ticklefarte

@Jotnotes Are you waiting on a map for the Library? If so I don't have one, but I did provide you with a general layout to help guide the operation

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I would've thought that entering the Whitewood would've felt different somehow. I'm not completely sure what I expected. Maybe some barrier, invisible and intangible but somehow detectable. Something to signal our crossing, right? Well...nothing like that seems to be happening. Indeed as the expedition left the Broken Plains and passed the tree line, nothing seemed to change. His breathing slowed, eyes taking in the obscurity of their new surroundings. A forest floor underfoot, thick canopy overhead, and foliage as far as he could perceive. This did nothing to describe the cool feeling of the mists, thick and heavy and seemingly uniform no matter were they tread. Will swallowed and licked his lips in an effort to gain moisture that wasn't from this place. He didn't know where the impulse came from, but found that he appreciated it. He also appreciated Linda Linda's protection. In all honesty, he felt no different. Part of him understood that this was because of his own mundanity and lack of...extraordinary qualities. The thought made him want to curse in frustration, but he knew better than to fight one's own being. It wouldn't change anything. Besides, without this shield he had no doubt that these woods would consume him with ease, also due to his plain humanity. Gods I feel vulnerable, he thought through grit teeth. Rubbing a hand against his crossbow, Will opened his mouth to shatter the silence of the group. He seemed to have a knack for that. "So how are we to know when the mist is thickest? So far I haven't been able to see a real difference." He paused, then continued. "I'm just remembering what you guys said earlier. About finding the vine where the mist is thick. I wasn't sure if that was for dramatic effect or a real fact." As they walked he made sure not to touch any plants for fear of touching the Tempest Vine through some stroke of very bad luck.

Baiden scowled at Pallis. He hated this, but the man was certainly correct. As soon as they'd neared the egg his arms had begun to resist his commands and the pain rose to a dull roar. After a moment of deliberation, he nodded. "Silvio," he called, "help Pallis. I'll assist Alara." The two switched and Baiden found that his hands could function a bit better once he was away from the egg, although he recognized that until he got off of the Ancient One he'd remain a handicap. Still, from then on, extraction was relatively straightforward. The two teams retrieved their respective items and brought them out of the pit, with Baiden letting Alara carry the box while he turned to face the Ancient Duo. He blinked at what he saw. The two were embracing. Not in a hug, but in a melding of light. If they were communicating it wasn't in a language for them to hear, but the event was still glorious in its splendor. An impulse had Baiden signal for the group to halt. He didn't understand why, but something in the depth of his being cried out that this should be seen. That the team should bear witness. Lights flashed between the two, bright and warm and radiant. Colors that he recognized, but had never seen in such a true form. These beings...so primordial. So awfully grand in scope. For a moment, Baiden felt inferiority. Rare for an Illyrian, but quite understandable when one as small as he was faced with beings of such majesty. For a moment he could understand what drove people to worship. What drove them to pray. The moment then passed. He adjusted his glasses and sighed as the display faded, the glow dimming to leave behind only a single figure. The egg that Silvio and Pallis hadn't changed but he could've sworn he smelled more La'Ruta than he had before. "I assume you've said your goodbyes?" Baiden began, his voice deep and echoing through the basin. "I hope you two left nothing unsaid." He knew what it was like to do so. Knew that such a choice would only cause regret. No, the Ancient One intoned. You have nothing to fear. My child knows where to find me should you prove to be...poor hosts. He chuckled at that. "I have no doubt that you'd both make us regret any poor manners." The wind howled to fill the silence. Baiden spoke after the mournful cry had finished its lengthy refrain. "What happens now? Where will you go? What do you expect your child to gain from their time with us?" A sound filled their heads. Baiden wondered if it was laughter. So many questions. Baiden Oor, you would do well to trust in La'Ruta. "I'm not one for fate," he replied softly, his gaze wistful. The two are not synonymous. Safe travels, little ones. The figure turned to the foreigner. You stay. I'm interested in your...gods. Will you tell me more about them? The Soldier of Illyria cocked his head at the reply, effectively cowed. Had he misunderstood the nature of La'Ruta? In his mind he'd fashioned an idea of a presence of guidance with physical applications. Fate, destiny, and an inevitable trajectory. But...runes are La'Ruta. And they relate to will. Intent. Interesting, as these are note fate-esque concepts. He looked at the foreigner and elected to allow the man to carry on his own dialogue with the ancient being. "I assume you can catch up?" he asked. "We'll wait for you at the boat if we manage to beat you there. I'm doubtful that we will." Then he signaled the troupe to start moving. The walls of the basin shook, revealing a path that didn't have them climbing down the chasm like before. Baiden looked back to thank the Ancient One but she didn't even seem to notice him. He was surprised to find that he didn't mind that. Not very Illyrian.

He nodded carefully. So Mone had certainly sent people to retrieve the ring beforehand. That had been his suspicion, but now he had the confirmation he'd needed. I'm glad to know it but this just makes me detest Mone even more. Will wanted to listen to more of Pierre's words, but Kaori interrupted. He looked at her, surprised at her questions. Will's heart reached out to the woman. She asked her questions which such sincerity, the confusion plain and apparent in her voice. He wanted to answer her, but found that he didn't even know how to do so. "What do you mean, Kaori?" he asked slowly. "Are you telling me you don't know how you got here?" He'd assumed that she was another explorer, sent before him and Luke. The fact that she lacked those memories was terrifying. He could only imagine the confusion as one's past slowly faded, leaving behind these... cold and cursed pipes. The thought caused him to shudder. Pierre confirmed his suspicions, then continued his speech. "Wait Alcatar?" he interjected. "Your other partner, I'm guessing. And where is he now?" At the mention of the ring's current location, Will couldn't help but smile broadly. Finally, an actual clue about the damn thing. He had no idea what a WMD was, and didn't really care. All he knew was that across that border he'd find what he was looking for. He couldn't let his vengeance toward Mone cloud the overall goal of the excursion - his professor wanted the job complete. This is good. Now I've got a path to follow...through mushroom...people. Damn. "Still," he whispered aloud, speaking through grit teeth, "that's where we go next. Right to their king." He tightened his grasp on his toothpick and clutched his crossbow, determination strengthening his grip. Almost there. No, maybe not, but just a bit closer. All of this time in the pipes and he hadn't been sure that they'd been making a damn inch of progress. Now he had something. He could feel himself coming back, the Will Sharr before entering the wizard's pipes. Gods it felt good. He could carry out this mission - he had what it took. Footfalls. They slammed against the metal floor of the pipes, echoing their passage and getting louder which meant closer. Will furrowed his brow as Pierre turned to the sounds, magic spring to life around that man's hand, blue and bright. Will's own reflexes lit a flame in his blood and he also sprang to action. He dropped the tooth pick and brandished his crossbow, aiming down the sight at the figure in the distance. His heart beat like a drum, a familiar sensation now. Another conflict? So soon? So be it, because Will was ready for it. His finger grazed the trigger, ready to pull, and he slowed his breathing to steady his aim, as there would be no room for error. Pierre and his blue flame may be dangerous, but the man had even said that his magic wasn't that great at this scale. The figure grew closer. The build fleshed out from the shadows. A face lined itself in the light of Pierre's magic. Will's breath caught, eyes widening. Impossible. Luke? In an instant he lowered his weapon. "He's not one of them!" Will shouted. "Don't harm him!" He looked over Luke's shoulder, noted that the man had crossed the border, and let out a breath of relief. The first words out of his mouth were, admittedly, not very kind but Will was shocked. "How are you alive?" he stammered. "We saw you die..." Even as his words were shaky, he felt an immense weight leave his shoulders. The guilt he'd felt was fading with Luke's return. Though this changed little with his feelings toward Mone.

@LukeRipstine hey welcome back!

Will slid to a stop, arms windmilling to maintain his balance. He turned around quickly and watched with wide eyes as the pursuers...didn't pursue. Mushroom people, huh? Letting out a deep breath, he frowned. They were doing as the man said, clearly unconcerned with the trio due to some obscure boundary that had been crossed. That was interesting. He gripped his toothpick tightly, then blinked dumbly once he registered that Kaori had been calling for him. Huh? Oh wow, how'd she do that? Sparing the man a cautious glance, Will jogged toward Kaori and helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked sincerely. Gods the poor woman had grime all over her. Not that she'd been the cleanest when they'd first met, but now the stains were fresh. He repressed the urge to judge, knowing full well that he wasn't as clean as he'd like either. Will turned to the stranger, and sighed. "Pierre," he repeated with a nod. "I'm Will. Glad to know you. Could you explain..." He trailed off, his eyes taking note of the man's robes and how familiar they were. It took Will two heartbeats to recall the memory. Another heartbeat to close the distance between himself and Pierre, eyes wide and demanding. "Your clothes- I know them. No, I remember them. My partner and I, we found a body further back down the pipes. A corpse with a note, potion, and button. That dead man had robes like yours. Do you know who I'm talking about? Did Mone send you down here too?" His head swam and he reeled himself back. Somehow, he recognized that he was being to aggressive. Will shook his head, offering a wry grin. "I'm sorry," he added. "I'm just on edge I think. Answer the questions once you're calmed down." He paused and gestured toward his own battered body. "These pipes haven't been kind to us either."

The main atrium of the library should be fine for Teshuk. The bookshelves there take up two "stories". The upper level is less accessible, but the basement should be fine too. As for Totenborough, Teshuk is the mayor of the people! There'd better be room haha

Then Tarsus Hain will be joining this crew! Exciting stuff!

Have I missed my chance? Just saw this

edited!

Posted. I'm really sorry about the delay. Holidays got away from me.

Alara acted before he could react, asking the Ancient One her presumptuous question. Baiden whirled around with wide eyes and prepared his magitech arms for an attack. His heart thudded like a drum in his chest, kicked to life as he envisioned himself going against the terrifying creature. Beating ferociously as he understood that he would not win such a battle, but would fight anyway. He could feel the limbs warm up, then immediately shut down. He cursed his luck and clenched his hands tightly. Damn. If this primordial being decided that the woman was being greedy, there wasn't a thing he could do but draw symbols in the dirt. His people could very well be destroyed right here. Lucky, then, that the Ancient One appreciated Alara's ambition. He blinked and breathed out loudly, pulling himself together. The Ancient One seemed to look at him for a heartbeat, though he couldn't see eyes to be sure, then seemed to look away. He cleared his throat and began listening in on the conversation, keen on understanding the group's mindset. From what he heard, Alara seemed to be driving the discussion based on findings from Luz's reports. When the girl looked at him, he stared back with unreadable eyes. "I haven't read the reports, myself, but it seems you're our best bet of understanding what Luz Yllende would want. That will be our second gift, then." Baiden glanced at the others. "Silvio, you'd do well to follow your friend's lead. Ambition is at the core of Illyria, you know. I'll be sure to mention to Luz that, while you drowned, Alara proved crucial to this operation." He paused to think. "Pallis, you will come with me to retrieve the egg. Silvio and Alara will search for this rumored artifact with the foreigner. Make sure to be respectful and do not overstep." The Soldier made sure to look at Alara to make sure she got the message, his voice edged and firm. When the foreigner spoke up, Baiden turned to him and sighed. He looked at the man, then back at the Ancient pair. He opened his mouth to address the concerns, but was interrupted by a voice in his head. They could all hear it, as the Ancient One replied to the foreigner's introduction. Curious. You are not Illyrian are you? Nor are you Valucrean. Baiden Oor, can you explain this? After a moment's hesitation: "He was contracted by my superior, Ancient One. Tasked with aiding our expedition. I hear that he helped protect us from a threat aboard our very own ship." Threat? "Another foreigner. Dealt with, now, and not a danger to you either." I see. Well then, I am pleased to meet you too. Please be assuaged of any worries. It is customary among my kind to separate around this time. This child has been with me for at least a century. It is about time they were allowed to see the world for themselves. The smaller figure branched off from the larger one and approached Baiden. He fought the urge to back away and instead looked down at it with caution. It stopped suddenly and pointed back at the pit of treasures. No, not just the pit, but more specifically the egg. He nodded his understanding. "Foreigner," Baiden called, "I don't know how you do things but I think that after a century a little independence is in order." He gestured to his troupe to get moving. "If you still live with your parents, that's fine, but I'm sorry to inform you that you don't have a say in this decision. Still, I am grateful for you saving Silvio. If this is too much for you, hang back and wait for our return." He began to move toward the pit with Pallis, though he made sure to give the Ancient Pair a wide berth. He wanted to get off this island. Not being able to use his magitech made him feel weak.

I'll edit my post then. thanks!

@supernal Whoa! Let's not get hasty. No one needs to die, or get run through with a toothpick. Haha I'll just have Will impede his path. Like a crossing guard. Or Gandalf.