Escape From New Galtee

Aaren

Aaren crumples to her knees as the mud pulls her down. She looks around, wildly, and then takes a deep breath and listens. (4 successess)

(To Fate)
WHere is everyone? How close/far away?
How healthy are they/ everyone okay?
what else is around?
Where are we in relation to.... anything?
What are the cells/bars made of?
Is the Boggy Boy still close enough that we are in his song?
Any interesting Area Effects or missing bits of world like in Not-Elsewhere?
How is everyone feeling emotionally?

Fate

(To Aaren)
While everyone is in their own separate cell, the cells are either adjacent to or across from each other. (Based on the acoustics, they appear to be lined up in a circle.)
No one's the worse for the wear. It was a bit of a painful height, but no one's come away with more than bruises.
There's... buckets. One in each cell. So that's nice. And there are damp, moldy bedrolls. Though not every cell has that. (Daina's, Slavina's, and Nora's do not.)
Well. Lots of stone. And metal bars. They're an unfamiliar metal, though—which is saying a lot, as one of the first things Jerri taught Aaren regarding songs was the songs of various metals in various states.
You are definitely in the Bog King's song still.
It's hard to say. The song of this place is full—it's just different.
Kelly is decidedly Not Panicking. That may change, though, as, despite that, his adrenaline production is high, his heartrate is up, and his breathing is fast. Nora, on the other hand... well, Aaren doesn't know Nora well enough.

Aaren

(To Fate)
Thanks!
Can I hear like, halls or passages or something to indicate we are connected or close to a larger building? Or is it like, block of cells in endless stone in all directsions as far as Aaren can hear?

Fate

(To Aaren)
There is what sounds like it could be a door in the ceiling, in the middle of the room, beyond the reach of the cells. Otherwise the whole place is cells, save an open circle in the middle.

Aaren

(To Fate)
Okay. Thanks!

Slavina

The fall almost knocks the breath out of her, but Slavina's years of tumbling practice kick in and she lands in a roll. A roll that would be a lot more graceful if it didn't end abruptly in a stone wall. She winces and collects herself, breathing patiently while she gets her bearings.

"Hello?" She calls - softly, but in a carrying pitch. "Is anyone there? Aaren? Daina? Kelly?"

Fate

"Nora," a voice calls from what could be the other end of the room.

Kelly hums in assent, his voice sounding thin and small in the dank dungeon air.

Aaren

Aaren is already singing the songs of the cells and her own song. She lifts her voice to sing "Over here!" to Slavina's question.

Daina

Daina doesn't tumble as much as slide and turn as she meets the wall. "'oi!" she calls out. "I'm here" grumbling as she looks around herself. "For now at least" growling a little and putting a burning hand against the stone as she listens for the others and then for a plan of some sort for once they're free. can we see outside our cells? to other cells maybe? or a hall?

Slavina

Slavina releases a held breath. She leans her face against the stone. "Ah, thank the gods." She rolls to her feet and stands, pressing one hand against the wall and the other on the bars as she orients herself to the place.
Can I make a perception roll and a mystery/wayfinding roll to get a sense of the place we're in?

Fate

Those with night vision can see. But even without, it's clear that the cells are all lined up next to each other in a circular pattern.
Yes.

Aaren

"I can't tell what kind of metal it is." Aaren sings. "I don't know if that is because it is strange, or because I haven't heard it here yet. Does anyone want their calm song? Also, I can't hear any way in or out of the room."

Daina

Daina heats her hand more... slowly building up to her highest temperature. Let's see how hot she can get.

Slavina

4 for perception, 8 for mystery

(To Fate)
Perception-wise: is there anyone else in the prison with us? Are there any open corridors/skylights/portholes (based on draftiness and light). Any doors or windows she can see? Any sounds from outside?
Mystery-wise: what kind of "vibe" does the place have? (like, is it abandoned? A grave? A temporary waiting place? etc.) And does it feel like there are any paths in or out, regardless of whether they're paths accessible to us? If there are, how frequently are they travelled and by what type of person/thing?

Fate

(To Slavina)
There appears to be no one else inhabiting this space, nor any corridors. Nor any light, nor any sound, other than usual drab dungeon noises (dripping water, etc).

It is a cold place, a still place, an eternal place. There is indeed a path in (the one you took, gone now), and a path in and out. The latter feels as cold as the rest of the place—perhaps abandoned.

Fate

Nora sighs, and this is followed by the sounds of fabric shifting and settling. "Sphaghnum moss, by the way," she says, seemingly unprompted.

Aaren

It takes Aaren half a moment, and then she sings, delight coloring her voice, "Really? Is that the moss we were hearing all over the place in the bog?" She sings the lilting nature of it, still trying to pin down the way it changed the world around it.

Fate

"Aye." Nora coughs once, heartily, to clear her throat. "That's the short tale of how bog bodies are the way they are, anyway."

Daina

Daina sighs a bit and extinguishes her hand for what it's worth, and then extends her perceptions towards the plant life.

Fate

"Can I have my calm song please?" Kelly asks after a long, agonizing moment, from somewhere else in the chamber.

Sorry, Mel, I'm talking to Loral and Elena all at once in PMs. What are you trying to do with your heat?

Daina

oh was testing how the stone stood up to Daina's highest setting

Fate

How long is Daina willing to wait?

Daina

Just a few moments at first to see

Aaren

Aaren has changed her songs before Kelly is done speaking. She swirls them around him, the simple harmonies clinging together and easing to slower, softer notes. "How strange." Aaren sings, not breaking in her conversation with Nora. "I suppose it's the—" and here a free voice sings a trill of notes. "I hope we get a closer look!"

"Oh," she sings, in another voice, at the same time, "There might be a door in the ceiling."

Fate

In which case, nothing happens.

Daina

good to know
Daina proceeds then to send out feelers for the moss and whatever other life forms around them... specifically the moss though.

Fate

(To Daina)
There is... a lot of moss. All over. Coating some of the stones, hiding in some of the cracks. Some spanning entire walls, some only spanning over one stone.

They're quite at home here. And they're watching.

Daina

(To Fate)
Can I tell if they're reporting? or can I ask why they're watching?

Fate

(To Daina)
Well, they're passing information along to each other, but that's not unusual for plants.

You may ask why they're watching.

Daina

(To Fate)
Okie I'd like to ask that please and just ya know introduce m'self

Fate

(To Daina)
There is a moment of coordination for consensus.

You are here, so we watch. Another pause, and then, from elsewhere: You have never been here before.

Daina

(To Fate)
Daina brightens some 'Well that makes all the sense in the world new friend!" happy to have made some contact here. "Sure haven't and not real pleased to be here now. I wonder, might you have any ideas that could get me and my friends safely outta these cells?' worth a shot XD

Fate

(To Daina)
Another chirps, You may not leave. That's why you're here.

Daina

(To Fate)
lot's of smoll tiny voices?

Fate

(To Daina)
Some small, some medium, some big.

Fate

(To Daina)
It's not really voices. But I'm willing to call them that just for sake of easier understanding.

Slavina

Slavina says, "That's encouraging, Aaren. I feel a path that goes in and out, but it hasn't been used in a long time." She looks up at the ceiling to see if she can spot said door. "Nora, have you ever been here before? Or has Brian?"

Fate

Soon Kelly takes up Aaren's melody, his voice strengthening a fraction with each measure.

Another shift of clothing. "How do you do that? I can all but smell it and taste it when you sing." Nora asks, her voice intent almost to the point of demanding. But it's fueled by nothing but genuine curiosity. "I mean, your vocal cords must be something else. And how do you suss the—" Then she's interrupted by Slavina. "No, I haven't bloody been here before. Those who come here don't go back. And Brian's not even—" She pauses, as if cut off. "Well fine. Go on, then."

There's a long silence.

Aaren

Aaren waits for the silence, since Nora didn't really finish her questions. After a time, she sings, "I'm sorry Brian, I can't hear you. Could you have Nora repeat what you said for me?"

Fate

"You see? You see?" Nora crows. "I told you that you're a mumbler. And no, having your mouth sewn shut isn't an excuse—you've shouted at me plenty well enough." A pause. "Well, do go on, like you don't have your mouth full of mash this time."

Another silence.

Aaren

Aaren listens very hard.

Slavina

"I'm afraid I can't hear Brian no matter how loudly he speaks." Slavina says, smoothly. "I find that perceiving the speech of the dead is not something I'm usually capable of while sober. Perhaps you could translate?"

Aaren

"I—I don't know if it's because we're in such a strange world." Aaren adds. "This isn't where we come from and everything sounds different here. I'm so sorry, Brian." She feels very awkward and disconcerted by the fact that she can't hear this spirit that Nora so obviously expects her to be able to hear.

Daina

Daina pipes up "The moss is watchin' us by the by" she pauses "Not sure if it's reportin' to it'self or reportin' to someone else." Goes quiet again. Says we may not leave." she grumbles as she rubs her nails on her thumb like a flint strike and a fire shoots over to the far side of her cell steadily burning. -to the moss she says "glad ya like m'comp'ny but I can't be stayin' I've got a mission and this isn't gonna be what stops me" - She then feeds some of her warmth into the flame she'd created.

Fate

"Nope. I'm not anyone's go-between." Nora sounds very firm on this. "Oh, well aren't you lucky!" At her response to Aaren she cackles for a little while, then stops. "What d'you mean it's not as funny to yank your chain when no one else can hear you?" A long, considered pause. "Well I'm not doin' it for their benefit!" Another pause. "Fine, fine."

And then light flares to life.

Shadows play over the stones and bars. The stones are looped and the bars are twisted—an odd sight.

Slavina

Slavina sighs softly at Nora's declaration. "In that case, I apologize Brian: I will have to proceed without the benefit of your wisdom."

Her eyes press closed against the sudden brightness. Slavina gradually opens them and surveys the newly visible room. She gives Daina a small nod of thanks, and examines the cell for a door - if a door is found, she proceeds to look for a lock.

Daina

oh I didn't check, do the metal bars meet the edge of the wall in the front? want the fire at the hinge of one of the doors

Fate

As far as Daina can tell, there aren't any hinges because there aren't any doors. Just metal bars, spanning from the top of the "forward-facing" archway to the floor.

Daina

ok so like I want it to be like near the bars in some fashion to try and melt them?

"Aaren can you sing this fire to somethin' like Jeri's forge?"

Slavina

Finding no door, Slavina says out loud (to no one in particular but also obviously to Daina), "Hm. These bars are so close together - you'd have to be as small as a cat to get through."

Aaren

Fate, may I roll Singing Singing to try and make Daina's fire as hot as Jerri's forge? Also, what's the dif on that if it is okay?

Daina

Daina smiles "ya but if I can melt the bars I can get the rest of ya out too" she notes softly before shape shifting to a small cat and squeezing through the bars, shaking like a dog afterwards and looking around for keys.

Slavina

Slavina blinks. "You know a dance to turn people into fish, but not cats?"

Fate

Yes you may. The Diff on that is 10. If you can do that, Daina gets +2 successes to melting the bars. Diff for melting the bars is 15, with one roll every hour.

Daina

Daina pauses and examines the cells with an eye for if there is enough room for the cat dance.

Aaren

Can I do an extended roll to hit my 10 succ if Aaren is willing to take a bit?

Fate

"What now?" Nora asks.

"Daina can shapeshift," Kelly explains. "And she can turn other people into animals, if she knows the dance for them."

"Whoa! Forgot you were here," Nora marvels. "Thanks, bull-man."

Kelly hums assent again.

Yes. One roll every hour.

Aaren

"I totally can, Daina." Aaren sings, responding to Daina's question about the fire, "but it might take me an hour or two." She's not sure if Brian is still talking or not, so she decides to answer Nora's questions another time.
She does weave some appreaciation into Kelly's calm song though. He's just the best!

Daina

Daina smirks faintly at Kelly's new nickname and glances to Slavina. "here see if you can do this one" she returns to her human shape in order to show Slavina the cat dance the others can choose to mimic it as she does it as well. I'm assuming

Slavina

do we mimic the animal dance? I think last time we just watched

Daina

To Aaren "ok if the cat thing doesn't work for everyone..." she says mid dance "we may need the fire" I... am not sure acutally I thought they needed to do it with her, or maybe that makes it easier?

Slavina

Megan, do we do the dance or watch it?

Fate

I always thought it was doing the dance that did the trick.

Slavina

Okay! In that case... does slavina have enough space to copy the dance?

Fate

Slavina yes. Because she's skilled at dancing.

Slavina

Slavina watches, commits the dance to memory, and asks, "You'll turn me human as soon as I'm out, right?"

Daina

Daina gives a nod "surely" leading the way through the dance a second time.

Slavina

It takes some very careful maneouvering, but Slavina copies the dance precisely. As soon as she's traded skin for fur, she slides her way through the bars and sits primly in front of Daina waiting to be returned to normal.

Aaren

"I don't think I'm going to have enough room." Aaren sings, eyeing the space skeptically. "And I don't dare try and sing us into cats and back until I'm more used to all these changes."
She closes her eyes and turns her ears and voices to the fire.

The song she weaves is one of fire. But it is one of Jerri's fire. So it is also a song of home, and a song of calm.

Singing Singing Extended Roll, 1 hr. 4 Success.

Daina

Daina proceeds to return to human and do the Slavina dance.

Slavina

Once human, Slavina takes a moment to adjust her clothing and hair. When she's done there is somehow no sign of muck or prison grime on her - the only trace of her predicament is an artful dishevelment to the drape of her scarf and the arrangement of her hair. "Thank you Daina." She bows, slightly.

Now at liberty to survey the room more freely, Slavina looks for signs partaining to the path she sensed. In particular, she scrutinizes the door Aaren pointed out to see if it matches what she feels.
Mystery+search to get more info? I'll PM you questions

Fate

Sure.

Daina

Daina gives a Lydzi bow in return and checks in with the Moss. anything new to watch? It's a bit boring innit?

Slavina

ELEVEN

(To Fate)
Questions!

1. Does this door corrospond to the in/out path?
2. If not, could the door lead to a path out under the right circumstances?
3. Are there any other doors here, physical or spiritual?
4. What is needed to open the door?
5. What type of place are we likely to end up in if we take the in/out path Slavina sensed earlier? What about if we go through the door (if it's different?)

Fate

(To Slavina)

1. It does!
2. (See above)
3. No.
4. A hand. Probably a ladder too.
5. It doesn't feel much different. This feels like one contiguous place so far.

Daina

Daina sighs softly and pinches the bridge of her nose. She frowns as she tries to sense how much moisture is in the moss. Just in case. She then responds to the moss.

Slavina

Slavina says for everyone's benefit, but in Nora's direction, "We can get out through that door." She points up. "As soon as you're out of your cells."

Aaren

"Will you explore some?" Aaren asks. Not pausing in her Calm-Fire-Home song. "I can't hear anything but more cells out there. We have at least a couple hours until this fire is hot enough."

Fate

(To Daina)
Why are you leaving? You may not leave, one of the big mosses asks.

Daina

(To Fate)
I've got a very important seed ta plant at some point and it doesn't belong here, you understand propagation eh?

Fate

(To Daina)
There is "chatter" among the mosses.

Another responds, You may not leave.

Daina

(To Fate)
Oi well I don't need ta be uncomfortable though aye? She questions as she checks around for some sort of lever perhaps...

Fate

(To Daina)
There is no response.

Daina

Daina grumbles softly "The moss has gone... quiet..." she warns as she moves to check on the fire and the bars. Reaching in with her hand to try and pull the metal, maybe it's malleable if not melting yet. Megan can I do a roll to feel out the plants and the warmth in the area around us, try to get a sense of the floor plan?

Slavina

Slavina hesitates, but nods. "Yes. Provided I have something to climb to reach the door."

Fate

Yes, you may. And the metal isn't malleable yet.

Daina

can I use control warmth and fertility together to do it?

Fate

Yeah.

Daina

dats a 10

Aaren

"Frankie, there was a coil of good rope in my pack." Aaren sings. "Could you cough it up for Slavina, please?"

Fate

Throughout this time, Nora had been muttering, presumably to Brian—apparently she's begun to gain somewhat of a sense of privacy. Something about lung and throat construction. Then, when Aaren asks, she stops mid-mutter to ask, at a normal volume, "Alright, so Frankie's this shadow you got, right? How's he grow enough to swallow something like my house? If there's light all around, does he disappear? Does he eat food? Does he mayhap have different stomachs, one for storage and one for digestion? Does he shit?" She pauses. "Is there more of him? As in, does he procreate?"

As she peppers anyone and everyone with questions, a rope plaps right beside Slavina.

Aaren

"Oh." Aaren sings. "Uh, do you know the goddess Ulfina?" And she lets one of her songs gain just a riff of the right song.

Slavina

"Frankie is the servant, or perhaps tool, of a powerful goddess." Slavina explains. "He was given to Daina as an infant and does her bidding. Thank you, Frankie." She takes the rope and looks at it, then at the ceiling, then realizes she has no way to affix the rope to the ceiling.

Daina

Meg, two questions. "Can I grow a vine down to grab the rope and hold it tight?" and "do I need to roll for fiah?"

Fate

"No!" Nora replies cheerily, in response to Aaren. And then, after Slavina explains, "Hah! She must've been one impressive babe."

"She's the Swan Maiden's daughter," Kelly elaborates.

"Who?"

After a moment of hesitation, Kelly says, "Another goddess."

Nora lets out a noise and says, "You're codding me!" Then, before Kelly has a chance to respond, she blurts out, "Wait, if that's so, how come you can't call on your mum or this Ulfenyah to come and give the Bog King a good battering?" Another half-pause. "Were you disowned?" Pause. "Ohhhh your mum's a wagon, isn't she? Or'd she run off or something?"

Daina certainly can grow a vine. And yes please roll for the fire, without successes as Aaren hasn't heated up the flames yet.

Daina

Daina growls faintly hearing Nora's questions, understanding the reasoning but feeling a bit slighted regardless. She doesn't reply and instead focuses her ire on the flames and attempts to bring up the heat. Control Warmth + Fire?

Slavina

Did she do the vine thing yet, or is she doing that after the fire?

Fate

[Fire + Control: Warmth] is fine.

Daina

after the fire sorry just worked better thematically.
8 succs fire
She grumbles as she looks upwards and focuses on the place the hatch lies. Her goal being to grow a wreath of vines around the hatch and then have one extend down to grab the rope and draw it back upwards.
diff?

Slavina

Slavina picks up on the growl and replies (quickly, so Daina won't have to suffer the indignation any longer than necessary), "She's separated by a..." She thinks for the culturally appropriate term, "...geas?" She tries. "Now that Daina has left her mother's hall, her god-family must treat her like a stranger until she's completed a holy quest."

Daina

or maybe my average covers this one?

Fate

Nora tilts her head back, rocking briefly backwards before returning her attention to Slavina. "Ohhhh, one of thoooose."

Daina

Daina turns her head to gives Slavina a small smile and nod of thanks for her efforts at explanation.

Fate

I need you to roll. It's 15 successes to grow a vine that fast. One roll per six hours.

Daina

kk

Slavina

"Are they common?" Slavina asks Nora. "Geasa, that is."

Daina

spent three L and got an 8 = 11 total

Fate

"Fuck no!" Nora busts out laughing a little. "What world are you from? No one in their right mind would subject theirself to a geas. You can't function with that sort of thing hanging over your head."

Daina

I've another idea but I dunno if it'd work, ask the fire where the bog king is and to guide her vision to see him?

Slavina

Slavina shrugs. "I've never encountered it aside from Daina, but my impression was no one willingly subjected themselves to them. Yet there they are. Kind of like hailstorms." She waves a hand over her head.

"Daina..." Slavina hesitates, then pushes herself to make a direct request: "could I stand on your shoulders for a moment? Just long enough to tie my rope."

Aaren

"Kelly," Aaren asks, "Will you help me sing, please?"

Daina

Daina gives a nod and bends to make it easier to step up, glad she spent all that time with the performers and learned so much. Her balance at least should help her keep Slavina aloft long enough to tie the rope. no roll here right?

Fate

Nora waves a hand dismissively, seemingly neither confirming nor denying that geasa just happen.

Kelly sings assent, then hesitates. "I'm getting kind of thirsty, though. Can I have some water, please?"

"Oooh!" Nora says, brightening considerably. "Does Frankie have food and drink in him?" A pause. "Can you keep a feast in him? Did you keep a feast in him? I'm famished!"
Hm. There's a physical penalty, remember? Lemme check your averages.

Daina

[oh yeah

Fate

Yeah, you should be able to do it.

Daina

yay

Slavina

Slavina climbs up and attaches the rope. After a quick tug to make sure it will hold her weight, she shimmies up and gently pushes on the door to see if it opens without too much noise.

Fate

"Oh yeah," Kelly says. "Frankie, may I have the waterskin, please? And can you cough up a day fruit for Nora?"

In short order, the items are delivered.

Hmm. What's Slavina's strength...

Slavina

3. Plus she has 4 athletics

Daina

Daina can ask the vine that's grown so far to help?

Fate

Yeah. I'm gonna need a roll. [Strength + Athletics]. Diff 5. And to get the plant to help will be another Diff 15 for Daina.

Slavina

no chance I can use Dex+athletics? XD

Fate

No. :P

Daina

I'll wait an hour and use my next roll to grow it big und stronk? or would the roll to get it's help still be teh same after that?

Slavina

6!

Fate

Mel, it's 6 hours between Fert rolls to grow plants.

Daina

oh dang
well wasn't needed anyway heh

Fate

With a lot of effort—a superhuman effort, it feels like, what with how it felt like it took a little something away with it—Slavina is able to push the heavy stone door open.

Slavina

She makes it look effortless, of course. (It's not. Not at all. But one must keep up appearances after all.) When the door is open she waits a few moments to see if anything comes crashing down or lashing out. When the coast seems to be clear, she cautiously wriggles her way up through it.

Fate

Roll [Per + Notice].

Slavina

3

Fate

(To Slavina)

There's shuffling, from above, moving to the center. Apparently there's another trap door. (Makes sense. This place is also circular, surrounded by cells. At least as far as Slavina can see, given the paltry light. Although there are considerably more cells here, about the same size, yet the room doesn't appear to be any bigger.)

There's also talking, once the ears are strained enough. They are breathy voices, low and dry, not quite sounding human and yet sounding entirely too human.

"... there was a cottage too!"
"Mm-hmm."
"Who'd've thought that there'd be a cottage in the belly of a shadow, huh?"
"Mm-hmm."

The voices—and shuffling—draws closer. Then there's a clank on the trap door.

"... Are you even listening, Aengus?"
"Mm-hmm."

Slavina

Is this trap door within reach?

Fate

Nope.

Aaren

... should I roll too?

Fate

Hmm. Sure!

Aaren

Once Kelly has finished his water (and sounds a little better) Aaren directs his attention to one of her vocies and begins teaching him the complex new rythum of the Jerri's-Fire song.
"Would you like to help too, Nora? Brian?" She asks. "And did you still want to know about my vocal chords?"
6 success, unless I'm at -4 for that, in which case 2.
2, I should be at - for idnetifying stuff I hear, right?

Fate

(To Aaren) There's shuffling a floor above the one Slavina's currently in. And voices, but they're indistinct.

"Can' fing for fit. I can hry, dough," Nora says through her full mouth. Then she swallows, hard, and hurries to say, "Yes I wan—" and begins coughing.
You're not rolling for Singing so 6 is fine.

Aaren

Okay, no complaints here! She's just coughing because the food went down the wrong pipe, right?

Fate

Correct.

Daina

Daina rubs her hand over her face as she looks at the bars they're working so hard to melt... She frowns some and questions "Frankie, can you eat a few friend size holds in the bars on each cell?" she wonders. "They're not ya know enchanted to hurt ya or anything right?"

Fate

I can, Frankie says. And they are not.

Daina

Daina looks at the others and shrugs a shoulder. "Sounds pretty good right?" pausing for confirmation.

Fate

"Please," Kelly says, in response to Daina. His voice is flat.

Nora merely continues coughing.

Aaren

"Slavina, someone's moving around up there." Aaren sings. Since Kelly is helping her now, she spares a different voice from the complex weaving of the fire-calm-home song to help Nora cough her food into the right spot.
She uses that voice to explain about her vocal cords. "My vocal cords, lungs, and throat are stronger and larger than is average for my size, but within bounds for normal other than that. The extra voices and the intense efficency with air output actually arises from the—" she slips here into HomeTownEse, for the parts of the song that (heard together) compose the 'personhood' of the thing being sung.

"Which is a bit I'll have to show you later because it takes more then one voice." Aaren finishes.

Daina

Daina looks worriedly to Kelly and gestures to the bars in front of him. "Kelly first eh?" she smiles a little and looks to Nora, after coughing up a water skin for Nora if you would be so kind..."

Slavina

Slavina doesn't respond to Aaren verbally, but she remains on high alert as she emerges into the new room. she yanks a piece of the vine up with her and lodges it between the door and the sill, so it won't shut behind her. Then she stands, and takes stock of her surroundings.

may I make a perception+search roll to find what Aaren pointed out?

Fate

It's not long before Nora's throat is freed. Once it is, she says, "I have so many questions." Then she rises to standing (picking up the waterskin as she does so, slinging it over her shoulder) and moves to the bars. "Yes, I know, Brian! You don't hear me asking them, do you?"

It's eerily silent, the way Frankie moves to Kelly's cell. Darkness overtakes a friend-sized hole (literally so, because this is Frankie), then fades away, leaving an opening. Kelly steps through. After he does so, he pauses to ask, "Did you still want my help singing, Aaren?"

Not long after, Nora steps through the hole. "So... Frankie... what's to stop you from swallowing the Bog King, eh?"

Politics, Frankie responds.

"Shadows have politics?" Nora draws back. "Do you have societies? Kings? Druids?"

No.
Yes you may, Loral.

Slavina

5

Daina

Daina grumps "Babushka has got to outrank this guy" sigh "I suppose his Mamma is a big deal or something?" To Frankie "'ey... do you know his family, have I met any of them?" not sure who the feck it could be but it's worth an ask.

Aaren

Aaren laughs. A self-depricating laugh. "I can't belive I've lived with you for nearly 16 years and I still can't remember you can do that." She sings, to Frankie.
She drops the fire song, somewhat regretfully, and returns to singing Kelly's calm song. Then she adds Slavina's Alertness song. "No, thank you Kelly."
"Frankie, is it true that you won't swallow the Bog King because of god-polotics?" Aaren, used to Frankie, tries the question again, since she's curious too.

Fate

No, Frankie says, by way of response to Daina.

Kelly hums his assent, then moves to the rope, eyeballs it. "We should probably be quiet, if someone's moving around up there," he says gently. But it's not a suggestion. "Daina, can you put the fire out please?"

Yes, Frankie says to Aaren.

Slavina

She leans down to the gap in the door and says very quietly, trusting that Aaren and Daina will hear, "Some of the bog-servants are above us. I think one is the one Frankie swallowed and he sounds pretty happy about it. I'm going to talk to them."

Slavina takes a moment to compose herself and put on her absolute best face (and prepare her best voice).

Aaren

Aaren lowers her voices to 'extreame quiet' mode (although not silent, because surely Kelly would have said if he meant silent) and turns most of them to the quiet song.
"Thank you, Frankie." She less-then-whispers.

Daina

Daina picks up the fire "Frankie do me a favor and hold onto this as it is. Might want a sung to fire at some point eh?" She holds out the fire and either Frankie eats it, or she gives it a try herself. She then reaches up and a vine lowers enough for her to grab and clamber up. Relying on her natural dexterity and learned acrobatics to make it up as quietly as possible. Possibly offering help to Nora if she seems to need it. She whispers quietly. "What's he on about stealin'? She questions "Brian from the bog?" she murmurs.

Slavina

Since no one has objected and she's as composed as she's going to get, Slavina raises her voice so it will just barely carry to the next floor. "Excuse me... Aengus, is it? May we join you?" It is the absolute politest request, but just pitiful enough that one would have to be the most stony-hearted hermit to refuse.

Can I roll charisma influence to get them to want to help us out?

Fate

Sure!

Slavina

8

Daina

Daina listens for sounds of protest or fussing from the moss, any tell tale signs they're being rats.

Slavina

also, do I get any bonuses to social rolls with these guys from Slavina's awesome aura of incredibleness last session?

Fate

Good question! Thanks for the reminder—she totally should. Next roll.

The fire disappears to shadow, bathing everyone in impenetrable darkness.

Then there's a long, stricken pause.

And a voice—dry, withered, its edges whispery—calls down, "Ahhhh... sure, love."

Then, there's the scrape of stone on stone.

"Stand clear—we've got a rope ladder," another voice (similarly whispery) says. It comes through clearer now, in the opening which has evidently been made. (It's hard to tell otherwise, given that there's no light to see by.)

Slavina

"Ah, thanks, you're a gem!" Slavina half-whispers, taking a step back to make room for the ladder.

Fate

"I can't believe that bloody worked!" Nora blurts. "Like that, all polite and sad-like?"

Kelly sings the shush song, thinks better of it, then shushes her.

"Shhh yourself," she growls back.

Daina

Daina snorts softly "'ey Frankie how bout you eat up our sounds when they get a bit out from us?" mostly jesting.

Slavina

As soon as the ladder's down, Slavina climbs up it and feels her way to solid ground. "It's lovely to meet you. I'm Zdeslava, but most people call me Slavina. Mind if my friends join us?"

Fate

I cannot, Frankie says. But you can. Before they leave your mouths.

Daina

Daina grins to that response and nods her head in the affirmative.

Aaren

Aaren smiles as well, drawing the quiet song more tightly around them.

Fate

"Not at all," says Aengus. "Would you like some help up there?"

"Here, let me," says the other. "You've only got the one hand."

Aengus simply grunts. "Careful, though. Dermot'll talk your ear off about the world in the shadow's belly. Apparently there was another shadow in there who offered him tea."

"At least, I think it was an offer. She said yaisa—or sommat like that—then waved at something that I think was a teapot. Bizarre-lookin' thing, though."

"See?" Aengus says.

Slavina

Slavina takes the hand(s?) up, all three of them, with a murmur of thanks. She calls out softly, "Come on up, there's a ladder now." Slavina sits herself back out of the way of the opening. "You don't say?" She asks, softly. "I didn't know there was anyone else in there! We've never gotten anyone to describe what it's like before."

Aaren

Aaren follows Slavina's instructions, helping Kelly herd (or in Nora's case gently suggest) the herd (such at is) to the correct spot.

Daina

can I sense anything about the moss, specifically if it's snitching on us?

Fate

These fellows' hands feel very spindly, very bony, and yet very strong. As if they were both very old men who still had their youthful vigor.

In short order everyone is now on the third floor up, in complete darkness.

"Mind if I conjure a light?" Nora asks.

"Oh. Right," says Aengus. "Go right ahead."

Soon that floating ball of gentle blue light returns, filling the whole room with a dim glow.

Before them are two bodies, bony and sinewy (though more the former than the latter), looking as if they could hardly support their own weight, their skin shriveled and black, both with a full head of hair and one with a full beard, their eyes closed as if sleeping.
Kelly steps back, then squares, his breathing getting quicker.

Aaren

Aaren immidently begins singing Kelly's calm song.
Meanwhile, she is listening intently to the men infront of them, determined to learn as much about them as possible.
"Good evening, sirs." She smiles at them.

Daina

Daina smiles and let's it be heard in her voice. "Thanks, lads" she whispers as she attempts to look around them gain some knowledge about where they are. Worrying her lower lip as she hedges a bit into the darkness around them. Not more than a step.

Slavina

"Aengus, Dermott, this is Kelly, Aaren, Daina, Brian and Nora." She gestures to everyone in turn.

Daina

She tsks softly and grumps as she scratches her chin and then cheek. Trying to hide her words as it were. "We've got eyes and ears up here too... seems they do love to gossip" she mumbles quiet like.

Aaren

Aaren frowns at Daina's news about the tattling moss. Keeping one song on Kelly, she turns the rest of her music to the world around her.

Fate

"Sirs!" cries Dermot. He turns to face Aengus. "You hear that! She called us 'sirs'!" He sounds genuinely delighted.

Kelly swallows, then, after he catches his breath, he says, "You want me to get your rope ladder back for you?"

Aengus makes a surprised noise. Then he says, "Would you please?"

"How are you all so polite!" exclaims Nora.

Kelly stoops at the edge of the opening and gathers up the ladder, rolling it as neat and tight as he can manage.

"Aye," says Nora to Daina. "Sphaghnum is very communicative." She straightens herself out and puts on... well... some kind of air. It's hard to tell what she's trying to accomplish. "So, la—sirs. Mind showing us the way out of here?" she asks, speaking slowly and carefully, her voice slightly sing-song. It comes off more condescending than anything else, although clearly not intentionally so. She pauses. "Please?"

"Oh, no, the Bog King would have our heads for that," says Dermot.

Like that, she drops her presence. "But you're already dead!"

"That was a figure of speech, lass," Aengus retorts, his words as slow and careful as hers were.

She throws up her hands and turns away. "I tried, alright!?" she says to no one in particular.

Aaren

Can I roll... okay like, singing the song of the place and the guys, minus us—so that if anyone looks over here with not actual eyes they can't see us?

Daina

Daina quirks a brow to Nora and nods 'yeah so I see' she grins a little and nudges Slavina, she makes a mimic of a bow and nods to the Bog Mummies. "if being called sirs is a novelty imagine the blushes that might cause eh?" questioned super quietly. Not pushing any more than that though and wondering. "You guys want me to uh ... try and cut the lines between?" she asks with a slight purse of her lips.

Slavina

"Yes Nora, thank you. You're very trying." Slavina says with a small smile and a slight teasing intonation. She then turns her attention back to Aengus and Dermot, eyes just a touch wide. "Oh dear. No, no, we can't put you in that kind of position. You've been so good to us already."

Fate

Nora looks to Slavina, then flicks a glare in the direction of her skirts. "Yes, ha ha, that was a right gas."

Aaren

Aaren lowers her voices even further, her lips pursing in concentration as she beings pursuing the song around them. It's the Bog-King's, even where its stone or metal or Bog-Man. It touches everything and changes it.
Rolling Singing Notice to gather info about the songs to prepare a stealth song.
7 From Aaren.

Fate

That's +2 dice!

Slavina

"I'm sorry Nora," Slavina dips her head. "That wasn't a fair thing to say."

Daina

Daina sets her hand on her hip and questions Frankie aloud. "Any tips about getting out of here?" Her other hand patting her tummy even though she's well aware he doesn't exactly live there really.

Aaren

"Daina, what does 'cutting the lines' entail?" Aaren sings, still very quietly, her voices begining to weave into the the songs of the world around them.
She keeps them low, so as not to inturupt Slavina's conversation with Aengus and Dermot.

Daina

Daina winces a little bit at the idea even as she brings it up. "Means killing off the moss in the middle of each floor..
er not the middle but like the connecting parts between each floor you know?"

Fate

"Well, I liked it," says Dermot, in response to Slavina.

Nora, on the other hand, stares at Slavina, unsure how to respond. "Yeah, well..." she manages, but fails to finish the sentence. Instead she snaps, "Oh shut your gob, Brian."

Leave, says Frankie to Daina.

Aengus scratches his neck. "Well. The way I see it... you gotta get permission from the Bog King to leave, aye? But that's a title, innit? Bigger'n one individual, aye?"

Dermot groans and turns around. "That's it. I'm out. Have fun suffering for eternity." He heads for the rope ladder.

"I ain't said nothing except the bleedin' facts, now did I?" Aengus shoots back.

Dermot doesn't respond, just grabs onto a rung with each hand.

Nora huffs. "And just where are we s'posed to get—" Then she cuts herself off. "Right, I know, Brian. I'm not thick." And then she falls into contemplative silence.

Daina

Daina grumbles "yeeeah that's the idea Frankie, any suggestion for ways to make that happen that keep us alive and such?"

Slavina

can I get an insight-ping on Aengus and Dermot right now? Also I'd like to roll something to get a clue if/what secrets they have.

Fate

Sure.

Aaren

"Daina..." Aaren's words trail off, although her songs do not. "Won't that hurt the plant?" Her voices are all too busy to inflect, so she puts her uncertainty on her face instead. She's normally not particularly concerned with plant lives, but she is talking to the woman who learned to photosynthisise to avoid eating.

Daina

Daina nods some "It would but... I'd like to leave here alive and I know it's watching and it's pretty clearly on the side of the boss around here so.."
7

Aaren

"No." Aaren sings, and she takes a voice away from its task to express firmness in her song. "We aren't going to start killing things because it's more convienent—let's save that for when we know our lives our at stake. Can't you put it to sleep instead? Or bargin with it."
Aaren sings 'we', but she means 'you', since Aaren already kills things when it's conveinent, and just doesn't think it's right for Daina to start doing so when she has previously been against it.

Daina

Daina grumbles and considers if she can put the moss to sleep effectively. fert gardening? to figure it out?

Fate

Sure! That'll put you at a Diff 18.

Daina

just to figure out if it -can- be done? XD sheeeit

Slavina

Slavina watches this exchange carefully, then says, "Please don't leave, Dermot. We need someone as practical and keen as you. We'll say nothing more of titles for now, right?" She flicks her eyes at Aengus in a pretty-please way.
Do I need to roll to convince Dermot not to leave?

Fate

Nooooope.
I mean, you can if you want. But you'd get, like, +5 successes to your roll. At his Diff, like, 3. :P
Dermot pauses halfway up the ladder and considers. Then he heaves a dry-sounding sigh and climbs back down. "Yeah, I suppose someone's gotta keep you out of trouble."

"Bull-man, mind strippin' down?" Nora asks.

Kelly looks her way, brows slightly furrowed. "Why?"

"I wanna see if there's a blemish on you."

Kelly looks Aaren's way, a little uncertain.

At this, Dermot makes a strange noise of exasperation and starts back up on the ladder. "That's it."

"She ain't said nothing about titles, now did she?" Aengus points out innocently.

"That's right!" Nora cries. "No harm in looking, now is there?"

Dermot hesitates again, clearly torn.

Daina

"Frankie do you think the moss is telling tales to the Bog King? or maybe he has other spies lurking around?" Frankie is shadow after all so he'd probably know more than anyone right?"

Slavina

Do we know what this blemish thing is about from Esta?

Fate

Frankie responds, sounding like a bit like he's coming from multiple places at once. This is his realm. It has eyes and ears.

"Oh, aye," Aengus confirms. "'S nowhere here anyone can get a quiet moment."

"Not with you around, anyway," Dermot grumbles.

Aengus simply ignores him.
Yes.

Aaren

Aaren stands for a moment in confusion, and then sings, "Oh. Kelly, if you meet the beauty standards of the locals you're eligible to be king. Do you want to be a king? Kings are like... gang lords, right?" She asks Kelly. He spent more time with Esta, after all.

Daina

Daina snorts softly at the exchanges and rubs her brow. "well seems like the moss isn't the whole of the problem so it's really no use to try and stop it eh?"

Fate

"Ahhh bloody fuck," Dermot spits. Then he begins double-timing it up the ladder.

Kelly shrugs a shoulder. "I dunno."

"What, you never—?" Nora cuts herself off right quick. "Oh, it's great, I promise." Clearly she's taking a different tack. "You'll... ah... get everything you ever want. Women, wine, ah..." She searches for a term. "Gold." Then pauses. "Men too. Weapons, if that's your thing. Horses. Fame. And more good stuff." And then, after a moment, "Best of all, we'll be able to get out of here with our hides intact."

Slavina

Slavina looks... not enthused by this information, although it's clearly not a huge surprise either. She taps her index finger against her lips and narrows her eyes a little in thought. "Dermot, please. Kelly has lands of his own and a family he's bound to. None of us are interested in anything of the sort." She says this last bit sternly directed at Nora. "Only in returning to our holy quest."

Aaren

"Sorry!" Aaren calls after Dermot. "I didn't realize it was a title!"

Daina

Daina scratches her cheek "Frankie .. did I understand you right, that there is more than the moss listening and watching and such?"

Slavina

I would like to try and disguise us all illusion-like. Can I do the assisting-myself thing like Elena did by gathering info first and then using it in the main roll?

Fate

Yes, Frankie says.

Daina

Daina hums softly "can you give me a run down of who, or is it way to many people and things and so on?" she lifts her head to sniff the air around here and see what she can pick up on her own.

Aaren

Aaren turns her attention back to her songs. Hiding all of them all the way seems like an overwhelming task, but perhaps she can do the conversation?
Aaren turns her songs (with her new understanding) to making sure that their conversation cannot be heard outside of the small bubble where their heads are.
Rolling singingsinging to disguise specifically our noise with a cloaking song.

Fate

Dermot is already up to the next floor up by the time Slavina offers her assurances.

Aengus waves a hand. "Ahh, we don't need him."

"Fine," Dermot says. "But I'm waiting up here. If any of you start talking daftness again I'm gone for good."

Aaren

7 from Aaren.

Fate

As Slavina says no, Kelly considers another moment, recalling Esta's tales, and adds, "And I don't want to fight anyone unless I have to."

Nora sighs heavily.
That's a 17 opposed roll.
You can try and do that, Loral.

Aaren

Sooo, does Aaren notice loosing that roll?

Fate

Another roll, please. Wits + Notice

Aaren

Difficulty?

Daina

Daina huffs softly "so like... why does the Bog King think you stole from him.." she pauses ... "is it cause of your mate there?" she gestures to Brian, her question to Nora.

Fate

6

Slavina

Slavina only gives Dermot an absent-minded nod as she sinks her attention into the surroundings. She reaches out with her awareness, into the substance of the bog, feeling for its patterns and slow, ponderous ripples.

Aaren

Aaren got a 9

Slavina

Mystery+wayfinding to figure out as much as possible what this place "looks" like and how to approach hiding.

Fate

"No. Gran says he was buried in his village right and proper, against her mum's wishes." Nora flicks a hand. "I'm not sure he thinks I stole from him." She pauses. "At least, he'd better not." Nora shakes her head and begins a circular pace. "But my Gran sure did. And apparently all he wants is to punish a Nora and doesn't much mind which."

Aengus nods in sympathy. "Oh, he's like that."
Then yes, Elena, she'd notice it not working.

Slavina

9

Fate

That's +3 dice!

Slavina

Okay! And this is opposed, right?

Aaren

The blood drains from Aaren's face. Then she sighs, recovering her composure. "Well, don't worry about the moss, Daina, he's already listening anyway."

Daina

She grumbles "Well firstly any Nora seems a pretty dickish way to look for justice.. but also hey I don't need to hurt plants so .. yay?" she makes a small shrug motion. "How d'you know he's listenin?" she questions Aaren.

Fate

Yes, it is opposed.

Aaren

Aaren sings the world. "I tried to make it so he couldn't hear us and then it sounded like this" She lets the tune change, slipping again under her fingers, "And then he did this." The song doesn't revert so much as fail to change, with the flowing, watery flute undertones sharpening. "I think he's been listening the entire time, but I'm not sure what listening means for him."

She pauses for a moment, vocalizing, and then sings, "Do you think we could ask?"

Fate

Nora looks at her, narrowing an eye. "What, the Bog King?"

Daina

"ask what exactly? like how to fix this shit so we can go?"

Aaren

Aaren nods, eagerly, to Nora, but then slows and sighs at Aaren's question. "Sure. I was thinking ask him what listening is like for him. I don't get to talk to gods about technical stuff very often." Her face and her songs sadden again, softly, as she thinks about her friend.
Then she brigthens. "But yes, Daina, maybe we should ask him how to fix things. Maybe we can explain about Nora's grandma? He seemed a little short on patince, but maybe he's in a better mood now."

Fate

Kelly harmonizes quietly with Aaren's sad song, offering gentle commiseration.

"Ohhhh no no no no, he doesn't take well to people asking things of him," Aengus says, shaking his head. "Takes affront to it, he does."

Slavina

Slavina drags her attention back up from the bog. It was far to complex, subtle, close-woven with its god to ever conceal them from him.

It was also murky. And shifting. And full of deceptive pools. Things that look like what they are not. Distortions. Ripples.

She slips herself into the distortions and spreads herself out along their slick surface (slick like silver, slick like oil on water, slick like opal glass). Then she drops her whole being int. For a moment her breath and heart match the stillness of the bog, then resume as she anchors a part of herself more firmly in the here-and-now. She grasps Aaren's hand. Tight.

Slavina leaves that thin surface-slick layer of her presence, and pours into it some more: what impressions of Aaren and Daina and Kelly that she can summon up (and along with them bits of Jerri and Momochka and Truong and...). They drift from where she's placed them - as they should - rippling away in scattered flashes: a reflection in a still pool dashed to confusion by a dropped stone.

Whew! Can I get a stunt vote please?

Aaren

I vote yes!

Slavina

My plan is an illusion + performance (or influence, if that's more appropriate?) roll to make us harder to follow on account of bits of us show up all over the place but not complete

Daina

(yes)

Fate

Hmmm. I'd go with Influence.

Slavina

okay cool. Can I use my mirror knack for this?

Fate

Yes!

Slavina

18
and I spent my stunt L on the roll too, so don't give me any back :)

Fate

Mkay!
12!
And she's applying this glamor specifically over whom?

Slavina

Over everyone who's not a bog-body. Including Frankie
er, if Frankie is possible that is

Fate

Okay!
Aengus draws back suddenly, then glances around. "Where'd you all go?"

"What?" Dermot asks, from the floor above. He pokes his face into the opening. "You mean you managed to lose them?"

"You did too!" Aengus snaps.

Dermot groans. "Ah bloody fuck."

Aaren

Aaren goes on singing quietly, squeezing Slavina's hand and looking to her for instructions.

Fate

Nora furrows her brow, glancing around at the bog bodies, then snapping a look Slavina's way. "How'd you—?" Then she cuts herself off (for, like, the fiftieth time that evening), holds onto the silence, taut, and then checks the bog bodies. When it's clear they hadn't heard, she says, "How long will this spell last?"

Slavina

"Huh." Slavina says. "I guess it worked, but I didn't mean it to work quite so.... thoroughly. Aengus, can you still hear me?"

Fate

Aengus doesn't respond, instead beginning to root around the dungeon.

Slavina

As far as Slavina knows is there a time limit on the glamor?

Fate

Not as far as Slavina knows, no.

Slavina

She shrugs in response to Nora. "As long as we're here, I imagine. Unless we do something that breaks it."

Aaren

"Like him looking harder. Do we have anywhere to run too?" Aaren asks, keeping her voice low.

Daina

Daina sighs "I don't really wanna get out of here just to have the bog swallow us up again though.. " she chews on her lower lip "and I'm not keen on having an enemy we don't need. Do we know what stuff the Bog King likes, maybe we can make nice?" she suggests.

Fate

"You don't 'make nice' with the bleedin' Bog King," Nora says, flat. Then she falls silent for a moment, pulling the silence tight. "I might be able to find us a way out." She snaps a look Kelly's way. "You. Bull-man."

He sings a song of attentiveness. Then, remembering the discordance, he says, "Yes?"

"You've got The Sight, aye?"

A little surprise-stricken, (in fact he sings a measure of surprise), he nods.

She looks Slavina's way. "You've got The Sense."

It's sort of a question, but mostly a statement. Still, she gives Slavina a chance to respond.

Daina

Daina makes a nose wrinkling face at Nora and then steps back to see what she'll come up with.

Slavina

Slavina thinks about this a moment and then says, "Likely, but I don't know what you mean exactly." She pauses a moment and adds, "If you can find a path out, I can and will help us travel it safely."

Fate

Nora nods absently. Then she turns to Aaren. "You've got The Song." She pauses. "Well, The Songs." Then she looks to Daina. "And you've got The Seed."

"What the bloody fuck are we supposed to tell our liege?" Dermot demands, climbing back down.

"I dunno, that they feckin' disappeared? 'Cause it's the truth!" Aengus shoots back.

At that (apparently unconcerned with the other discussion happening), she turns away, moving to another edge of the room. "Yeah, I know it's a fussy ritual. You'd better believe I'm gonna try it. Better we fail and pay the cost than we stay here with our thumbs up our arses until this opportunity gets away from us." Clearly she's talking to Brian again, and clearly she's not paying attention to whether or not anyone else can hear her.
Dermot moves, intent, over to Aengus. "They can't have just disappeared!"

"Well, why not?" Aengus demands. Then, after a moment, he says, mournfully, "Arse. I didn't get to ask their shadow to swallow me again..."

Daina

Daina pauses "and flame and .. some animal stuff.. just.. if that'd help." felt like she was being braggadocios but wasn't trying to be.

Aaren

Aaren smiles at Daina to reassure her. Then she presses her lips together to surpress a mischevious smile at Aengus' words.

Fate

Nora whirls back around to regard the group as a whole and takes a breath to talk.

Dermot groans. "Still on about that shadow-place!"

"You would be too, if you were there!" Aengus says, clearly defensive.

Her eyes flick their way and she huffs at the distraction. "First things first, let's get somewhere that I won't be interrupted by these gobdaws." She glances around and then looks to the two open trap-doors. "Let's go back down." Without waiting for any kind of response, she heads for the trap door, assesses, and then simply decides to dangle and drop.

Daina

Daina sighs and beckons the vine up so they can each grasp and be let down a bit easier, should they so choose.

Slavina

Slavina hesitates to glance back at the two super nice bog fellows, rather chagrined at having abandoned them so suddenly and rudely. She gets over it quickly though and follows Nora.

"Great." She says, with uncharacteristic bluntness. "Now quit keeping us waiting and spit it out. What's this ritual and why is it so fussy?"

Aaren

Aaren is not used to being bossed around.
Her nostrils flare, breifly. Then she takes a deep breath (which does not inturrupt her quiet singing) and slips down after the girls. She casts a glance back at the bog-men and purses her lips.
"Daina," She sings, very, very quietly, as she lands next to her sister, "Do you think you could have Frankie swallow them? I don't want them to get in trouble, and surely if they're missing and then re-appear they'll be alright?"

Daina

Daina purses her lips "I mean pretty sure they're his eyes and ears too but .. Hey Frankie, you mind snapping them up again, gentle like... maybe somewhere near the cart so they can chill?"

Fate

Nora doesn't seem to bat an eyelash at the change of tone. Instead, she begins launching into an explanation which sounds like it's spoken in an entirely different language, even though many of the words are familiar and are placed in the sentences in the same ways as usual.

Slavina

Slavina interrupts her after only a sentence or so of this, holding up a hand and just starting to talk right over her. "Nora, we're foreigners and I'm the only one who has any formal training to boot. Swap all that jargon for regular words and maybe we'll get somewhere."

Fate

Nora scoffs and mutters under her breath a moment before saying, "All good rituals are fussy. But this is a ritual to... open a doorway. Problem is before you can open it, you gotta find it, and you gotta make sure it leads somewhere you wanna end up. And you have to have everything squared away all right and proper for all three, and you've gotta weave and balance 'em seamlessly. You favor one too much, it diminishes the others and you might end up somewhere worse than where you were before. Follow?"

Do you want me to? Frankie asks of Daina.

Daina

Daina considers a moment 'um yeah but make sure you can return them.. we wanna give them an alibi not abscond with them." pause "don't let them trash our cart or anything like that if you can help it.."

Slavina

"I follow. So you want to split the tasks out so each of us can devote more attention to one area?" Slavina tucks her hem up and sits down on a slightly-less-wet patch of ground.

Daina

Daina uses a bit of fire to get the ground under her dry and warm, She then plops her butt down with her usual graceful flop.

Aaren

Aaren murmers her thanks to Daina and slips over to stand next to Kelly.

Daina

Daina gives a little press of her lips in a smile and a quiet hum of her 'you're welcome/no problem' song.

Fate

Frankie's voice comes quiet and small, from her shoulder. When do you wish me to return them?

Nora barks out a laugh at Slavina's assumption. "Oh fuck no!" She laughs a little more. "We'd be doomed for sure if I put you four in charge of that." Quickly, she returns to her intent, business-like manner. "No. Each of you has a gift I think I can incorporate into the ritual that'd improve our chances. I'll tell you what I want from you once I get everything prepared." An idea strikes her and she gasps deeply and cries, "Oh, and I even have access to all the materials I need!" At that she hops around in a circle. "Ahahahaha!" Quickly, though, she bounces back into place.

Completely ignoring (or perhaps not noticing) what Daina's doing, Nora says, "Frankie, I need..." and begins listing off everything.

Daina

Daina ponders that a moment. "Umn once we leave I think, so they won't get into trouble for loosing us so much" she arche a brow and wonders if Frankie will just follow Nora's request. She waits to see and if he does require her permission she'd give it for the things asked for.

Slavina

Slavina (unperturbed by Nora's behavior) waits until she's finished the list. Then adds on, "and a stick of writing wax, a lap desk, and three sheets of paper, please."

Fate

The chatter from above stops abruptly. Shortly thereafter, the materials present themselves (at Daina's request, notably).

And then, when Slavina takes her turn, Nora says, irritated, "No no no, I won't need those!"

Slavina

"Good, they're not for you." Slavina accepts her writing materials from Frankie and starts in on her weekly corrospondences (pre-composed in her head, of course).

Daina

Daina quirks a brow "welp we've found someone who's worse at talking to people than I am" she shakes her head a bit and walks over to the metal bars, curiously trying to melt them with her fire, directly from her hand. Mostly because curious.

Aaren

Aaren sits down to wait, still singing softly. She turns to Kelly and asks if he wants to learn his spear song, sine they ahve time.

Fate

Okay! This is gon' be an extended roll, y'all. Gimme a minute.

Fate

Suggested (by Nora) rolls
—-
Aaren: Singing + Singing
(Unfortunately her Understanding Bodies knack doesn't apply.)
Daina: Fire + Control (Warmth)
Slavina: Mystery + Wayfinding
(Unfortunately her Life Lessons Knack doesn't apply.)
Kelly: Perception + Notice

You may of course try different rolls, so long as they're thematically in keeping with the helpfully vague titles. You may also try to convince me that your Knacks do apply.

(By the way, it would quickly become clear, Mel, that when Nora referred to "The Seed," what she meant was her potential, given how she's a child of a goddess.)

Every 3 successes will bring in +1 dice to Nora's eventual ritual roll. A botch results in ALL the bonus dice the roller has accrued to that point going away.

Alongside you guys, Nora will be rolling Magic + Knowledge (Spells & Rituals) to prepare for the ritual, at Diff 32.

Once she completes her preparations, she'll be rolling just a straight Magic roll, plus all the additional dice. The Diff for performing the ritual properly is 35. At that point, no one else will be rolling.

Every round, the Bog King rolls at a Diff 18. If he beats it, then he gets to add a single success to his 12. (This means if he beats 18 every round, y'all will have 6 rounds total to work with.) If he beats Slavina's glamour before you can complete the ritual, then y'all will have to suffer the consequences. MUAHAHAHAHA!

Any questions?

Aaren

Yeah, what is she doing, exactly?
Just teleporting us somewhere?

Slavina

If Slavina diverts a roll for a round to focus on maintaining the glamor, can she increase the threshold for the Bog King finding us?

Aaren

And how are we helping? (I mean, I can pose: Singing in a vaugly helpful fashion but that.... lacks convitciont. )

Daina

{I'm guessing Daina is serving as battery again so it's pretty par for the course for her}

Fate

She's preparing and performing a ritual/spell which is meant to find a door out, make sure that it takes y'all someplace not worse, opening it, and showing you the way out. It's unclear what she wants from each of you (because she's a terrible communicator), aside from the "essence" of your particular talents.

Aaren

In that case, may I open with some RP where Aaren asks her questions in an attempt to understand? (Sorry to slow thigns down, but if it isn't clear then like....)

Daina

I feel you on it

Slavina

(no objections here!)

Fate

Slavina can absolutely work on maintaining the glamour. But to up the threshold by 1 she has to match or beat a ten, and every 5 successes after that ups the threshold another 1.
Whoa. I am not ready for RP yet.
Sorry guys. I'm trying to get things squared away first.

Aaren

Sorry, I know it was a lot of questions all at once.\

Fate

Okay. So. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with RP, but in this case what's going on is time sensitive and that would become clear the moment the Bog King made a second attempt to search through Slavina's glamour. Once he does that, though, you'll have lost a round to roll in. And it's not like it takes him an hour per roll or something. But I do want to give y'all as players more clarity on what to do.
So... I'm at a loss here.

Slavina

Okay! We've come to a decision: for round one, Mel and I will roll but Elena's going to skip a roll to RP
to ask Nora for direction, that is

Fate

That means Nora's skipping her roll too, for the record.

Slavina

okay!

Daina

but our rolls will still add into the eventual total for her right?

Fate

It will add to the eventual dice pool to perform the ritual. But she'll still have to roll to prepare the ritual, which she'll be doing unassisted.

Aaren

Okay, should I start, or?

Fate

Sure!

Aaren

As Nora finishes her paltry explination and turns to her things, Aaren looks around. Although Slavina and Daina are springing into action, Aaren feels she's not the only one who is confused.
"Nora, I'm sorry, I know we're in a hurry. But, what are we supposed to do?"
She's still sitting next to Kelly, panchos streached across her knees and noises clattering around her shoulders.

Daina

Daina gives a bit of a nod and rubs her chin before putting up both hands in front of her and creating a flame in them, feeding it slow and steady. She suggests that Aaren maybe sing to weave the warmth into the efforts? Though she's clearly unsure about it. She starts off with the song they usually used to get warmth into patients as an after thought but her focus is on providing power. The flames in her hands seeming to rise and fall with her slow breaths as she looks to Nora for confirmation that she's on the right track here.

Slavina

Slavina (having hastily given over her letters for delivery) keeps only half an ear on the conversation. Maybe less than half. A sliver?

The rest of herself, she gives over to the task at hand.

Given directions that are as clear as the bog mud itself and a challenge with more steps than a full-length dance opera, she begins as a wayfinder ought to begin: by looking for omens starting with the most obvious and working her way subtler and deeper as she goes.

Fate

Nora continues muttering and pacing for a bit, the glowing blue ball of light following her (albeit at a slight lag). She picks things up and moves them here and there, only to pick them up and move them again.

After a moment, she says, absently, "You're to sing a song." She nods briefly Kelly's way. "I'll get to him in a minute." Then she proceeds with the muttering.

Aaren

A heavy beat of rest and then, "Thank you." Aaren sings, to the tune of the spear song she is already singing. Clearly which song must be immaterial.
"Would you like to learn the spear song?" She asks Kelly, as she turns her voices back to it, "Since you're waiting?"
Lemme know when I should roll. I'm assuming Aaren rolls in round 2 since she started singing right away. I mean, she was already singing, but you know what I mean.

Fate

Kelly looks to Aaren, taut but controlled, and hums assent.

Aye.

Daina

'eeey 7 succs

Slavina

6 from Slavina

Fate

So that's +2 dice from Daina & Slavina respectively for Round 1!
And +3 from Kelly
... the dice are against the Bog King today. Got a 17, rerolled, got a 16.
ROUND TWO!

Aaren

+3 dice / 10 succ from Aaren.

Slavina

.....can I use my La Dama knack, since this is related to our divine duty?

Fate

In what way?

Slavina

'cause... uh.... sorry, I'm not really braining right now. It feels like it makes sense but I'm afraid I can't articulate it.

Aaren

I mean, getting out faster leads to more tsarbog peices faster.

Slavina

7

Daina

Daina purses her lips softly and hops to her feet and starts to dance with her fire in her hands, trying to tell a story of a journey out of darkness, the flame the light at the end of the tunnel as it were.
8

Fate

(( Alrighty!

Aaren: +3
Daina: +2
Slavina: +2
Kelly: +3

Now Nora's gonna roll... ))
TBK got 23...

Slavina

well poopy

Fate

ROUND 3!

Aaren

+2/7 Suc from Aaren

Daina

+2 / 7 sucs Daina

Slavina

Slavina prickles as she feels the attention of the Bog King slide over her. She redoubles her efforts, moving from passive omen-finding to more active methods - in this case a gourd-dance in time with Aaren's singing.
14

Aaren

"It's the spear song, Slavina." Aaren sings. "Did you want me to sing something else?"

Slavina

"Yes. Please. Sing Nora bigger."

Fate

14 is... +4 from Slavina!
And that's a 7 from Nora and a 20 from TBK!

Slavina

So he's 4 successes away from finding us, correct?

Fate

Yes. And Nora is 14 successes from completing the prep.

Daina

can we donate legend to Nora for auto sucs?

Aaren

((Question: Since Aaren's signing is doing whatever its doing for Nora automatically, can I have it double count?
Like, if Aaren sings Nora's song bigger, can Nora get bonuses to her current roll, as well as the roll to come?))

Fate

At a penalty per roll for a multi-action.
And no, Mel, I'm afraid not.

Aaren

But it's the same action.

Fate

Oh, wait, I see what you're saying.
Um. Well. Because I lacked the foresight to see that coming and can't think of an in-game reason why not, sure!

Aaren

Hoorray!

Fate

Reap the benefits of my lapse in competence!

Aaren

Yes. All two dice of it, I'm sure.
((Now, if you would also let me, say, roll extra dice based on how many words I can type a minute...)

Fate

Tempt not the GM.

Aaren

What's the Aaren Buff to Nora-Dice ratio going to be for Nora's roll now? Also 3 to one?

Fate

Aye.

Aaren

Can we know if Nora is going to spend legend to succedd on the final ritual roll she has to do alone?

Fate

ROUND 4!
You would have no way of knowing that.

Daina

+2 / 7 sucs Daina

Slavina

+3/10 from Slavina

Fate

Okay!

Aaren

"I'm sorry, Kelly." Aaren sings to her brother, her voices already flowing into a new song. She turns her face to the bewilderment and mild frustration she is feeling, since her voices are busy.
Her voices pour around Nora, drawing out the largeness of her song, changing the world around her to match.

The music spreads, like ripples of ink in a tiny cup.

+2/67Suc from Aaren

Fate

Okay! That was 9 from Nora, with +2 bonus dice from Aaren!

Slavina

Can we get a tally of the total bonus so far?

Aaren

Um, Megan, I should be at 15 legend, as of the one I am about to spend right now, but it says I'ma t 13, and I realize that is only 2, but I super care.

Fate

TBK rolled 24
Whoa. What's this? Multiple requests from multiple people!?
Yeah. Sure. Gimme a minute. :)
Elena: fixed

Aaren

Thanks!

Fate

(( Aaren: +7
Daina: +8
Slavina: +11
Kelly: +12
Total: 38 ))

Slavina

coo thanks!

Fate

ROUND 5!

Slavina

+2/8

Aaren

Aaren continues to tweak the song she is building for Nora. Its hard, with the Bog King all around, and so stubbornly unchanging, to bring out the flavor of it in the world.
+2/8

Slavina

just checking, if slavina makes that roll to buff our glamor, that adds one to the Bog King's cumulative diff? Or just to his threshold to succeed in the current round?

Daina

+1 /5 sucs Daina

Fate

Adds one to the cumulative diff. Effectively gives you an extra round to work with.
(( Okay! 7 from Nora, putting her beyond 32!

24 from TBK, giving him 2 more rounds until he shows up! ))
Current tally...

Aaren

Oh! I thought he was going to show up this round! Sweet! I feel much better now.

Fate

(( Aaren: +6
Daina: +9
Slavina: +13
Kelly: +14
Total: +42 ))
That gives us a total of 49 dice to work with—and Nora needs 35 successes.

Aaren

Whoooo! GO us!
Yay, she made it!
She won, right? The big roll, I mean?
Or was that a different roll?

Fate

Yes. 48/35

Aaren

Sorry, I'm apprently having a lot of trouble tracking this evening.

Slavina

Slavina can feel him moving between. Feel the waters stilling into glass. Images coalescing on the surface into ever-more-distinct features. Usually, it is proper and good to go smoothly. Usually, one ought not to disrupt the flow of a host's household. (Usually, Liudzi are good guests).

Usually, of course, means "not always." Slavina's gourd slips to the ground as she rolls her shoulders back and prepares to make some waves. (Usually, a good host has good guests. Usually a bad host... well.)

She reaches her attention back between. She sets her heart to a chord that would strike well with Ginger or Coyote, coats her being in that slick, sticky, shining pitch that covers the surface, and sends herself careening through the Bog King's domain. Every way she turns, she smears or topples or sloshes or crashes, shattering what he's mended of their image and splattering the pieces over as wide a swathe as possible.
Stunt again please?

Aaren

For sure yes from me! I love the ruthum!

Daina

yes, very cool, and also all the chaos!!!!

Slavina

Can I use Harmony on this roll, with the whole chaos counteracting her usual orderliness?

Fate

Sure!

Slavina

uh..... if Nora already made it is there a point? We're out now right?

Aaren

We still need to hide from him while we are going through the door, right?

Fate

Correct. The door will be open and you'll have the way—but you still have to make it to the door.

Slavina

16. So we got 2 extra rounds :)

Aaren

Yay!

Fate

Noted!

Fate

Nora, nude (stripped of Brian, even), nose stopped, mouth tied shut, and eyes blindfolded, hands coated black by a strange chalky substance, begins the ritual.

Her glowing, bobbing light—infused with Daina's warmth until it shifted from blue to green to yellow, ringing in harmony with Aaren's voices and echoing back at her past measures, as if she'd sung into that one room of the Tsarbog's palace—floats to the center of the ritual... well... shape, drawn as it was based on Kelly's obervations, using Slavina's powders and patterns.

Meticulously, Nora moves to every point of the shape—of which there are 20—and chants a measure at each, the language indiscernable, but the rhythm and wording consistent... that is, save a slight deviation at each point. And at each point she also opens a wound on her with an oddly-shaped knife in a different place each time: one per palm, per forearm, per bicep; per foot, calf, thigh; three on her torso, three on her back, their points creating triangles inverse to each other; and one on either side of her neck.

Her blood spills freely from her (not clotting, it might interest Aaren to know), catching the light and looking as liquid gold running down her, nourishing each point in the ritual shape, trailing behind her every step.

If she notices what Slavina is doing, she makes no indication.

And then, the last words fall from her lips and the yellow light falls.

As if it were glass, it shatters, spilling into the lines drawn on the ground. The light spreads, leaking out—and as it does so, the powders and the blood alike, even the blood left behind, shift, melt, warp, and eventually become a bright, golden, fiery—ghostlike, as it offers no sensation when touched or passed through—path which leads out.

Then Nora straightens and lifts up her blindfold and unties her gag.

"Brilliant," she breathes, her voice pinched by the blockage in her nostrils.

Aaren

Aaren (still singing) breathes out in relief and gets to her feet.

Slavina

Slavina stumbles out of her trance and untangles herself from her gourds. She takes a quick glance around to get her bearings and then looks at the new-laid path. "It's safe to go through now, right Nora?" She asks, breathless.

Daina

Daina takes another couple of steps to end the dance reasonably well and then her hands extinguish and she looks to the others. Awaiting confirmation of the safety and an order to get the heck outta here.

Fate

"Depends on your given definition of 'safe,'" she says, her voice still nasal. At that, she removes the nose-plugs, sniffs deeply, and quickly moves back over to her clothes. She regards them for a moment, and draws a finger along the runnels of blood that currently decorate her body, and mutters, "Ahh fuck." Then, with a sigh, she throws up her hands and says, "Oh fucking well!" and begins hastily donning her attire.

Aaren

"Would you like me to heal your cuts?" Aaren asks, as she considers the path with her ears.

Daina

Daina snirks softly "oh that's got to be so comfortable" her tone indicating she's doubtful it is such. She turns towards the 'exit'? as it were and would start in that direction, cause let's get out of here.

Fate

"No, I'd like to bleed to death in this dingy shithole," Nora retorts without so much as looking up. "That'd be right lovely."

"She's asking because not everyone likes their bodies being sung," Kelly says, his tone sharp. "They find it invasive and uncomfortable."

"Oh aye? They'd rather die than have the precious sanctity of their slimy meats violated? Well, I s'pose sense is a limited resource." Nora makes an impatient motion. "Yes, yes, heal my cuts and let's get the fuck outta here."

Daina

Daina snort cough laughs at Nora's response but then shrugs "Or they might need ta stay open for the ritual too, some times it's important" she notes in a matter of fact sort of way.

Slavina

"How long will this take, Aaren? Can you heal her as we move?" Slavina closes her eyes as she focuses on feeling where the Bog King is touching her reflection between. Her tone stops short of being aggressively urgent, but she makes it clear she doesn't want to hang around.

Aaren

Aaren has had enough. She heads for the path. "Daina, I was thinking about it, and maybe we should ask those gentlemen from the bog before we return them? They might rather stay with us." She sings it to the tune of a Thaank you and a grateful glance to Kelly.

Aaren starts climbing through the trap door. "Yes, Slavina, it's no problem. Nora, you should be fine until we start running." She sings it calmly, not hinderred by the hard work of climbing. "I'm afraid I need to talk to you before I start though."

Daina

Daina already took steps towards the door that's the exit checking out the alit path. Considering "Hmm I mean I'm cool with it but is that stealin' from his high and mightiness? I was thinkin' if Brian was a bog dude then maybe he was the 'stolen' thing" Clearly she doesn't consider helping people leave a place as thievery but... well some folks are crazy.

Aaren

"They're people. You can't steal them." Aaren sings, (if she can still hear Daina.)

Slavina

Slavina begins down the path at a pace slow enough she won't lose anyone behind her, keeping careful tabs on any unexpected turns (especially as it passes through natural change points like doors or blind corners).

Daina

Daina glances to her sister "I mean I know that and you know tha', but some people... they dunno tha'"

Fate

Nora stares after Aaren, an incredulous look twisted over her features. "Talk?" But not one to waste time, she quickly follows up through the trap door, struggling a little with her blood-slick hands.

(Kelly is the last to climb, making sure that everyone is going to make it out okay.)

At Daina's statement, Nora scoffs. "Brian's not a bloody bog body, alright? I already told you: Gran says he was buried in his village!" Nora shakes her head. "Anyway, bog bodies aren't people—they were people, but they aren't anymore. And it doesn't matter if you return the thing. The Bog King's a fairy. They're all loony. The point is that you stole from him in the first place, not that he has or doesn't have the thing anymore. So leave the bodies in the shadow belly for all anyone cares!"

Slavina

"For all we know, his village might be in the bog. We've never been here before." Now that they're all moving Slavina picks up her pace so she's near or at the front, tucking up the hem of her overskirt to keep her legs freer. "And I don't particularly care about the Bog King, since I fully intend never to return here. Personally I wouldn't take his wishes into consideration."

Daina

Dain huh's softly "Oh right sorry, I wasn't exactly paying all of my attention to be honest. Bit distracted with the fleeing and escaping and so forth." it's mostly an apology, with just a tinge of snark. She shrugs "people don't stop being people just because they change their... uhh umm state of being... ghosts are still people after all." she pauses "well I mean I can't say for allll fairies but this fella does seem a bit ... well yeah" she says as she clambers up and holds a hand down to help whoever comes up after.

Aaren

Aaren keeps walking, but she slows her pace a bit until Nora catches up, since she doesn't want her to have to run, or even jog, to reach her. Aaren puts on her serious song, conveying a sense of importance to her words. "I take consent very seriously, Nora. There are people who would rather die than have me heal them. Did I understand correctly that I have yours?"
Aaren has more to say, but she does want to stop Nora's bleeding so they can speed up.

Fate

Nora barks a laugh. "Sure, you put a village in a bog if you're keen on everyone dying." She doesn't even address Daina, quickly snapping to Aaren's question. "Yes, you did understand correctly." She speaks slowly and enunciates overmuch.

(To Aaren) Kelly's heart is pounding a heavy, steady rhythm to the sharp melody of his anger.

Wordless, silent, Kelly speeds up his pace, overcomes Nora, and hefts her easily over his shoulder. Nora yelps, and then wriggles. He shifts his grip to something firmer, more settled, and then starts along the golden path.

"There, Aaren," he says, his voice slightly strained with effort. "Now she won't be running. You can talk when we're out. Let's go."

Daina

Daina glances over and chuckles softly "nice one Kelly" she smirks as she picks up pace with his helping of Nora.

Aaren

Aaren starts healing Nora, starting with the blood loss. And, since she is being carried and doesn't need to move anymore, she also starts keeping her still. "Oh excellent, thank you Kelly, that will speed things up immensely. Nora, we'll finish talking when we're safe. I'm starting by stopping your blood loss, and since Kelly's carrying you, I'm going to shut down some of your functions so you can make more blood—that will help you recover faster. Mostly that should feel like not being able to move much. Let me know if it gets to uncomfortable."

Aaren spares a couple of voices to help Kelly carry her. In Hometown, she sings, "Kelly, thanks. I don't want to be this annoyed at her, but it's really affirming to have you be mad too."

Slavina

Slavina takes Kelly's statement as a cue and breaks into a loping jog. At least, when the path is flat enough for jogging. When it's steeper she settles for "hasty scramble." As they move she takes stock of the signs and omens they pass and the feeling of the path they're on.

May I roll mystery+wayfinding to get an idea of what type of place we're going to?

Daina

Daina just keeps moving following the path, pausing to lend a hand if anyone seems to need it in their progress.

Fate

Absolutely!

Slavina

Dammit. If I roll worse on a reroll do I have to keep it? XD

Fate

Yep.

Slavina

4, btw.

Fate

(To Slavina) It's... familiar. Quite familiar. It settles in the bones, a seasonal rhythm which has not been felt in a long time.

Slavina

(To Fate) Do the intuitive associations feel pleasant, or unpleasant?

Fate

(To Slavina)
Intensely comforting, in the way that childhood traditions are comforting. But uncomfortable, because Slavina would no doubt ache for what she left behind.
(Unless she wouldn't, of course.)

Slavina

(To Fate)
Cool thanks!
And she totally would.

Fate

Nora starts by wriggling again, and kicking ineffectually, and cursing almost incoherently. At one point she manages to twist around to grab his hair. But then she slows and falls limp before she can do anything with it.

Kelly says nothing in response to Aaren, simply juts his jaw, sets his brow, and gives her a nod. His shoulders are tight, his movements abrupt.

Aaren

Aaren frowns. She loosens her hold to make sure Nora can talk, even though she still won't be able to move much.

Daina

Daina hurrumphs softly mumbling something about a little gratitude before speaking aloud more. "Frankie can you stealthily check the way ahead maybe report back with what we're heading into?"

Fate

I can, he says, his voice sliding alongside them effortlessly. Do you wish me to?

Daina

"Yes please, be safe don't get caught" she chimes with a faintly upbeat tone. Feeling better the farther they get from the cages they were held in.

Slavina

Slavina pushes ahead even faster, as much as possible without losing Kelly. Her necklaces rattle and chime as they bounce, so she stuffs them down the front of her vest. "I've been there before." She says, before he's even back.

Fate

... Man. The dice really don't like the Bog King.

Slavina

GOOD

Aaren

They shouldn't. He's a meany pants.

Fate

Nora uses her freedom of speech to cuss Kelly out for a bit, then argue with Brian about something which isn't the least bit clear, then let out a frustrated scream and finally fall silent.

Aaren

Aaren keeps up with Kelly, her long legs swinging. She uses her spare voice now to sing the 'group running song', tricky in this world. To Nora she sings, "I'm assuming you're okay. I can make you calmer, if you'd like, or put you to sleep. Please tell me what you want if you want something changed." Aaren genuinely wants to know, because she's not clear on what Nora is upset about (there are, after all, lots of options) or what she wants done about it. Aaren's current theory is that she's very unapphy with being carried, but consenting for the purposes of hurrying.

Slavina

"And when you tell her, tell her quietly." Slavina adds.

Fate

"Oh go fuck yourself sideways!" Nora spits, sullen. (It's not entirely clear to whom.)

Aaren

"Thank you." Aaren sings, because sullen is like quiet.

Daina

Daina snickers a little at the cursing and shakes her head. "oh for the love of peat." she smirks as she makes a joke ... probably no one else can get as the words sound the same. Sighing she waits to hear back from Frankie, always worried when she sends him on missions.

Fate

It leads to the jungle at the foot of the Eggshell, Frankie says, after a moment. On the Bakersfield side.

Slavina

Do these landmarks ring a bell to Slavina?

Fate

Yes. It's part of her family's seasonal path.
Well... it could be.
That's kind of a broad description to be absolutely sure.

Slavina

Right. Gotcha.

Daina

Daina startles "Oh sweet" she chirps "I'm good with that destination! How far is it? ..." pausing " oh man but... I wanted to learn more about this place..." she frowns but continues along.

Slavina

A cacophony of emotion ripples through Slavina, quickly smoothing over and hidden by her among-strangers face.

Fate

Follow the path for 1.2 klicks, then enter the doorway. After a pause, Frankie continues, The Bog King is looking for you.
Okay! I'm gonna check my notes and do some more rolls to see if the Bog King finds y'all and push things along. S'cool?

Slavina

Yes, provided that if we get within a round of him finding us I wanna roll to confuse him again

Fate

Okay!

Daina

k can Daina ask if Frankie can safely help them stay hidden?

Fate

Daina can ask.

Daina

Daina hmms "ok... good work Frankie, if you can do it without risk to yourself see if you can keep us hidden a bit better please."

Fate

I cannot, Frankie says. I am a shadow, not a mirror.

Daina

Daina nods 'Ok. thanks anyway buddy" continues onward.

Fate

Well... since it looks like he failed his first roll with a 15... you guys are home free.