Expedition: Bianca to the North Woods - 03 Aug 2021

[Marullus]

Willow steps ahead into the next room... alone.

Bianca hides behind the broad shoulders of Grizzly Woman, relying on the indelicate woman to help keep the secret ruse. Clint and Winnie refuse the offer to go.

"Will your friend use cards? A crystal ball? Those are common ways in the South," asks Winnie. The masked woman remains impassive and silent, holding open the door and pointing to the first door on the left.

(We're dividing the party? Anyone else going in?)

Date: 07 August 2021, 08:10am
Distance: None today
Light: Sunlight through windows; wall sconces
Effects: None
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Bianca (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

[Modric]

Malenor

Entering the door and proceeding towards the door on the left asks the woman, What will knowledge of my fate cost?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Winnie smiles at their not-so-talkative hostess and shrugs. She follows Willow through the doorway with Mrs. Dash next to her. She looks for another person, assuming it will be a woman, and inspects the room.

[Zhym]

Clint is torn. On the one hand, he meant what he said about it not being good for a man to know too much of his own future. On the other, he can't protect the nice ladies he promised to protect if he doesn't go with them. On the other other hand (Clint isn't that good at counting), the nice ladies who sent them that delicious food last night seem all right, so the other ladies probably aren't in any danger.

He decides to wait for the moment.

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

If GW doesn't go into the next room she will slip in with her sisters.

[Starbeard]

The Grizzly Woman shrugs her shoulders and says, "Well I do not think I can say I ever will likely get to see this manner of thing again. Lead the way Lady."

She steps over the webbing as gingerly as her bulk is able, and rather than waiting for their host to lead on as she said, she simply walks past her and through the door indicated. Calling back, she reassures her friends. "Do not worry about it. I will bet we have good luck ahead because we are eight and you know what they say about if eight folks get offered fruit for dinner from a stranger. It means it is good luck."

[Marullus]

Clint stays behind with the Huckleberry the bear, who's just huffles and remains napping. Willow, Maelenor, Winnie and Mrs. Dash, then Grizzly and the invisible Bianca make their way in order into the hallway and then the first door on the left. Your masked host comes in last and closes the door behind you, also closing the web-coated double doors and leaving Clint to worry in silence.

By the time all six of you file in, this side of the chamber is pretty full. You're in a square room, 30x30, with a large table that fills its center, dividing it between you and the three women who sit on the other side. The table is filled with guttering candles and smoking pots of incense, their light and hazy smoke making it difficult to make out any detail on the faded tapestries which line the walls behind them. Three women sit on upholstered chairs on the far side of the table, their slender arms exposed, their feminine forms outlined by their gauzy dresses. Each wears a mask and their head is wrapped with scarves. In contrast to your hostess, who has a blank, featureless porcelain mask, these three have masks with livid human facial detail. The first has the face of a young, beautiful woman. The second, a serious expression of a middle-aged woman beset with worry lines. The third is an old crone, her nose large and her wrinkles deepset across her entire face. The first and third women are set back from the table, both chanting solemnly and gesticulating. The second watches you solemnly through her mask's eye holes.

"You," the second woman says, pointing a slender finger at Willow. "Daughter of the forest, servant of the primordium. You feel a sense of purpose and great willpower in your journey here," she intones solemnly, turning over cards upon the table. "You have the ability to think on your feet and, faced with opposition, an excellent omen of success. You desire comfort, security and happiness; you are feeling uneasy and insecure in your present course. Beware of impetuous and impulsive decisions by your companions, they could cost you dearly. Success, fulfillment and conclusion are near at hand - the successful outcome to a venture, satisfaction in a relationship and efforts rewarded. When you next set out from your city of Gaul, you will travel northward, far beyond the Cursed Mountain, to the place of the crystal tower's sinking. Within its sunken halls, you are she who can claim the Glass Pillar, a quest of great importance for the safety of the world. When you return the Glass Pillar to the Center of All Things, the balance will be restored. When you have done so, your desires shall be fulfilled, if you fail, it will bring ruin to many." The chanting crescendos behind her among the two other masked women. She slides an ancient scroll of vellum across the table. "You are fated to take this map. May it bring you success on this path in your future." The chanting abruptly falls to a whisper, the map extended to you on the table's surface between the up-turned cards. .

Date: 07 August 2021, 08:10am
Distance: None today
Light: Sunlight through windows; wall sconces
Effects: None
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Bianca (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

[Starbeard]

The Grizzly Woman scratches her eyebrow and tries not to take up too much room in the corner.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Where are Halle and Berra?

Winnie smiles at the sight of the cards. So it is to be Tarot. She takes time to look at the details on the cards, seeing if they resemble those of the Order of the Twilight Eyes. She also breathes in the incense, trying to figure out what oils were used. When the chanting begins, she listens closely trying to discern if they are weaving a spell, and if so, what it might be.

Terribly curious, she whispers, What is the Glass Pillar? It sounds heavy. Is it? And where is the Center of all Things? She makes many mental notes so she can retell this story later.

[Marullus]

Sorry!
Halla looks dubious as the others go curiously down the hallway. She seems relieved that Clint stayed behind. She joins Clint, Berra remaining with her.

[Rusty Tincanne]

I was going to recommend that. I hope they can control themselves around that strapping young lad.

[Bluehorse]

first kinky blindfold sex with a snake goddess in the woods, not posibility of Snu-snu with a pair of Nordic Amazons with a bear watching. Yeah, poor Clint! LOL

[Marullus]

Winnie observes them; they are clearly chanting a spell... it does appear to be of divination and fate. Her questions, voiced aloud but to no one in particular, are not answered by any of the four masked women. Their focus remains steadfast on their work and your party before them.

The central woman turns, her masked visage facing Malenor. "You," she says solemnly, pointing to him, "You feel a sense of purpose and the willpower to get things done; your think on your feet and, faced with opposition, the appearance of The Magician is an excellent omen of success. For you... because there others destined to achieve naught but failure. This is a time of movement and change and your fears of the Adversary are well-founded. Unexpected challenges, upheaval and disappointment will bring expectations to an end. Use this period of change as an opportunity for a new beginning. The Black Orb has resurfaced; powers know it has come to Gaul; they have felt the tug of the Necromancer's power through it and take it to complete the folly of dwarves. Thy will fail and all will fall to ruin. Its true saving rests upon you and you alone, Dancer upon the Wind. Your disgrace can be redeemed. Redeem the orb before it is too late and bring bring it here where it can be hidden from time and visions, where it can be made secure. Your actions are the key to saving or dooming all lands in this, on whether the Dark Ones rise once more."

With these two readings done, they seem satisfied. The chanting stops once more. The blank-faced woman opens the door to allow you to return to the outer waiting room, where food already waits with Clint, Halla and Berra, having floated in again, uncarried. "Your night has passed, your future told. You are free to go."

Date: 07 August 2021, 08:20am
Distance: None today
Light: Sunlight through windows; wall sconces
Effects: None
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Bianca (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

Because we're at a juncture and I'll be away, I'll lay out a choice for you. Decide as a group then act accordingly.

Option #1: Do more with these Fortunetelling Fates. If you wish to do more here, then discuss it in-character and I'll pick up again in a week.

Option #2: Speed your return. If you're satisfied with this expedition, I'll let you effectively end here. They will offer you a barely-servicable barge, long dry-rotted but usable enough, which can carry you back to Gaul. This will allow you to spend the week roleplaying among town locations, sharing info with other PCs, and re-sorting into new expeditions with the other two groups that have returned.

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

When it becomes clear there is no surprise and that fortunes are in fact being told and nothing else... Bianca feels compelled to drop her spell of invisibility and step forward. She looks nervous... more so than normal... but mostly apologetic. Black orb... necromancer... what else can you tell us of these things... There is a fear in her voice that a child could recognize. Her hands flex at her side as her fidgets... worried she already knows, remembering the prophecy that their own High Priestess laid down upon her so many nights ago and hearing far too much echoed already that will doubtless lead to more long secretive conversations between her and Winnie.

[Alethan]

OOC: So I guess we're staying here for another week?

[Zhym]

I thought we were going to decide that as a group before proceeding.

Clint is ready to return to town. But I don't think it matters one way or another. Nothing's going to happen (including a loot and XP list) until Marullus gets back, and we can plan our next expedition OOC. It's mostly a question of whether people would rather RP here or in town.

[Modric]

Malenor

Malenor ponders the wise woman's foretellings Black Orb? Folly of Dwarves?

I'm up for returning to Gaul.

[Rusty Tincanne]

As a character, Winnie has accomplished what she set out to do: explore several new hexes around her coven. She could go home and be happy.
As a player, I would have liked to find some treasure because coin=XP. There are a lot of us on this adventure so the XP from encounters and new hexes won't amount to much, I fear. And there isn't any coin to do much in town.

On the other hand, if we go back now Winnie could set out with Fingers, et al. That tower sounds like fun, and we could just smoke that meat for future rations to split amongst us. And Clay would love to try to recruit Willow, Bianca, Clint and the Grizzly Woman for his expedition farther north.

So... I'm torn and will go with the group.

[Zhym]

FWIW, short of a drastic change in mission, I don't see us stumbling on enough treasure on the way back to make much of a difference.

The downside of pacifism is you don't get to take loot from the people with which you reached amicable agreements.

[Rusty Tincanne]

I just kinda sorta thought they'd give us presents, is all.
(Actually, I was hoping to find a dungeon or old ruin to crawl through.)