[IC] Ravenloft: Torches in the Night

[Corsair]

All the world was engulfed in fog, a bank that blotted out stars, so thick that your hand could scarcely be seen a foot from your face, and one by one, scattered across nations and realms, the Six would find their continued journey through the blinding haze to be foolish. As suddenly as it emerged it would suddenly fade, retreating into the distance on a chill wind that howled through the leafless woods and barren fields. There was no sense of shift, no strange pulling or tearing sensation. No dizziness or disorientation, just a sudden change - one moment, the familiar. The next, fog, and as it faded, the unknown.

Around them was a wasteland gripped in winter. The remains of ancient battles long since passed littered the landscape, from broken siege machines now rotted and covered in vines to crumbling palisades and the stripped bones of long dead warriors. Looming ahead were titanic walls, once gleaming white now pockmarked with scars, spiderwebs of cracks around craters, and huge scorch marks. Atop the walls could be seen the tiny shapes of sentries moving between the ramparts, with small towers every few hundred feet bristling with ballistae. Beyond it they could see curtain walls and the massive spires of a fortress in the heart of the city.

The first thing Lily Beckett noticed was the sudden, bitter cold, her first reaction to draw her cloak tight, only to be caught staring around, wide-eyed at the sudden change, a shock that only grew as she noted she was not alone.

"Lammy? Eranah? What in Torm's name?" She furrowed her brow at the three strangers - and stranger seemed an apt descriptor of them. If it had ben their other companions from their quest it would have made a modicum of sense.

Over their head came a cawing, a legion of crows flying over them into that forboding city. The wind began to howl.

[MarsAdept]

Victor plunged his sword through the last goblin standing. The poor creature howled in pain and dropped its small dagger. It gripped the blade of Victor's sword trying to remove the blade from its chest. Victor put his boot up to the goblins chest and kicks him away to pull his sword free. The goblin died screaming in pain. Victor looked around him seeing the dead corpses of five goblins. A lone wolf walks up to Victor and spoke. A normal person would have been startled by this, but this wolf was his spirit companion. "Good work. These goblins won't be attacking any more of the villager's livestock."

"Indeed, now we take these goblin's head back and get the reward." Victor replied.

Victor moved to behead the goblins but suddenly a fog rolled in. It grew in its thickness until Victor could barely see the tip of his blade. He raised his sword in defense of a coming attack. He could not tell where even his spirit companion was. Without warning, the temperature took a nose dive. The change in temperature alerted Victor making him even more tense. The fog dissipated as quickly as it came. Victor found himself in unfamiliar lands. Scanning the area for threats, he spots a group of people not far from him. He looked them up and down trying to read if they were a treat. Quickly, he pulls out a cloth and wipes the goblin blood off his blade. With a clear sword he calls out to group, "Greetings, strangers. I am Victor Ultimara. Are you friend or foe? And By the Moons, Where in the Abyss am I?"

[Blaze96]

As Eranah and her companions were transported she couldn't help the worry that hit here. It was however swiftly replaced with biting cold, doing all she could to warm herself up in her chainmail armor she looked over to her companions.

"By Ilmater, I hate being randomly transported." The Deva said, sitting down briefly in the snow as she caught her bearings. Victor walking up had her doing little more than standing up. Ilmater's symbol not at all hidden on the chest of her armor as she faced him.

"Greetings, we are no foes of yours. As for where we are, your guess would be as good as ours. I am Eranah." She replied, giving a small bow.

[Billsomething]

When the fog dispersed the area around Lily changed drastically, What was once a forest filled with beautiful Foliage was now a ancient battlefield which had lost it's own battle with the snow and ice of Mister Winter. snow was so thick she shouldn't have been able to see her own feet, but thanks to her lantern silk that was a nonexistent issue.

she looked around real quick and noticed that not only was there a giant wall that loomed dead ahead, but that she wasn't the only one who had arrived in this land of ice and death, for there four others who looked just as lost as she, she then heard the one known as Victor Ultimara ask a question of weather she and those around her were friends or foes. Lily Grinned beneath her mask as she somersaulted and the bells that lined her cloth ringed with everyone of her jumps as she made her way towards the man.

she stopped with a spin in front victor "To be a foe would do me no good so a friend is what i will be to you" she stopped her spin then shot her hand out in greeting then continued "And to my friends i am called Lily the silly jester pleased to make your acquaintance"
@MarsAdept

[Mictlan93]

A blanket of fog was nothing new to the Druid, Lammy. Just another weird case of weather. It only got weirder as the fog never seemed to dissipate, and in fact, thickened to the point of impairment. The hawk perched on his shoulder would groan if she could. "SCREEE! (What in the seven hells is this?)" Sheeva complained, causing her companion to shrug. "Beats me. Think you can get atop it, find us a way out?" He suggested. With a compliant nod, she took off the best she could, taking to the skies to find an end to this fog. Though, even through ascension, the fog was impossibly thick.

And then, just like that, the fog disappeared. With nary a kiss goodbye or a "see you later". Lammy barely had the time to process all that was happening. Beside the instant weather change and depressing landscape, he also had to take into account the familiar cast of characters now standing alongside him. "Lammy? Eranah? What in Torm's name?" It was a familiar voice saying familiar names. Suffice to say, Lammy was a little excited.

"Lily?!" He spun towards the lady paladin, encasing her in a eager hug. He would've lifted her off her feet and spun her around if he could, but plate armor is heavy, and she was quite densely built for someone of her stature. A simple hug would have to do. "How are- What's been- You are-" There was a lot the boy wanted to say, and it all tried coming out at once. His face was growing so hot, he couldn't even tell it was cold out. So he took a step back, and took a deep breath. He looked past her, just briefly, and the cold, grim setting finally started to settle in. "...Where are we?" He asked simply, surveying the landscape.

Sheeva began to descend once the fog lifted. Equally confused as her partner, she began to return to him, only to realize he wasn't alone. "Familiar faces..." she thought, quite grimly.

[Assallya]

Syeira did not like this. She did not like it at all. The mist was most unnatural. Mist most often occurred in the evenings and did not often survive the light of day. Mists did not suddenly spring into existence in the depths of night and here she was encompassed within them even into the witching hour. The lantern hanging from the metal rod over her head seemed completely unable to pierce the oppressive shroud which, in turn, forced her to horse to slow down to a plodding pace without her having to draw upon the reigns.

The crimson haired gur also noted that something else had changed. The great conifers that had been her honour guard down the highway had shed their needles and were now little more than bony claws stretching out to rake her flesh. The shadows had grown, eerily presenting themselves as darker patches of mist. It gave her the impression she was surrounded by ghastly shades eager to consume her very soul.

It was strange. Reason told her that she had not truly traveled so far, that she must be entering a bog or marsh but her other senses said different. She somehow felt that something magical had happened and she feared she had been somehow drawn into the lands of the unseelie or banished into the nine hells of Baator to be set upon by the devils there. None of these were pleasant thoughts and she nervously fondled the small skulls hanging at her waist.

The wagon bounced along the highway, the springs supporting the large wooden wheels squeaking gently and finally she found herself clear of the forest. At first she thought she had arrived and then she was startled to see her breath misting before her and a chill to the air. This alarmed her for there was never a mist in winter. The cold leached the moisture from the air. Yet, still there was mist. It was retreating, rolling away in all directions but it was there.

Syeira's green eyes gazed over what appeared to be the frozen remnants of an ancient battle. A mere of dead men, coated in rime, surrounded the shattered carcass of a citadel. She pulled her green cloak around her, golden coins lining it clinking together as she closed it over her bare belly to keep out the cold. Slowly she continued, twitching the reigns of the horse that had come to a stop, clearly as dumbfounded as she. Together they plodded forwards through the field of frozen corpses, wondering where in Faerun she could possibly be.

[Corsair]

"Lammy, I'm happy to see you too." Lily said as the druid yanked her into a tight hug - hell, by the feel of it he'd have been crushing her ribs if she wasn't wearing armor. In other circumstances she'd probably have been a little more evocative in the joy she felt at seeing him again, and Eranah. But as it was a chill was running down her spine that robbed the moment of anything resembling happiness.

The first thing was the emptiness. Not just around them, the fields of death around the decaying city, something internal, like a spot in her heart that she hadn't even been consciously aware of, a point of warmth and light had suddenly been snuffed out. And yet her powers still coursed through her - reaching her hand down to half-draw Faith's Fire and seeing the pale flames begin to kindle along the blade was confirmation enough of that. That did little enough to comfort her, though.

"Eranah, do you feel it too?" If the Cleric did it would confirm Lily's fears - that wherever they were, they were beyond the sight and touch of their Gods, even if they could still draw upon their powers.

After Eranah replied Lily glanced around at the group. "We're not safe out here. Old battlefields like this are almost always haunted, and I see no signs this ground has been consecrated. Certainly no one has taken the time to lay the dead to rest properly." The Paladin grimaced. That city set off all her 'bad place' and 'don't want to go there' instincts, but they needed information, shelter, a place to start, and she saw no other options. "That city - look, it's not ruins. You can see men atop the walls, intact banners still flying. It must still be inhabited. We should make our way there, maybe someone there can explain why we've been brought here."

[MarsAdept]

Victor bowed his head slightly and respectfully in response to Eranah's gesture. At least, he was not among enemies, though he was still unwilling to assume these were friends. Immediately after Eranah answered his question, one in the group approached him spinning in such a merry way it repulsed him on principle but also got his interest. He moved his sword out of the way so she did not impale herself. She stopped before him and introduced herself and offered her hand in greetings. Victor carefully sheaths his sword without taking his eyes of this lady jester. Victor then extended his right hand and shook her hand firmly, "It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Lily. I cannot say I am ever happy to meet merry folk like yourself. They detract and distract from the seriousness and cruelty that is the reality of Life."@Billsomething

Victor looks past the jester before him at the rest of the group. Very interesting combination of souls. He could sense they were just as confused as they were. The lady knight however seemed to be the one to take command. Of course a paladin would be the one to take command. He looked at the walls of the city for the first time once she mentioned it. There was something about the walls that had told Victor not to look at them before. Now, he could not ignore them. He replied to the Paladin, "Wise choice, Fair lady. I have no idea how old these siege craft are. it is possible they are from a battle that just occurred yesterday. In that case, perhaps they are unwilling or unable to consecrated this ground yet. War has a way of reorganizing priorities." He spoke with confidence which he hoped would win him acceptance in the group. However, if he was to be honest, He was very worried. This land and its city were just wrong. Plus, his spirit companion was nowhere to be found. @Corsair

[Blaze96]

Eranah had exactly had a moment to do a bit of introspection. But once Lily pointed it out, she could feel it. There was always a bit of what Lily must now have been feeling, being a Deva, she had lived in the realm of Ilmater, as such entering the human world always caused a bit of a pit and feeling of disconnect. However this was something orders more intense. She was not only disconnected directly from the realm of Ilmater, it was a disconnect from any feeling of his presence at all. It was troubling, and in no small extent distressing. Her eyes growing a little wider and her breathing picking up as she tried to keep her composure for at least the sake of the others.

"Yes, I feel it too. The gods are not with us. They likely can neither hear nor see us." It was then she looked onto the broken battlefield, the lingering pain she felt in the area mirroring her own internal distress.

"I don't think going to the city is a good idea, but without anything better it seems to be our only option." She kept her eye to the sentries on the wall though, watching for any sign of attack or alarm.

[Corsair]

Lily let out a hiss between her teeth. One, because that was bad. That was really, really bad. That was a level of bad news that rivaled being told that there was an army of Dragons burning the land to ashes, or that Asmodeus had manifested on the physical plane along with all the armies of Hell, or the world was being consumed in flames.

The other was that she really hadn't wanted that just blurted out to the whole group. Things like that are like to cause a panic, she reckoned.

"I don't think it's a great idea either, but it's the only one I've got." She glanced between them. "Who wants to knock? I think it might be best if Eranah and I hang back a bit, there's no telling what kind of reaction these people might have to a woman of the cloth."

[Mictlan93]

"I'll go." Lammy was quick to volunteer. He had to push the millions of questions to the back of his mind for the moment, as there was a more important task at hand. But, one thought did manage to slip from his tongue. "Whew, it's a little nippy out here, innit?" He mumbled and shivered, his bare feet crunching down into the thin layer of snow. Had he known he would've been traveling into colder climates, he would've at least brought a cloak or something.

"Had half a mind to turn into a polar bear or something warmer, but I don't want these guys getting the wrong idea. I'd imagine a big white beast barreling towards your walls won't paint the best image." He mentioned with a anxious chuckle, making a quick turn towards the cold establishment on the horizon. "Wanna take the high road, Sheev?" He asked his mighty hawk companion. Naturally, she wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea at the moment.

"CHI-weirk? (You don't think that might be a bad idea?")" She questioned. She wasn't too keen to the thought of being shot down. "You should be fine, girl. I didn't see those guys shoot down any of the crows that flew by. I'll be right behind you." He reassured the hawk. She was still a little unsure of the plan, but willing to comply with her companions wishes. She took to the skies, leaving the dopey druid down below.

"Alright, i'm going. Don't hesitate to like, follow behind me or anything." He glanced towards the newer faces of the impromptu group. "I won't bite...not in this form, anyway." They were interesting looking folk, he'd have to remind himself to formally introduce himself to them whenever there was time. With one last confirming nod, began a careful walk towards the city.

[Corsair]

Lily smiled at Lammy - not her Paladin's Smile, all larger than life heroism, pure confidence and chaste beauty, no, this was her private smile, muted and a little shy. "Knew you'd have it, Lammy. I'll be right with you." She took to following him. "Well, if they don't play nice you could try turning into that giant bear you figured out and just smashing the door in."

[Assallya]

Syeira's horse plodded along placidly. The vardo wagon jostled and bounced about at the whim of the ice crusted ruts that comprised this frozen road. The horse did not seem perturbed in the least the frozen corpses. In truth, they did not irk her overly but her horse was quite oblivious. There was no point in going back as she strongly suspected, given the sudden change in season, that going back would not return her thence she came. Fate decreed this for some reason. Be it the will of the gods or something else it had been decided for her. Thus she continued forward.

In time she approached a number of what seemed to be adventurers. At least, that's what an eclectic group of warriors, clergy and who knew what else evoked in her mind. They seemed newly met, certainly not a cohesive group from the way they held themselves apart from one another.

"Hail travelers," she greeted them, waving one hand decorated in circles and symbols in henna ink, "I do believe I am lost. By Waukeen's coin, pray someone tell me where we are?"

[Corsair]

Lily regarded the new traveler. "Well met, friend. I suspect we're in the same situation - let me guess, you were traveling, and a cloud of fog rose up around you. When it cleared you found yourself in this strange place?" Lily indicated their own band with a tilt of her head. "The same happened to us, we only arrived here moments ago. I am Lily Beckett, Knight of the Triad and Paladin of Torm. We're headed for that scarred city, it looks to still be inhabited. Hopefully someone there can answer our questions."

[Assallya]

The crimson haired lady, adjusted her coin lined emerald hued hood so that those below could better see her. It was a simple gesture that implied openness and honesty. Nobody ever trusted someone that hid her face inside a hood all the time. She was pale of complexion which caused the henna lines on her face and leather headband with its semiprecious stones to stand out in stark contrast.

Oh wonderful, Syeira thought to herself, a paladin. Worse still, the woman had a surname which likely meant noble lineage; That or pretentious nature. Still, there were none better to protect thieves, scalawags and confidence women. The greatest ally of villainy they were as you had to actually perform an act of ill nature before them before they swept into action. As a result, though she was not overly fond of their prattling about gods and duty, she had to admit she did feel a bit safer given the hellish landscape that surrounded them.

"Syeira-," she replied, breath misting before her ruby painted lips. She would have offered her hand save for the fact she was leaning down from atop the wooden walled wagon. "-and you are quite correct. The mists were subtle but even a fool could not miss the sudden shift from the month of Kythorn to Alturiak in the span of moments"

Syeira adjusted the blanket she had wrapped around her body which was beginning to fall and tucked it back into place.

"You speek sooth noble knight," she then added, "I shall join you, if you would have me, upon this short dallying trip."

[Blaze96]

"I see no reason to disallow you from joining us. Eranah, cleric of The One Who Endures." She said, preferring to go with the longer version of the name this time, the symbol on her chest standing out as she looked over their newest companion. Her Deva heritage in no way hidden or concealed.

"We should only be so lucky that this trip is short. Though I doubt luck is on our side to begin with in this case." She commented as they all continued to the city, deciding to take a closer look at the dead outside the city. Trying to figure out how they might have died. While likely by battle there were many ways one could die in a siege, whether disease or the defenders riding out to defeat their attackers, each method was unique. It might also reveal something about the makeup of this nation, even if she didn't know its name.

[Mictlan93]

"W-well, I'll be sure to consider it as our plan b." Lammy replied, face reddening through a sheepish chuckle as he got a look at her personal smile. It was the first he'd seen something like that from her, he wasn't prepared for such a left jab of cuteness. By that time, a horse drawn wagon appeared alongside the group, with a woman resembling a fortune teller pulling the reins. Listening to Lily and Eranah introduce themselves using their full titles was somewhat imposing for the boy, even if he couldn't say the same for himself. "Hey, hi, I'm Lammy." He began casually. "...Don't really have a title, I mean, unless you've heard of my parents or sister...i'm just a simple druid." He then turned his attention towards the red haired fortune teller. "Got any room up there on your carriage? My little piggies are freezing down here." He queried.

[Afina]

The air hung heavy with wafts of smoke from those puffing away on smoldering pipes in the large tavern in the city by the sea. The smell of salt mixed with that of mead, and ale and the road. Boisterous patrons rambled on about this and that and the clinking sound of plate and pint rung into the air.

A single strum of a lute echoed over the chaos and and slowly the tavern quieted down. It was rare to hear such silence in the place but over the last days word had spread of the voice that sung each night. It drew the patrons in and let the ale and coin flow freely. Hearing the note they knew it was time. Over in a small corner there was a single small bench where two people sat.

The first was a handsome clean shaven dark haired man with obsidian eyes dressed in similarly dark garb. He sat there with a weathered lute an a cheshire grin playing on his features. The other no one could tell, for they had a cloak covering their form and the mantle drawn to hide their visage.

Tilting his head to the side he seemed to whisper something against the others ear, the other nodding and he began. The notes came slowly in a melancholy
fashion, his voice was deep and rich as it began to fall into the air as he sung.

"Final sign of veracity in the open palm of your enemy. Going down, down, down is a sign of my own demise. Indoctrination leads to lethal dedication to a torment of hopeless cries," he sung alone as he strummed away, his fingers working elegantly over the strings.

"There's no reason to believe that I will be on my way. See your future in decay but you won't hear me when I say; so come on," the other figure began to sing as the man let his lips fall silent. A velvety feminine voice rung out over the crowd.

"Hear me, see me what I tried to find was emancipation of the human mind. Hear me, see me, put your life on the line. A confirmation of your strife if you leave everything behind," they sung together as the notes went silent from the lute, their voices melding in harmony.

"Like a drop of blood in the open sea revelation hides a tenacity," he sung alone as he began to play once again before their voices melded once again.

"Going down, down down is a sign of our own demise. Indoctrination leads to lethal dedication. No world order to analyze," the sung together.

"There's no reason to believe that I would be on my way. See your future in decay but you won't hear me when I say: so come on," the woman sung alone as she gently pulled the hood of her mantle back revealing soft golden hair and pale olive sun kissed skin.

"Hear me, see me, what I tried to find was emancipation of a human mind. Hear me, see me, put your line. A confirmation on your strife," the woman sang along as the speed of the lutes strumming increased.

"Feel me, hear me, while I try to say liberation was my only way. Here's my reason I tried to decide if restoration of my pride will leave everything behind," the woman sang as her voice rose in fervor, the lute falling slowly silent as she stood.

"Here me, see me what I tried to find was emancipation of a human mind. Hear me, see me, put your life on the line; a confirmation of your strife. You leave everything behind," they chorused together before falling silent.

The room held silent for a moment before cheering and asking for more. The woman shook her head and gathered her items, slinging her bow across her back and pushing out of the tavern into the dark night. The man that had sung with her sat there watching her before turning and gathering his own items. As he stepped outside she was gone and nothing remained but a dense fog rolling out.

His dark eyes went frantic as he searched. Yelling her name. "Sana!"

----

The fog slowly faded from around Sana and she growled under her breath through gritted teeth as she looked around.

"Not again!" she yelled as she drew her bow and nocked an arrow into place from her quiver. Shaking her head she glanced about before making her way towards the only sign of life left within sight. "I am getting sick of fogs whisking me around all of creation!"

[Corsair]

The rag-tag group of travelers soon arrived at the city gates. Up close the walls didn't look a lot better than they did at a distance, spiderwebbed with huge cracks, portions of the wall appearing to be piles of rubble poured in to fill gaps. The towers, bristling with ballistae and onagers at a distance could be seen to be in disrepair up close, many of them visibly damaged or warped. The gates were open, a handful of guards loitering around it in mail armor that ill-fitted them, leaning against posts or idly poking at the moat with old, water-warped spears. One of them looked up at the group, revealing a face that looked to be no more than fourteen summers.

"Oi!" The others looked up from their various means of dawdling and came to something resembling a military manner - a bunch of boys who looked about like they hadn't quite finished nursing. "Dolsie, go fetch sergeant!"

"Gads balls, Siemann!" One of them ran into the city, presumably Dolsie, returning a minute or so later with a tired-looking old man with a hammer hanging from his belt. He wore no armor, only a surcoat bearing arms - a black tower with a golden ring around it on a field of gray.

"Visitors? To Falstaff? You must've lost your way, no one comes to Falstaff." The Sergeant's hair was thin and gray, and his face was heavily lined and gaunt, he looked as though one good push and he'd drop dead.

[Afina]

Pulling the hood of her mantle up and her cloak tight she meandered her way quickly and quietly towards the settlement. The silver string of her bow pulled half taunt with an arrow nocked into place she kept it low but at the ready.

The last several long moments of her life had been a world wind of confusion and when she had just began to believe that she was close to locating what she had been searching for another fog had whisked her away to places unknown. She was beginning to think she was as cursed as the rest of her troop.

Seeing a group ahead she lowered the bow more but tightened her grip on the wood. She had no exactly had the best of luck in the last days and she would rather slaughter by mistake at this point than let live those that should die. She was not about to let her trust come easily these days.

"Where is this?" she asked quickly in a firm voice as her amber dotted chocolate eyes danced over the group before her.