Hy-Brasil: Castle Cachtice

===> COH <===> 6/21/2019, 8:32:29 PM <===
Hy-Brasil: Castle Cachtice

	Hy-Brasil, the birthplace of the infamous Moonmaus, Don Ferdinand de la Luna, the Eminence of Blades! A land of endless fantasy, where the seasons never change and day stands locked eternally in twilight. To the West? The sun perpetually sets upon the Gateway Castle of Lord Lysander of the Summer Court. To the East, the moon perpetually rises over the Grim Fortress of Lady Mariana of the Winter Court. In-between the two? Mired in perpetual twilight, the Last Garrison of the Arcadian Gateway, staffed by the mercenaries of the Solstice Court, remains a crumbling outpost that once served as the back door into the Arcadian realm.

But when last our protagonists paid visit to the realm via the Sanguine Engine of the Dreamship Perilous, they found strange, new forces in play, assaulting the ages-old status quo. The Grim Fortress is ... under attack?! Castle Cachtice has materialized /within/ the Grim Fortress, at once apart FROM and a part OF the landscape. A mysterious Red Queen and her retinue now contend with Lady Marianna and her court. Our protagonists are called upon to investigate the matter on behalf of the Last Garrison before they turn their attention to Gateway Castle, which has gone Quiet amidst the tumult.

AND NOW OUR STORY BEGINS!

	The Eminence of Blades (EoB for short!), had readied the dreamship Perilous for voyage. Some knew the routine, others might now. In short? Spill blood into the Sanguine Engine, along with a point of Glamour so that the ship wouldn't leave you behind as it navigated the Firchliss and such. EoB leads off, slicing his hand and dripping blood onto the Engine, then passing the knife. "We'll speed straight up the canal to the Grim Fortress this time," muttered the ratkin-ain.

	The EoB seemed worried, pacing along the deck of the ship, his tails wishing anxiously behind him. "Things haven't changed in Hy-Brasil since ... well, since everyone except those of us garrisoned behind left and the gateway sealed shut! We are sailing into uncharted waters!" (Literally!he thought, unspoken)
Ethan makes it a point to be right next to EoB, and second in line for the knife, hands practiced as if he'd done it to his left palm before, and doing likewise before passing the knife to others. "So, do we have any semblance of a game plan, here?"

Lance takes the knife from Ethan, trying to hide a wince as he slices it across his left palm. He lets it drip onto the engine, then pulls it back, opening and closing it a few times to try to dull the pain. Despite this, he looks fascinated by the surroundings, even if he likely told a lot of nonsense stories about his alleged exploits in order to get on board in the first place.

	"The mission report from Last Garrison said to gather as much information as to the new chimera that are popping up like ... like weeds! And to try and get a read on where Lady Marianna and her closest courtiers may have snuck off too. They may be in hiding from the interlopers. They may be held captive. They may have flipped like a cheap playing card to the other side!" The latter was unlikely, but Eob was an excitable sort. "We need to make sure the Gateway Castle isn't behind this soft coup."

	Is that blood or oil? It's hard to tell what exactly comes out of Seikou's hand when she slices it to make her contribution to the engine, whatever it is, it is quite dark and viscous. She then finds a place to stand off to one side, seemingly as rooted to the surface of the deck as a boulder in a field. A slight nod of recognition is given to Ethan, but the mercenary doesn't otherwise seem to have a whole lot to say as the Dreamship whisks them along its trek through Dream and Spirit.

	Blood and Oil! Just what the Sanguine Engine needed! The surroundings blur and shift as the Perilous leaves the Near behind. Waaaaaay behind! Everyone will feel a sudden tug on their true selves as the dreamship attunes to their persons thanks to the sacrifice of blood and glamour.

Ethan says half to himself, "So we have more new chimera, and the other court to find and their allegiances to suss out, AND someone possibly behind all of it? Awesome."

	Eventually everyone will feel the ship slow as the surroundings come into focus. They're finally on a Silver Path! This one takes the form of a narrow canal that leads up into ... a moat! And beyond the moat? The Grim Fortress. The Perilous speeds along with an uncanny silence, the ship cloaked in supernatural shadows and fog to mask its arrival! As it is always just after dusk by the Grim Fortress, the ship speeds by largely unnoticed. It'll come to a gentle stop, and achor will be dropped.

EoB looks to Number One, aka Cousin Ethan, and gives a thumbs up. "Exactly! Hopefully, we don't lose any crew in the process."

Abigail flips the hood of her shirt up over her hair. This time she has picked up a sword to replace the dagger used last time they were all together.

Lance puffs up. "Do you need any spying done? I am a master of slipping around unseen. Surely nobody will think anything of a peacock in a fancy place like this." That may or may not be true. "And I can fly." That also may or may not be true, considering that peacocks aren't known for their flight abilities.

	Everyone will detect a certain ... bloody ... resonance to the ambient glamour around the Grim Fortress. Which for those that were here before? Is something new! For those who are first-tmers, it may or may not be creepy. In addition, ts commingled with the sicklysweet scent of ... roses!

Ethan makes a point of sniffing at the air, and then frowns. It looks even wider on his exaggerated features. "Shit. /Those/ things again..."

	The ship anchors and a gangplank lowers, leading offship and onto the ground. Off in the distance? In the direction of the Fortress gardens? Impossibly tall flower-creatures can be seen slowly making their way and going about the business - a slow moving pack of four or five rose nageires!

Lance tries to not look unnerved by all this. He sort of succeeds, puffing out his chest and his feathers, but the look in his eyes gives him away. "Should we have brought weed killer?"

	Looking out towards the garden? ROSE NAGEIRES: The large (30â+) creatures have the bodies of enormous serpentine flowers with the heads of elven children nestled amid the petals. Though anchored to the ground, they drag their coiling bodies through forests and gardens by means of spindly, clawed-tipped arms. Witches and druids are known to be able to summon them. Rose Nageire (or Thornchildren) are the most common, but there are many varieties. As Cousin Ethan could attest to, having met them once before!

Ethan sighs, pointing over at the thorny creatures. "Okay, I can't believe I am saying this... but if we could avoid those things, we would be better off. We might be able to outrun them, and still scope out most of the grounds. Last time it took all of us just to deal with a couple."

Abigail says, "At least they tend to burn easily enough if one does not have the patience to prune them down."

	EoB eyes the slow moving thornchildren. "They don't seem to have much aggro to them just yet," nodding in agreement with the redcap. "let's try and make our way to the gardens after they pass?"

In the direction of the gardens? the sounds of a party can be faintly made out! Clinking of glasses, conversation,and even some music!

	Seikou's hand drops to the sword at her side as she regards the rose creatures. When the decision is made not to engage them however she gives a nod and follows after the others still keeping an eye out from her peripheral vision. Though a carbon black eyebrow is raised when the sound of party music reaches her ears.

"Is that... a party?" asks the peacock Pooka, cocking his head. "Excellent! Surely they need some entertainment. I'll blend right in."

Ethan nods at the eshukin's suggestion. "And we're not going to walk it. Everyone ready for a nice brisk jog?"

Abigail makes sure her weapon is secure when Ethan mention's jogging. "I don't think they will appreciate uninvited guests."

	EoB works spirit magic and suddenly the sounds around the party will grow muffled, in particular? Their footfalls. The ratkin-ain ahs rendered them silent-running in advance of Cousin Ethan's cantrip! "Now we're ready. With the element of surprise, maybe."

Ethan grins. "We're /not/ uninvited, we got the run of the place officially. They should look out for us." He waves down the gangplank. "Everyone to solid ground, and once you hit the turf, start running. Ferd, take point and make sure we stay on target. If you catch me passing you... run faster."

	EoB gives Ethan a nod, and then leads the scouting party in the silent running! One hand holds his hat atop his head, the other remains near his sword. Seikou's instincts seemed sharp. TO THE GARDENS!

Abigail jogs ater the ratkin as he runs careful to stay between him in the front and Ethan in the back.

	The brisk jog draws rose pollen into people's lungs! But luckily, no one seems allergic, and so no one sneezes and inadvertently gives away the party's position! WHEW! Eventually? They arrive at the garden's hedge walls. The music is much louder here, as is the conversation and sounds of games. WHACK! SMACK! KER-THWACK! Something is being struck. Also? A click-clack click-clack click-clack sound can be made out as well

	The redcap takes up a position towards the rear to be able to lay down cover as needed. But probably best not to lead with the redcap in any social encounter, anyway, amirite?!?!?!

	Now that they have arrived at the garden, the thornchildren are nowhere to be seen. Looks like they moved along further down their perimeter patrol! Will they be back? Who can say ...

"Be right back in a minute. Or an eternity," Lance says quietly but cheerfully. And he darts off, finding some little cranny in the hedge that's far enough away and sufficiently hidden. Shortly thereafter, a peacock comes trotting back, trailing a magnificent trail behind it. As it approaches the little group, it picks up speed and flaps its way up to the top of the hedge to peer over.

	EoB keeps close to Abi and Seikou. But then? PEACOCK! The EoB's tail swishes! "Those feathers," he mutters, delighting in the splendiforous colors!

The peacock flutters down and back to where it emerged from, and Lance returns a short while later, with his smaller tail. But he can talk in this form, so there's that. "They're not Sidhe. It's all lobster pooka, either that or they're keeping the lobster pooka as pets. They're playing croquet, but definitely not enjoying it, because nobody enjoys croquet. Oh, and there's something about an Order of Diamonds."

	EoB's nose twitches as he listens to the peacock pooka give report. And then? "I smell ... snacks!" He whispers to the rest of the group. And true enough, after a few moments, everyone else will smell the scents of delicious things coming from across the hedge. (WILLPOWER CHECKS VS 7)

	The scent of the snacks is soooo delicious! It tugs at everyone's appetites, quite literally! But fortunately, no one is mystically compelled to go chasing after a meal!

	EoB's stomach growls. "Cousin Ethan can remain in reserve. Let's crash the party and see what susses out. Everyone keep close." He eyes Seikou, "Do you want point, or rear?"

	The ratkin-ain ushers the peacock pooka and Abi into the middle between him and Seikou, depending on whether she prefer to lead or watch their backs. He'll take up whichever position she doesn't.
Abigail makes no fuss at being stuck in the middle with the pooka though she is careful not to tread on it's tail.

	Eventually the party finds the proper path through the hedge walls and emerge onto the interior of the gardens! Its moe or less what the pooka described!

	ONCE IN THE GARDEN, EVERYONE SEES:
In the garden? A party! Courtiers abound! But NOT those of the Grim Fortress. These are NOT sidhe of House Ailil, nor any of the known kiths that staffed the fortress. They appear to be some sort of Order of Diamonds, if their uniforms are any indication. They are divided among themselves into ten ranks. From the looks of the party? They seem fond of tarts, pepper and games, especially croquet. OF NOTE? A few of them seem to be advertising a sort of wealthy indolence by taking blue or black lobsters on long walks along the circuitous and winding garden paths!

	Seikou reaches into her shortened kimono and draws forth a bright green magatama jewel letting it rest on top of her clothes and catch the light. "I am fine with taking point." she replies, before stepping forward leading them down the path into the garden.

	The denizens, dressed all in red, with black diamond accents, will pause when they take notice of the newcomers. Conversation will stop, croquet will stop, serving of snacks will stop. Its so quiet, that one could hear a pin drop!
Lance speaks up. Because of course he does. "Hello!" he says cheerfully, and waves to them. "I was just admiring your lobsters. Where did you get them?"

	The lobsters on leashes? They were the one thing that didn't stop. Their claws rise up into the air, and clickety-clackety clackety-clickety. Then the denizens holding their leashes make their way over. "Well, from the Sunless Sea, of course!" Then a raucous peak of laughter spreads across the crowd.

	One of the Diamond suited courtiers, a woman with bright red hair, approaches the party. "Are you Guests? From one of the Incorrect Realities?"

Abigail arches a brow and looks over at the EOB, "Incorrect?"

	Seikou's hand remains on her sword as her glance moves from the denizens towards the Eminence and the others and back again, not much of a talker unless she has to be.

"Of course. The Incorrectest of all Realities, the most wrong of all existences. And I had to ask. Lobsters are wily creatures, you never know where they'll turn up," Lance continues cheerfully.

	The ratkin-ain offers a broad shouldered shrug, "Don't look at me, I'm from here! I feel as right as rain!" And as the EoB says that? Stromclouds manifest and begin to gather overhead. But then a gong sounds out! ONCE, TWICE, THRICE!

	A small Diamond courtier, a man with an impossibly thin and curly moustache, emerges from the throng, "Its time for the Great Grub to eat! And to speak! EAT! SPEAK!" The small courtier looks to the group. "Did you bring offerings?!" SEIKOU gets eyed by the little fellow.

	Then the little fellow eyes Lance. And all those feathers!

	Its then that chaos breaks out. From behind the party? The hedges tremble and shake, as is someone or something is cutting their way through the fierce foliage! And the Diamond courtiers panic and scream: "DEFEND THE GREAT GRUB! THE UNCREATED DESCEND UPON US!"

A MoUs bust through the hedge - they look like humanoids, but have a giant ravens head bursting through the humanoids mouth. and they wield scythes!

Diamond Courtiers scatter running around like chickens with their heads cut off! A few presumably head towards where the GREAT GRUB must be kept

Lance puts a lot of hustle in his step when he spots the scythe wielding bird people. He looks like he really doesn't want to mess with them, or even get anywhere near them. What he does want to do, however, is find out what this Great Grub thing is.

	EoB steps to place himself between Lance and the Murder of Uncreated (MoUs). The MoUs look like tall (7') gaunt humanoids, pale skinned and featureless. But they have impossibly wide mouths, out of which a raven's head emerges. They wield long scythes! Drawing his blade, the EoB runs interference!

	The Diamond Courtiers are panicked, stampeding everywhere. A few however, will maintain poise. Sort of. "THE GREAT GRUB! HELP US HELP HIM! TO HIM!" The smaller group head to the back of the garden, where a dropcloth is draped atop and over what might be very tall cage shaped statuary!

	One of the MoUs takes a swipe at the ratkin-ain with a scythe!

Abigail is watching the chaos a little confused as to what is going on but does draw her sword which bursts into flame once out of the scabbard.

	The EoB decides to parry the scythe with his saber!

Lance looks over his shoulder at EoB. "Uh, are either of these sides our friends?"

	The Eob parries, and in doing so, strikes back at the MoU! A grin as he shouts at Lance, "Defend the Great Grub! Anything Great is worth defending, right?!?!" Well, that's dream-logic for you!

Abigail swings the flaming sword at the Mou attacking Ferdinand as he is their designated captian to get her out of the dreaming.

	The Murder of Uncreated takes a fiery stab to the chest, and the raven's head emerging from the gaunt creature's mouth lets out a bloodcurdling shriek as it goes down in a smouldering flump. Between the burning blade and the EoB's dreamsaber, the creature is down for the count. There's more where it came from though!

"And for my next trick..." Lance makes a flourish with his hands and spreads his tail out, the feathers shimmering and shivering as they unfold into an iridescent fan behind him. "Ta-da!" And he does all this inbetween looking over at the bird creatures like he's quite nervous indeed.

	The MoUs are furious that their leader was taken out so perfunctorily by EoB and Abigail. And they don't like the look of Seikou. Something about her strikes them as Very Wrong. And the cheery on top? Lance just made their target vanish! THEY GO BERSERK, AGGROING WITH THEIR SCYTHES!

	Like a whirling dervish, the ratkin-ain wields the dreamsaber right up into the Murder of Uncreated's belly! UGH! THE SMELL!

	The injured MoU strikes back at the EoB with the scythe!

	AND MISSES! OMG! HARD TO FOCUS WHEN YOU'RE HALFWAY GUTTED!

	The Diamond Courtiers are even more panicked now that the GREAT GRUB has vanished! They begin ducking under chairs and picnic tables, looking for cover. "SAVE US! SAVE THE GREAT GRUB!"

Instead of standing and fighting, Lance dives under the nearest table, while still keeping an eye on the Grub.

	The next Murder of Uncreated swipes Seikou with a scythe! What a nasty looking hit!

	Its full on pandelirium in the garden now. The Diamond Courtiers are hiding beneath tables and chairs, or pretending to be croquet markers, or statues. Lance set the example after making the covered statuar or whatever it was vanish into thin air!

	Wickets! Some Courtiers are pretending to be wickets in hopes of avoiding attention.
Lance reaches out to grab a stray lobster that's gotten separated from its owner, but otherwise hides and keeps an eye on the thing containing the grub, lest he need to recast the cantrip.

Ethan emerges from his hiding place now that the fighting has begun in earnest, and his shout can be heard throughout the garden, "Hey birdbrains! Sucks to be you, OUR early bird is getting that worm!" The especially perceptive will note he is waving his left hand to call attention to himself, the right held to his side with the ring finger a bit awkwardly bent, now.

As if carried by his voice, a stinging wind whips through the Murder, concentrating on the scythes they wield. But it fades as quickly as it appeared.

	A light rain will begin to fall, and as the saying goes, it rains on the just and unjust alike. The fallen bodies of the Murder of Uncreateds begin to dissolve in the rain, giving off a noxious smell! The ones that remain standing! Shriek! They turn at the sound of the latest enemy to attack them and take one last swipe at Ethan before ... well, before whatever is about to happen, happens!

	But apparently? The rain? It makes for treacherous footing, as a scythe whistles high above Ethan's head!

	The remaining Murders of Uncreated hiss and shriek and then vanish into a noxious smelling mist, carried away on the wind that accompanies the rainfall. Now that the scrum is over? The Diamond Courtiers slowly begin to regroup. "THE GREAT GRUB! WHERE HAS HE GONE?"

The cantrip should be wearing off soon enough. "Relax, relax. He'll be back," Lance assures them as he crawls out from under the table, lobster tucked under his arm. He holds it up. "Whose pet is this?"

	The blue-black lobster wriggles in Lance's grasp, then reaches out and clamps a claw down on his sleeve. It looks like someone has a new pet! (And we don't mean Lance!).

	Then, without further ado? Something appears out of thin air!

Ethan shakes rain off of his face and long hair, spitting as if annoyed at the rain, but he still has his skullcap attached. He casts about in the post-chaos chaos, saying "Featherhead... metalhead... hoodie?" in a lower voice as he spots people, but then louder, "Yo hoodie! Sound off!"

	BEHOLD! THE GREAT GRUB! An unusually intelligent carrion caterpillar, fond of smoking. It can speak from its perch atop a giant mushroom inside a great golden gilded cage. The wind blows the canvas dropcloth off the cage that Lance had veiled earlier, to keep it safe. The carrion caterpillar is OGREsized.

	The Great Grub eyes the party, then exhales a long stream of blue-grey smoke. "Start in square 15 dash 87. Climb 16 feet down into the crocodile pit, find the rectangular window, climb through it. Walk an even number of steps or until you see something orange, drink the blood of a mother or small ape, walk in any direction at any speed for nine minutes, strike the gazebo, then sleep. When you awake you'll be in the Virginâs Pantry," said the unusually intelligent carrion caterpillar, fond of smoking, to the party, as if it all made perfect sense. "There is where you might find some answers." Then it goes back to being rather languid and apathetic, falling asleep. Whatever it was that it was smoking had a soporific effect!

	The Diamond Courtiers let out a group cheer! "THE GREAT GRUB HAS SPOKEN! LONG LIVE THE GREAT GRUB!" And then the party picks up just as if it had never been crashed by outlanders, or a Murder of Uncreateds.
"Hey, watch the clothes. I had those made for me by the finest tailors in all of Arcadia," Lance chides the inky athropod. After the Great Grub speaks its wisdom, he looks helplessly between the members of the group he came with, and heads towards the Eminence of Blades.

Ethan also looks to be headed towards where people he knows are, albeit with an extremely confused expression. "Was that English? Please tell me someone else caught that, too."

	EoB activates his cowled mooncloak, the garment taking on a life of its own as it shields him from the onset of inclement weather. (Because no one likes the smell of wet rat fur!) He looks to Ethan and grins, then looks to Lance. "You speak nonsense, right?" A sih as he leans against a chair. "CAN ANYONE TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WHERE LADY MARIANNA IS?!?!?!"

	Seikou clearly doesn't speak non-sense, she is a pretty no non-sense metal lady. For now she stands off to one side in her stone yoroi armor, sword still drawn as she watches for other possible threats. "You could always try doing exactly what he said." she gives a light shrug.

	The lobster in Lance's arms will pipe up at the direct question from the were-rat. "The grub told you where to go. Inside the virgin's pantry, step through the mirror. Or just wait for the clock to strike twelve and the Grim Fortress to take Castle Cachtice's place here again. But the Red Queen might have something to say about that. She sort of likes it now."

"I speak nothing but crystal clear truth," Lance replies, then blinks when the lobster talks. "Huh."

	Sheathing the burning blade Abi finds something to hold over her head to shelter her from the weather. She looks over at the great grub and quietly qotes from Alice in Wonderland mostly to herself. The dreaming is a strange place so she lets those more familiar with it deal with the messages.

Ethan says "Annnnd we have reached peak silly, I feel," eyeing the lobster skeptically. "Why not, isn't like a butterfly suggested such or whatever. Alright, course set for further weirdness." He glances around, "And we didn't lose anyone, either. Anyone know any virgins with pantries?"

	The EoB frowns, then nods at Seikou's suggestion. "The Grub called it. But bring the lobster as back-up. And give him a proper name, will you? Its bad luck to have un-nameds on a ship, or in a group." A sigh as he wrinkles his nose and his whiskers twitch. "This is no good. Everyone's gotten too comfortable," he says, eyeing the Diamond Courtiers that are back to partying in the Grim Fortress's gardens like there's no tomorrow.

	EoB looks to Ethan. "We need to find the abbey. They'll have a virgin's pantry, right?"
Lance looks at the lobster. "Do you have a name?" he asks it.

Ethan thinks for a moment, and nods in EoB's direction. "Yeah that would work. Aside from being a ridiculous concept in the first place, virginity totes applies to guys. Hopefully the monks took their vows before they--- well. Bring along Lobster McLobsterface, the samurai is right, by the way. Superstition is as bupkis as "virginity", but when in the Dreaming, anything is possible."

	The inky lobster shakes its 'head' and snaps an oversized claw at Lance. "You can call me anything, just don't call me late for dinner!" A pause, then quieter, "Please give me a name so I don't have to become dinner?"
Abi keeps the thoughts on virginity to herself but does not, "Then shall we head somewhere out of this horrible weather?"
"Sir Snips," Lance says decisively, after a moment. This is why you don't let Pooka name things. He looks to the others. "By the way, are we sure it isn't just the pantry of someone named Mary?"

	The EoB nods. "There's stables and a warden's keep between the Fortress and the abbey." Sheathing the dreamsaber he makes his way over towards Abi and falls into step. "All this noise is giving me a headache." And truly, the din from the party is burdensome!

Ethan says "Wow, stables and a warden's keep? Sounds like home," as the party makes its way in that direction. He does his level best to work his right ring finger back into its socket, and taps the leather bracelet on his right wrist out of habit. "Did anyone get scratched? I should have come out from hiding, sooner."

	"Abi took a hit. So did the stone samurai," offers the EoB as he picks a path forward through the increasingly muddy garden.

	"Just a bit of a bruise." Abi assures Ethan as she walks along with the EoB. "I'll be right as rain soon enough." She side steps mud puddles as she makes a failing effort to stay clean if not soaked already.
Lance moves along with the others, the lobster under his arm. "I was disemboweled and I think Sir Snips got his head chopped off. We're better now, though."

Lance adds, "Also, my feathers are getting wet and it is the worst thing to ever happen to me."

	Eventually, when no new threats present themself Seikou gracefully resheathes her blade and the flames of the Dragon's Ire fade from her instantly when she does, almost like the two are tied together. The stone armor remains though, covering much of her metal skin whose patterns look an awful lot like those on the sword she wields. "My name is Norimune Seikou." is all she offers to the conversation, the hit she took seemingly of no concern to her.

Ethan nods, saying "Okay, so everyone-- Lance, team mascot, Abi, and is that Norimune or Seikou for given? But everyone is okay, and walking. If wet from the rain. Good thing nobody is made of spun sugar."

	EoB nods. "No one hit us with transmogrify, thankfully." WAIT, WHAT? IS HE KIDDING? (Does the EoB kid?) His tail swishes anxiously, eventually though, they find their way to a small warden's keep near an empty stables. "We can make camp here. Get some rest. Then the abbey, and the pantry. Hopefully they have bread. Or beer. Or bread AND beer!"

	"Seikou is fine." her answers are short and to the point as she walks along with the rest. "Rest is not a bad idea." Do metal people even need rest? Who knows, but she seems to favor the idea so probably.

===> Log ended by user <===> 6/22/2019, 12:28:34 AM <===