and pity those who would oppose us..."
Byakko having claimed the prize of the mighty boar's tusks, you all gather yourselves to delver deeper into the strange configuration that the Dancing Hut has shifted into. You return to the impossibly long corridor, the images of centaurs and ravens, knotted glyphs and cavorting women. The fireflies continue to provide you with their soft, ambient glow of warm yellows and oranges. The heavy timbers of the walls are almost cozy and inviting, the endless parade of imagery supplemented handsomely by the lights, and you cannot help but feel a certain odd sense of solace and safety here, despite the circumstances.
You eventually come to another door, a second heavy portal very much like the first. There is a symbol carved upon this one as well, but it does differ from the previous. It is a downward facing crescent resting on a horizontal line with arrows pointing outward. A vertical line bisects it an ends in another set of arrows pointing up and down.
This is the rune used by Iobarian witches for "Night."
Like the previous door, this one is unlocked and pushes open with a small amount of force. Wavering darkness devours everything that lies beyond the threshold, a curtain of pure night that begins a few feet ahead. Within the short space of dimmed light between you and the darkness, you just see the thick stone columns and wooden beams, entangled with pale moonflower blossoms, that support the room's high-vaulted ceiling. A few moments after opening the door, however, a pulse of red light appears somewhere ahead amidst the blackness, and you can see a faintly glowing bloodred orb floating ahead - no, not floating, you can just make out a small bit of the iron chain it hangs from in the ambient light it gives, just a foot around it.
After another brief moment, a shape appears in the patch of visibility around the orb - another large raven, this one an albino specimen with eyes not unlike the orb it silently descends to and perches upon. This bird is not a handsome creature, its features scarred and feathers thin and gossamer. It tilts its head back and forth, one of its red eyes a cloudy bead.
Know. Arcana
”More Ioberian language. This symbol am mean “night,” she says as she points to the sigil.
She follows in the room with the others, staying behind Skane as the new bird makes an appearance.
Mithas watches the whole Byakko event with a touch of distaste. "Kind of feels like a bit of a waste, but I guess there's power in symbolism, or something."
Passing through the door into the darkness, Mithas sighs and starts walking forward. "Fortune favours the bold, and all that."
Seeing the raven, he raises a hand in greeting. "Hail friend raven. These weary travelers seek aid and succor in their quest. We search for the mighty Baba Yaga and any guidance you might provide in that area, would be greatly appreciated."
In response to Mithas, Byakko offers, "I think the Beast would disagree Mithas, perhaps we'll even receive thanks in the next realm. But until we leave this one we may actually find Tsume's twin," Byakko indicates his swords hilt, "and that would be a weapon worthy of lugging around some tusks for!"
Byakko flanks Mithas as he hails the bird. He keeps a hand on Enii's shoulder again and addresses another raven, "Your fellow raven had traditional dark wings accompanied by dark words, I hope your words are of a lighter nature, a match to your plumage."
The white raven stares at you, its milky red eyes moving slowly from one of you to the next, lingering a bit longer on Geedra than anyone else. Its eerie gaze returns to Mithas and Byakko when they speak. The bird coughs, and then replies.
”You seek the trail of Baba Yaga, do you? Yes, yes, I see you have already spoken with Moc and bear his amulet. So you have proven your intentions, and your strength…but now to me you must convince me of your wit. To prove your cleverness, bring me in the answer to this riddle.”
”I mark night’s coming,
I will mark your end.
I run not in fear,
I have not a friend.”
”The answer to the riddle lies beyond, within the passage of night. To find the path to what you seek, drink from the silver chalice within the grotto. Go now, and do not return to me unless you can prove your worth.”
”Another riddle, eh? Geedra am smart. Geedra get this right for sure,” she says, waiting for the group to head forwards.
”’Time’ am maybe good guess,” the goblin whispers to the others.
"Silver chalice in the grotto. Got it." Mithas sketches a rough salute towards the crow and lead the way down the path.
Leaning down to Geedra he says. "That's seems a pretty good guess, but I'm not sure how we would be able to carry time with us to be able to show it to anyone."
Looking down the dim path, he adds, "I guess we'll find out."
You move into the starless night that is the raven's chamber, moving precariously as not even those of you blessed with the ability to see in darkness can discern anything around you. The raven seems unburdened, watching you slowly pick your way through the chamber. It turns its weathered head, red eyes aglow, and two pinpoints of equally red light appear off ahead to the right, offering you a guidepost. Changing course to those two lights, you eventually come to find a path leading on, barely visible in the dim, ambient glow of the red dots.
The passageway is equally dark, but you see it lighten up ahead to a more manageable dimness, the hallway leading to the grotto the raven spoke of. Hundreds of tangled roots dangle from the raw earthen ceiling of this rough-hewn, circular place, which is filled with dark, placid water. A narrow stone walkway leads out into the water to a circular platform in the center of the room upon which rests a stone table set with five silver chalices. About the perimeter of the grotto, a few feet above the waterline, five deep alcoves have been dug into the walls. Though shadowed by darkness, a faint glitter sparkles from deep within each alcove.
”Probably a trap, but like goblins say, what am glitters is definitely gold,” Geedra says, rubbing her hands together greedily.
”Any of group want to check for gold and lure monster out,” she asks.
Skäne eyes the glitter and nods at Geedra's words.
"Aye Puka. Likely a festr ..."
He turns to the others in the group;
"Neinn has magik that can save us the erfiði ?"
"Can't say I have anything for this situation unless you'd like some more light in one of the alcoves? I'll check for magic, perhaps that will give us a clue . Byakko casts Detect Magic.
Channeling divinations to take stock of the room, you find that the five chalices on the stone platform that the walkway leads to are all magical, radiating auras of transmutation and evocation. You also can sense auras in the two closest alcoves, but the others exceed the range of the spell from your position.
"The chalices are magical, and the alcoves closest have... something magical within as well. Try some light then?" Byakko doesn't wait for an answer, he draws his crossbow, casting Light on a bolt before firing it into the furthest alcove.
Geedra squints her eyes, wondering if the new illumination made things easier to determine. This was clearly a trap, but how exactly.
Byakko intones a word as he draws forth a crossbow bolt from a case, the projectile suddenly becoming enchanted with magical light. Setting it into the weapon, he fires it to the farthest alcove - the one directly ahead, sending it sailing over the chaliced island, marking a path across the dark water before clattering into the recess in the wall. It falls to a stop of the hewn floor of the alcove, filling the space with illumination. A cage sits on the floor, chained and padlocked into the stone itself, and imprisoned within is an ornate hourglass, glinting in the light of the bolt.
Geedra elbows Mithas. ”what hourglass do? Am tell time, like Geedra said before,” she crows with a happy grin. ”Now how get hourglass and not set off awful trap?”
"Yes, yes, Geedra. We are all in awe of your powers of deduction. Now how do we go about getting it out."
To Byakko he adds, "Anything to add about those magics? This whole thing smells of a clever but deadly puzzle."
With no easy solution at hand, he starts inching out towards the island and chalices to get a closer look.
"Chalices are some mix of transmutation and evocation magics... Nasty work potentially. Anyone volunteering to take a quaff?"
Mithas creeps out onto the walkway, slowly heading towards the island in the center of the room. The dark waters are ominously still and silent, their glassy sheen making the pool look like a sheet of obsidian. A tense few moments of anticipation pass as the scout traverses the walkway, but nothing of ill befalls him. You all do notice though that the light-enchanted bolt that Byakko had fired into the alcove is suddenly snuffed, the darkness in the recession having seemingly swallowed the magic of the glow.
The five silver chalices sit on the stone table, each half-full with a dark red liquid. Notably, each goblet has a ring of runes etched neatly and precisely around the rim. Each of the chalices has a different rune in a repeating pattern. It doesn't appear to be a language or writing that Mithas can discern on first glance, but they look similar to the style of the runes that have been emblazoned on the doors throughout this iteration of the hut.
Geedra pushes the spectacles of understanding up on her nose and takes a deep breath. The goblin moves forward with Mithas. She moves closer in an attempt to read and translate the strange language.
Byakko looks to Skäne, "I'm of no use at range, guess we spring it from inside huh?" The half elf warily follows the Goblin and Elf, Enii at his side.
Skäne nods and follows suit with heavy steps and shield raised as he hovers at Geedra's shoulder.
"What say the rítar Puka?"
One by one, the rest of you creep across the walkway, a moment of tension as you all expect some hidden terror to break the glassy surface of the darkened pool. It remains still, however, with not even a ripple or bubble apparent and you all make it to the platform.
Geedra elbows her way through and around the legs of the larger folk to get to the table, pushing her magical spectacles up the bridge of her nose and standing on her toes to get a look at the half-filled chalices.
Each goblet bears one rune that repeats over and over around its rim. The goblet that sits in line with the alcove that Byakko had lit up reads "hourglass." Clockwise from that one, the other four read "athame," "key," "mirror," and "apple."
Geedra points to the various goblets and alcoves and repeats the words as she translated them. ”Hourglass am closer to time than other items. One of group go ahead and grab goblet saying hourglass. Am sure that am right answer and no bad possibly can happen,” the goblin adds with her trademark fanged grin.
"Uhhh... Athame? Like a dagger? I'm beginning to dislike this riddling hut, and Ravens... Well, shall we draw straws?"
Taking up the chalice with the repeated engravings denoting hourglass, the holder find that no harm befalls them. The liquid half-filling the cup is a slightly sour smelling wine, deep scarlet. Upon lifting the goblet, however, the alcove that Byakko had previously fired a lit-bolt, now snuffed, into lights up again of its own accord. A brighter illumination fills the entire space within the alcove, showing once more the padlocked cage that the actual hourglass sits within, an ornate silver frame holding the sand-filled glass. The glow remains for about five seconds before dimming once more.
Krosh approaches from the rear, looking cautiously around the room. "Curious..." he mutters. The shaman carefully grasps the goblet marked with "key" and lifts it. A moment later, another alcove is filled with bright light, revealing another chained cage, this one containing an elegant silver key. As with the other, the light winks out after a few seconds. "It seems too simple to just take the cup."
Geedra will chug the wine in the chalice. On one hand it might help to figure things out. At worst, hey, free wine!
Still at Geedra's shoulder Skäne's brow furrows as he warily watches the little goblin down the wine with atypical gusto.
He stands ready to aid or subdue her should the wine effects be overly weal or woe...
"Orrrrr not... How dya feel Geedra?" Byakko too tenses, maintaining his detect magic spell , wary for any new source of magic Geedra may have awoken.
The wine is sour, but surprisingly potable. Geedra downs the half-full contents and a few beads of scarlet liquid dribble from her mouth. Nothing happens at first, and she feels no ill effect. A moment later, however, you hear the sound of water being displaced; ripples in the strange pool around you. In the space between the platform and the alcove bearing the hourglass, the water shivers at the surface, a few bubbles popping and plopping in a straight line. Three dark shapes begin to emerge slowly from the surface...but they prove to be no beast or creature. Three large rocks, mostly flat, break the surface and come to rest, leaving a stepping-stone trail to the alcove.
The wine itself does not show to be magical under divination. The chalices do, with auras of conjuration and transmutation.
Mithas slowly retracts the hand that he had begun to reach out to stop Geedra. "That was incredibly foolish. As a general course of action, it's best to not drink strange liquids left lying about. But, no harm, no foul, I guess."
With the way forward revealed, Mithas takes point and starts hopping along the stone path.
Geedra lets out a loud burp. ”Am not bad manners, am just good wine,” she cackles at her joke. She scampers ahead with Mithas, hoping to collect heir treasure.
Byakko shrugs and follows along tentatively, Enni behind him.
Mithas sets off to utilize the now-present stony pathway across the dark pool leading to the alcove. Fortunately the stones seem to be just large enough to not incur any real difficulty in traversal. Geedra, giddy with herself, follows after the elf, and Byakko tails them after another moment.
Mithas makes it across, jumping into the alcove to find the hourglass, locked in a cage that itself is chained to the floor - the chains seem to be obviously magical in nature as they disappear into the floor. The cage has a keyhole, but no apparent key.
Just as Geedra pushes off of the last stone to join Mithas, all three platforms suddenly and swiftly sink back below the surface, disappearing into the opaque depths. Byakko, caught in the middle of crossing, is left with a mere moment to act...
Byakko scrabbles for footing. Enii slightly quicker also scrambles.
The big viking remains at Geedra's shoulder and scowls at the Puka's apparent disregard for any ill-magicks that could affect her as she scampers ahead.
With a reigned grimace Skäne plods in the group's wake...
As the stones suddenly vanish beneath the surface, so to does Byakko's only foothold. In a last second attempt he makes a leap off of the edge of the stone, but doesn't make it to the ledge of the alcove, instead plummeting into the still, dark waters.
The water is cold, but not unbearable so. Though it looks the color and luster of ink, it is no thicker than any other water, and after a brief moment of panic of what might be waiting in those depths, nothing happens. The waters still once more and Byakko treads in the pool, with nothing below coming to greet him.
Then his eyes go black, and he begins to thrash in the water, breathlessly calling out though no words can form.
Suddenly your vision distorts and it as if everything you see is viewed from underwater. The air in your lungs vanishes - not in a slow exhalation, but a sudden and terrifying disappearance. You have no breath to hold, and you can already start to see a black haze encroach along the edg0es of your vision..
Byakko thrashes in the water, though it doesn't appear as though anything is restricting him from below. His suddenly blackened eyes hint at a more magical bane...
The darkness around your eyes seeps like so much spilled ink across a charcoal drawing, the air bubbling out of your lungs painfully and rendering you suddenly fearful and agonizing in the conflicting sensations of burning and cold. You see the glow from the alcove - the bolt you fired? the hourglass? One of your comrades' spells? It all seems so far away in this instant, fading...but the aura grows brighter, shaping itself into a full moon by your eyes, and in that moment you center yourself, balancing between your duality, and align your soul with the magic granted to you by your divine mysticism. No, this is not your time. By pure resolve and strength of mind and body, you push this curse away. The darkness leaves your eyes as the air returns to your lungs.
..but just as swiftly as these strange effects arose, they vanish, and your half-elven compatriot seems to come to his senses. The black clouds in his eyes fade away and he stops his chaotic movements in the pool.
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”Why Byakko am jump in pool? Plenty time for swim after group complete mission Geedra jokes as she watches her now drenched friend.
Skäne is less jocular, offering the soggy half-elf an arm up but holding it firm as he eyes the Oracle;
"What ails ye Hvítrkló ? Are we tryggr ?"
Taking the hand proferred and climbing out Byakko struggles to respond verbally, this is not the growls of battle stress, simply hesitation borne of confusion and fright. "I... know not Skäne... Aye whatever it is I recommend no one else try going for a swim. Not exactly refreshing having the breath removed from my lungs... There came a vision in the alcove as my sight dimmed... of a full moon... Did we learn anything else Geedra? Krosh? Is that... a key hole? There is a key goblet no?"
Mithas lets out a sigh of relief, as Byakko makes it to dry land. "This game stopped being fun long ago. Let's find our trinket and be done with it."
"I imagine that there's some trick to this, but trying the old fashioned way first can't hurt." Mithas pulls out his tools and takes a crack at the lock, .
Mithas unrolls a kit of lockpicking tools and kneels down by the cage, eyeing the keyhole for a moment before setting to work. Deftly the elf maneuvers around the complex mechanics of this apparently masterful lock, but with great knack and finesse he forces the inner workings to click, dislodging the cage's door from the frame. The front of the cell swings open, giving access to the silver hourglass within.
Gathering up your prize, only one issue remains - the stony steps leading back to the central platform are still gone.
Krosh, still on the central platform, having been eying all the preceding actions with his all-consuming gaze, gives you your way back. He picks up the same chalice Geedra had drunk from before - now apparently magically half-full of wine once more - and downs it. A moment later, the stones rise back to the surface, breaking the eerie calm of the pool to grant you crossing once more. You are quick to not waste any seconds this time, and all make it back to the walkway. Answer to the riddle in hand, you leave this place behind and return to the previous chamber, where the albino raven awaits.
The red-eyed creature coughs and laughs as you return. "Well done, well done..and all of you unscathed...though this one appears to have become waterlogged." The raven coughs again and gives the closest thing to a smirk a bird can give. "In exchange for the answer, I shall impart wisdom you seek. And offer a prize"
The hourglass suddenly pulls from Mithas's hands by some unseen force and floats across the darkness to the raven, who takes flight and clutches it in its talons.
"You have taken upon yourselves a great burden.For that which you desire, the Changeling holds. Know this well - you will find the Crone only when the moon wanes!".
The last words echo as the raven flies straight up, vanishing into the supernatural darkness with the hourglass. You hear the faint flapping of wings for a few seconds before it disappears, though from the same direction the raven flew, a slowly descending glimmer falls from the shadows.
Left floating in the air before you is an amulet much like the one granted to you by the first raven, though this iron trinket is emblazoned with a different rune - this one Geedra discerns as the Iobarian rune for "gold."
"So dragon and gold are ingredients for the kettle, huh..." He pauses but continues swiftly as a sudden thought dawns on him, "I was gifted a full moon vision, perhaps a sign that we'll find the crone soon, as it wanes. But... what did the last raven say about the moon? Are the crone and mother different?"
He looks to Enii, "I'm beginning to share your animosity of birds, cat."
Mithas gives himself a pat on the back for a job well done. Following the raven departure, he says "Anybody else miss the trolls and dragon? No, just me?" He sighs, "Man I hate riddles...
"Alright, back to hallways. Let's find that the next door. Rule of threes and all that."
Geedra looks at the others. ”so group am done now? More stuff to find or should hut run now,” the goblin asks, shrugging her shoulders.