Disciple of the Witch's page

The Librarian Knight had been silent since they crossed the water portal. He was struggling to decide but he couldn't.

As Ludwig mentioned venturing into the unknown yet again, he knew what to do. With almost ceremonial calmness, Siegschwert walked to the Disciple of the Witch and took out his backpack.

"I have... a duty... that makes any other purpose... pale in comparison." he said as he offered Aster the books and scrolls he recovered "Without knowledge... there's no hope for humankind... but I might die... in the void world... that we live now... Would you please keep these safe until... our return?"

Aster nods quietly and gingerly takes the books from Siegschwert. She splits them between a wooden box and leather satchel for safekeeping.

Aster nods and takes the three items.

She closes her eyes and places her hands over the whip first. Her brow furrows after a moment and she speaks without opening her eyes:

"I see...a life lived apart from others. Surrounded by something alien, something that mortal minds are not meant to comprehend. Fear, loneliness, and then a loss of self. To this, life is a perversion."

Whip of Life and Death

The cruel device wielded by the nefarious entity known as the Prince.

Oh God, why am I alone? You have left me here behind.
Oh Lord, what is the meaning of this? I feel only pain.
Damned Spirit, who can answer? I will tear down the pillars of heaven.

Once Aster has finished with the whip she exhales and quickly hands it back. When you give her the ring she smiles. "Ah, I remember this"

She closes her eyes once again:

"Blessed be those with heedless ambition. Blood for coin; care to strike a bargain?"

Ouroboros Ring

A plated ring depicted a coiled serpent consuming its own tail. Traditionally a symbol of greed.
When the bearer of this ring strikes the killing blow against a creature, they increase the amount of souls gained by 10%

Finally she takes the cloak:

"Ah, I sense such sorrowful warmth. This cloak once warmed the heart of a caring soul. She was isolated by her own darkness, yet never truly alone. Yet...some chose to rob her of even this small solace."

Cloak of the Dusk Walker

No matter how one moves while wearing this cloak, they will feel as if they are being constantly embraced.

There was once a blind maiden who was last of the faithful. Though she could not see the world around her, she knew the truth of it. Only this cloak survives her

"Of course"

75 souls per identification attempt

Aster the Disciple blinks and looks around. Sorrow crosses her face as she says "I'm sorry, I see only darkness surrounding us..."

But she continues, gripping Pengaals hand as if to reassure him. "But you are the Twilight Marked, so of course you would be the ones blessed with purpose. So perhaps it was not this place that was spared, but you!"

She leans back, releasing Pengaals hand. "Memories are a strange thing. They are not entirely real or unreal, but something between. A rejection of the flow causality, we cling desperately to these things as proof that we have existed. Is that what you see? The pleas of a dead reality to continue living on in the mind of the survivors?" She shakes her head "No, I'd think not. Such an idea fills me with despair. There must be some meaning to all this, some reason to go on. I will believe that no matter what."

The Disciple rouses gently, blinking away the sleep. When she sees the survivors a weary smile spreads across her features. "Ah, you've returned" she says, quickly rising to embrace you and then sit on her rock once again.

"Please, tell me, what have you seen?"

"You are the ones that called it. What have you been thinking of that beckons it here?"

Aster inhales sharply and her eyes roll back. She lets out a sigh and says "...Ah, something is coming. You've all drawn it here. It won't be long now, get your affairs in order before it arrives." She turns an empty gaze towards the sky. You get the sense that, where there was once nothing in that dark, black void, something has taken shape. The man wakes with a start from his slumber and shudders to himself.

There is a crashing sound. One of the lanterns has fallen from the tree and broken open on the ground yet the flame within remains lit. Without looking Aster says "Hmm? Something that is not yet ready to pass to memory?"

"I did not know him well. Or, at all. He was her betrothed and guardian of the forest. Beyond that, he merely wandered about the woods as if in a trance. The only time he would be spurred to action was when a aggressor was found, then he would fall upon them like crashing thunder."

"Beyond that he was...elegant, eccentric? I had never heard him speak, nor had I seem him outside of his armor or without blade."

Aster smiles warmly to Yuria. "I know the sun daughters and respect their beliefs. Joining the coven was a similar decision on my own part. I gave up my old life and family for new brothers and sisters along with a vow to the Abyssal Woods. To protect and preserve it - both for prosperity and the sake of the world at large. As disciples our first duty is to the woods and, by extension, each other."

As she speaks, Aster offers the ring to Pengaal.

A plated ring depicted a coiled serpent consuming its own tail. Traditionally a symbol of greed.

Use spellcraft and detect magic to determine this items effects.

After a while Aster the Disciple opens her eyes. "Ah...I see." she says, looking off into the distance "Yes, I can help you on your way but we must first go elsewhere, there is much to discuss." as she is speaking there is a rushing sound, like a strong wind passing by but you only hear the sound. To the survivors amazement the edge of the forest ahead of them fades into darkness. In the far distance there is a faint glowing and the Disciple gestures for you all to follow as she heads into the black. Each of Asters steps along the ground cause a burst of lush grass and flowers to spring forth. Her voice calls out, explaining "The first thing you must understand about this place is that it is more subjective than it seems. Things come and they go for the any reason or even a lack thereof. The darkness here will call to your mind, your wants, and will summon forth something in return. This is important, so remember." her voice trails off...

Following into the darkness the survivors see the light growing in the distance until they recognize the familiar shape of the Lantern Tree coming into view. Now the Disciple speaks again "This place seems to be unique in that it continues to exist without reason. Perhaps he could be the cause" she says, indicating the Twilight Deserter who is now gently sleeping on the same rock he had been sitting on before "but I doubt that's the case. Something about this place spares it from the turbulent tides of change and madness. Only now can I see as much while knowing that the Aybssal Woods lacked this quality. It is no wonder to me, then, that my mother and so many of my siblings were led astray..."

"I'm afraid I still cannot reveal to you any secrets beyond these, but I can point you in the right direction. Even now I sense a mass forming out in the darkness. A great thing is on the verge of birth though I can say nothing more of its nature or purpose. Only that such a gathering must surely hold the insight you seek." Aster has been speaking now for a while and is apparently quite tired. She finds a spot beneath the tree opposite of the Twilight Deserter and sits down. "There is one more thing..." she says quietly "You all have done so much for me already yet my coven is still in ruins. I do not seek to tempt you away from your duties but without disciples or a champion than I am neither mother nor matron."

============

Aster rests beneath the Lantern Tree. If she is approached she will offer to help the survivors in any way she can which includes offering her services as a skilled witch. For now the Twilight Deserter is asleep, or perhaps he is just pretending? Beyond that the survivors have been left to themselves to rest and recover.

"To see this pact to its end." she replies, glancing at Yuria. "I said I would aid you once the woods were saved. I only need to take up the mantle and I can make good my promise." With that she places the pair of rings in her mouth and swallows, eating them. With a hum she closes her eyes and starts to sway gently from side to side.

As the survivors collect themselves after the battle they see a figure at the edge of the clearing. It is the witches disciple that they had met earlier. She enters the clearing with cautious footsteps and congratulates the group. "I am sure it was not easy but it was necessary regardless. You all saw that she could not be reasoned with and there is too much at stake to bargain with her." She moves past the group towards the remains of the witch and knight, scooping up the paired rings to examine them. "It is time..."

Aster shakes her head in response to Siegschwert "I will offer any knowledge I can, but I cannot aid you any more directly. My power stems from hers and should she so choose she could instantly strip me of it."

To Ludwig she says "In the past it was roughly once a week, but as the infinity weave degrades the frequency of the breaths increases. Now it is almost every few hours. My garb protects me but you all must be cautious. If you are caught outside without some kind of anchor the results could be disastrous."

Pengaal hears the winds dying down. They are still stronger than normal but don't threaten to pull anyone off their feet if you were to go out right now.

"Deep in the forest, farther along the path you have been following. She has retreated to her sanctuary along with her knightly protector - her beloved knight of flowers. A mortal man that once came here long ago, he remains the staunchest protector of the Abyssal Woods. Ferocious, impeccable, and wholly devoted to her in both body and soul. Beware, in seeking the witch you will inevitably come across her knight as well, and he will stop at nothing to strike down any that threatens their bond."

"Still, if you are hungry for purpose then you must face this challenge. Whoever it is that told you of this place must have assumed that the Flower Witch is a being of profound knowledge. They would have been right to say so. I wish to see that knowledge passed on and our covenant survive. Help me, and I will reveal all I can to you."

"Then our aim is the same. She is my master, my matron, my patron, but she is also not the same she once was. The coven - my coven was charged with the protection and preservation of this place, but in coming here she has gone mad and abandoned her duty along with many of my brothers and sisters. The infinity weave that encircles the forests heart has become corrupted. If nothing is done the heart will grow unchecked and consume everything around it." she gestures to the entrance to indicate the storm outside. Though the winds have been subsiding since you've been in here, they are still quite strong. "A disciple does not have the ability to repair the weave, only the Flower Witch can. The mantle must be passed on..." she bites her lip and looks away, the implication of what she has said is difficult for her to handle.

Aster sighs and settles her self against the wall. For the first time you see a hint of fatigue play across her face. "You are partly right on both accounts" she explains. "The Abyssal Woods, as a whole, are not entirely dissimilar to a living creature. It may seem a tenuous comparison to make, but by it can we call the center of the forest the 'heart' in a more literal sense. It is there that you would find a hole, no larger than single grain of sand, that this entire forest has grown around. When it breaths, it threatens to swallow everything around it - what you've experienced as gusting winds just now. That is why the Abyssal Woods were declared forbidden long ago."

"I am Aster, but please-" she sweeps her hand wide and a group of plants react, moving aside to reveal a hole that heads downwards "we cannot continue our conversation here. Follow, please." and she motions towards the hole before heading in herself. You lose sight of her just as the winds pick up yet again, now severe. Any unprotected flames among the party struggle to stay light in the sudden currents of air.

She lets out a long breath through her nose "To what questions I can only assume." she stops abruptly to look off into the forest. Moments later the wind picks up yet again and is now quite strong, tugging at your clothing and hair. If you follow the womans gaze you can tell it follows the path of the wind.

Eventually she returns her attention to the group and continues: "You may not know this but once upon a time your coming here would have been a violation of a very old accord. Things have changed. Now your presence here may be more a boon then you yet know. I believe I can help you Siegschwert, will you hear what I have to say?"

Siegschwerts words hang in the air for a few heartbeats before, slowly, the figure moves out into full view on the path just ahead of the group. You can now confirm that her clothes do twist and turn strangely in the wind while still covering her body as one long, continuous, length of matte black cloth. As you size the woman up you are startled to see that, near the hem of her garment, there is a large, red eye glaring at the survivors.

"You and your companions walk a dangerous path through this wood, Siegschwert of Eissenhorn. What is it that you seek?" Her voice is melodic and enticing to those of you that listen and when she speaks, her words are slow and purposeful.