Outside: Grass touch place

[Thursday Violist]

[Riftline]

Zefir does look at her suprised. He didn't expect her to get hier in that condition. He did have some speculations on the man and her, but he played it down to not get involved.to much, but now she is back and none can deny that there has to be something suspiciouse about the man and her.

Without a word he stands up next to her. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then he puts a hand on her chest. He grabs something which might appear to her and others like he tries to grab her shirt, but immediat after (And hopefully fast enougth so she doesn't react) he tiers it back, revealing that he somehow grabed the water soaked in her clothes and around her, tearing it of like a foil from a package. He glances to the aristocats as he has noticed their restless behavior in hopes that will calm them.

Her clothes skin and all should be rather dry, just the musd on her hands and feets remain. Controlling two elements at a time is exhausting and Zefir doesn't use it unless nessesary or while training. The water he took collects in a gemstone like object in his hand making it a gem of concentrated water.

He then sits back and notes her to do the same. Should she follow up he will ask her:
"Maybe you need to explain what that is all about?" he tries to not raise his voice to much as she might not want everyone to hear it.

Japaraita
Sekhmet nods. She understands what June is saying; she wants to accept help without her pride being wounded. "I was just going to give you a temporary pair of legs again," she explains. It's the same thing she did earlier. "Maybe I'd try binding the enchantment so you can release it when you want."

[Riftline]

Violeta was also surprised; she didn't expect to meet a stalker on the train, too, especially one so persistent that they'd try to chase her down out in the storm.

To be honest, the foxlady had forgotten that this guy can control water, but fortunately she quickly remembers and realizes what he's doing.
"Oh!"

The others in the train car are watching. It's definitely a distraction to look at. It stops them talking, momentarily.

"Oh, that's really useful. And really cool." Powers like those would make so many things a lot easier.

She does the same as him, , and sits.

Violeta would much rather not explain what it was all about. But after drying her off, she does at least owe him a small explanation.

Leaving out the reason why, she just simply answers: "Oh. Um, he just knows way too much about my family and my family has been the target of cults and stalkers and creeps before."

She shrugs, trying to downplay how serious it was to her. "And chasing me was important enough for him that he was willing to run out into this weather without actually seeing which direction I ran."


[Japaraita]

Pride is a very important thing! Probably. June wouldn't know because she's just an amateur on the subject.

The mermaid nods. "Oh, neat," she says. "Yeah, that'd be cool. I'm a pro at walking already," she claims, "Well, probably."

She pauses, and then adds, "Well, I know almost nothing about magic so I don't know how binding is supposed to work, but I'll trust you."

[Rebonack]

[Spooktober Spirits]

This is definitely a situation deserving of three panicked ums.

It does look like it's going to be one banger of a party AND Pumpkin helped bring it out into the Waking World! Now this nice little village can enjoy the party, too! But is that really a good idea? Of course it is! Pumpkin finished the work and now it's time to enjoy the fruits of her labor! Everyone loves parties!

Except, apparently, the fox.

She didn't seem like she was enjoying the party that much.

So! Pumpkin is trying to steer the party... how exactly? Is she going to add some nice decorations and tables and things and just localize them near the two trees to try to prevent the party from spilling out into the village as a whole? If she can keep it contained to the village square that MIGHT prevent it from getting too wild.

Speaking of wild, Khannie is approaching a mare that looks suspiciously like a horrifying vampire with blood staining his shirt. "No. No way. You guys get outta here."

"Mortal child, have you come to offer yourself to the festivities?" the vampire inquires.

"No I came to tell you to-" a fox tail emerges, catching her face just under the jaw and pulling the Mask off, revealing the kumiho in her monstrous and SPOOKY! form. Like a huge fox with just enough human features to be deeply uncanny. Her body is like liquid shadow, her fur like smoke, her teeth and claws gleam like starlight, cold and merciless. Nine tails fan out behind her, their tips roiling with midnight blue and shadowy purple foxfire. "-HECK OFF! This is a human village you're not gunna have a party here!"

The mare recoils, suddenly quite uncomfortable with having an upset kumiho up in his business.

[Off to See the Seer]

The kirin is a kirin; he's always got fire.

"It might burn but I'm not wanting to test my luck on this one," the kirin says. G'nichi might notice that the glyph on the pony's hips appears to be a trio of four-leaf clovers. Maybe he's got a special talent for being lucky?

The horror doesn't seem to notice that invisible stairs forming, in large part due to them being invisible. It's just over there stalking back and forth behind the treeline and generally being a blight on the surroundings.

"Maybe it'll go away with the sunrise?" the pony suggests hopefully. "Monsters like that usually don't like Sol's gaze falling on them."

[Keeper]

Spooktober Spirits

Right now Pumpkin is mostly trying to set up a fence around what she thinks is a reasonable amount of space for the party and keep things in the square. She understands how Khannie must feel but she's an Autumn Gaiad and that means the idea of stopping a party is antithetical to her. It's a simultaneous understanding while also being completely unable to actually think the same way. Very head-splitting. It doesn't help that all that eldritch magic Chestnut is clearly pouring into the place to set up that gate to the enchanted forest and set up the spooky fog is now flowing into her as she's rooted to this place now. She doesn't want to take over the town but she can't help the few apple trees sprouting up from all that energy.

At least as the place's gaiad she can monitor everyone and whisper a warning to the mortals to escape out the back door when a mare gets close. But that's only because it's a pretty small town. She's never been a place before; she just knew gaiads could do that. If too many fae start pouring in she'll never be able to keep track of them all.

Off to See the Seer

"Well, we can take our chances waiting four more hours for the sun to rise, or we could try going up out of its reach and finding some other place to rest." G'nichi responds, taking a few steps up the stairs. He'll continue up about thirty feet into the air to see if the creature reacts to him.

[Rebonack]

[Spooktober Spirits]

Cordoning off the PARTY ZONE with little trees and pumpkin vines probably isn't a terrible idea. The fae seem to be getting the idea and they're setting up within the area that Pumpkin has so kindly designated. Drinks over there. Food over there. That big stone slab for... uh... activities over there. They're really getting things rolling!

The mare, meanwhile, backs away from the kumiho a bit. "But the Queen of Autumn has decreed it. This is to be a new festival location."

The kumiho takes a deep breath, then runs her paw over her face. "Okay, fine, whatever. But if anyone gets up to chomping or identity theft with the mortals I'm gunna be really cross, okay?"

To which the mare nods.

To which the kumiho growls again and then stomps away and leans up against a tree to watch the goings on. Undisguised like this she REALLY fits the Spooktober spirit WAY better. Even if the fact that she's wearing a cap to keep her voluminous pony-tail in check kind of sabotages the terrifying werewolf look.

"Okay I didn't know this was gunna happen," the kumiho says. "Did YOU know this was gunna result in the Monster Mash, Pumpkin?"

[Off to See the Seer]

G'nichi steps out of the shelter and onto the stairs and immediately finds himself hit by a wave of nausea. Ever smell the scent of plants that have been rotting under-water? It smells like that and it is vomit-inducing. Definitely not fun.

The monster ceases to pace when G'nichi begins his ascent, affixing him with its...

Umm.

Well, not a gaze really.

Since it hasn't got any eyes.

But it's definitely looking at him.

The kirin looks like he's having a pretty serious debate over whether joining G'nichi on the stairs or not is a good idea.

[Keeper]

Spooktober Spirits

Pumpkin steps out of the tree with a huff. Naturally this means she's naked again since nymphs can't take clothes into their trees.
"No! Mom just said that once I finished my quest I would get back to the party. Which is now awful because if I don't keep an eye on the place I can't keep the people safe and that means I can't even enjoy it myself."
Pumpkin has to either enjoy it as the venue or as a participant, but being the venue is safer for the people here. She wishes she could just move the party a little ways away.
A pumpkin vine starts growing from under Khannie's feet. It's inconvenient.
"Do you think she's going to show up? It's supposed to be Her party but she's not here. And she's still pouring energy into this place. Which is now me. I can't help but grow. And that won't get better even if I uproot." It'll just be an un-occupied magical spooky place.

Off to See the Seer

G'nichi groans and steps back into the shelter's protection.
"Okay, there's definitely something here to keep its powers at bay. But...that's it? We just sit here for four hours while that thing sits there?" he sighs, letting the stairs wink out of existence. Just for the sake of it he conjures another decoy out in the distance to see if the thing tries to murder the heck out of it.

[Rebonack]

[Spooktober Spirits]

The fox gives a long suffering sigh when Pumpkin appears again.

Topless.

Of course.

She grabs the end of one of her tails and pulls some darkness free before giving the shadow a firm FLAP! Now she's holding a shirt! Just a black shirt. It really doesn't have much definition to it given that she just pulled the thing outta nowhere. She will hand it to Pumpkin and hopefully the nymph gets the idea.

"Well, I mean, you DID get back to the party. The party just came to you," the kumiho admits, lifting one foot to glare at the pumpkin vine slithering under her toe-beans. Thankfully she's got a whole mess of tails to help maintain her balance. "I mean... it doesn't LOOK like they're going past the fence thingy you set up. And the people are staying in their houses."

A few are peering out through their windows at the wyld party kicking off in the town square. They definitely look like they've feeling a little trepidation at the thought of joining a mess of spooks and spirits for a holiday bash. It's understandable.

"If you really wanted to join the fun I could kinda... patrol around the edge and keep an eye on things?" the kumiho offers. As she talks she begins weaving an illusion of an outfit onto herself. Bright Spooktober orange and purple and green. A fun mostly purple skirt along with a mostly orange top with 'GUARD FOX ON DUTY' written in a suitably spooky font. She's hoping the silly outfit will help relieve the fears of the villagers and let them know the terrifying werewolf of darkness is looking out for them.

[Off to See the Seer]

Decoy created!

The horrible thing just beyond the treeline fixes upon it with its gaze and SCREAMS, a blast of raw supernatural terror along with flesh-rotting necrotic magic. The sort of thing you might expect from a particularly nasty breath weapon. Now, the upside here is that it doesn't seem to be moving past the treeline and onto the road.

Maybe it can't?

But that aura of sickness and its scream of decay sure seems to be able to hit stuff on the road.

There might actually be a pretty simple solution here.

They could walk through the forest, just far enough away that the monster's presence can't reach them but where the road is still in sight. Tromping through underbrush isn't much fun but then again being harried by whatever the hell that thing is? Way worse.

The kirin flattens his ears at the scream. "That monster shouldn't exist." Kirin magic tends to be rooted in the natural elements. Fire and stone, mostly. They don't keenly feel living things quite the same way earth ponies do but this poor kirin can definitely sense the sickness radiating from the abomination in his hooves.

[Keeper]

Spooktober Spirits

Nymphs can't control that when they enter and exit trees, Khannie!

Pumpkin accepts the shirt but unfortunately Khannie provides her an excuse to be herself which immediately overrides all other thoughts in her head as the mortal parts of her personality have been desperately holding the gaiad at bay for about an hour. They simply can't with an excuse.
"Aw, that would be great. You're the best, Khannie!" Pumpkin gives Khannie a very quick hug and immediately goes pronking into the thick of the party without a second thought.

Off to See the Seer

Since G'nichi's stairs were not over the road, he has absolutely no way of knowing that there is any sort of range limit to the creature's presence other than not where they are right now.

So he just groans and sits down as they wait.
For four hours.
Fun.
"Unfortunately, things that shouldn't exist tend to just show up on a regular basis."

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

Time passes. The kirin, who is apparently named Lucky Stike, will strike up conversation in an attempt to keep the both of them awake. Apparently he's heading out to the mountain because he thinks there might be some good rock farming locations around it.

Rock farming is, apparently, a thing that kirins do.

Strike will ask what Gnichi is up to but the paladin might not want to give too many details.

With the pair conversing they might not even notice that when first light begins peaking over the mountain the monster vanishes like frost at the sun's touch.

[Halae]

[Abandoned Laboratory]

"Alright, lead on. If I notice we're not going to the laboratory, I'll let you know."

Befitting the gravity of the situation, Hiep only briefly pays attention to Verity's butt as the necromancer walks ahead. The way takes them between more abandoned buildings, towards an isolated, foreboding abode. Hiep described is as a laboratory and it's clearly indeed one. A squat building with thick walls, small windows and a large chimney. It's also surrounded by a miasma of death that dwarfs the aura of the countryside. It's enough to have caused the surrounding vegetation to perish. Whatever happened here wasn't pretty.

[Abandoned Laboratory]

Verity of course does lead the way, keeping her eyes closed and her magical senses focused on the task ahead.

"It's thick here," she says as she comes up to the building, "We shouldn't linger; it's going to start eating away at our spirits if we leave it for too long. On the upside, the magic is so dense in everything I can almost see the shape of everything with magesight alone."

Blithely, Verity will step inside, holding her staff out in front of her in a warding way.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

"So...do you know any of the kirins or qilins of the non-Equestrian variety? I think I'm part qilin." G'nichi is saying as the sun starts to rise.
He is pretty floofy and antlered. Maybe Lucky Strike already made the connection.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

"Not really?" Strike replies, shielding his eyes from the morning sun with a foreleg, followed by a pretty massive yawn. Wow is he ever tiered. The adrenaline from last night is finally beginning to wane and he feels like he could crash at any moment. But he hasn't got time for that! He's a busy pony and he has some prospecting to do. "I don't really no much about the not-equestrian sort. I guess they're supposed to live out in the wilderness being symbols of peace? They sound more like powerful spirits than people."

He isn't sure how 'part qilin' would work.

But then again, the Nexus is very odd.

Once he's sure the whatever that thing was is gone he'll don his saddle-bags and set out again.

"I hope you're successful on your journey! Maybe some of my luck will rub off on you and you won't have to worry about anymore bugaboos bothering you along the way," the kirin says hopefully.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

G’nichi shrugs his wings.
”Well, it was worth a shot. Good luck to you too. Though without me around yours should improve quickly.”
He feels very not great but at least he did get a little sleep. Now he just has to get up the mountain without being jumped yet again.
Surely he can manage that.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

And thus G'nichi sets off once again!

Yes, surely he can make it up the mountain without getting jumped again. It's honestly a pretty nice walk. And it isn't more than an hour or so before he comes across a sign pointing out the trail the village elder had mentioned. If he hadn't been looking for it there's a pretty solid chance it would have been completely overlooked.

This trail will take him on a meandering path toward the mountain through the ample pine forests that skirt its base. Though the most breath-taking part will be an old stone bridge that spans a river-canyon no doubt fed by the glaciers clinging to the mountain's crown. As G'nichi is crossing the bridge he'll suddenly find himself confronted by a voice!

"Oi! This here's a troll bridge, see? You've got to pay the troll toll if you want to cross it," the voice from under the bridge demands.

It would appear as though G'nichi can NOT get up the mountain without being jumped yet again.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

Yes because of course there is. G'nichi has had quite about enough of this nonsense.
"Thanks for the warning. In that case I won't be crossing the bridge." he tells the troll, and promptly conjures a platform of his own using the wand, defiantly next to the bridge. And goes to make his way that way.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

"Huh. Well I'll be," mutters the troll. G'nichi will have a good view of the hulking, warty green creature relaxing in a huge hammock strung below the bridge. "Can't say I've seen anyone do that before. I'm a bit miffed about you bypassing my bridge but that's mighty clever so I'll let it slide. Just don't tell anyone else your trick, we canny? Trolls got to make a living after all."

He seems...

Mostly reasonable?

For a troll?

He's accustomed to people making all sorts of excuses about crossing the bridge, trying to weasel their way out of paying the troll toll. But no one has ever just magicked up their own bridge before.

[Morty]

[Abandoned Laboratory]

It takes all of Hiep's willpower (which, granted, isn't much) not to make a comment about something else being thick here. Verity, that is.

The inside of the laboratory is in disarray. There used to be equipment here; alchemical and sorcerous devices worth a fortune. Most of them are spent or destroyed, but something might be salvageable. In the middle stands a large, heavy wooden table, covered in broken chains and shackles and etched with runes of power.

Next to it is a dead human body. Seems it used to belong to a woman, but is now withered as if left in the desert for a long time. The dead resonance is concentrated around the table. The barrier between the living and the dead was torn open here.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

"Don't worry, this wand is one of a kind." G'nichi says cheerily as he continues on his way. He respects someone who's a good sport about this sort of thing.
Now he just needs to make it to the rest of the mountain.
He needs to stop going on quests that involve hikes. His hikes never go well.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

That's kind of one of the problems with quests, isn't it?

They're a hero's journey.

And as it just so happens journeys often times involve some hiking. Even the space opera journeys end up having plenty of hiking around! If you're doing quests then hiking is just inevitable. Maybe G'nichi should just accept his fate and get some hiking boots that fit his feet.

Regardless!

He soon (and by soon we mean hours from the time he met the troll at the bridge) finds that the trail leads straight into the mouth of a pretty impressive cave! A sign has been helpfully set up next to the cave entrance informing any would-be travelers that caves are very dark (duh) and to make sure to bring sufficient sources of light.

Can the wand make an illusion of light?

One might hope so.

Assuming G'nichi had enough sense to make sure he had a way to illuminate his path given that he knew he was going to be heading into a cave it's time for a long walk in the dark. And the cave is DARK. Not too far past the entrance and everything is absolutely pitch black, the gloom pressing in at the edges of whatever G'nichi is lightning his way with. Thankfully someone has marked the trail out with nice crushed gravel and the occasional wooden stairs, making it clear what's the road and what's some random pathway meandering off into the caves.

After a little while (which is, again, several hours of walking) he'll reach a branch in the path. According the signs one path leads to Seer's Summit, one leads to Underside, and the third leads to the Deep Below. Which is definitely not the Underdark and probably shouldn't be confused with it.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

Properly speaking G'nichi doesn't need light that much. One advantage of being (mostly) a dragon.
But he did bring a nice flashlight in case he needs to identify colors. Like paint on a sign! Night vision doesn't do colors very well.
For now G'nichi doesn't have any reason to doubt the signs that have so far not steered him wrong but he's going to be wary if it seems like the Seer's path is actually going pretty steeply down.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

Thankfully it looks like the trail goes upward, making switchbacks through columns of gleaming white selenite crystals. The cave is honestly quite pretty. So far the only living things G'nichi has seen down here are snotty mats of bacteria growing on the walls and small animals eating said bacteria. Thankfully this doesn't appear to be one of those mysterious magical caverns that supports large, fantastical animal life that enjoys eating travelers.

What a relief, right?

Because we're still talking hours of walking here. G'nichi is easily coming up on eight hours since he left the shelter and there's still no end in sight. This is what he gets for going on a hex-crawl adventure, honestly. There's just SO MUCH walking involved.

But...

At least the scenery has been really nice?

That's a plus, right?

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

Okay this is starting to get pretty miserable. G'nichi has never had to walk this long with no real idea where he's going. And it's mostly just boring right now. At least his qilin part means he can keep going on pretty small portions but still.
G'nichi powers on in the hopes of finding a safe spot to rest in the next hour but if not he's just going to have to settle for a cave floor. By now it's early afternoon and he still doesn't know how far away his destination is.

[bc56]

Japaraita
Sekhmet nods understandingly. She swims over to the edge of the lake and pulls herself up onto land. With an application of magic, her tail splits back into a pair of legs (and she gains a simple skirt to cover up, although she's still wearing the shell top). She stretches out her feet and wiggles her toes. "Just come up on shore whenever you're ready," she tells June.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

Sadly shelters aren't as plentiful as they were along the main road. This trail is a little off the beaten path. But G'Nichi will find a pretty good spot after another half an hour or so. There's a patch of luminous crystals glowing, providing light for a VERY thick bed of moss. It isn't too terribly damp and it might be just the perfect spot for a nap. Sure there's a bit of glowing crystal light but that isn't too terrible, right? The crystals even give off a soft, musical hum.

Surely this very safe looking location is one hundred percent safe and not a trap of any kind.

After all, the biggest thing G'nichi has seen so far was a cave centipede about three inches long.

Just go to sleep G'nichi.

Everything will be okay.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

Hm.
That looks suspiciously like an angler situation.
G'nichi does the very smart thing and goes straight up to the suspicious object and pokes at it thoroughly with his sword. Which as we all know is a foolproof way of testing if something is secretly a trap.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

If G'nichi had taken ACTION! Archeology classes then he would know that there is no true substitute for a ten foot pole.

But poking the moss with his sword will definitely work, too.

Taking this action releases pleasant mossy smells into the air, but otherwise doesn't result in anything terrible.

That's...

Probably good?

No, this is definitely safe. No weird cave monsters going on. Just a comfy and soft place to sleep.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

Well in that case G'nichi will take a short rest. It's not late enough for him to need a full sleep but he has been walking for a LONG time and he could certainly use an hour to eat some snacks, enjoy the crystal light, and rest his weary legs.
Surely nothing interesting or terrifying while he does so.
On that extremely safe assumption, he'll be back on his feet to continue exploring in an hour.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

Yes.

YES!

Stop and eat snacks!

It turns out that this is a completely safe place to stop and eat some snacks. Hopefully G'nichi knew to bring along food that can restore his electrolytes since more than just plants crave them. That's an important component of long hikes! You must keep up your energy!

But then again, do... whatever G'nichi is... sweat?

Or does he just sort of magically maintain his body's thermal equilibrium?

Either way, the most exciting thing that happens during his break is a cave cricket crawling up out of the moss and waving its antenna at G'nichi. The animal is MAYBE an inch long, which is pretty big for a cave cricket!

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

G'nichi doesn't sweat. But he does have fluffy fur/hair. Who knows how this mixture of magical reptile and mammal possible works? He doesn't.

His rest completed, G'nichi continues into the cave. He's hoping that this path ends soon. The trip home is going to be agonizing. He thinks he can maybe see a light up ahead but that might just be a reflection of the light behind him on a crystal.

[Rebonack]

[Off to See the Seer]

Sure enough, G'nichi can see light at the end of the tunnel!

Turns out it's the setting sun shining through the other end of the caves. The trail meanders on, winding along the face of the mountain up to its flattened peak will G'nichi will be able to make out what appears to be a pretty sizable monastery some kind. Judging from the dragon motifs of the masonry it's an easy guess what the thematics of the monastery might be.

Thankfully this isn't the home base of the Left Hand of the Dragon.

They just come here to consult with the Seer every now and again.

Definitely a good thing that they aren't here right now and definitely won't be showing up in the near future. Especially since it's rapidly getting dark and there's still more hiking needed to actually get UP to the monastery.

[Keeper]

Off to See the Seer

At last, his destination! G'nichi will attempt to send a message to Khannie letting her know that he didn't get eaten since he did suggest she call him to make sure he didn't.
But after that he is going to try to find a spot away from the obvious trail to rest for the night. It's probably for the best that he doesn't try to infiltrate the monastery while bone-tired. He's just going to take a break and go in the morning.