Keeyan follows along, wondering which of the two languages he should focus on learning,once he gets time. As he strolls along he summons another mug of ale and sips. It really does taste.... well, it's OK, and the price is right! Just follow a Diety that was pretty cool anyway!
When he notices that the mug is empty.... did he spill some? He considers the trail and refills it. One more ale. Then he'll definitely switch to water!
Bella sighs at the sight of the cabin and thinks back to memories of old...was this here?
This hut is new to you... although that still puts in a pretty good couple of decades or so in which it could have been built, if I recall your backstory correctly.
Keeyan approaches Bella, noticing her disapproval. "I don't have it prepared, but if the temperature is really a problem.... Maybe I should have some Endure Elements spells ready for tomorrow? It makes most natural temperatures quite comfortable. Lasts the whole day too!"
Bella looks at Keeyan... " I am totally a lesbian...but if you did that I would be willing to make a exception" Bella pauses..." Well probably not...but I would be very greatful...just that greatful."
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Keeyan grins at Bella's words, making him look much younger than his 85 years. Not that he'd ever press her on it, but she was quite pretty.... "We're a team so thanks is more than enough. I'll prepare the spells tomorrow then. And when we get back to the land of air conditioning and Internet I'll buy a wand app for it. I guess today though we'll just suffer, as a team!"
"That will be grand....though I am going have a long talk with Starwing to see I can add it to my own spell knowledge." she pauses..."Where is this hermit?"
Another couple of minutes of walking pulls the hut into view, nicely sequestered on a patch of the more solid ground, between a few leaning trees and tall brush.
The hut is a fairly small building, larger than a shack but smaller than a cottage. The wood that makes up the sides and roof has a green tinge-- moss, it looks like-- that makes it blend in just a little with its surroundings.
A chicken coop stands beside it, though if it's the home to any birds, they are not currently outside. A small chimney gives off a thin, almost transparent smoke, and a window provides a view inside: what looks like a somewhat-modern kitchen counter with a gas stove.
...unless you're into that kind of thing...
The door opens a crack, and a sliver of face appears in it; whoever lives here is humanoid, with pale skin and wavy, dark gray hair. You can only see one eye in the opening, but it is a very deep brown.
She takes a moment to eye the group, then opens the door further.
"Travelers, as you say? Yes, of course that is. A handsome traveler and his friends, here to see Grizelda. And who is it that you are?"
Her voice is husky, and her accent hard to place.
"I am Bella. We have had some difficulty with our van...and are on our way to investigate a possible attack on a Elven community near by."
"That's nice, dear."
She doesn't look at Bella as she's speaking; instead, she's looking intently at Keeyan.
Bella sighs and looks at Keeyan with a look of annoyance. "Well I guess you are up.:
Edie is cautious
" I'm Edie. Please understand our concern being so far into the woods encountering someone on their home turf. Our team has been through a lot the past day or so, and possession was the least of the things. Can't presume to speak for the 'handsome young man', but can you assure us that you mean him no harm?"
"Mhm."
Keeyan was staying to the back of the group, as usual for a "squishy mage", and seems a little confused by the look of.... the eye behind the door. When Bella comments, 'Well I guess you are up', he glances around to maybe see who she's talking to. ?? "Me? Well, OK I guess."
"Handsome? Ah, well, my name is Keeyan. I'm a priest of Cayden Cailean and a diviner. My companions are Klyto, Bella, and Edie. And Bella is correct. We had heard of some trouble and were heading this way when our van broke down. It's a rental and was poorly maintained."
"Anyway, we seek an elven community in this area. Could you please assist us with directions?"
The sun is making its descent at this point, and Grizelda seems quite aware of this as she offers a thin-lipped smile as Keeyan steps a little closer.
"A pleasure to meet you, Keeyan! Come in, come in. Your friends can come too-- even the one without a name," she grins. "Ravens and their kin are always welcome in my home."
She hobbles to open the door completely and steps aside to allow anyone to enter if they wish. "A priest and a diviner! How talented. Delightful. Cayden, you say?" She gives an old womanly giggle; "Back in my youth, I knew many a Caydenite. Oh, how they loved old Grizelda-- well, not so old then, I suppose. Ah, a lark listens to the babbling spring, as always. Come in, come in, you may have some soup. Your friends, too, as the waywind burrows."
The hut is a little old-timey, but it's hard to place whether it would be more at home in the colonial era or, like, the early 70's. The hardwood floor hosts a few rugs, including a particularly plush one. There only seem to be three rooms; the one you're in now seems to be a kitchen, with a big, old-timey cauldron on a crackling fire in one corner.
"No electricity here," she says, almost apologetically, "but Caydenites like you are hardy folk. I think it's called 'living off the grid' these days," she muses.
Edie is worried about the time.
The tiefling will follow the lead of Keeyan, whether it is to enter the hut or continue down the path. She will try to be a polite guest, and respectful of the hostess.
Keeyan accepts the invite into the house, "Thank you! I've always respected Cayden, even before I got the calling to spread his word."
"The ravens have names too, but I'll let them introduce themselves, or not as they like."
Klyto is pretty sure this old lady is weird and thirsty for some attention from a hot young twink.
Of your number, only one fits that description-- even if his youth is only by Sylvan standards.
"Oooh, a calling?" she asks, opening a cabinet and retrieving a bucket of water, which she dumps into the cauldron.
Her skin has lines in it, ears rounded; from the way she carries herself, she doesn't seem to have the venerability that comes with age, and from her proportions, she seems like she may have been quite attractive... about 40 years ago. By a ballpark estimation, anyone familiar with human biology would assume she's in her late sixties, mid seventies, or somewhere inbetween.
The kitchen area has the damp smell of bog in it, but not nearly as thoroughly as outside. The soup helps with that, significantly; you smell onions cooking more than anything else, along with perhaps some root vegetables, mushrooms, and some form of poultry.
"It was meant to be a stew, but if I'm feeding the lot of you, it'll have to be a soup," she sighs.
"I'm Archimedes!" says Archimedes from Seiryu's shoulder.
"And I'm Seiryu!" chimes the tengu, her forefeathers curled against her hips as she proudly sticks out her chest.
Starwing and the bacon-lover say nothing. Possibly because they don't speak English.
"So, you're off to visit the Silvertrees? Foolish. You know that they are fighting the Banebloods?"
Edie is passing no judgement atm.
"Do you need help gathering more veggies or something to make the soup a bit thicker?" Edie volunteers helpfully. "And Seiryu might have some herbs or spices that might make the soup even better!"
She neglects to mention the rock that Klyto is carrying -- Stone soup is a cautionary tale, not something to be emulated....
Bella will check beneath the hut for chicken legs/feet....
Bella does not find chicken legs/feet. The hut seems to be fairly normal.
Seiryu frowns as much as a bird can, crossing her wings. Grizelda chuckles; "Don't worry, little bird. There is enough soup for everyone."
She stirs the pot with a long wooden spoon, muttering as she goes.
"Orcs and elves have never been the best neighbors. I believe there is, eh... child involved. All I know is that trebuchet are not meant to fire near poor Grizelda. Supposed to go other way, toward elves. I think orcs, they are, ehhh... not the brightest. Ha! Maybe that is why sun-happy elves not like them so much."
She begins to spoon soup into a few bowls. "Sit, sit at the table, I will serve."
"Keeyan, sweet boy, tell me more about yourself! Grizelda does not often have handsome visitors. Stay as long as you like."
Edie is being polite and friendly... hopefully.
"So, ah, how long has the back and forth been going on, just out of curiosity? Between the Silvertrees and the Banebloods, that is?"
Suddenly Edie is hit with the sort of insight that comes from watching too many movies, reading too many romance manga, and being a gamer as she just sort of STARES at Bella thoughtfullly for a moment.
Could the Silvertrees think that the Banebloods ate Bella or worse because she left home? Or could someone in Bella's family be leveraging Bella's absence to gain power within their tribe? Do elves have tribes?
Bella thinks...Who are the Banebloods?
Accepting the attention, Keeyan does his best to smile and be friendly. "About myself? There's really little to tell. I left my family once I had learned the basics of wizardry. That magic has it's uses for basic utilities. For example, if I may?" He reaches for the spoon and quietly speaks the words to his Prestidigitation cantrip. "The wizard's tool, Prestidigitation, can do some basic cleaning, warm or cool an item like food or drink. And it can flavor a soup, when such gets expanded from a stew to feed unplanned visitors." He stirs the soup, then hands the spoon back. He reaches a hand toward the side of the lady's face, "And if one will allow, it can cover where nature has dulled the luster of a lady's hair? Mine is blond, almost white. But it is easy to change the color, with just a wave of a hand. Perhaps you'd like something Edie's? Or darker like Belladonna?"
"However, Yes, I felt a calling. As much as my arcane power was a useful tool, the blessing from Cayden Cailean gave me new insights on magic. My arcane power is focused on divination, working to learn the secrets of everything. Now I understand better the divine magic. I can heal. I can assist my friends with their battle skills. I might even be able to get a maddened warrior to turn from attacking me just by calling on Cayden's blessing. This is still pretty new to me and I look forward to learning more."
"But enough about me. While we enjoy the meal with you, perhaps you could tell us more of yourself and this area. Do you know any of the elves, or orcs, well enough to share any of that knowledge? Anything that we should know before visiting them?"
Actually, by tengu standards, Seiryu's not that weird.
"Mm, I would say... a month or two, yes. The smoke coming over the treeline is new, though. I stay out of these things, you understand."
She sets a bowl in front of Keeyan; for those familiar with home cooking of the sort honed over a lifetime of soupmaking and experience of past generations, this is a fine example of the art. A hearty, yellow-green broth fills in the gaps between coarse dumplings, mushrooms, poultry, which reach above the surface of the bowl; indeed, the bowl is filled nearly to the brim-- and it's a fairly large bowl, in fact!
Seiryu is given a similar bowl, though not quite as well-portioned.
The rest of you are given much smaller bowls, which are only half-filled, and there is scarcely more than a few scraps of mushroom and a few transparent dices of onion; it's mostly just broth.
Sitting down with a bowl of her own (about as full as Keeyan's), she eats between providing exposition.
"Yes, yes, I'm familiar with the magic," she says, chuckling, "and if I know it still, it only lasts for a time, yes? But if you do not mind... I do miss my raven locks."
When Keeyan pulls up his phone and begins casting, she waves him away; "I do not trust those things! Always spying, always telling people where you are. Government can listen at any time. I would prefer for Patriots not to Act in my home; is this not what your Third Amendment seeks to avoid? No, no, it is fine, I am not angry, just... please, no phones at dinner table."
"That is all very impressive, Keeyan," she says, leaning in and smiling widely at him. "My, in my youth I would have... ah, but I am old now, you would not be interested..."
"I am, ah, how do you say it-- the waybird. Snow-ward? I have traveled a lot over my life, seen many interesting places, met many interesting men... I moved here, eh, two, three years ago?"
"Elves are, eh, sun-worshippers. Fanatics. I have heard they can be very nasty. Current leader, he lost daughter to big city life some... ten or twenty years ago, I am forgetting. Apparently was kind of jerk before then, is even bigger jerk now."
"Bloodbanes are orc tribe. Kind of... oh, they remind me of... I do not know if word is still the same. Metalheads? They have the loud music that goes boom, boom, boom. Leader's name is... oh, what was leader's name. Josef? Josiah? Josie? I do not know. Something that is like that."
Smiling as Grizelda accepts his casting to color her hair. "Unfortunately yes, just like mundane dye it is only temporary." When he hears 'raven locks' he smiles and carefully colors her hair as requested. "But even for a short time it is nice to have a younger appearance. Even though I'm still pretty young, I still occasionally touch things up to appear a few decades younger."
When she waves the phone away he tucks it away. Smiling he focuses carefully on casting without his focus. "It's harder without my focus, but I'll try." Knowing how hard he has to focus he draws on his Prescience to correct errors before they happen....
Grizelda seems tickled and gives an old lady giggle as her hair takes on a deep, dark black. "It is very good! I will only fool people in the dark... but look, the sun goes down already. Ha!"
"Whatever it is that you are doing to look young, it is working," she says with a smile.
Keeyan smiles at her comment and shrugs as he replies. "I wish I could take credit for that, but I only look human when I use a little make-up to cover the blue swirls." He closes his eyes for a moment to focus and calls on his Breeze-Kissed racial trait to create a gentle breeze swirling around himself. "I'm a Sylph. Originally from the plane of air. We're not long-lived like elves, but we do get a few more decades than humans...."
"Ahh, a Sylph! I have known a few. Never the sort to keep in touch, but that is the way they are," she says with a chuckle. "Like the breeze, they are. Lovely people!"
At Klyto's question, she dismissively waves a hand. "I have said before, I do not know details. Child is involved, and I heard that from the hand that is not first."
She takes a heaping spoonful of soup and chomps down, then smiles. "You are not pressing on tonight, are you? You know you can sleep here with old Grizelda, see elves and orcs in morning?"
Edie's life is getting more complicated. Bleah.
"I do kinda gotta get back to work, though, and breaking down wasn't in the plans. I did call work to let them know, but... I'm worried if they don't see me back soon enough they might fire me, and I'm in the middle of a complicated suing-their-asses-off for malpractice suit that might get dismissed if I appear to just 'quit' my job." Edie explains with a sad frown.
"However, I'm not an idiot go charging off into the night all by my lonesome, so if folks want to hunker down in the bunker, I'll just have to roll with it."
Grizelda is more generous with side-eye than she is with soup.
"I am not having spare bedrooms," she says, "but Keeyan is welcome to stay the night. Or longer, if he would like. Mmm."
"We really need to press on. Besides this group is more no nocturnal than your average adventuring group."
Keeyan glances at Grizelda, blushing at what he feels is implied by the lady. Taking a cue from the others he smiles, "I'm sorry to admit, but I too have a job to return to that I don't want to lose. Perhaps if we return this way.... ??"
"But we should be continuing on and finishing our task."
Grizelda looks rather put-out, but sighs. ”Oh, very well. But do finish soup before you go. It will do you little good to run into swamp on empty belly... and little meat on your bones will make it harder for Swamp Snake to swallow you.”
Edie is appreciative of hospitality
The tiefling has been attempting to enjoy the broth that has been offered... and is doing fairly well until suddenly her eyes narrow and a slightly nauseated expression crosses her face. She slowly sets the bowl down and with a slightly uncomfortable yet apologetic look glances to Griselda.
"I'm... sorry... I didn't tell you I had a problem with mushrooms, that's not your fault, but... I kind of get ill from them and...."
Despite that, Edie reaches into her coin pouch and pulls out a couple of gold coins to put on the table.
"Thank you for your hospitality and kind words. It is rare to find this in the woods these days."
Klyto moves his soup around a bit, but doesn't raise any to his lips.
Bella, having been insulted at least three times since meeting Grizelda, decides it prudent not to indulge in the broth.
Edie, despite having been similarly insulted, leaves a tip!
"Oh, thank you, dearie," says Grizelda to the tiefling, waving away the coins. "I completely understand. I have had food that does not agree with me also. Such is the way of things." She gives a chuckle.
Keeyan and Seiryu both consume their bowls. Keeyan finds that the flavors come together very nicely. He hasn't eaten this good in one day since... well, it's been a while, anyway.
"I wouldn't mind staying a while," says Seiryu, fishing through her pockets and emptying a couple of them on the table; mushrooms, rocks, truffles, a couple of frogs (which start hopping around the table), and some feathers sit on the wood.
"Ohh, I'm sure you are having much to say about them," chuckles Grizelda. "Perhaps you will be having something to trade? A pretty arrow for your cap and a tinker for my troubles, as they say."
As everyone is done with their meals, Grizelda (having also finished a bowl of her own) waves the party off. "Come back and see me some day, Keeyan," she says, "do not be stranger!"
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Here Seiryu, don't forget your special stone.
After the group leaves Grizelda's earshot Klyto turns to Bella.
Did your family know you were leaving when you left or did you vanish into the night? Because it sounds like your father might be blaming the orcs for you being missing.
"I don't think it has anything to do with me. I did run away in the middle of the night, but I left a note. All though my parents may have blamed the orcs instead admitting their daughter has chosen a darker path."
Seiryu looks appreciative and excitedly passes a vial to Klyto in thanks. A label on it in simple, rounded handwriting says:
ANTICIPATE PERIL
The swamp is bathed in an orange glow as the sun sets over Grizelda's shack. It will be growing dark soon... but of course, that's not a problem for this party, is it?
At this point, Bella gets the feeling she knows the general direction of where she grew up.
Edie is NOT THAT STRONK, dangnabbit!
"We should probably portion that out, I had to sacrifice food to be able to have armor and a heavy weapon." Edie admits with a bit of an ashamed tone.