scotland ♔ yet how the wind revives us here

[untethered]

♬ Presentiment - Manami Kiyota

WHO || Belle, Gold, Emma, Hook, Lila [closed]
WHAT || Several Knights take a secret journey to try to help Amara...
WHERE || Oakhurst, Scotland
WHEN || January 15th, 2014 [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's probably a very good thing that Gold sweet-talked them a car in the nearby tiny Scottish village of Oakhurst, because it is freezing cold out and snow blankets almost everything around. Walking the seven miles up the Old Road to the ruins would be a bitch and a half.

Instead, they comfortably drove past rocky downs, near stands of old-growth oak covered in snow, and past two farms that looked abandoned. No other travelers were visible on the lonely road, which finally curves, passing east of a narrow ravine. Belle signals for them to pull over here, where, at the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens and opens into something akin to more of a deep, but narrow, cavern. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most of them lean against the sloped earth. Others are broken and several have apparently fallen into the darkness-shrouded depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine.

Comments

[untethered]

[ belle keeps her gun out, sticking close to gold's side as erky tries in vain to see over the courtyard wall of heavy stones, but as it stands about 20' high, that's a little silly. moving towards the opening, they see that it creates a half-walled clearing beyond, among the briars. several varieties of plants grow around the perimeter, including a few suspicious-looking saplings, but their importance pales before that which stands at the courtyard's center. beneath the venomous fungal light grows a singular tree of evil. its blackened, twisted limbs reach upward towards the stalactite-dotted ceiling high above, like a skeletal hand clawing its way from the earth. human figures stand near the tree: a woman and two men. a three foot long tree frog squats next to one of the men.

a spot check of 10+ can notice that one of the men is wearing scale mail and carries an impressive looking longsword, while the woman wears leggings and a half-robe, wielding a staff and shortbow. a spot check of 13+ reveals something wrong with their skin: it seems rough, and barklike, an unnatural shade, their expressions strangely blank. the remaining man wears a simple brown cassock, a sickle in hand, and remains positioned slightly behind all the others. three more of those strange tree creatures stand between the party and the human figures.



the man in the cassock raises his hands immediately as they enter: "Wait a moment before you take action! You know not what you do, treading this hallowed ground." ]

[uncurse]

What I know is that this hallowed ground has some magic we need. So, unless you wanna hand it over the threshold, we're coming in.

[ emma will take a beat and pause at least to humor him. ]

[undealt]

[Why does anyone let you be diplomatic, Swan?

Gold reaches over and puts a hand on her shoulder to shut her up.]

What my squire means is we've come a long way to get here. I think it would be a shame to turn back empty handed. [(Diplomacy 21)]

[untethered]

[

understanding wends its way across his face, and he leans on his staff with both hands.

"Ahhh, so you've come for the fruit of the Gulthias Tree." the druid spreads his hands open. "I'm afraid there is regrettably little I could do to fill your hands today. The Tree ripens but two fruits every year, when properly nurtured, and it is not yet the summer solstice. Although, it is perhaps timely, that you should arrive as you have." he scrutinizes their faces. "You seek the midsummer fruit, then? The apple that heals any ail? It is the next fruit this Tree will bear, and I can assure you - its power is as great as any stories may tell." his eyes glitter darkly as he gestures to the tree. "None of you appear to carry any illness. You seek this fruit to heal some friend or loved one?" ]

[unhand]

[Hook watches him suspiciously (sense motive 17), arms crossed over his body.]

Aye. One who couldn't come with. [He doesn't deem it necessary to explain the exact nature of Amara's illness or why she couldn't come with. It's irrelevant.]

[uncurse]

[ she shoots a look at gold like DIDN'T I FUCKING TELL YOU. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS MIDWINTER. but she surges on pushing the druid. ]

There's a curse; we need to break it. I'm not leaving here without a way to do that.

[untethered]

[ idk hook, he sounds remarkably on the level, actually.



"I admire your dedication." he raises one finger to point at the tree. "I think we can come to some sort of ... arrangement. In order for the Gulthias Tree to bear fruit, certain conditions must be fulfilled - and fulfilled very soon." he turns to move closer to the ominous looking landmark, placing one hand on the side of it. "It's beautiful, no? In an age long past, someone staked a vampire to the earth on this very spot. The wooden stake was yet green and took root. And so grew the Gulthias Tree, reverberating with dark primal power to those who can tap it."

belle speaks up, glancing at the others warily: ] Dark power? What... what does that mean?

[ his fingers rake across the bark and a spot check of 15+ would notice strange depressions in the tree. a spot check of 20+ would notice that they appear to be distinctly human shaped.

"The tree remains tied to the vampiric nature of the one who gave birth to it. Just as the vampire, its power comes from the life of others, but also - just as the vampire - it does more than simply drain that life for its own purposes. It offers a... transformation." it's hard to miss the note of awe in his voice as he turns towards them. "But unlike its dark originator, the transformation is pure in nature. A gift, not a curse." ]

[bittersweeter]

[ quiet until now, lila pipes up from the back. ] I'll do it.

[undealt]

[Gold makes both spot checks because he rolls like a pimp, but that's less important when it comes down to it, because LILA. REALLY.]

Do you even understand what it is he's asking?

[bittersweeter]

Does it matter? [ aka, no, she really doesn't. but. ] It's the only way to get the apple and save Amara.

[uncurse]

Damn right it matters! That's not a way. [ she looks from lila to the druid, offended and angry and. you know. emma swan. ] "A gift." Let me guess: in the form of protecting this place. [ she spies those human-shaped dips in the tree (spot 25) and is wondering what the chances are that they just murdered a bunch of people sacrificed for magic fruit. o o p s. two bark-like cronies do not a long line of magic apple auctions make. ] I don't call that much of a gift.

[unhand]

[Hook touches Lila's shoulder.] Easy, love. We all want to save her, but don't go making any deals without reading the fine print. We don't even know they'd give us the fruit. [And even if they would, he'll damn well stop her. But at least he can keep her from throwing herself on the pyre for absolutely no reason. If it turns out there is a reason..... they can deal with that later.]

[untethered]

[

"Supplicants that are accepted by the Gulthias Tree retain their life, which becomes bound to this grove, yes." his eyes glitter as he meets lila's gaze, obviously pleased by her quick volunteering. "You will lose all desire for anything beyond preserving the sanctity of this place, so you will not suffer, or regret." he looks to the two bark-skinned humans in front of him. "Braford and Sharwyn have found true peace through their service and obedience. The same can be yours." erky's expression darkens at that, as belle casts a worried glance at gold, clearly wondering what he thinks of all this, since he seems to grasp what's going on pretty solidly. it's clear that she is not on board with any of this.

"The midsummer apple would, of course, be yours, should you provide me with two supplicants. I give the fruit to the goblins with orders to disperse the seeds on the surface. Deceitful, greedy beings that they are, the goblins barter the fruit for coin, but the seeds are dispersed all the same, and my plan for colonizing the surface with the Children of Gulthias continues." the druid gestures at the strange tree-like creatures they'd killed so many of already, and then cants his head at hook. "My ends would be served just as well if you took the seeds. I care not for the payment." ]

[unhand]

[Colonizing the surface? That doesn't sound any better than the idea of sacrificing any of their number to become tree zombies. Or anyone at all. He'd like to cure Amara as well, but not at this cost. Without further warning, he draws his gun and shoots at the druid (atk 16, dmg 4 if it hits).

#goodlifechoices.]

[bittersweeter]

[ lila starts, jumping a little. she should be used to people interupting diplomatic endeavors by now (rose, faye, hook...) her gun comes out instinctively, but she doesn't fire, looking at hook like what the fuck!

in fact... ] What the fuck!

[uncurse]

[ great plan: let's make it worse.

whatever reason the druid had for wanting them not to enter the grove is moot now, because emma is approaching and stepping in, raising her gun. she doesn't fire at the druid, but instead at one of the tree-creatures that stands with him, ready to eliminate those that would protect him so they can better intimidate and interrogate him (atk 26, dmg 7). ]

Braford and Sharwyn are idiots. You said there were two fruits every year - the goblins only auction up one. What happens the other? What happened to the fruit from last year? [ she'll take old fruit ok. they'll torch the tree and not worry about the seeds being spread or something. ]

[undealt]

[Gold's with Lila on this holding action thing. He's a rat bastard, BUT SOMEHOW THIS SEEMS LIKE A REALLY TERRIBLE DIPLOMATIC MOVE.

werwatey???]

[untethered]

[

the bullet strikes the druid, who recoils at the attack, before coming up, with a hiss, just in time to see emma take down one of the twig blights with a single shot. he pales, looking horrified at the implications.

"I thought we might be able to discuss this like civilized beings. I see now I was mistaken." he raises an angry gaze to emma. "Two fruits: one in midsummer, that heals any ill. One in the dead of winter: that kills, with a single bite. Is this what you desired to know?"

belle holds as well, eyes darting around as she assesses the positions of everyone, but not ready to start shooting alone with the others. ] We didn't come to kill anyone. [ the comment is sharply thrown more at hook than anyone here. ]

[unhand]

We didn't come to get our people turned into trees either. [Hook doesn't shoot again, but he does move up next to Emma, keeping his gun trained on the druid.] Nor to help with an invasion. We'll find some other way to break the curse if need be. This one's not worth the price.

[sternshield]

[ one twig blight advances on emma, clawing at her with its strange branched hands (atk 7), while sharwyn raises a hand, throwing a magic missile that strikes emma (dmg 3). the other over-eager twig blight ends up clawing too soon, raking sharwyn's arm for 1 dmg. the druid lifts two fingers, closing his eyes and healing the wound from hook's bullet. sir braford lumbers forward towards emma, and she gets an attack of opportunity as he brings his giant sword to bear on her gun. she unleashes a shot that he easily avoids, but she manages to pull the gun away before he can hit it. erky swings his morningstar at one of the tree creatures, but whiffs because he CAN'T HIT TREES FOR SOME GD REASON. the giant tree frog leaps at hook and tries to bite him, but also fails. there's a lot of fail here. ]

[bittersweeter]

[ lila's nonviolence lasts until emma is in danger and she brings her gun to bear, firing at sharwyn. (atk nat 20, 25 total; dmg 31) welcome to the no fail zone, bitches. ]

[uncurse]

[ emma will, in turn, take a five-step back in order to shoot at sir braford (atk nat 20 bc she and lila are apparently on the same level, dmg 10). he's the immediate threat, but she will shout out - ]

Keep their leader alive! [ 'they're going to need information out of him' goes without saying. also, you know, murder. ]

[undealt]

[Gold can't believe this is happening. This is worse than Bermuda. Why does this always happen.

He takes his anger out on the frog by firing off ALL THREE of his magic missiles at it (dmg 16). THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, HOOK. IT WAS JUST THERE. And will die more violently than the trees, okay.

He's Illyria. He wishes to do more violence.]

[untethered]

[ lila shoots sharwyn right through the center of the forehead, which splinters, and then she drops like dead wood. emma's shot also cracks through the rough skin of sir braford, but he keeps coming on, still standing. and gold... disables the frog, but it's still barely conscious x(

belle watches this all unfold in seconds in horror, and i guess she freezes up because her attempt to distract the druid was a critical failure. instead she's just going to gape at HOW WRONG THIS HAS ALL GONE. ]

[unhand]

[Hook takes a shot at Sir Braford (atk 14, dmg 5 if it hits), then takes a five foot step so he can sink his hook into him. Unfortunately he.... crit fails. So that's a thing.]