Levn cleared his throat and stepped forward, speaking up because he didn't know how much Alfric knew about fey. "You may know our names. This good man is known as Alfric, the little fellow is called Bas, that one bears the name of Kellen, the elf is known as Day, and I myself, you may call Levn."
"It seems you are a dutiful guard, Nock. Do you know who would cast suspicion of treachery on your lord, to make it seem as though he had cut down innocent men, not so far from here?"
Now that true conversation had begun, Daymar was content to let the others speak. He wasn't thrilled about Levn sharing their names, but since Levn had been smart enough to avoid giving Daymar's actual name to the fey, little harm had been done.
With the attention drawn away from him, Daymer settled in to keep a more covert eye on the situation. He remained focused on the thoughts in the feys' heads, but also "kept his fingers limber," readying a series of magical missiles in case the fey finally decided to take offensive action.
"I know no innocent men cut down, Sir Levn. Heard, I have, of despoil'd trees, once virgin as found in heaven, laid low by base villains with no care for nature's ease."
"Good Sir Nook, would you tell us fully of this trespass? We would know more, that our ire not be misplaced, and that justice be done."
"Nook but guards the gate. Tis not my place to speak on forests defiled and woodsmen's fate. For that, one must before the King abase. To seek such royal counsel, do you swear you bear no ill will?"
"I do not," Levn nodded gravely, hoping that the fey wouldn't ask him to clarify. "If you will grant us safe passage, we will bring our borrowed grievances to your Lord, that justice may be done."
Wow.
Wtf, dicebot. Uh... someone needs to be more charming than Levn and help out with this. The fey obviously don't find his scruffiness dashing.
"So say we all!" Swore the Green Knight aloud.
Daymar just shook his head. Fey.
Nock didn't seem to have any objection to the way Levn worded his pseudo-agreement. "Make no offense, draw no weapon, and visitors have no need for self-defense. Wise men need fear no assault on some pretense."
Levn and Alfric both noted that Nock had called them visitors and not guests- the fey put a great deal of importance on guest right, and he wasn't extending that to the group. He also hadn't agreed to give them safe passage, exactly.
He did, though, half turn and gesture at the stairs in the middle of the garden. "Shall Nock bring you before the King?"
Kellen eyes the Fey creature suspiciously, and leans to Alfric, Think we should follow this 'invitation' Sir? Kellen looks at Levn and nods with a shrug and a wry grin, as if to say Why not?
"He's not offering guest-right, or safe passage, but as long as we don't say anything terribly offensive, or threaten anyone, he says we won't need to worry about a fight. That said, he's not offering us guest-right, so if they do do anything untoward, we're not beholden to giving them the benefit of the doubt - or pulling any punches."
Think we should follow this 'invitation' Sir?
Alfric nodded at this.
"Yes." He said quietly to his companions. "We need to hear this king out. If what this guard said is true, there may be a third player in this affair."
"Take us to the King, sir Nock."
Nock nodded and turned on his heel, heading for the spiral stairs at the center of the garden. He shouted something in the Sylvan tongue and the other guards repeated it back at the top of their lungs.
It might have been some trick of the wind, but it almost seemed like the rustling of the leaves stilled as Nock led the way into the garden.
As they passed, the other three fey faded back into the rosebush hedge, disappearing as completely as if they'd turned invisible. The rings of rosebushes gave way to five towering stone monoliths, each rising from a crimson pool. Nestled in the center of these monoliths was a spiraling staircase descending into the earth.
The smell of roses mingled with the sharp coppery tang of blood as they approached the first of the red pools. Each of the monoliths was carved with strange symbols, and blood oozed out of each of the runes to pool at the monoliths feet.
Whew!
Given pause by the runes, Levn resisted the urge to glance at Day. Instead, he asked Nock in a courteous tone, "Good sir Nock, pray tell, whose blood in those pools is so proud as to be worthy to honor the King of Roses with it?"
Daymar glanced at the runes, but this particular set of decorative etchings meant nothing to him. The pools of blood didn't do much to convince him these sprites were going to be at all helpful or trustworthy, however.
When Levn spoke to Nock, Daymar made sure his attention was on the sprite's thoughts.
Glancing at the monoliths and the oozing runes filling the pools with blood, great... Kellen mutters, pools of blood... This isn't ominous at all... as he trudges along behind the others, cold iron spear in hand.
Nock shook his head at Levn's question. "The workings of the wise are not for such as Nock's untrained eyes." He led them down the spiral staircase into the earth. The natural stone steps led down more than thirty feet before ending in a small chamber with a low ceiling. Phosphorescent fungus grew in patches on the walls and ceiling and gave off enough light to see.
At the bottom of the steps, an elegant pair of oak double doors stood closed opposite the stairs, with a much plainer door off to the side. The oak doors were covered in intricate carvings showing a field of rose bushes being tended by a single regal roseblood sprite with a crown on his brow.
Coming from the other side of the door, the group could hear muffle laughter and merriment coming from the next room.
Basdemar polished his scales as well as he could given that he is from Sootscale clan. But there is no need to have pieces of giant randomly splattered on him.
He keeps quiet, diplomacy not being his strong suite and his experience with the fey not the greatest since he still bore scars of his encounter with an ancient boar.
Levn wasn't intimately familiar with fey politics, but he knew enough that he thought no one would take them seriously if they came in through what amounted to an underling's entrance. In fact, a little ostentation probably wouldn't hurt... he hoped.
He stood before the double doors, and nodded to Nock. "You may announce us, if you do not wish your King to be surprised by our presence, sir Nock. We come not as petitioners, but as emissaries."
Day took a few seconds to wiggle his fingers, which caused his clothes to shed themselves of travel soil (which they did not carry much of in the first place, since he regularly used his magic in such a manner), sharpen the creases that should exist, and remove wrinkles that shouldn't.
That happened almost without his attention, it seemed, as Daymar focused on the next room, seeking to detect the thoughts of whoever might be on the other side of them.
Nock nodded politely as the group prepared themselves. "What king is it who can command so worthy a company as your band?"
Alfric brushed at his armor and cloak self consciously, trying to make himself as presentable as possible.
At Nocks question, he looked up.
"A king who serves the Green, as well as his own people. As is right and proper." He said, thinking of his own family as examples.
"Our Royal Council knows the value of fealty," Levn said, thinking of the last time he'd seen the leaders of . What'd he'd mostly noticed was Parin, because she sent chills down his back without even looking at him.
Nock nodded, as though Alfric's and Levn's non-answers made perfect sense. He opened the doors onto a well appointed dining room. Laughter and the tinkle of glass echoed through the large chamber from half a dozen roseblood sprites enjoying a mid-day meal.
The scene belonged in a rich king's palace. Running down the middle of the room was a huge table, flanked on either side by a dozen toadstool chairs. Twelve place settings made of gold and filigreed with even more valuable metals adorned the table, only half of them in use. A banquet of roasted meats, steamed turnips, stewed vegetables, and hearty breads covered the tabletop, far more than what the six small fey should be able to eat. Empty wine bottles were discarded on the floor behind the sprites' chairs as though thrown absently over a shoulder, with another open trio scattered near the feasting fey and ten unopened bottles standing ready on a sideboard, waiting to be uncorked.
The sprites sat on the toadstool chairs, enjoying the feast and each others' company, oblivious to Nock's entrance. Opposite the main entrance was a wall of roses so densely packed they were impossible to see through.
Nock took a few steps into the room and announced "Fair King! The Council Green sends emissaries seeking wisdom from the greatest ruler of faerie." He bowed low as the sprites already in the room looked the party's way, one of them standing with an imperious glower to stand before the wall of roses. This sprite gave the large folk an impatient stare, as if expecting something of them.
Daymar turned his attention to the demanding sprite, concentrating on the little one's thoughts.
Levn knew that the courtier was likely waiting for the group to introduce themselves, show both humility and wit, and was likely waiting for them to present a gift as well, as was only polite.
Daymar, meanwhile, listened in on the herald's thoughts. It was smugly thinking something along the lines of "They can't have known to ask so Nock wouldn't have taken them to the king's mother first, of course, so there's no way they can have the blessing." The fey was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to send the group away.
"Good Nock," Daymar said, and though his tone was most definitely not honeyed or polished, it was polite. Any creature who seeks wisdom from a ruler knows that the most polite and effectual path to such grace is to seek first the blessing of the source of any good king's true wisdom. I must admit that I find it puzzling that your companion seems willing to do you the disservice of allowing you to embarrass yourself by seeking to introduce us before the king without first bringing us to the grand and noble king's mother, that we may give unto her our compliments - as she so clearly deserves - and ask for her blessing, before we bother the good king with our presence."
Daymar raised an eyebrow at Nock, "Why is it, do you think, oh noble guide of ours, that any fey here would seek to embarrass you so by misguiding you in such a way?"
Daymar could sense the herald's annoyance even as the elf turned to speak to Nock. Nock laughed, not seeming annoyed at all- in fact, Nock's thoughts seemed amused and impressed by Daymar's interjection. "Nock is but a simple guide, he has not a whit to hide. Would you like to meet the source of our blessed king's life force?"
Day gave Nock a shallow nod, then looked to Levn and quirked an eyebrow. Levn was ostensibly leading the group, after all.
Kellen, watching the proceedings, nods in agreement with Day, nudging Levn for a response, before stammering out, Um, yes, we would terribly enjoy meeting the source of your blessed king's life force... the shaman shifts his weight uneasily, all too aware that even a gentle conversation with any fey could doom the speaker forever...
Alfric nodded, since that seems to be the way things were flowing.
"Yes, The Green Knight would also desire to meet the source of your king's life force." He said smoothly.
Levn gave a slight nod, as though he always had the more eloquent man speak for him. In turn, he quirked a brow at Nock, as though to suggest that they were waiting on the fey.
Nock looked up at the dais as if waiting for something. Though the group heard no response, after a few seconds their guide took them through the door to the west into a surprising underground rose garden. The floor of the cave was covered in thick, rich black loam and the western side of the space contained a glittering pool of water fed by a small, sparkling waterfall. A dozen small, well tended rose bushes grew out of the soil, looking as healthy as any queen's ornamental garden.
Their guide gestured to the door to the north. "If it's mother's blessing that you seek, beyond that door you'll have to peek." Beyond the door was a long, dark, winding passageway.
Alfric nodded to the guide.
"Well then, shall we pay our respects?" He asked the others before stepping beyond the door.
Daymar simply nodded. His attention was on Nock, searching the fey's thoughts for hints as to what awaited them.
Letting the more stalwart of their companions lead the way, Kellen waits but a moment, before casting a brief spell, creating several small globes of light to trail along with Sir Alfric, Better to see something in there... the shaman grumbles moving forward.
Letting the more stalwart of their companions lead the way, Kellen waits but a moment, before casting a brief spell, creating several small globes of light to trail along with Sir Alfric, Better to see something in there... the shaman grumbles moving forward.
Daymar found that Nock was singing some sort of song in his head, or at least a sing-songy poem.
'Til now the shadows begin to grow much longer
The sunset's fire has deepened blood red
I give you this, the last rose of summer
A token of my unyielding love
So when the winter's mantle stills the earth
And all around seems dead and cold
This rose reminds you of a time when all was warm and living
The group shuffled down a long, cramped, twisty, dark passageway to a sudden and strikingly beautiful sight. In the middle of a large chamber, shaft of light descended through a narrow hole in the ceiling, illuminating a gigantic rose bush covered in large, beautiful blossoms. The entire cave was full of the heady smell of rose blossoms over the faint scent of rich dark earth.
Alfric stopped and looked on the hidden paradise, awestruck.
Daymar did his best to remember the lyrics in Nock's head, in case they would be useful at all. Then he followed the others.
"Oh. Wow. Unexpected." Bas is in awe.
Ooc: just letting you know I'm following, Bas has nothing to say to the fey
Truly, this is an impressive sight. Amazing the magicks of the Fey and what they can accomplish. Kellen breathes out, as awestruck as Bas at the sight.
Looking nervously at the companions, Kellen speaks up, We come to pay our respects M'Lady. It honors us to be in your Grace's presence. I am Kellen, who speaks with the spirits, and am impressed with the magnificence of what we see before us.
This was the fae, where one might reasonably expect a rosebush to speak, but in this case the beautiful rosebush did not seem to be sentient. The beautiful rose blossoms just glistened, nestled in between the long, dangerous looking thorns.
It occurred to Daymar that Nock's song mentioned giving a rose as a token, perhaps suggesting that the mother's blessing might be one of those beautiful roses.
Levn was a bit leery of assuming anything of the fey, so like Kellen, he spoke up, his voice quiet in the magnificent garden. "Is the Queen, the noble King's mother, present? We do but come to ask your blessing, but find a rare gift in such beauty as these roses."
Nothing responded to the group in words. The majestic rose bush simply sat in her sunbeam, crowned by the most beautiful blossoms anyone in the group had ever seen before, the very epitome of roses, almost magical in their sheer perfection.