Let Not the Nymphs Perish

A roleplay transcript by Iskrin and Etain:

Etain handed the folded parchment to the dark haired nymph and turned to peer out over the water as she stood beneath one of the grand arches of the Hollow. She hoped Iskrin would receive her note early enough for them to meet later in the day.
Alyssum accepted it with a graciously low dip of her knees and made her way out to find the elf.

Upon opening, he would read the words penned in elegant calligraphy:

My dear friend,

Please come at once.

Yours,
E. Moonflower

At the bottom of the letter he would find a fragrantly pressed moonflower. The leaves nearly translucent and ever fragile, as if it had been dried for quite some time. The underside of the stem had been dipped in a fine line of honey and adhered to the paper.

Iskrin Orin'Darr steps into the Hollow, noticing how the sounds of the docks fade away and a peaceful lullaby of water and sweet scents washes over him. He looks around for the attendant nymphs, the note clutched in one hand and a small, perfectly smooth red fruit in the other - a Tilberry, from his native lands.

Alyssum whispered into another nymph's ear, sending her off to greet him while the one with dark hair, peppered with white blossoms, rushed off to alert Etain of Iskrin's arrival. (Etain Moonflower)

The lovely little nymph offered the elf a glass of wine. "Thank you for your offering, my lord," Yarrow said, holding out her hand to accept the ripe, red fruit. "My sister, Etain, will be with you soon." (Etain Moonflower)

As soon as Etain appeared in the distance before him, she smiled and held out her arms to greet him, "Iskrin, so good of you to come to me so quickly." (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr smiles as he hands over the fruit and accepts the wine, and his smile both broadens and takes on a note of concern, visible in his eyes, when he sees Etain appear. "Of course, my dear Etain," he says, stepping a couple of paces towards her and holding out his own arms to gently hold her forearms in his while he looks into her eyes. "What may I do for you this day, queen of nymphs?"

Her eyes warmed as she pulled him in for a closer hug. "I know you are busy so it does mean a lot." She held him close and tight as if she would never let go, her cheek resting briefly on his shoulder. "Shall we take a turn about the garden," she offered as she pulled back, looking over him as one would an old friend she had not seen in ages. Her gentle smile still curled her lips. (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr eases into Etain's familiar and welcome embrace. "Yes," he says in answer to her question, feeling some of the tension he has wound up inside him ease very slightly, even from this simple contact with the nymph. "Let us walk and you can tell me what is on your mind."

Etain Moonflower could feel his energy shift and ease somewhat, and she looped her arm in his to take him around the bend of the garden, leading him toward the falls. "New orchids were planted recently. Aren't they lovely," she asked as she stopped them midway to admire the newly transplanted bulbs. She kept her conversation light as they made their way past smiling nymphs.

Iskrin Orin'Darr "Yes, indeed," he says, matching her light tone, which he surmises is for her people in earshot. "They are most beautiful. A wonderful addition to the Hollow."

Etain Moonflower gently squeezed his arm and led him forward, "I will make sure you have an introduction with them soon, once the new nymphs are settled a bit more." The sound of the falls grew louder as they neared and she stopped to turn to him, her smile fading slightly as she called upon a blue-green veil to shroud them. They were in a private facet of the Hollow now. "Iskrin, I fear for my sisters. I fear for the Hollow. In my later visions I have felt a scorching heat. One that could cause my nymphs to grow weak and possibly perish."

Iskrin Orin'Darr waits as the veil closes around them, then listens carefully to the torrent of worries that pour from the beautiful nymph's lips. He nods as he listens, noting the one detail she gives about scorching heat and matching it against his own limited understanding and fears. "What you speak of would be catastrophic for you and your sisters and for the city and the Crown," he says gently. "Tell me what you have seen, Etain, and I will tell you what little I have found these past days. Perhaps together we can reason out what may come and what to do about it."

"The visions come often and are more vivid now," she said, releasing his arm. Her brow creased, "I see a sun, but not a sun. It is a bright burning ball of light that threatens to bring upon us darkness and despair." She paused and laced her fingers in front of her to rest at her thighs. "If it comes to fruition and as it is in dreams, the city inhabitants and my sisters on that side of the facet would be greatly impacted." Her tongue traveled over her lips as she thought more, green eyes growing distant. "I saw a hooded figure. You must tell the king for this is new." She inhaled deeply, her eyes searching his. "I am sorry but that is all I have to offer. I brought you here in hopes that you could possibly offer some suggestions on who or what I should turn to next. (Etain Moonflower)

"We've not enough time to transplant some of our nymphs. There would not be sufficient time for them to fully establish roots in another facet of the hollow. It is given that some could grow extremely weak and even perish from the move alone." She took another deep breath again, easing her shoulders. "In the many moons we have dwelled here on this material plane, we have never had a threat such as the one I have seen in my dreams. I pray that I am wrong." (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr listens with growing concern as she speaks of the death of nymphs and he sees the worry in her eyes and her breathing. "I will tell the king of the hooded figure," he says. "What you speak of sounds like a work of magic. This would align with what I have learned about a cult that has infiltrated the city and seeks to oppose the king with a show of their power." He pauses, searching the information, supposition and guesses that he has accumulated over the past days for something that will be useful or comforting. "The mages have assured me that the Great Crystal would prevent anything from damaging the fabric of the city itself, though the populace would not necessarily be protected and of course…" he pauses for a moment, collecting his knowledge of the arcane lore of the city. "And of course, the Hollow is neither bound by the crystal nor protected by it," he says slowly. "So while Ansa`fel would protect itself, the Hollow would be laid bare to whatever power - this not-sun you have seen - they conjour." He shakes his head in frustration. "I am sorry Etain, I do not know what to suggest. I am relatively convinced that they will strike at the ball and it sounds as though you have drawn the same conclusions from your vision. I have asked Rhodan to be present and he has promised, but he is unreliable and his magic is strange. I do not know how else to prepare. If we cannot prevent this, then perhaps the right preparation is to find a way to protect the Hollow. But how?"

Etain Moonflower nodded at his words, her thoughts drifting in and out as she formed her own conclusions which closely matched his. "A cult you say. One that opposes the King and wishes to take over the world, no doubt." She shook her head, her lovely features contorting in disgust. "The greed of men. It is the one constant," she swallowed, her face softening as she blinked her attention back to his handsome face. "Perhaps I should seek out someone from the…" her brow furrowed again as she searched for the words, "Mage Guild? Mayhap, they could help point me in the right direction but, of course, we would want to be discreet. And I cannot sit idly by knowing that my sisters could be so devastated by the aftermath of such greed."

Iskrin Orin'Darr nods. "The mage guild is one potential source of help," he says thoughtfully, "though their magic is not wild like your own. There are also the fae of Tirgatha. Perhaps one among their number has the knowledge or power the Hollow needs to defend it." He shakes his head. "There are so many unknowns, Etain," he says, his voice filled with frustration. "I am at a loss to know what is the right course of action."

She placed both hands, one on top the other, over her belly and took a deep, soulful breath. Her lips moved in a fine line, her expression otherwise placid, "We have much to consider over the course of the next few days then. I just hope they wait until the Royal Ball of yours and do not decide to strike before the event." (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr nods. "Would you like me to go to the mages or the fae for you?"

Her lips turned upward into a grateful smile, "I appreciate the offer, but I think I should sit here and reflect more on the pieces of information we have now, and I do plan to tell my sisters later today." Her eyes glimmered softly in the moonlight cascading through the Hollow. It was not nighttime, but the moon touched her flowers and called them to bloom in this facet of the Moonflower. "I will be in touch if I have anything more. Will you please do the same?" (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr watches her smile, enchanted for a moment by her eyes and her beauty, even in these circumstances. "Of course," he says softly. "I will come as soon as I know anything more, or as soon as I have a suggestion to make." He shakes his head, regretting for the first time ever in the Hollow that the Great Crystal's magic does not touch it. "We will not let your people perish, Etain," he says, aware it is a promise he has no way of knowing if he can keep. "Whatever aid the AmranKai can give, it is yours." He seeks to meet her gaze. "And whatever help I can give you, I am at your service."

She reached to take his hands again, "Iskrin, Friend of the Nymphs, I am honored to hold you as such. Thank you for your offer. Be safe and alert this day and the days forward." She added as an afterthought, "If I decide to attend, will I see you at the Ball?" (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr "You will see me, queen of the nymphs. And I hope there will be time for us to share a dance or two. And perhaps we will look back on the ball and realise that all has come to nothing." He doesn't sound terribly convinced as he says this. "Until we meet again," he says, clasping her hands gently and raising one to his lips to gently kiss it. "I bid you farewell."

Her impish grin returned at once and played about her lips as she stepped in, and up on tiptoes, to touch her lips to his. "Then I will see you there, perhaps. And, as you said, when this is all over and the shadows and gloom have been erased, I will welcome you here again for the most pleasurable relaxation Moonflower Hollow and I have to offer." (Etain Moonflower)

Iskrin Orin'Darr kisses her softly, a grin on his lips, and then slowly withdraws, not turning from her gaze until his feet meet the paving at the edge of the hollow behind him.