Chapter 13 where Betula botches and explores some enigma (Summer 1014)

Back at the glade, the party has just noticed Betula's disappearance, when she suddenly falls out of the sky to land in the branches of the big Oak tree.

Betula sees exactly what she imagines for just a moment when she realises that she is back in the physical world, just above the Oak tree that she wanted to see, and she is falling.

It is an easy athletics+dex roll (6+) to hang on to the branches without injury. Just a light wound at 0+, medium at negative, and one heavy wound per botch. Just one botch die if she has the skill, four for unskilled, plus anything from virtues and flaws. Narrate the fall as you please.

The twilight is obviously over. I suggest xp in either Diedne Lore (cult/organisation) or Enigmatic Wisdow (player's choice) as the good effect.

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Cath'rinne is perched on a tree in vulture form, contemplating the landscape from there. She sees Betula arrive and fast-casts to help using Rego Herbam, aiming to take control of the tree (base 4, +2 voice, +2 size) momentarily in order to have a branch snatch Betula from the air using the leaves as a cushion and help her down to the floor - sort of with the idea of having the three bend to allow its branch to approach the floor prior to returning to its original position. I rolled a 21, probably should have been a 23, but the change isn't material. This costs her 1 fatigue for spontaneous magic, and 2 additional fatigue level for the missing difference. As I'm using a momentary spell, I think using Finesse instead of Penetration to grab Betula is appropriate. I've rolled with Perception as I see this closer to an aiming spell. My check is a 9. I don't mind spending a confidence point here, if you think the maneuver would be difficult. I'll let you adjudicate from there.

Once she's down, she can hear a vulture screech "Betula, are you okay?"

As Betula already has experienced, the Oak has a hefty magic resistance, which Cath'rinne is nowhere close to penetrating. Betula is on her own in the fall.

Flailing about Betula reaches for one branch and just bounces off then reaches out again and grabs a branch that can barely support her weight which bends but doesn't break.

[Dex + Athletics = 5 +3 from Confidence]

Whistling a lilting little tune, Thom can be heard walking toward the copse, perhaps 50 yards off when Betula starts falling. He appears to be oblivious to what may be happening in the copse.

Betula, is perched on a branch, and unlike Cath'rinne perched in the next tree, it looks like she could use a helping hand to get down.

Thom walks into the Copse and chuckles.

"Uh... Betula? What are you doing up there?"

The handsome magus smiles, looking over at Cath'rinne.

"What did I miss?"

"HELP!" Betula yells looking down upon her baby crying by the foot of the tree then to the others about the glade.

[OOC: How high up is Betula?]

She is twice her own height up from the ground.

Thom's eyes widen at the cry, taking in the situation, the baby, the precarious perch...

"Lower your parma! I know the Feather Body spell!"

Without waiting for an answer, Thom begins the spell, eyes never leaving Betula as he prepares to cast the spell.

Betula lowers her Parma [Sta + Concentration total = 17 SUCCESS] and nods to Thomas before he finishes his spell.

If Thom's casting roll also succeeds, Betula descends gracefully.

Thom completes his spell as he sees Betula nod [Casting Roll: 24 for Rise of the Feathery Body ReCo 10, Formulaic].

After Betula descends, Thom walks toward her.

"What were you doing up there?"

Ignoring Thom, Betula runs the few steps to the crying Yew and picks her up to comfort her. She hums a lullaby from her own childhood quite poorly but it seems to sooth Yew. When the baby is calm she says softly to Thom, "How dd I get there? I fell... from under the Tree."

Thom remains respectfully back from Betula and the baby though concern is clear on his face. When Betula responds, Thom's brow furrows.

"Fell from under the Tree?"

He looks around the copse, looking up at Cath'rinne, and then back.

"Is this a new effect here in the Copse?"

"I... I believe I went... w-was in Twilight," Betula says reverentially, "one moment I was gripping the tree, casting my spell, and the next in a hollow below the tree... I believe. I found I could move my perspective as space was an illusion and when I attempted to see the top of the tree I suddenly appeared there and fell," her tone shifts to inquisitive, "does the name Cumhall mean anything to you?"

"Cumhall of Diedne? Yes, I know of him. Why?" Asks the vulture, still perched on a tree.

"Well... someone of that name was under the tree... in the tree... in my twilight... I don't know... perhaps he wasn't there... wasn't anywhere... what might it mean?"

Thom looks over at the grandfather tree's base as he listens...

"Twilight... Oh my."

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"Wait..." Thom shakes his head again.

"Weren't you just casting your spell this morning? But you were under the tree with a Diedne named Cumhall? That's an odd name. But Yew wasn't with you? She was here... How long were you gone?"

The Merinita smiles.

"That's crazy! That big tree sent you into Twilight? This place is AWESOME!!"

Thom capers a little bit in the copse, smiling from ear to ear before turning back to Betula and Cath'rinne.

"Oh, I finally talked to the King of the Foam. But hey, what else happened under that tree? Was there anything cool there? Besides that Cumhouse fellow? I wonder if there is really a cave under the tree here in this world?"