Well then, let's go, In this case, Viola is going to have the shield grogs trail her by a few paces as we move forward.
Scott
None of the market folk seem to notice the group walking away into the treeline. As the group travels Felven's goat trail it expands slightly becoming more like a path, however regular debris and covered ground shows that nobody regularly walks this path. The colours of the brush and trees still exhibit aspects of more typical faerie a regio, with vibrant colouring or pleasant sounds now and then. The group walk for some distance through the forest following the curving pathway and over fallen trees.
After a full 15 minutes walking the clouds close in overhead and the light around you pales.
Grog's paused to check pathway with Hunt (assumed whichever they were, they have Hunt, Aison or the twins).
Please check (Per + Second Sight) for Viola and let me know which grogs she took, as their ability list might matter soon.
As for the grogs, let's go with Theodoric and Simon.
Does the dimming light seem to be caused by nightfall, or is it of the perpetual variety? Given the clouds, I'm guessing the latter.
Per roll: Second Sight 2 +2 Per + stress die 9 = 13. If this is a regio boundary, add 1 for Second Sight specialization.
Scott
The change is highly likely to be unnatural as the change happens over a few heartbeats and dramatically changes the tone of the surrounding trees. The grogs notice too and are little help for the potential source however Viola is certain she spotted a shimmer aside the pathway and made out a young fox with red fur dart away along the tree line.
Further down the goat trail she can see an additional but different slow shimmering which the trail passes through, it’s stability wavers, but is undoubtedly a regio boundary.
Let us see if we can get through it, and see what happens if we do.
Scott
The characters walk through the undulating boundary and the air freshens and drops in temperature immediately. It is now very uncomfortable for anyone who is not dressed in a few layers, but not harmful. As the last of the characters walk across the line you hear a howl close by sounding much like a raspy voiced person imitating a wolf. It is echoed by others.
The grogs note too that the shimmering edge is not visible from this side. On the pathway ahead 50 paces or so is the same fox. Well fox-like creature; it has a coat too uniform red too be natural and something is off about its feet. As you both see each other it drops to sit hunched watching the group.
Viola will approach the fox, keeping the grog close at hand. She doesn't threaten, but she moves confidently toward the beast.
Scott
As the group get within about 25 paces you can make out the fox has smallish human-ish hands and it looks dipped or painted red rather than a natural colouring. As you watch it leaps backwards and begins trotting away with a toothy grin, shouting "weeehooo, weehooooooo, arrhhhrooooooo." A dark pool rests where it was crouched.
Sounds respond repeatedly from off the trail "arrhhhrooooooo hooo".
Assuming you approaching along the curving trail you can see a large pile of boulders aside the road which the fox jumps onto and faces the Maga and her grogs. Two more animal-ish figures stalk from behind the boulders still 30 or so paces away; all look haggard. The figures are an elongated brown rabbit walking on it's hind legs carrying a spear, a portly one foot high bipedal songbird wearing blueish breeches and cap matching its colouring.
Simon also point to a third figure in the treeline 15 paces away; a dirty looking black bear with white stripes through its fur. The songbird chirps humanly "arrhhhrooooooo hooo", and pulls a small knife.
Let's try the direct approach.
Viola addresses all of the beasts by turning as she speaks: "I'd like to speak with your mistress, please."
Scott
The small striped bear growls when Viola speaks aloud, and very slowly inches sideways and forwards onto the small path; which places it between Voila and the other fae. While small the beast looks brutish and very capable. The bird-fae prattles a call and raises her spear up and down excitedly. A thin rain starts to fall. All appear to be grinning or grimacing, the fox licks its lips, and red blood falls from it's back mixing with the rain on the rocks.
The rain does not fall on Viola, instead triggers her MR.
[hr][/hr]OOC: I'm going slow-ish with the steps in descriptions so the characters can jump in if needed.
What effect is the rain having on the grogs, or are they outside of it? Constantine?
Viola will cast Eye of the Wizard's Swamp to turn the soil beneath the "bear's feet to mud (I have no idea what the name of that spell means, though I'm pretty sure I came up with it).
Stress die for the casting roll: 0
Oops...I'm guessing this shouldn't involve more than 4 botch dice, esp. since it's in a friendly aura, and the Golden Cord takes away up to 3, so a botch roll: 8
Without a botch, assuming a faerie aura of at least 1, the spell will go off normally.
Scott
The rain doesn’t have an obvious negative effect, although it smells fouled.
What is your Pen for the spell?
It doesn't need to pen, unless the ground has MR--the target is the ground, not the creature. Were pen required, it would be equal to the aura - 1 + 1 for Viola's Penetration ability.
Scott
The striped bear slips into the mud thrashing, to stay above the surface (I’m assuming the volume and consistency is quicksand, as per your character sheet).
While the bear starts to sink into the mud the bird like creature croons in a sharp laugh and disappears. A small sliver of flint rises from the ground close to the fae and strikes Simon inflicting a wound (tba). The fox backs away more.
The other fae continue to look menacing, and Viola’s Parma again notes a spell repulsed. She and Theodoric both notice that Simon has stopped moving, held in place.
(OOC: need to check the damage on the sliver of flint vs his soak)
Viola directs a look at the fox. "Do you want the same? I want to talk to your mistress, not fight."
Scott
After Viola looks to the fox it moves its head around look back up the path behind it, and then turns and smiles. You start to hear woman's voice singing faintly but getting closer. The fox grins and his feet tap on the rock. The three visitors hear a few of the fae creatures whisper "mistress", and the hoooo-hrrooooo of the bird creature.
There is no follow-up attack, although Simon still looks fixed in place; and the rain changes to snow, again not affecting Viola.
...Given passage of a few tense moments a woman comes into view riding on a massive wolf. She is tall with long features, white hair, and and dressed in colourless shades of white, grey, and charcoals. She carries a longspear with her. He eyes and face are very feline like, and her clothes are decorated by furs and teeth of a variety of beasts. She is still far enough way that Viola could be heard if she yelled, and is approaching obviously aware of your group.
[hr][/hr]
OOC: the sliver grazed Simon, doing only slight damage (he is lightly wounded, -1 on all rolls)
Viola will let her approach. I think we're going to have to negotiate--brute force against these numbers doesn't seem likely to succeed.
Scott
Just after the wolf walks past the boulder the woman slides smoothly off its back and begins walking by herself, still singly quietly to herself and looking all around. Non-pulsed. The wolf dissipates like a cloud of steam behind her. The other fae seem very excited by her arrival, their body language like pets just before the evening meal; even the bird-like fae reappears aside the forest path. By now the bear has submerged into the mud.
Her clear blue eyes look at Theodoric, then Simon, and then Viola as she walks closer and closer. Up close her coverings of armor are very obvious, she has a smile too wide for her thin face, sharpen teeth, and seems to be enjoying herself. The bird-like one screeches while gesturing excitedly as the lady walked forward, "she is here! Our the Lady of the Moon, Mistress of the Winter Wind! Lady Ghori!".
"You don't have to fight by dearest child" she looks viciously at Viola ,"it's better if you do though."
Viola nods, only a hint of a smile escaping, "I'm sure it's better for someone."
After a moment, she continues, "But perhaps you should know what I came for...or would you like to speak first?"
Scott
Lady Ghori leans close to the Simon and makes to poke his chest a little, "Always! You're here to feed us pretty girl. That might not be why before, but that's what here means now ...", she looks at Theodoric watching ".. one might escape if the others can't. Let the girl and boy be food and flee while you can? yes? old bones" Then she turns to wait for Viola.