Shepards Vampires 18

[21:15]	<[GM]Mary>	Loading state... |12:08 CAVERN 10.9%|
[21:16]	<[GM]Mary>	Continuing on, you reach an opening in the cave. It leads to the foggy haze outside, and interestingly, a river swashing about in a ring. It must be the castle's moat. Visibility is poor, as you can barely make out the castle above. From what you are able to observe, there's a waterfall beneath the castle entrance draining into the moat. There's no obvious entrance from here.
[21:19]	* Phrine	leans forwards and squints into the mist.
[21:19]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Hmm...Dead end?"
[21:20]	<Phrine>	"...Not sure, umm...Are we where we were supposed to be being...?"
[21:20]	<[huh]Letty>	He mentioned a ferryman...
[21:20]	<Phrine>	"...what if it's a fairy-woman, though...?"
[21:20]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Oh, right."
[21:21]	* Phrine	whispers to herself.
[21:23]	* Phrine	can't resist trying to look herself over again now that they're out of the cave. Her new outfit, it's just too cute for her! Can't see much in this fog, though.
[21:27]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"So are we supposed to just crouch and wait for the wind or something to pick us up?"
[21:27]	<Phrine>	"I'm hearing water n' stuff. That's probably the right thing to hear."
[21:28]	* Phrine	pulls out that rusty old flute and twirls it like a baton.
[21:28]	<Phrine>	"I mean...we didn't really buy this for not just nothing, did we?"
[21:31]	<[huh]Letty>	I would hope not. Can you play it?
[21:33]	* Phrine	blows into the wrong end of the flute. It tastes pretty bad.
[21:33]	<Phrine>	"Mmm...isn't working..."
[21:33]	* Phrine	hands it off to Letty.
[21:35]	<[huh]Letty>	Hm...
[21:35]	* [huh]Letty	examines the tool.
[21:36]	<[GM]Mary>	It's plain and cheap looking. Nothing special, though nothing wrong with it either.
[21:36]	* Phrine	listlessly glides over closer to the water.
[21:36]	<Phrine>	"Hhmm, that's nice~..."
[21:38]	* [huh]Letty	gives it a clear blow.
[21:38]	<[GM]Mary>	The flute squeals. Moments later, nothing happens.
[21:39]	* Phrine	crouches down next to the moat like a curious kitty. Hello, ring of not-fire. Doing alright? That's nice.
[21:39]	<[huh]Letty>	Was it really junk after all?
[21:40]	<Phrine>	"You know...If I were a ferry fairy, I'd like to hear a song on my flute, not just dumb notes..."
[21:40]	<[huh]Letty>	Alas, I can't play it that well...
[21:41]	<[GM]Mary>	A dim lantern light becomes distantly visible from the opening. It's traveling to your location.
[21:41]	* Phrine	looks into the light.
[21:42]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Oh, does that mean it worked?"
[21:42]	<[huh]Letty>	Oh? I guess someone is coming.
[21:42]	* Phrine	is thus enraptured by the shiny thing. Oooo...
[21:43]	* [Pyg]Judith	grabs hold of Phrine's shoulders, just in case she falls into the water to pursue the light.
[21:43]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"What if it's a patrol?"
[21:44]	* Phrine	shrugs.
[21:44]	<Phrine>	"What if it's not~?"
[21:45]	<[huh]Letty>	If it is, we'll kill them and move on.
[21:45]	<Phrine>	"Yeah, that."
[21:46]	<[GM]Mary>	A few minutes later, the light arrives, along with a canopied boat manned by a thin, robe-and-hooded figure. He tosses a rope out to you.
[21:47]	<[huh]Letty>	Hail, stranger. Are you the ferryman?
[21:50]	* Phrine	studies the light. Nice light. Not very fun though now that the mystery's gone.
[21:53]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"I don't know if he's in the mood for chatting, Letty."
[21:53]	<[GM]Mary>	The man says nothing, only bringing the boat to a halt near the mouth of the cave.
[21:55]	<[GM]Mary>	The boat may have once been a fishing boat large enough for half a dozen to cast nets and fishing poles out on a nearby river or lake, spacious enough for the three of you along with the ferrier to stand comfortably.
[21:55]	* [huh]Letty	boards
[21:56]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston climbs on, hanging himself upside-down from the boat's little roof.
[21:57]	* [Pyg]Judith	looks back at her companions with a look that seems to say it's all right.
[21:57]	* [Pyg]Judith	climbs aboard.
[21:59]	<Oarsman>	...
[22:19]	* [GM]Phrine	is pulled aboard!
[22:19]	<[GM]Mary>	You disembark, following the motion of the moat. The oarsman uses a long pole to shove into the right direction, then an oar to correct and continue the course: towards the waterfall.
[22:20]	* [huh]Letty	looks at Judith.
[22:21]	* [Pyg]Judith	catches Letty's gaze. She tilts her head questioningly.
[22:21]	<[huh]Letty>	With the waterfall... is this man sane?
[22:22]	<Oarsman>	I'll guide you... to your destiny...
[22:23]	<[huh]Letty>	That did not help his case, by the way.
[22:25]	* Oarsman	doesn't look to either of you, only rows on slowly and steadily.
[22:26]	* Phrine	is pretty sure she's getting bored of spacing out. But talking to the herself in her head was so fun and enriching!
[22:27]	<Phrine>	"Oh, wait, wha...I, missed something, didn't I? A few somethings...?"
[22:29]	<[GM]Mary>	The sound of crushing water fills your ears as the ferry approaches the cascade. The oarsman uses a long hook to snag a handle near the torrent and pulls into it, protected by the ferry's roof.
[22:30]	* Phrine	claps her hands over her ears. Loud! Too loud!
[22:31]	<[GM]Mary>	The entrance beneath the castle is revealed, a narrow tunnel only a little larger than the boat. It's quite dark, and you can't make out much with the lantern light.
[22:32]	<[huh]Letty>	Oh? It seems this ferryman knows what he's doing.
[22:35]	<[GM]Mary>	Something hits the boat hard.
[22:36]	<Oarsman>	...
[22:37]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston climbs to the top of the roof, probably afraid of falling. Something hits the boat again.
[22:37]	<Phrine>	"That's, not a...good, sound...?"
[22:37]	<[huh]Letty>	It seems not.
[22:38]	<Oarsman>	You might want to take care of that...
[22:38]	* Phrine	stands on top of her seat reflexively.
[22:38]	<Phrine>	"Ya'know what that is?"
[22:39]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Phrine, you might fall off, be careful."
[22:41]	<[GM]Mary>	Whatever it is, it smashes the hull of the boat violently, shaking it back and forth in the tiny channel.
[22:41]	<Phrine>	"I...think we're going to be falling off anyways, Mom."
[22:42]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Gaaahh!"
[22:43]	<[huh]Letty>	Whatever it is, I'll give it a firm beating...
[22:45]	<[GM]Mary>	Phrine: A webbed red claw reaches from your side of the boat and tries to pull you overboard!
[22:46]	<[Pyg]Judith>	HEY!!
[22:46]	<Phrine>	"Gaaahn, falling!"
[22:46]	<[huh]Letty>	The hell?
[22:47]	* Phrine	squirms like the silly wiggly thing she is, and slips out of "its" grasp easily, though not without a big shock.
[22:48]	<Phrine>	"Back, thingy thing from the place!"
[22:48]	* Phrine	pulls out her revolver and attempts a retaliatory shot.
[22:48]	<[GM]Mary>	Letty & Judith: Two more of them jump straight out of the water and land themselves on the boat in a spectacular fashion, though these two are red and green. They're really weird humanoids that look like fish, with scales and fins and gills and stuff. They both try to stare at you with their fish heads, but their eyes are too far apart.
[22:49]	* [huh]Letty	takes a defensive stance.
[22:49]	<[huh]Letty>	Some sort of beastmen...
[22:49]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Tch, just small fry."
[22:49]	* Phrine	stops worrying about that one to worry about these ones instead.
[22:50]	<Phrine>	"Don't you mean fishmen? Or maybe fishwomen...?"
[22:50]	* [Pyg]Judith	lunges at one, her fist already already pulled back, ready to fire.
[22:50]	<[GM]Mary>	The red one starts to suck in air, and the other jumps towards you.
[22:52]	* [huh]Letty	closes the distance with the other, her hand quickly becoming clawed and flecked with her own blood.
[22:53]	* Phrine	wishes she could help, but with all this ruckus in such a small area she can't even hope to get a good shot.
[22:54]	<Phrine>	"Wait a seconds..."
[22:57]	* [huh]Letty	rakes through her prey's flesh, leaving it bleeding and poisoned on the floor.
[22:57]	* Phrine	flutters her wings. Oh yeah, she has those. She could probably do something with them. Trying to avoid the four combatants, she zooms out of the ferry and hovers a few meters away from the action, making for a much clearer shot.
[22:57]	* [Pyg]Judith	gets knocked back by the fishman before landing her hit.
[22:58]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Ggrrggh! Bastard!!"
[22:58]	<[GM]Mary>	Judith: The red merman surprises you, shooting you with a large fireball from its mouth. It hits you like a huge fist, except flaming and exploding.
[23:02]	* Oarsman	rows on, not really bothered by the commotion. He worries about his boat, though.
[23:03]	<[GM]Mary>	Another fishperson, a yellow one, jumps out of the water and lands on the boat. The green monster Letty took down has since disintegrated into fishbones.
[23:05]	<[GM]Mary>	The yellow one waves his butt at you.
[23:06]	* Phrine	is thus offended!
[23:07]	<Phrine>	"Hey, rudeman, that's a rude thing! I'ma be rude too, then!"
[23:08]	* Phrine	pulls the hammer of her revolver back dramatically, and hopes she actually knows how to hurt people with this bloody thing.
[23:11]	* [Pyg]Judith	gets back up on her feet, trying to maintain her balance on the rocking boat.
[23:11]	<[huh]Letty>	Jusith, are you hurt?
[23:11]	* Phrine	takes careful aim, gets bored of tries to take careful aim, and just uses VAMPIRE SKILLS to shoot in the rudemen's general direction. Bang, bang bang bang!
[23:12]	<Phrine>	"Raaah, I have furyyy!!"
[23:12]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Heh, we have a tough guy on board, it seems."
[23:13]	* [Pyg]Judith	flexes her hand before flicking it.
[23:13]	<[GM]Mary>	The tough guy isn't on board for very long, as he jumps off after getting shot. As for the yellow guy, he just gets shot.
[23:16]	* Phrine	's hand stings a little from the recoil. Wait, did she just...do useful things?! Gasp!
[23:16]	<[GM]Mary>	He falls to the deck and doesn't move. The ferrier continues to row.
[23:16]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Damn, where'd he go?"
[23:17]	<Oarsman>	Home.
[23:17]	* Phrine	is awestruck by the fact that she actually did something worth something for once. She just sort of flutters there in front of the ferry.
[23:18]	* [Pyg]Judith	breathes in and exhales.
[23:18]	<[GM]Mary>	You finally reach a small stone bank, equipped with only an unlit torch and ladder of iron bars leading up. The ferryman stops the boat here.
[23:18]	* [Pyg]Judith	feels a little disappointed that she couldn't teach that bastard fish head a lesson, but the less they have to deal with before getting to their objective, the better.
[23:19]	* Phrine	alights on the bank, still staring at her gun, muttering to herself.
[23:19]	<Phrine>	"...that...was me..."
[23:20]	<Oarsman>	This is your stop.
[23:21]	<Oarsman>	If destiny... eludes you, and one of you fall... Come back here.
[23:22]	* Oarsman	throws the corpse and bones overboard.
[23:26]	* Phrine	attempts to twirl her gun into her holster, which ends with her juggling the thing like a hot potato. Ruins the mood a little, but she doesn't really mind.
[23:26]	* [huh]Letty	disembarks. She turns and curtsies the Oarsman as best she can.
[23:26]	<Phrine>	"Oh, yeah...umm, thanks, Mr. Fairy. Hope I didn't shoot your boat..."
[23:27]	<Oarsman>	...
[23:27]	* [Pyg]Judith	wrinkles her eyebrows. Hmm, but we're already dead. She doesn't think of it too hard and disembarks from the boat.
[23:28]	<[GM]Mary>	The oarsman continues on, disappearing from sight. Charleston climbs up the ladder, clinging to the ceiling next to a hatch his spider muscles can't open.
[23:31]	* [huh]Letty	climbs up to the hatch and attempts to help open it.
[23:32]	<[GM]Mary>	The hatch opens. It's not locked or anything, it's just heavy.
[23:32]	* [huh]Letty	peers out of the hole.
[23:33]	<[GM]Mary>	You clear the opening to find yourself outside once again, yet well within reach of the castle. Looking around, you find yourself to be in a small square grass clearing, with vicious-looking thorned hedges surrounding you. The fog is still very thick, you can hardly see beyond fifteen feet and you can't see over the hedges at all.
[23:35]	* Phrine	squints again. Gah, not more no-seeing stuff again?
[23:36]	* [huh]Letty	gets up and out.
[23:37]	* Phrine	pokes her head out like some cute pink-haired gopher.
[23:39]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston crawls out of the manhole and skitters through a corner of your square, proving a narrow opening allowing you to escape your vegetative prison.
[23:40]	* Phrine	is getting fed up with all this fog. Time for some night-vision goggles!
[23:41]	* Phrine	puts on that pair of sunglasses. YEAH!
[23:42]	* [Pyg]Judith	looks up at the imposing structure.
[23:43]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"'S gonna be a long night, girls."
[23:44]	* Phrine	looks up as well.
[23:44]	<[huh]Letty>	We'd better get started, then.
[23:46]	<Phrine>	"...e'yup."
[23:47]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Any secret passages or something marked on the map?"
[23:48]	* Phrine	looks higher up, and points that way as well.
[23:48]	* [huh]Letty	checks it.
[23:49]	<Phrine>	"...Are we allowed to just go up...?"
[23:51]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"I don't know, they may be expecting us. If they know their castle well enough, they might have even set up traps in those secret passages."
[23:52]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston returns to the private square, waiting at the exit.
[23:55]	* Phrine	asks Charleston what he thinks.
[23:55]	<Phrine>	"You gots a good plan, little guy?"
[23:55]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston skitters.
[23:56]	<[huh]Letty>	So, what do you two thing?
[23:56]	<Phrine>	"I think Charleston has a plan that is good."
[23:57]	<[GM]Mary>	Distantly, a bell tolls, stopping after the tenth 'dong'.
[00:01]	<[huh]Letty>	He does?
[00:01]	* [huh]Letty	looks at the spider.
[00:02]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston skitters, and turns around, ready to lead.
[00:02]	<Phrine>	"I feel like he's saying he bets my ass he does...or something."
[00:03]	<[huh]Letty>	...Indeed.
[00:03]	<Phrine>	"I dunno, I don't speak spider."
[00:03]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Ten o'clock, huh?"
[00:10]	<Phrine>	"Well, anyways, I'ma go follow him. This place is boring."
[00:10]	* Phrine	is really to follow.
[00:11]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Letty, the map."
[00:13]	* [huh]Letty	hands Judith the map.
[00:14]	* [Pyg]Judith	unrolls it, checking where they are.
[00:16]	<[GM]Mary>	The map reveals you're in a maze, but nothing about how to reach its exits.
[00:17]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"We should be...right here."
[00:18]	* [Pyg]Judith	doesn't like the words that appear at where her fingers are pointing.
[00:18]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Damn..."
[00:18]	* Phrine	scratches her head...
[00:18]	<Phrine>	"...Sheppy's castle didn't have a maze in it...though..."
[00:19]	<[huh]Letty>	I've alwaus disliked mazes...
[00:19]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Damn cattle probably got one made."
[00:20]	* [Pyg]Judith	brushes her hair just as a bat comes crawling out of it and begins circling above the group.
[00:21]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Letting loose one shouldn't be too bad. I'll get a good look of the maze from above."
[00:25]	<[GM]Mary>	Stepping out, you find only more of these forbidding thickets, following together in an orderly fashion one would only construct a traditional hedge maze. Charleston awaits, facing the direction you were not.
[00:27]	<[GM]Mary>	The spider leads you through the maze, carefully selecting its path. He brings you through several turns, navigating gaps you may not have seen before Charleston's disappearance through them.
[00:28]	<[GM]Mary>	As you progress, you become aware of several low, houndish growls nearby. Charleston shows no sign of fear, and continues on.
[00:28]	* Phrine	is quite impressed. Good thing she didn't really bet her ass on this, because she'd have probably lost it. Or...something. It probably works in some way, if not that way.
[00:28]	* [huh]Letty	tends to stay a bit closer to Judith than normal.
[00:29]	>Phrine<	Don't follow the spider! It spins a web of lies.
[00:29]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"What the hell was that?"
[00:29]	* Phrine	perks an ear. Oh?
[00:29]	<[huh]Letty>	Dogs, I'd expect. Though with the fish and the spiders earlier...
[00:30]	<[GM]Mary>	The spider makes a turn, stops, and then doubles back in the opposite direction. The growls grow closer and closer, along with the rattle of chains.
[00:30]	<Phrine>	"Wait. No, no that's...that can't be right..."
[00:30]	* Phrine	stops in her tracks, shaking her head and looking stressed.
[00:31]	* [Pyg]Judith	scouts around with the bat to find the source of the growling.
[00:33]	<[GM]Mary>	Judith: The bat can't see anything, though its echo-location reveals something big moving around in a square clearing. The echoes reflect more strongly in that spot, so the ground is probably made of stone or some other material.
[00:34]	* Phrine	looks at Charleston, the towards the unknown growls, and back around to Judith and Letty. She looks scared.
[00:34]	* [Pyg]Judith	gets the bat to come down and return to her.
[00:34]	<[GM]Mary>	The sound is so close that it's coming down as a dull roar. Charleston meets another split road, and is taking a moment to choose which path to follow. Above him, there's a sign of some sort, read in English.
[00:34]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Yeah, we got company out here. Keep an eye out."
[00:35]	* Phrine	tries to read the sign, and fails. It's been a while since she had to read English.
[00:36]	<[huh]Letty>	Of course I will.
[00:37]	<[GM]Mary>	The sign says simply: "CRY 'HAVOC', AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR"
[00:39]	<Phrine>	"Mom, can you read that?"
[00:40]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Hmm, someone knows Shakespeare."
[00:42]	* Phrine	scooches in closer to Judith and whispers something in her ear.
[00:43]	<Phrine>	"Psst, Mom...Mom, I have a bad feeling again. 'Bout Charles...he's going the wrong way."
[00:43]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"...Are you saying he's intentionally leading us the wrong way?"
[00:43]	* [Pyg]Judith	whispers in reply.
[00:45]	<[huh]Letty>	I don't know if he would... his master still has her promise with me...
[00:45]	<Phrine>	"I...think maybe probably...I hope I'm wrong, except...I never am with these..."
[00:45]	<Phrine>	"Was it...Was it a good promise?"
[00:46]	<[huh]Letty>	I don't think it'd be one she'd be too eager to break.
[00:46]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston decides on left, and quickly skitters through another series of twists and turns. The growling turns to roars, and you come face to face with a huge, three-headed... dog, or something. It's chained down to the center of a stone pedestal, so its growls, barks and roars never grow closer than they already are. Charleston walks around it, not really giving the beast any attention.
[00:47]	* Phrine	looks at the dog. Well, yeah, obviously this is the wrong way. Probably.
[00:48]	<Phrine>	"Hey, Charleston, I want my ass back! This has got to be the wrong way!"
[00:49]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"How could a human stand to have creatures like these? Don't they go out of their way to kill them usually?"
[00:50]	<[huh]Letty>	Usually.
[00:51]	<Phrine>	"Should we be afraid of it...?"
[00:51]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston stops next to the massive hound, turns around and skitters at Phrine, but you can't really hear him over the dogs' barking and pounding. The chains are stretched to their limits, but hold tight, despite his wearing away of the ground.
[00:51]	<[huh]Letty>	It should be safe... I think.
[00:53]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Hmm, what if we let it out?"
[00:53]	* Phrine	looks at the chains curiously.
[00:53]	<[huh]Letty>	It might maul us.
[00:53]	<Phrine>	"You think that's why it's angry?"
[00:54]	* Phrine	is a problem solver! She will solve this problem with solutions!
[00:55]	<Phrine>	"Hey, hello, Mr. and/or Ms. Big Dog? Can you maybe hear me?"
[00:55]	* Kerberos	's claws slash the stone in its rage, trying to charge the group, but imprisoned by the chains around each neck.
[00:55]	* Kerberos	can hear Phrine, and responds with much ferocious growling and snapping of teeth.
[00:56]	* Phrine	is undeterred, but still makes her feet ready to push off into the sky in case bad things happen.
[00:58]	<Phrine>	"Good, so you can. You really shouldn't be so loud, though; it'll make everyone angry and want to kill each other. Wouldn't it be better to just, like...talk, and stuff?"
[00:58]	* Phrine	shrugs. Always worth a shot, right?
[00:58]	* [huh]Letty	hangs back doubtfully.
[00:59]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston continues past the monster, ascending a short flight of stone steps and halting at a door.
[01:00]	* Kerberos	roars more.
[01:01]	* Phrine	frowns. Not working? Maybe she's just not using the right words.
[01:03]	<Phrine>	"Hey, okay, okay, so you're angry! Maybe probably we can help with that! Is there something you want, then?"
[01:03]	* Kerberos	snaps his huge jaws at you.
[01:04]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Phrine, I think it's better that we leave it alone now."
[01:04]	<[huh]Letty>	Yes...
[01:04]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Piss it off anymore and it just might break free from its leash."
[01:05]	* Phrine	sighs and shakes her head. Oh well...can't win 'em all.
[01:05]	* [huh]Letty	simply circumvents the dog.
[01:06]	* [Pyg]Judith	follows after Leticia, gesturing at Phrine to follow.
[01:07]	* Phrine	contemplates, looking at the group, the dog(s?), and the way back into the maze.
[01:07]	* Kerberos	isn't very happy, following the trio as closely as he can, but just can't reach.
[01:09]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston skitters, and waits in front of the door. Can't open 'em, it seems.
[01:09]	* [huh]Letty	takes the honors.
[01:10]	* Phrine	makes a wing-assisted jump to the top of a nearby hedge, vainly trying to see anything in any direction.
[01:10]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"We're just waltzing right in through the front?"
[01:12]	<[GM]Mary>	Proving Arani's direction to be true, you enter a great glass greenhouse protected well enough that the mist does not reach, and within you find a vast garden, so overflown with weird flowers and vegetation that it's practically its own jungle.
[01:13]	<Phrine>	"So what's inside there, then? Bad stuff?"
[01:13]	* Phrine	calls from her hedge perch outside.
[01:13]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston skitters in, climbs a tree, and disappears into the overgrowth.
[01:14]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Where's he going?"
[01:15]	<[GM]Mary>	A few tall trees build a canopy here, littering the grassy floor with overgrown vines, leaves, and fallen fruits, fruits of sorts that have never been seen before.
[01:21]	<[GM]Mary>	Indeed, a great deal of the garden contains unheard of plants - daisies whose much too large petals make them droop in sorrow, fat bananas that squeal in terror when approached too quickly, venus fly traps large enough to swallow a great dane whole, dandelions that grow steel spores sharp enough to be spread as caltrops,
[01:21]	<[GM]Mary>	pink ginkgo beans that smile and wink at you behind tiny little handsome mustaches, horsetail colonies that sway and neigh together, raspberry patches growing things that are definitely not raspberries...
[01:21]	<[GM]Mary>	While the "garden" is most certainly very curious, it is also most certainly very beautiful. Great roses and gorgeous flowers thrive in many sizes, creating a vibrant panorama of color, so vivid it's distinguishable even in the moonless night. The collage spares no senses,as a very pleasing aroma blankets the entire chamber, and the living leaves carry a tune certain to please any mortal ear.
[01:22]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"What the hell kind of plants are these?"
[01:22]	<[huh]Letty>	What is this...
[01:23]	* Phrine	finally stops being an idiot and joins the other two. She finds this to be quite the happenin' party of a place. What life!
[01:23]	<Phrine>	"Woah..."
[01:24]	* [huh]Letty	is none too eager to approach any of the odd plants...
[01:24]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"That one looks like it has teeth!"
[01:25]	<Phrine>	"Ooo, lemme see~"
[01:25]	* Phrine	looks over Mom's shoulder.
[01:26]	* [Pyg]Judith	holds on to Phrine's hand.
[01:26]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Careful, don't get too close."
[01:27]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Might be like that dog outside."
[01:28]	<[huh]Letty>	This place... is too unnatural. How did these things even come to be?
[01:28]	<Phrine>	"...but I liked that dog...s? They just didn't like me."
[01:29]	<[huh]Letty>	Yes, the problem here is these might not like you either.
[01:29]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston can be found once again atop a great web built amongst the tree branches. He spins something over the web, and after a little effort, you can read in thickened silk: "GBYE".
[01:30]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"I've heard stories from travelers about massive forests in the new wo--"
[01:30]	* [Pyg]Judith	looks up in time to see the spider finish its web.
[01:30]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"The hell's that supposed to mean?"
[01:31]	<Phrine>	"...G'bye, prolly kinda..."
[01:31]	* Phrine	says dejectedly.
[01:32]	<[GM]Mary>	Charleston skitters, and waves a leg at you.
[01:32]	* [huh]Letty	bows to the spider.
[01:32]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"I know that, but...He's already done?"
[01:34]	<Phrine>	"Prolly kinda."
[01:35]	<[huh]Letty>	It does seem so.
[01:37]	<[huh]Letty>	...Can we move on? I can't say I feel entirely comfortable here.
[01:37]	<Phrine>	"Yeah, and Charles should get back to his mom anyways. She's probably getting worried."
[01:39]	* [Pyg]Judith	takes a look at the map again, seeing as how they don't seem to be in immediate danger.
[01:42]	<[Pyg]Judith>	"Looks like this is one way into the castle."
[01:42]	* [Pyg]Judith	hands the map back to Letty.
[01:43]	<[huh]Letty>	Thank you.
[01:49]	<[GM]Mary>	Saving state... |16:16 VEGETATION ROOM 16.3%|