[IC] Chapter 2-3: Safe Haven

[Shanna Rendin]

Wrinkling her nose, Cranberry thinks,

Questions. Curious lot.

but then just says,
"You both have three yes'es. How many do I have?"

Hmm...Fascinating.  Magical, Outsider, and it has a defined form.  What do I know of that demonstrates all of this?

I must know if there's any information on such an organism and, also, if it might have any connection or similarity to the one everyone else in my group is so fearful of.

((Know: Arcana +17, Know: Planes +15, Know: Religion +10))

"If we doing challenge then we need to organize ourselves.  Me have two rods that will extend spells.  Me let you borrow rod to double duration of spells.  But me might want yous to cast spells on me too!"

[OoC: If someone needs their mage armor or some other spell extended, Toot will lend them his rod to extend the spell.  Having a Mage armor for 16 hours is a lot better than 8 hours.  Toot will also happily accept any buffs from anyone else that he can extend too such as Sculpt sound to help him be more sneaky.   ]

"A good suggestion friend Toot. I have a spell that would make us all extra stealthy for a full day, absolutely silent except our voices in fact. Even Boo. I was going to use it anyway, but tat would double the duration if you agree?"

[OoC Sculpt sound on all 8 of us, for 16 hours rather than 8.  I can leave our vocal cords out but completely 100% mute any sounds we make like footfalls, scuffling, even combat.]


Portho pauses a moment himself.. then replies to her conversation, also in Sylvan.

Having asked his question, politely enough he hopes, he stops and takes a deep breath. Then pauses and waits.

[Diplomacy roll if appropriate Diplomacy [1d20+17] = 9+17 = 26

]

Shanna looks at Portho with renewed respect as he communicates with Cranberry in her own language.  Wonderful.  Now the little thing couldn't hide anything from them very well...well, we hope.  In addition, he demonstrated versatility with some of the buffs assistive magic he could provide.

"The strength of my magic is primarily combative in nature, so if it comes to that, I may be able to assist as well."

Cranberry gracefully ignores Giant while sending a penetrating gaze at Portho. Finally she replies in common.

"You remind me of a treant called Bregalad. Yet, he was allowed into the Council of Treants so you, too, deserve a chance. Will see if our matron agrees. Follow."

Once again, the party is led through twisting paths amongst thorn bushes and poison ivy and other pleasantries until finally Cranberry stops in a small clearing, centered by one magnificient oak. Toot thinks it must be four centuries old, at least.
"Wait." Cranberry says, and when Myshnue attempts to follow, she adds, "You too."

Walking closer, she appears as if she scratched the oak's bark, or maybe rapped some rhythm on it, then simply stepped inside the enormous tree trunk.
With Merri's familiar returned, the party can listen birds chirping abovehead.

After a few minutes, Myshnue scurries around the edge of the clearing, looking for some food in the grass, apparently bored. Then returns to Merri.
"You said something about food?"

OOC - this tempo may look a bit pushy but feel free to add tidbits here and there, just as Shanna, Toot and Portho did some retroactive chat. If possible, please mark these "revisits" with some prefix like [SHORE], [CRANBERRY], or [CLEARING].

[CRANBERRY]
I find this little Fey to be abrasive, unwise, and uncouth.  Deliberately insulting strangers who might otherwise offer help is among the more foolish moves one can make.  If she truly distrusted us, she would have accepted us at least warily and then waited for the proper moment to stab us in the back.  This only makes us wary of you, little perennial.  Or at least it does so to me.

[CLEARING]
Hmm...perhaps our resident druid can determine the age of that Oak.  Why is it alone out here?  What is the significance of this clearing if the tree itself is significant?  Is it, perhaps, a portal or summoning stone, given what Cranberry was doing to its bark?