A roleplay transcript by Coraline, Rhea and Ezran
TL;DR Ezran visits the Hollow in that accursed stone city of Ansa`fel. Coraline and Rhea accompany him to Moon Willow forest. Not even their combined loveliness can improve his mood (or can it?!). The earth is cursed and poisoned... but how? Double drat! What to do?!
:: Ezran alighted on the marble pathway outside the Hollow. Having asked directions at the tavern near the docks where he arrived, the ancient abode of the nymphs had not been hard to spot from the air. He stepped into the Hollow and was surprised as the atmosphere transformed around him. Gone was the oppressive heat and hardness of the city, and a calming, softer environment was to be found within. Ezran smiled and looked around, wondering how to find the queen.
:: Coraline sat on the rock ledge immersed in her own thoughts, splashing water from the falls onto her legs, and humming softly. She looked up when she heard the mummer of her nymph sisters as one entered the Hollow. She recognized him immediately as Ezran, her Fae friends from the forest. So, she jumped up and rushed to greet him. "Ezran! You are in the city! It is so nice to see you again!" she gushed out as she ran closer to him.
:: Ezran looked at the nymphs who came up to him to relieve him of his sword. He resisted for a moment and then unbuckled it and handed it over. In response to their question about offerings, he thought quickly and reached into his belt pouch, taking out of it a delicately wrapped pastry that he had bought that morning at the Tirgatha market. It was his favourite, but he understood the ways of the nymphai. He was just coming to terms with the loss of the sweet treat when he heard a familiar voice. He smiled brightly as Coraline approached. "Aye," he said, somewhat wearily, "I have come to the city." The way he said the last word indicated his strong dislike for Ansa`fel. "And I am pleased that even within its walls, there is so lovely a place as this." He gestured to the Hollow. "I did not know of it and I am glad we met the other morn."
:: Coraline beamed at him, smiling brightly, and waved at the table nearby, "Would you care for some wine, or almonds, or grapes. Oh! You are so welcome here, and I'm so glad you chose to visit us! Well, visit me anyway…" her voice almost whispered the last as she tilted her head and glance from him to the table and back. Her eyes widened and she turned and reached for a small basket nearby, bringing forth an orange in her hand. "Would you care for an orange instead?" she asked, holding one out towards him. "I gathered these myself for a little project my dearest sister Etain and I are working on. Have you met my dearest one, Etain, yet?" She smiled as she stood holding the orange out to him.
:: Ezran looked at the table and then at the orange and frowned. "Here to see you," he repeated almost absentmindedly, slightly overwhelmed by Coraline's enthusiasm. Then, after a moment he smiled. "Yes, I would care for an orange," he said decisively, and held out his hand to receive the one Coraline was holding. "While the thought of you alone would be enough to lure me here, Coraline," he said, his rich, gentle voice warm with affection, "I am here this day to consult the queen." A frown crossed his gray features. "Dark magic has been at work in Moon Willow Forest, and we know not how to counter it." He looked gravely at the beautiful water nymph. "Is Queen Etain here?
:: Rhea was a shadow on the falls, and solid by the time she rose up from one of the shallow pools below it. "Good morning!" The greeting was meant for the whole of the Hollow, and a few Anthousai waved or called out in return before the Naiad spotted the pair by the snack laden table. She hopped down, landed in the water nearer to her Coraline without so much as a splash. For now she was content to watch and listen; if her sister was about to entertain the handsome fae with her, she did not intend to interrupt.
:: Coraline continued smiling as she handed him the orange in her hand, even though a small narrowing of her eyebrows could be noticed as he spoke of trouble in the forest. "I'm afraid my dearest Etain is indisposed at present. She is often elsewhere these days." She turned and looked over her shoulder, up the hill, at the palace for a moment before returning her attention to Ezran. "She has left me in charge in her absence. Perhaps, I can assist you? She would wish me to do all I can to help with any trouble in the forest. It is not many days past we visited there together." Hearing a ripple in the water below, she quickly turned and waved at Rhea as she saw her emerging, then turned her attention back to Ezran. "My dearest is most interested in the flora of the forest. Although, I am more interested in the fauna." She giggled as she said the last, and crimson flushed her cheeks.
:: Ezran sighed. "Ah well," he said regretfully, "I suppose luck is not on my side today." He glanced down in response to Coraline's wave and smiled at the other nymph he had met before. "I do not know," he said in answer to Coraline's question, noting her comment and giggle, but too troubled by what he had seen in the Forest to reciprocate the flirting. His brow furrowed. "How much do you know about arcane magic?" he asked in a voice loud enough that Rhea would hear it too. "What grows in the forest is not a natural occurrence. Of that I am sure."
:: Rhea eavesdropped shamelessly. It had been a survival skill where she came from, a way of gleaning rumors and sussing out who/what was dangerous. In her time in the wider world she still hadn't fully learned that others found it impolite. "Trouble in the forest?" Her voice fluted up from below them. She waved back to her sister as a spout of water boosted her up to join the conversation. "I'm sorry to butt in, I'll leave you be if you wish. I would know more of this news, though. What's growing in the forest?"y
:: Coraline thought for a moment, recognizing the seriousness in his manner. This was not the playful Fae she had met before which made her all the more determined to assist if she could. "How much do I know?" she repeated his question thoughtfully. "That is difficult to answer. There is much I know and much I do not know. I suppose this is the answer." She smiled warmly at him, trying to buoy his spirit a bit. "As well as the tutelage of my dearest, Etain, I have been for many moons the student of Rhodan Fishbottoms, the High Wizard. So, I suppose one could say, I have more than a little knowledge of arcane magick." She reached over to squeeze Rhea's hand as she came up beside her.
:: Ezran nodded as he listened, hope rekindling in him. "Then perhaps you would come and look?" he asked. "It is beyond my ken." He paused, taking in their lovely faces. "Ah, but the journey to Moon Willow is an hour by boat," he said sadly. "I cannot ask for so much of your time. I had hoped…" he trailed off, not truly sure what he had hoped Etain might do that wouldn't take any of her time. He bucked himself up. "Lady Coraline, Lady Rhea, if you would accompany me to Moon Willow forest so that you might assess what grows in its soil, I can promise you a meal at the Guillotine tavern in Tirgatha as reward." He smiled at them. "And if you know of a faster means of travel…"
:: Rhea took her sister's hand and held it, smiling at the gentle squeeze and giving one in return. "My own knowledge is tricky. I came into being knowing many things, and ignorant of still more. I've not had any teachers. But I was formed in a realm under a dark curse, and I've some… Personal experience with magic that twists and corrupts. An Anthousai like our lovely Queen would surely be the better expert to consult when she returns. This concerns plants! Yet it may be there's something Coraline and I can tell you in the mean time, between the two of us." She looked at Ezran, considering the length of the journey. "I don't mind. I'd no special plans for the day, other than a hope to encounter friends. Which I have! I could get there faster on my own by traveling the linked fresh-waterways that feed the pond in the wood, and maybe Coraline could too if she can meld like I. But we couldn't take you… Though you have wings!" She then met the eyes of her fellow daughter of the water. "What do you think?"
:: Coraline nodded her head enthusiastically at Ezran, "Of course we will come to the forest! We can travel faster by water, but alas, we cannot take you with us. You can fly there though?" She smiled warmly at him, still concerned for the obvious burden which brought him to the city in search of aid. "Rhea is correct. This is truly in dearest Etain's, realm, or so it sounds. But, I promise we will do all we can to help you and all the Fae. Won't we Rhea?" she squeezed her sister's hand, glancing at her. "And, never concern yourself with our time. We do not reckon time the same as others do."
:: Ezran listened to Rhea's words, nodding as she spoke of her past. He did not comment on what she told him and Coraline, but filed it in his memory until such time as further exploration might be appropriate. For now, his thoughts were only of his beloved forest and a deep sense of urgency to act, even if these were not the Anthousai he had hoped to consult. He smiled as Coraline agreed with her sister and reassured him that they would help. He smiled at them, not ignorant of their allure, but too worried to take the kind of pleasure he would usually take in such beauty. Even so, he felt some degree of pleasure that they expressed such care for his worries, and he was pleased that there seemed to be agreement between the two of them and that some action could be taken. "I can fly faster than a boat," he said, not relishing the thought of such a flight, but unwilling to make them take the slow path. "If you two can make it to the pond where you and I first met, Rhea, then I will find you there. It is but a short walk hence to the damage from there." He looked at the two of them for agreement.
:: Rhea mirrored her sister's nod, rising up on her toes. "Oh, yes. You have our word. Though we are in the city and you are in the forest, the Fae of Moon Willow and the Nymphs of Moonflower are as connected as the waters. Maybe it's not always seen, but it's still always so." She reached out a hand to Ezra as if to link the three in body as well as word. If he took it, even briefly, she'd give it a squeeze before moving toward the pond behind them. "We'll see you there!"
:: Coraline nodded again, "We will certainly meet you there." she smiled and reached out to touch him lightly on the arm, her hand lingering there. "Worry not, Ezran. We shall find an answer to your problem, even if I have to use up every favor I am owed."
:: Ezran briefly held Rhea's hand and smiled. He felt Coraline's touch and smiled even brighter. "See you soon," he said and leaped skyward.
*** The three travelled swiftly by wing or water to Moon Willow Forest ***
:: Ezran alighted on the rock above the pond to see the two nymphai already bathing in the waters. "Hallo," he called down to them. "You are fast!" He jumped down, his wings spreading briefly to slow his fall. "That which I speak of is yonder," he said, gesturing along the coast in the direction away from Tirgatha market.
:: Rhea's essence had danced around Coraline's as they sped through the veins of clear underground water, joyful to have a companion on her normally lonely subterranean journeys. In that state the two could move with blinding speed… So long as it was through fresh water. The Naiad didn't dawdle upon arrival at their destination, either. She immediately rose up and solidified into her fleshly form. Despite the serious nature of their visit, she couldn't help but beam happily at her sister. Still, she regained some sense of sobriety when Ezran met them, nodding. "Lead the way!"
:: Coraline arose from the water of the pond after her journey by the waters, shaking herself lightly. She looked up at the greeting of Ezran to see him landing on a large rock nearby. Her eyes followed his finger as he pointed in the direction of the trouble, and she reached over to grasp Rhea's hand. "Come sister. Let us follow him and see what can be done." She turned to Ezran, "Lead on, good Sir. We will follow!"
:: Ezran walked a few short paces over the hillock to the edge of the growth. He turned to face them. "Here," he said flatly. "This is where the Än'vakorian mage Skolvor confronted Silmariel. Since that day a week ago, this has grown. We fight it back, using our magics and craft. But each morning it grows anew. I know not what to do."
:: Rhea noted the incongruity of the brambles. They didn't match the soft greens of their surroundings, didn't match the shape of the other naturally thorny plants of the biome. She also didn't recall having seen them on her last visit. Glancing at her sister, she turned back to the invasive growth and crouched beside it. One web-fingered hand reached out gingerly, hovering over it. Her face looked very intense. Finally, she actually made contact; extremely gently in the hopes of avoiding bloodshed, but willing to accept that consequence if it came. She reached out in a less physical sense, too. With her mind, with her spirit, she brushed over the blight. The Naiad sought something familiar. If it was a curse of some kind or a twisting/overtaking of the native greenery she hoped to sense it. If it wasn't, perhaps she could at least rule those out.
:: Coraline followed Ezran as he led them on the short walk. When they reached the area, she beheld an area of dead and dying bramble. She walked close to one of the dead plants and squatted down to examine it. Her fingers dug into the soil after several minutes of handling the dead branches. She brought a small sample of the soil on her finger to her mouth and tasted it with her tongue before spitting it out to the side. "Yuck!" she exclaimed as she spat. "This soil is poisoned, Ezran!"
:: Ezran watched the nymphs carefully. As Rhea reached out to touch the brambles he almost called out to stop her. But the plants had not proven poisonous to any of the Willowguard who had touched them so far, and he had no reason to think the nymph would react any differently. He again almost cried out when Coraline put the earth to her sweet, red lips. And when she announced the earth was poisoned, he crouched down next to her, brushing it from her fingers. "I know," he said softly. "Usually when the forest is poisoned or damaged, our magics and skill with plants cure it in but a moment. But all our works are as nothing against this." He gestured angrily to the growth. "And it is spreading. We kill it back, and it redoubles on the morrow. What did you sense, Rhea?"
:: Rhea kept reaching, feeling. She knew nothing of soil poisons but she did know something of corruption. "It's… It's a curse." Her eyes were closed. The Naiad looked strained, focusing all of her will and energy on discovering the problem. "I think…" She moved her other hand over, so that both were gently fondling the plants. "It will spread, in time. It's small now and not so dangerous, but eventually… It'll twist the plants, and then what eats the plants, and then what eats the creatures that eat the plants. It's meant to ripple wider and wider, to grow stronger as its left alone. If you cleansed the soil it would just come back. You have to break the spell, too."
:: Coraline stared at the growth for a moment, pondering. "The dead plants are not the problem. The soil is the problem. Once that is addressed, perhaps Etain can come and rejuvenate the plants. But, we must address the soil or it will continue to spread its poison further and further into the forest!" She listened to Rhea's thoughts and nodded her head slowly. "I agree, Rhea. I can purify the soil simply, but the curse must be removed first. Perhaps I can consult with Rhodan about that. He may know a way."
:: Ezran smiled at them both, feeling a significant degree of relief to have them at his side on this and their offers to take this further. "I am humbled by you both," he said. "I would beg of each of you to take these thoughts to Etain and Rhodan. The Forest is too precious to risk any lack of attention to this cursed soil. Perhaps between them, Etain and Rhodan can both heal the plants and remove the curse. Both are surely needed." He stood slowly, brushing the damp earth off his trousers. He held a hand down to each of them, offering to help them up. "I owe you both a debt of gratitude," he said with the first genuine and impish grin he'd offered that day. "And a Willowguard always pays his debts. Would you both do me the honour of accompanying me to the Guillotine Tavern? After a good meal in divine company, I shall feel much the better."
:: Rhea released the afflicted plants and breathed out slowly. Though she rose to her feet with effortless grace at the offered hand, she did look a little more tired than she had before she began. "I hope that was helpful." She said almost shyly. "I'm afraid there's nothing more I can tell you." She smiled at his encouragement. "You owe me nothing, I'm happy to help. Though I will accept your offer of food… I seldom hunger, but I do right now!"
:: Coraline pursed her lips taking one more look at the bramble. "After we eat, Rhea, I would like to cast a purify spell here on this soil. Will you help me? It will not last long, but it will keep it from spreading for a short while." She turned smiling at the both of them. "Let's go to the tavern then!"