Session Start: Sat Nov 08 12:11:58 2003

<ST> Right, then.  You are in a cave, as you might recall.

<Kenken> [how long have we been here?]

<ST> It is a large cave, but you think it might actually get bigger 
the further back you go.  It is the next morning and Ayame is still 
looking very weak.

<ST> Mahnang the Fuath has just entered the cave with a number of 
very long, smooth, fist wide sticks.

<Flora> [Fist wide, meaning fits a fist?]

<ST> Right.  Sort of kind of like a staff, only a bit shorter.  He's 
got a very sharp knife with him.  

* Garland looks up, raising an eyebrow.

* Flora goes to Mahnag "Hello, Mahnang. Thos poles look interesting. 
What will you do with them?"

* Kenken also looks up, playing with some string.

<ST> Mahnang nods at Garland.  Puts knife on end of pole. Looks like 
he's going to whittle.

<Flora> "those really look a lot like a kind of fighting staff I know 
how to use.  May I try one out?"

<ST> Mahnang stretches his mouth so that teeth show along the tusks.  
It might be a smile.  Shrugs.

* Flora takes one and practices some bo katas with it

<ST> Ayame says, "He's lost his human speech today."

<ST> Mahnang stops smiling.

<ST> He looks angrily at Flora.

<Flora> "Did I do something wrong?"

* Flora puts the stick back

* Kenken watches with interest.

* Garland looks to Ayame, "Could you tell us what he's doing then?"

<ST> Ayame says, "You should have waited until he knew what you 
wanted to do.  But don't worry.  He's not used to mortals."

* Flora chuckles "we're not used to him, either!"

<Ayame> "He is going to whittle these sticks to make a trap.

<Flora> [did the pole feel right to me?]

<Ayame> "He has probably spent all morning finding these to be just 
the right size."

<Ayame> [the pole feels as if, with some trimming, it would make a 
fine bo.]

<Garland> "A trap? For what?"

<Ayame> "The Fuaths protect this place very well.  You probably 
noticed the daggers yesterday?"

<Ayame> "Also, they need to eat."

<Flora> "Ayame, would it be proper to offer a trade for one of the 
poles?"

<Kenken> "They need traps to catch food?"

<Ayame> "Remember your delicious meal yesterday?  Fried intestine of 
Squirl."

<Ayame> "Who would waste arrows on Squirl?"

* Garland wrinkles his nose a little at the name of the food, no 
matter how good it tasted.

<Flora> Is Squirl the same as Squirrel?"

<Ayame> "Yes, Flora, it would be proper."

<Ayame> "I know how to spell.  No, it isn't the same.  Believe me, 
you wouldn't enjoy seeing one."

<Garland> "I think it's one piece of wood for one article of 
clothing," glancing over at Flora innocently.

* Kenken shrugs and twitches his tail. Will not be rude in the 
'house' of his host.

<Flora> "Well, I wonder what I possess that Mahnang might want?"

* Flora blushes at Garland

* Garland grins broadly.

<Ayame> "I guess you can only just start offering till he nods.  
Mahnang, I mean."

* Kenken snickers.

<Flora> "OH!  I have an idea!"

* Garland looks at Flora curiously.

<Flora> "Mahnang, would you be willing to trade a pole for a sharp 
pair of scissors?"

<Ayame> [are you offering them?]

* Flora demonstrates scissors with cloth ot leaves or something

* Flora offers them

<Ayame> [you see more teeth than you've ever seen in one mouth in 
your life.  Mahnang nods happily.]

<Flora> "Oh, good!"

* Flora selects a pole best suited to her height and immediately 
practices. She is uncommunicative for a couple of minutes.

<Ayame> "They can be very dangerous foes.  Fortunately, they can also 
be excellent friends.  It is something I can say of few of the 
Denizens of the Dreaming."

<Ayame> [Here I'm speaking about the Fuath and his teeth.]

<Ayame> "But the females are much more bloodthirsty."

<Kenken> "The female of the species is said to often be.

* Garland looks over as Flora practices, nodding a little. "Her pole 
handling is excellent," nods, watching her exercise a little more.

<Kenken> "You'd know, wouldn't you?"

<Ayame> [Wow.  This innuendo is getting in you endo.]

* Garland looks over at KK and just grins.

* Kenken glances up to Ayame after a moment.

<Ayame> "It's so good of the Elder to agree to teaching Ishu the 
Fuath language.  I'm afraid we're going to be stuck here for a while, 
with me being so useless."

<Garland> "How are you feeling today?" Looking over to Ayame now, 
frowning slightly.

<Ayame> "Oh, a little pain, a little bored, a little worried, a 
little of a lot of things."  She smiles.

* Flora returns to the group with a pleased smile on her face. "This 
will do nicely!"

* Garland tilts his head and looks to Ayame. "Hey, can I ask 
something here?"

<Ayame> "I feel as if there are a million questions in my head, and 
two million loose ends."

<Ayame> "So please go ahead and ask."

* Flora looks expectantly at Garland.

<Garland> "What would've happened yesterday if that horn -had- been 
broken? I mean... you said it was... what was it?" Pauses to think a 
moment, then looks back, "The future of everyone?"

<Ayame> "I've been thinking about that a lot.  Ordinarily, I would 
keep quiet about this.  But -- "

<Ayame> "-- I've now learned that I'm not as safe as I once thought.  
And you all have proven so kind and loyal and helpful to me..."

* Kenken 's ears flick.

<Ayame> "So, I think it's best to trust in you.  Four who know are 
better than only me."

* Garland nods to that, keeping his attention on Ayame.

* Kenken murmurs, "So many things to *say*..."

<Ayame> "So, I will answer your question as best I can.  I don't know 
everything about thhis horn, but I can tell you some of its lore.  
This is the first time I've even seen it.  So I could cast Soothsay 
on it as well.  Which first?"

<Flora> "Oh!  Let me see a magic spell!"

* Ayame smiles. "You are such a sweet young thing. Of course, if you 
want."

* Ayame takes out her special stones. She clears a flat place near 
her bed and throws them. She gathers them up again and throws them 
again. She repeats this action five times. You get the feeling that 
she is no longer really with you. In some fundamental way she is part 
of the stones.

<Ayame> [there is a tight feeling in your chests.  You feel as if you 
couldn't speak if you had to.  Ayame is starting to glow.  It is an 
aura of blue light.  Her eyes seem to have turned golden.]

* Flora -thinks- "Holy Wow!"

<Ayame> "Omen is.  Omen was.  Omen always will be."

<Ayame> "All things are part of the Dan of the World.  Tell me your 
part."  She is speaking directly to the horn.

<Ayame> [Now, do you want to see the mechanics of the cantrip 
casting?  Just as a reminder for you if you need to do one later?  Or 
should I just stick with what you see?]

<Ayame> [Kay.  Start with dice pool.]

<Ayame> Dice pool for Soothsay is Intelligence + all pips in whatever 
this horn is.  Now this horn looks like a prop, but in fact it is way 
more than that.  It is magical.  So I use all my pips in fae.  (It is 
a fae treasure).  Fortunately I have five pips, because that is what 
is required for treasures.  So I have 9 dice total for rolling once I 
know the difficulty number.  So far so good?

<Ayame> Kay.  To calculate the Difficulty number of the spell I must 
use the formula: the greater of my own banality or my opponent's (the 
horn's) plus four minus my Bunk level. 

<Ayame> I have banality 4.  I am a grump but I live nearly constantly 
in a pocket of the Dreaming so I'm not as badly off as some grumps.

<Ayame> The banality of the horn is zero.  So I have a difficulty 
number of 4 + 4 - 4.  I used my level 4 bunk to bring the casting 
difficulty to the lowest possible number, which is 4..

<Ayame> Now I count the glamour cost.  This cantrip is chimerical, so 
it doesn't cost anything intrinsically to cast.  I'm talking here 
about glamour points.  I'm also not going to spend any glamour to 
reduce the difficulty because I only have 3 glamour points left +1 
for sleeping over night and besides the spell difficulty is already 
as low as it can go.

<Ayame> Okay, so the glamour cost is zero.  So now I can roll my nine 
dice vs a difficulty number of 4.  Here goes.

<Ayame> SEVEN successes.  Wow.

<Flora> ["Holy Wow!"]

<Kenken> [This is going to be some GOOD soothsay!]

<Flora> [forsooth, it shall be!]

<Ayame> [I didn't even prepare for this many.  So you shall get lots 
of info I'm going to probably regret later.  Ah, well.  I could 
hardly lie to you about the results, right?  evil grin.]

* Ayame looks up from her stones. Her eyes are fading slowly from 
gold to tawny brown. The aura of magic has died away.

<Ayame> "This horn was made by the Tuathans," /me says.  "It was made 
as a kind of last defense.  The horn believes it was not part of the 
original deal between the Tuathans and the Green Court."

<Flora> "the horn - believes??"

<Ayame> "But the horn knows what it is supposed to do.  It calls 
itself a stepping stone.  It does not mean that it wants to be 
stepped on.  It means that without it, the last defense cannot be 
found."

<Ayame> "It is to be sounded by the right kind of person.  When that 
happens, the deer will come."

* Kenken sits upright. Nods.

<Ayame> "That's it."

<Garland> "... the deer is the last defense?"

<Flora> "this sounds familiar!"  [myths - British ISles]

<Flora> "What is being defended against?"

<Ayame> "Does it?  It does to me, too.  What are you thinking, Flora?  
I don't think Garland is quite right, but on the right track."

<Flora> [shall I roll Lore for FLora?]

<Ayame> Roll intelligence + lore difficulty 10.

<Kenken> "You're not the only one it sounds familiar to..."

<Ayame> Anyone can roll it.

<Flora> [one success, one 1]

<Garland> [whee! ... no successes. -_-]

<Ayame> KenKen you can do two rolls.  One will be intelligence + lore 
diff 10, the other will be intelligence + alertness, difficulty 7.

<Kenken> [My lore is Kith only, so it's just int...]

<Ayame> "Nope."

<Garland> [er, and remind me if I've been told already - what was the 
original deal between the Tuathan's and the Green Court? *knows much 
less lore than her satyr does*]

<Ayame> "Kith may be involved."

<Kenken>  [1 success on the second roll. None on the first.]

<Ayame> "Okay, Garland has asked first, so I'll answer him first."

<Ayame> "The original deal between the Tuathans and the Green Court 
of the Fomorians was that if the Green Court voluntarily exiled 
themselves beneath the Sea of Silver in the Far Dreaming, then the 
Tuathans would leave the Dreaming and the world forever."

<Ayame> Okay, Ken-Ken, you got one success, which means you remember 
something about a horn or a deer or both.

<Kenken> "Oh oh oh is that why when the horn's blown at the equinox 
it makes a gate between earth and Big Blue's place?"

<Ayame> "Actually, KenKen, that was a coincidence.  Duke Rendarien 
told me all about that.  What an amazing story."

<Kenken> "Ohhh. o.o"

<Garland> "So... what -would- it be defending against?  Do you know, 
Ayame?"

<Ayame> "I am afraid I do.  The Tuathans didn't want to leave Earth 
and the Dreaming completely undefended against the Dark that is 
coming.  Especially they didn't dare leave the world undefended 
against the Casque of Sorrows."

<Flora> [heavy music swells]

<Flora> "what is that?  What is the Dark?"

<Garland> "Or the Casque of Sorrows?" Frowns deeply.

* Kenken 's tail is lashing nervously.

<Kenken> "I wonder why anyone would set that as their daughter's 
right of passage... getting it, I mean."

<Ayame> "Flora, you are too innocent.  You do not see your own world 
the way it is.  We call it the Autumn World, now.  Banality weighs 
upon it so heavily.  Soon, without help, it will be the Winter 
World."

<Ayame> "Garland, the Casque of Sorrows is the Opposite of the Cup of 
Dreams.  They balance each other."

<Flora> "This would be Winter for the fae folk?"

<Ayame> "Or the end."

<Ayame> "Ken-Ken, what do you mean?"

<Flora> "End of what?  You're scaring me!"

<Ayame> "The end of the fae."

<Kenken> "You remember Elyria, Ayame?"

* Kenken shudders.

* Garland looks over to KK and furrows his brow, listening.

<Ayame> "Yes, of course."

<Kenken> "Well, she was on her rite of passage."

<Ayame> "Her Fior Righe?  But she was already a wilder."

<Kenken> "Yeah, she got held back."

<Ayame> "By her father?  Duke Egan has a mean soul"

<Ayame> "So you're saying Elyria's Fior Righe was to get the horn?"

<Kenken> "Seems that way."

<Garland> "Duke Egan wanted it?"

<Ayame> "But look how difficult that has turned out to be.  Even the 
Fomorian could not really hold it.  And your other party dropped it.  
And the group with the Red Man that attacked your party lost it as 
well."

<Flora> "Seems like they are not the right one(s) to have it."

<Ayame> "Yes, Duke Egan wanted it.  He knows little of its lore, but 
he knows its value to certain other parties in the Dreaming."

<Ayame> "Perhaps, Flora."

<Ayame> "In any case, it was a cruel ordeal for Duke Egan to give his 
only child."

<Garland> "Wait, hold on," Turning to look at Ayame again, forehead 
still creased.  "Red man that attacked our party?"

<Kenken> "Oh yeah, Ayame, y'might want to tell them..."

<Ayame> "Yes, I believe that soothsayers in Lord Rendarien's house 
"saw" it happen.  They used Tattletale, a cantrip that requires one 
to have something significant of the person being watched through a 
mirror from far away, to keep an eye on Elyria.  But they cannot see 
her now.  No one knows where Elyria is.  That Man in Red is obviously 
doing something to prevent it."

<Garland> "... in red." Frowns.  "Nobody knows who he is?"

<Ayame> "I have no certain knowledge.  I have two theories, however.  
Both are terrible."

<Ayame> "You need not hear if you don't want.  I get nightmares every 
night myself."

<Kenken> "SOme things must be heard."

<Flora> "No worse than some of the premonitions I have been having.  
Tell us."

<Ayame> "And you, Garland?"

<Garland> "Yes, please." Nods, interested, to Ayame.

<Ayame> "All right, then.  Remember that I receive knowledge from my 
own agents in Washington.  That is where the Shadow Court has its 
headquarters.  I have agents inside the Shadow Court.  One of them 
came back speaking of a Man in Red."

<Ayame> "This man was extraordinarily powerful, or so the Shadow 
Court says.  They believe he is Harroth the Mute, come back from the 
Tessarakonta, the Battle of Trees."

<Ayame> "Now of course the Battle of Trees was over long aeons ago.  
In fact, that was when the Tuathans left.  But since then, Harroth 
the Mute has been one of five great warrior leaders fighting over the 
key fragments to the Casque of Sorrows."

<Garland> "Key fragments?"

<Ayame> "He is of House Balor.  Yes, one of OUR nobility, Unseelie 
though he is, is actually fighting to gain the Casque."

<Flora> "Ohhh... I see a parallel here!"

<Ayame> "The Key to the Casque of Sorrows was broken into nine pieces 
by the last Red King at the end of the war."

* Garland blinks and looks over at Flora.

* Kenken just looks confusseled.

<Flora> "The Casque of Sorrows.  I dreamed of Sorrow coming.  And 
there are ...

<Ayame> "But rumours abound that at least two of the pieces of the 
key have been found and reassembled.  Each time a new piece is added, 
a new Darkness arises.  First it was the White Court of Fomorians, 
here in the Forest of Lies.  

<Flora> "I will wait."

<Ayame> "And now it seems that the Red Court is also rising.  That is 
my second suspicion about the man in Red of whom you ask, Garland.  I 
fear greatly that he is Phlogiston the Jester, one of the most 
terrible leaders of the Red Court of Fomorians, who were exiled under 
the Splintered Mountains at the end of the War of Trees."

<Garland> "Look, I don't know for sure who that guy is, but just a 
year ago me an' a friend of mine ran into a guy all in red like that.  
He was commanding a massive… -beast-, attacking a the freehold of a 
Fiona Baronness." Frowns a little, then raises a hand to scratch the 
back of his head. "I dunno if the two are related, but I wouldn't be 
all that surprised."

<Kenken> "So ...these two people are bad, right?"

<Garland> "I only glimpsed him for a second though... that thing was 
attacking us the next," Frowns.

<Ayame> "Was it chimerical?"

* Garland nods.

<Ayame> "Did you notice anything remarkable about the man in red?  
Did he say anything?"

* Garland shakes his head this time and shrugs helplessly. "Nothing. 
Not that I can remember. I didn't even see his face."

<Ayame> "You killed the beast?"

<Garland> "Well... I helped.  My friend, Gemmon, he did most of the 
work."

<Ayame> "Were you on a quest for it or did it just come to you out of 
the shadows?"

* Kenken listens with the air of someone who has NO IDEA what's going 
on!

<Garland> "We... sorta... stumbled across it." Rubs his neck, a bit 
sheepishly. "The Baronness, something had been attacking her 
sentries.   We sorta owed her, so Gemmon and I offered to look for 
whatever was doing it.   We didn't think it would be anything like -
that-, though."

<Ayame> "And the man in red just left, without saying anything?"

<Garland> "By the time the thing was felled, he was nowhere in sight 
and I was missing my braid." Looks back up, smiling grimly.  

<Garland> "We left pretty soon after that... or at least I did.  
Gemmon stayed, and is still there for all I know."

* Kenken has his little furry brows furrowed and is apparently 
considering something.

<Flora> "It sure sounds scary.  There seem to be no end of terrors 
coming out of this place.  One thing seems sure to me, though."

<Ayame> "Yes, Flora?"

<Flora> "this horn is the horn Duke Rendarien sent us to get."

<Kenken> "...what I don't get..."

<Kenken> "Like.... if the horn was meant to summon the deer? Is that 
right?"

<Flora> "Yes."

* Garland looks over to KK now.

<Flora> "That was in my vision of the horn."

<Kenken> "....then why was it ON the deer...?"

<Ayame> "Rendarien told me that Elyria blew on the horn just to see 
if it would open the portal back to the school, and then

<Ayame> "the portal opened because of some light coming on in the 
roof of the auditorium at the same moment, and a deer came, and ...

<Kenken> "OH!"

<Ayame> "then the singer called Aeon fell through on top of her and 
somehow the horn got away.  I don't know any more.:

* Garland now has his time to look confused.

<Ayame> "KenKen, you seem to remember something." 

<Kenken> "Yeah, uh, do you know how I got accepted into the court 
Fiona?"

<Ayame> "Why no."

<Kenken> "Okay, well, there was this party at the place and there was 
this singer who was Sidhe and cute and during midsummer a gate opened 
and he fell through, and earlier, Elyria got missing, and a deer 
dashed out through the same spot with a horn in its antlers and we 
chased it down through the city but so did the wild hunt but Herne 
liked us so it was okay."

<Ayame> "I... see."

<Flora> "Okaaaayyyyy...."

* Garland blinks.

<Ayame> "Do tell us more, KenKen, I enjoy listening to you so much."

<Garland> Garland blinks at Ayame now, but looks back to KK 
momentarily.

<Kenken> "Okay like so Elyria and the guy were still missing so we 
went and blew the horn again and tracked them down to the Blue's 
place, like looking for Blue's clues, and he was all trapped and 
stuff and that wasn't good, and he accused Elyria of being a thief 
which I guess she sort of was but she meant well."

<Ayame> "You blew the horn?"

<Kenken> "Um."

<Ayame> "You didn't blow the horn?"

<Kenken> "Sure we did. >_>"

<Flora> "So what happens if you blow the horn?"

* Kenken has a cornered expression.

<Kenken> "Hell if I know."

<Flora> "No, seriously, what happens?  Anybody know?"

<Ayame> "I think the pooka needs a little rest.  When you blow the 
horn, Flora, the deer comes."

<Flora> "And what does that mean?  The deer's coming has a purpose?"

<Ayame> [seriously now] "Of course.  The Tuathans do not make 
treasures like this horn for no reason."

* Kenken mumbles something, curling up with his tail over his nose.

<Flora> "Well, so like is it the end of the world, or the prevention 
of the end of the world, or what?"

<Ayame> "I believe the deer, too, is a stepping stone on the path 
that will have to be taken.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear 
that there are nine such stepping stones, just as the key to the 
Casque of Sorrows is in nine parts.  Equality would have been 
demanded, you see."

<Kenken> "Horn...deer... what else..."

<Flora> "Well, Ken Ken has that brooch with nine parts to it.  Is 
that important?"

<Garland> "The deer leads to another, eh, stepping stone then?"

<Ayame> [Just at that moment, Mahnang comes to the front of the cave.  
He mutters something incomprehensible.  Ayame frowns worriedly.]

<Garland> "... what is it?"

<Ayame> "It seems Queen Lir is attacking our Fuaths.

<Flora> "Oh for Heaven's sake!  Just when things are about to be 
explained to me!!"

<Flora> "Who is Quenn Lir? AND WHY IS SHE ATTACKING ????"

<Garland> "Where? ... Right outside??"

<Ayame> [coldly] "The world does not run for your benefit, Flora."

<Ayame> [Pointedly she turns to Garland.]  "No, quite some distance 
off.  But Mahnang wants to take his warriors and go to help."

<Flora> "I'll say!  *looking sheepish now*  Yes, what can we do to 
help our friends?"

* Kenken nods. "They gave us hospitality."

* Garland frowns a little. "We should be sure to keep the horn close 
to us..."

<Ayame> Suddenly Mahnang speaks.  Again it sounds like the Elder 
speaking through his mouth.  "We could use another crossbow.  And if 
the pooka can fight...  But she uses Aslynthi.  They are spider like 
beings, very dangerous."

<Flora> "I can fight"  *stands with her bo*

* Garland nods, getting to his feet. Or what have you. "Of course."

<Ayame> "I would prefer that only those with distance weapons go.  
Aslynthi are terrible creatures."

* Kenken nods. "...are those the things Elyria ran from, I 
wonder...?"

* Kenken holds his hammer up regretfully. Not a distance weapon. >_>

<Flora> "Then those with distance weapons can use someone to protect 
them while they shoot."

<Ayame> "And no cantrips.  They would smell your glamour out in an 
instant."

<Ayame> "At least, no cantrips WHILE you are there."

<Garland> [Ooo.  Could I cast Oakenshield on everyone? ^_^]

<Ayame> [good idea, Garland.]

<Ayame> [remember, it's best done one person at a time so you don't 
have to split the successes.]

<Garland> [Alright, I'll dooo... KK first.  .... would I be able to 
cast it on Mahnang?]

<Ayame> [Suddenly the voice of the Elder sounds again.  "Visitors 
will stay in cave, guard the little Sidhe.  Guard what you came to 
get, as well.  We will send our females."

<Flora> "Sounds like a plan."

* Kenken nods.

<Ayame> [Garland, you can cast it on Mahnang for sure, and any others 
of the females who go with him.]

<Garland> [I do indeed.]

<Ayame> [Okay.  So we'll do one complete casting for practise, okay, 
and then we'll assume you've done it on the rest.  OK?]

<Ayame> [Right.  Start with Dice Pool, Garland.]

<Garland> [Stamina and Fae? ... what level Fae?]

<Ayame> [Good.  Two.  They are commoners, like you, but to cast on 
them adds a level, because they are not Changelings.]

<Ayame> [So add your stamina pips to ALL your pips in Fae.]

<Ayame> [Now Difficulty.  The higher of your banality or Mahnang's 
plus four minus the level of your bunk.]

<Garland> [My banality's three... I'm going to assume that's higher 
than his?]

<Ayame> [You have quite a few fuaths to cast on so probably no more 
than a level two bunk.  And yes, Mahnang's banality is almost but not 
quite zero.]

<Garland> [I'll do a level two bunk then.]

<Garland> [So... diff five?]

<Ayame> [Now, glamour cost.  You're going to be rolling five dice vs 
a difficulty of 5.  The cantrip is chimerical so it costs no glamour.  
You can reduce the difficulty of casting this spell on Mahnang by 
using up one glamour point.]

<Garland> [Oh.  uhm... sure, I'll spend one glamour.]

<Garland> [And my dice pool is seven... Stamina + Fae, I thought.]

<Garland> [... Ohhhh.  Okay, so seven dice, diff four.]

<Garland> [... *curses 1's* Two successes.]

<Ayame> Mahnang grins at you, pounds his chest with one hand and 
swaggers out.

<Ayame> [He obviously liked it.]

<Garland> "Anytime!" Lifts a hand and waves Mahnang off.

<Ayame> [So you did that fine, Garland.  We'll assume that all of 
Mahnang's party of female warriors gets the same number of boxes.]

<Garland> [Okay. *wipes forehead* Phew.  ... so... again on Flora and 
KK then?]

<Ayame> "I'm very tired," Ayame says.  

* Kenken steps up to her and offers his arm...

<Ayame> She goes with KenKen.  Where?

<Flora> "IS there a defensible position in the cave?  Where there is 
room to swing a bo?"

* Kenken nods and points at Flora.

<Ayame> [The women have just trooped out of the area at the back of 
the cave.  There are a LOT of them.  Garland is kept busy for quite a 
while.

<Garland> [Heh HEH...]

<Ayame> [yes, Flora, back where the women are is a food preparation 
area and through that there is a really big cave that is set up as an 
armoury.

<Flora> "Let's go to that armoury back behind the kitchen."

<Kenken> "Shall we, Lady?"

<Flora> [Since the boys are helping Ayame, Flora will carry the 
Horn.]

<Ayame> "Yes, please.  I am sorry to be a burden on you.  Will you 
hold the horn, KenKen, since you are able to cast Veiled Eyes?  We 
did that yesterday, I think.  Dear me, time is blurring, I'm so 
tired..."

<Flora> [OK.  KEn Ken willl carry the Horn.]

* Kenken nods and takes it.

<Flora> "Let's get to the stronghold before Lady Ayame faints."

<Ayame> "I just need -- to -- sleep...."

* Kenken hurries with her.

<Ayame> [right, now Ayame is going to pass out for a while.  There is 
nothing for you guys to do but keep a watch and talk.  Do you want to 
do either or both?]

<Kenken> "...hey, did anyone read that trilogy of novels? The famous 
fantasy ones?"

<Flora> [Certainly keep watch.  Flora has stuff to say about the horn 
and her prophecies, but maybe waiting for Ayame is best in that 
regard.]

<Garland> [when would I be finished attending to the laaadies?]

<ST> Probably 15 or 20 minutes.

<Garland> [Ah, okay.]

<Flora> "ken Ken, I guess we need to take this Horn back to Rendarien 
real soon, no?"

<Kenken> "It'd be easier to do that if we were able to leave, no?"

<Flora> "yes, yes, I mean as soon as this trouble goes away.  
Although, I would like to accompany Ayame back to her home, too.  I 
don't know when she will be able to travel."

<Kenken> "Those twins..."

<Flora> "They could still be looking for her... and the Horn."

<Kenken> "Didn't the taxi driver say they often went there...?"

<Flora> " I bet lots of people, well fae people, go to the tea house, 
if all those mirrors are gateways into the Dreaming."

<ST> After 15 minutes, you're done, Garland.  You feel pretty tired 
yourself.

<Flora> "in here, Garland!"

* Garland would start looking for the others, then, hearing Flora's 
voice, follow them to the other cave.

<ST> Does anyone want to look around?

<Kenken> "Yes, but..."

* Kenken looks down at Ayame. "I hope friends haven't betrayed her."

* Garland stops when he sees Ayame, passed out. "What happened?? Is 
she alright?"

<Flora> [We are being alert and watchful, so all directions is good, 
and this IS an armoury! so yes.]

<ST> Because at the very back of the cave you see Ishu sweating over 
some parchments.

<Flora> "she just got really tired.  Still hurt, I am afraid."

<Flora> "Ishu!"

<ST> Ishu mutters, "Verbs.  Gosh, I hate verbs.  Later, Flora.  I'm 
thinking."

* Garland frowns, then sits down. "Poor lady. I'm feeling pretty 
tired too..."

<Flora> "Does casting cantrips always tire you out?"

<Flora> "So, does it?  Garland?  Ken Ken?"

* Kenken strokes Ayame's hair, though ears alert. "...she knew them, 
I'm sure."

<Kenken> "Flora, we have will and we have glamour, and cantrips can 
be a strain."

* Garland looks up and over at Flora, lifting his eyebrows. "Huh? 
Oh... sometimes. I'm pretty good with it though, just there were so 
many to cast it on, y'know..."

<Flora> "OK.  I got it.  Do you think the twins betrayed Ayame?"

<Kenken> "No idea, but if you ask her, she can tell you their names."

<Flora> "She already did.  Kal and Shiv."

<Kenken> "Maybe she can tell us when she wakes up! Maybe not."

<Flora> "Ohhh..... doe sth euse of magic make others around feel 
funny, too?"

<Garland> [Alright, can I cast Heather Balm to try and speed up 
ayame's healing?]

* Flora goes all funny eyed, blurry voiced, far-away seeming

* Kenken whirls to look at Flora. o.o

<ST> Go ahead.  You've given everyone two extra boxes of chimerical 
health.

* Garland ... doesn't though, since he's distracted now by Flora. 
"... Flora?"

* Flora starts talking in THAT voice....

<Flora> "Fuaths. oh friends, you die, you die.  Lir comes.  A lone 
Fuath struggles on her lead.  She too will die.  There is a way out.  
The strange wayfarer can save us all."

* Flora repeats this in that voice

* Flora is right out of it... as if noone else is there

* Garland blinks and gets up to his feet now, looking around to make 
sure no one's closing in on them.

* Flora tumbles to the ground, repeating the lines

* Kenken stands over Ayame and looks like he wants to run to Flora 
but doesn't quite dare...

* Garland goes to Flora's aid instead, "Flora?? C'mon, wake up!"

* Flora opens her eyes and points at Ken Ken

* Kenken looks relieved. "You're okay!"

<Flora> "You!  You're the wayfarer!"

* Kenken pauses. ....a hand slips into his pocket. "...*Oh*."

<Garland> "KenKen's gonna... save us all?"

<Flora> "You.  You're the one.  You are the one who saves us."

<Flora> "SHow us the way."

<ST> Who's got great hearing?

<Flora> "Find the way."

<ST> [right.  KenKen you might hear something if you roll perception 
+ alertness difficulty 9

<Garland> [Do we all roll, or just him?]

<Flora> "Death is coming for us.  We must find a way out."

<ST> Just him.

<Kenken> [1 succeess]

[<ST> Now, if everyone does Shh, you will hear a very distant sound, 
like a female shrieking.  If you listen longer, the sound will seem 
closer.  There will be a kind of sussurating sound as well, like 
wings or bugs or something.]

* Kenken suddenly raises a hand. "SHhhh!" He listens intently.

* Garland goes silent.

* Flora rises in fluid, silent motion, focussed on the entrance.

* Garland tenses, ready to go for his crossbow if needed.

<Kenken> "...they're coming. Everyone, get as close to me as you can. 
NOW. FAST." he seems deadly serious for a change, and his voice lacks 
the usual tricks or loopholes.

* Garland gets close!

* Flora grabs Ishu by the scruff of his clothes and drags him close.

<Flora> [IS there anything in the armoury which looks like it 
shouldn't fall into Lir's troops ..er.. hands? ]

<ST> All the maps where Ishu was working.

<Kenken> "Everyone, put your hand in my right pocket, NOW."

<Flora> [knock lamp and pocket hand]

* Garland does the pocket thing.

<Kenken> [I'm assuming Ishu does too. Crowded in there!] "Get Ayame 
up, get her hand in my pocket, even just a finger. Now now now."

<ST> There is some oil on the floor where the lamp landed.  A small 
fire begins to burn.

* Garland lifts Ayame's hand and places it in KK's pocket.

* Flora does Ayame's hand

<ST> R_I_P_P_P

<Flora> "OK, Dorothy, click your heels!"

<ST> A sudden terrible dying shriek comes from the forest outside.

* Kenken FOCUSES...

<ST> There is a noise in the outer cave.  Suddenly, each of you with 
your hands on something hard and with a kind of terrible beauty, you 
don't know what it is, suddenly you find youselves somewhere ELSE.

<Flora> [GArland!!  No jokes!]

<Kenken> [/me LAUGHS. OH yeah baby.]

<Garland> [Terrible beauty! .... *laughs* ohh my.]

<ST> So, was that good for you?

<Flora> [I felt the earth move.]

<Kenken> [/me pose. pose! VOGUE baby BOOYAH]

* Kenken doesn't have a chance to even look around before he crashes 
down in a faint - probably dislodging hands as he does so.

* Garland blinks, and then looks around at where they are.

<Flora> "Where are we?"

<ST> Garland, you recognize the place immediately.  It is the private 
garden in the back of the Castle at the School for the Arts.

<Flora> "Holy Wow!  Ken Ken brought us home!"

* Garland blinks. "Why are we -here-?"

<ST> [Doesn't anybody notice poor KenKen?]

<Kenken> X-x

<ST> [Ayame is also unconscious.]

* Garland then notices KK ... the whole pocket-vanishing thing has 
left him a little foggy. He turns and bends down. "KenKen? You 
alright there, buddy?"

<Flora> "Hey, Ken Ken!  Are you alright?  You did it!  You saved us!"

<Kenken> [THE BODY DOES NOT RESPOND!]

<ST> [Still out.]

* Garland checks to make sure Ayame is still simply fainted, not 
worse.

* Flora shouts out, "Hello! Anybody here?"

<ST> Suddenly a familiar boggan figure runs out the door.  It is 
Emilina Robards.

<ST> "What on earth?"

<ST> (That was Emilina)

<Flora> "Miss Robards!  You must let Duke Rendarien know we are here 
at once!  We may need medical help, too."

<Garland> "... May -really- need," nodding.

<ST> Emilina will organize help very efficiently.  KenKen will wake 
before the medics arrive, however.

* Kenken stirs, fingers twitching.

* Garland looks over. "KenKen?"

<Flora> "You OK, Ken Ken?"

* Kenken sits up. Pats frantically at his pocket...

<ST> I'm waiting to see if Kelschuu comes back.  Meanwhile, though, 
since you have brought Ishu with you, we are going to have to stop 
the game before anything more happens.  Ishu will certainly want to 
know what on earth has been going on, and what hard but terribly 
beautiful thing he touched in KK's pocket.

<Garland> [Sometimes it's better not to know.  ... but I concur.]

[Game Off]