Logs:Mystery in the Mist

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Cast
Setting
Log

The expedition is called in a bit of a secretive fashion by Yaroslav and Councilor Baldur, requesting Maddy takes a team with her, or walk there herself if she feels confident enough to do so. The reason given is a strange behavior the tree has been exhibiting in the past few weeks, like it's magic is becoming more clouded in mist. Which both of them interpret as a sign to visit the mist as soon as possible.

They leave the details of the trip to Master Amity, of course, The Mist are the Druid's Specialty after all. And that's how they find themselves heading into the mist...

Once Maddy has been to the Tree once in the Mists it's easy enough for her to find her way back. She's a Master of Space, after all, and any familiar destination is relatively easy to reach for one with those skills.

She asks those who are coming with her to meet at the garden outside of Maddy's, a common location everyone knows how to find, and also a Yantra for her and the complex spells she's working to protect their destinies from the vagaries of the Mists. She also takes some time to explain how the Mists work and what to expect, and to answer questions, before they set off.

Setting off involves teleporting to some unknown spot in the woods somewhere in the world, then stepping through a hidden gateway into the Mists.

It's a magical world. Literally.

Liezel does her part to ease it all with a relatively simple spell, nothing beyond what an Apprentice could do- cloaking their Nimbuses and providing a potent protective barrier against possible incoming magicks. Just in case. Then, though, she falls into her personally chosen role as sentinel, mostly just standing by in case things turn more violent than expected. She's more than happy to observe and watch in the meantime.

Mei has never been to the Mists, but she trusts Maddy, and she trusts the Druid's expertise when it comes to the focus of her Legacy's interest. She listens carefully to what she's told about what to expect, nodding along and filing the information away, then prepares a couple of spells to help her ensure she can make it out again in addition to Maddy's own preparations for them.

When they step through the gateway to the Mists themselves she stares around in wonder at the endless expanse of fog, and the strange figures that shift around through it. "Definitely creepy," she murmurs

Tanya is easily the least experienced person here. This is her first time stepping beyond the Fallen World outside of her actual Awakening, and she is very, very quiet, taking in everything with silent awe. Maddy was the subject of the Space student's gaze for a while, then Tanya got the chance to prove herself capable and weave up a spell to cloak everyone's psychic presence. Once they're inside the mists, she finally ventures a question in a soft voice. "So this is...part of the Supernal? or adjacent to it...?"

As they step into the Mist through the portal, various silhouette within the mist are gathered at some distance, peering to see what brought the portal to life, for brief moment, they study the area around it but then it seems as if they completely fail to notice the group that wandered in together, thanks to Tanya's workings

"This isn't Arcadia, but it is a place where the Arcanum of Time itself has leaked beyond Arcadia and formed its own realm," Amity explains, for here she is Amity, not Maddy. "Essentially, everything here is made up of destiny itself. Like I said before we set out, stepping through that Thura," she gestures to the portal behind them, "means that whatever destiny you had has fallen away, and you future is a blank slate. We need to craft new destinies around ourselves, out of the Mists, before we can return safely. Otherwise you might come out of that portal weeks, decades, even centuries in the future, with no possible way to return." She grins. "If we have to make a hasty retreat, I'd rather we were prepared already."

She gestures around them at the strange figures, half-substantial and ever changing. "If they could see us, some of them might also try to trick us into accepting the destinies they chose for us. Thanks to Azazel, they cannot."

And then she proceeds to do just that, reaching out and taking hold of the Mists and shaping them around herself, only to have them settle on her and disappear.

Liezel watches, intrigued, and listens intently, looking faintly disturbed as she realizes stepping here scoured away whatever destiny she used to have. It's clear that the idea of altering her Self in such a way is something she's not fully comfortable with, but she takes a deep breath and nods, composed as ever. As it's further explained, and she sees Amity craft herself destiny anew, Liezel spends a few moments in thought, and then weaves a plain feathered quill pen into being and focuses on it briefly. As she does, it takes on visible, stark importance, scoured and honed into a nearly perfect version of itself, and it's with this that she- quite literally- writes a new destiny for herself in the mists, scribing lyrics and notes in quick succession, surrounding herself in musical script that fades into her much as Amity's own did.

Tanya seems to share Liezel's reaction to realizing just how one-way the trip is, in a sense, though it had been explained to them before. Realizing one has already crossed the rubicon, while beholding the emanation of pure Time around them in the shifting mists, is a bit more impactful than just hearing it on paper. She watches Amity demonstrate, followed by Liezel dramatically writing their fate. Tanya attempts to focus, wresting the mists with just her upturned bare hands and concentration, but seems to struggle. The mists evade her for the moment, slipping back away into the distance.

Parhelion watches Amity with interest, her curiosity about all of this stuff plain to see. "Yeah," she remarks, "I'd rather come back in the correct time, thanks. You make that look like it's pretty easy, but this is some ridiculous fairy tale nonsense, you know," she laughs. "Not that I don't believe it's 100% true, it's just... you know. Weird." She starts trying to pull the Mists around herself as well, somehow understanding what she's doing and how, and weaving the fabric of the fog itself into a pattern that suits her desired outcome, which she can throw over her shoulders like a shawl.

Amity is more than happy to help people when they start to have some difficulty, because she's invested in making sure they all get out safely and with their destinies under their own power. When everyone seems to have accomplished their goals she flashes a smile, claps her hands together, and says, "ready to go to the tree? Please be very careful, don't cast magic directly on it, and so on. A lot like when we're at the tree in the Arboretum, really."

"We have a little extra leeway, since our Nimbuses are cloaked, but it's best practice not to test that unless needed," Liezel offers. "I'm ready, Master Amity."

The Mist weaves and dances around each their form and settles down on their shoulders and arms and such. It seems that eventually, the group all shapes their own destiny..

"Yeah, I'll definitely take precautions, you don't have to tell me twice," Mei replies with a soft laugh. "I like having my head attached to my shoulders, and I don't really want it bitten off when we get back. I'm ready when you are.

"Here we go, then" Amity lifts a hand, snaps her fingers, and bam. They're all at the Tree in the Mists.

The teleportation is simple enough and they make it out the other end without trouble, the mist here is thick and almost impenetrable for a moment, not like the previous trip into the mist exactly, silhouettes like they've seen at the entrances are far scarcer, more distant and don't seem to notice the visitor, as is intended.

The Emanation of the Martyr's Tree in the Mists is potent, it's hard to comprehend everything on a visual scale. The branches seems to wander off in various individual timelines, the roots taken in potential and pulsating with unrealized pasts. The trunk, right now, is entirely shrouded in the Mist, like in a swirl of clouds trying to conceal it.

Right at the edge of that particular event stands a person, material and living, reaching out into the mist swirling around the Mist as it recoils from their touch. Upon closer look or introduction, an older man, well into his 70s, sagging cheeks, short almost entirely white hair, a pair of glass sitting on his nose, wearing a brown tweed suit, both hands resting upon a walking stick that seems grown from the wood of many trees at once. His attention seems entirely upon the strange Mists event around the tree.

A relatively short distance behind him and away from the Martyr's Tree, a small zone seems free of any mist and filled with various items for comfort and study, made out of wood and such.

Tanya practically holds her breath at the sight of the mysterious stranger. With her mists weaved around her, flickers of gold and royal blue barely seen amidst its shroud, it's Maddy she looks to instinctively as the "adult" in the room, followed by Liezel. The neophyte takes no action for now though, other than making sure they're all still properly veiled from notice.

"Huh," Mei comments when they appear near the tree, she looks around, and they find someone making a study of it. "That looks like a real person," she remarks. "A real person who is, apparently, an Acanthus. Master of Time, more potent magically that myself. Or Fox." She looks at Maddy too, because Maddy's the one who is most likely to know how to handle this situation, or what's going on.

"Another Druid." Amity's face lights up with a smile. Walkers in the Mists are fairly rare, and they're usually quite welcoming of each other when their paths cross. "I think we should say hi. Hostile interactions between Druids are rare, and chances are he's trying to figure out what's going the same as we are. I suppose we should drop the spell preventing us from being noticed, so we can have a conversation and find out what he's doing."

Tanya looks a bit hesitant at that. "Well...maybe. This took me an hour to cast before, and I don't know how badly reaching further to recast it quicker will go..." She pauses to think, hoping someone might have advice.

The man bring one hand to his chin as he examine the strange swirl of mist around the tree, reaching out to these mist in particular and specifically seems interesting in how they recoils from his touch. He speaks aloud. "I know there's someone around in the mists, I feel a presence in Space" he announce with a voice taken with age. "If you would please reveal yourself, that would make everything much simpler. Wouldn't it?"

He does not seems particularly worried by that.

"I think it will be fine, Tanya," Mei reassures. "I can make us invisible quickly if we need it, and Maddy can bug us out with another teleportation spell if it comes down to it." She doesn't seem particularly worried if Amity isn't worried, but she does have her hands at her sides instead of in a pocket, like she's ready for action just in case.

"We came here to find out what's going on, and I don't think we'll be able to really do so without talking to this gentleman." Amity makes a gesture at the man, who is addressing them now. "Also, he might take it as rude," she adds.

"We're also protected against a large variety of harmful spells with potent... well. Potency. I feel comfortable exposing ourselves. Is he more potent than I am, Mei?" Liezel inquires gently.

Tanya nods at Mei's reassurance. "Alright, then, here we are," she says, and gently relinquishes the spell, revealing them to the Druid.

As the spell drops, The man's attention shift slowly to exactly where they are, raising a hand in greeting. He makes an inviting gesture with his hand and indicate the Mist less area with his walking stick. "Come, join me, it's been a while since I've spoken to anyone beyond the few people I keep around."

He moves slowly, with a slight limp, toward that area. With the hand that's not holding his walking stick, he digs into his pocket, pulling out a few seeds from it.

Mei answers Liezel as the spell hiding their presence fades away. "Less," she says. "Only marginally." Her attention shifts to the man as soon as he starts to address them, offering a smile and friendly upnod. "How's it going?" she asks, without starting to move. She glances over at Maddy to wait for input on how to handle that.

"Well met," Amity says once it's clear the man can see them. "It's been a while since I encountered another Druid. I'm Master Amity, Emissary to the Great Creator for the Children of the Martyr's Tree, Master of Space, Time, and Fate, Apprentice of Spirit and Life, Initiate of Prime." She starts walking toward the man's Mist Haven with him. "We were asked to come out here and investigate what was going on with the Tree, since it's real-world presence seems to be touched by the Mists now. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

Liezel nods firmly. "Then we should be at ease. I think we are alright- if harm was meant, we would likely know already." She lets Amity stay on point, allowing her Mage Sight to focus, staying on guard.

"I am Master Airgetlám and I am little else than a Walker in Mists." As they enter the small haven in the Mist, The man throws the seeds in his pocket next to the small table he has set up and with a wave of his hand, grows additional chairs in just an instant, from them, made of woven woods of many kinds, likely the result of magical experiment. Same material as his walking stick, table and other amenitiies.

"I was barely aware of such a Tree Existing in the first place, the Mists began swirling on ..." He takes a few moment to recall and gives them the exact date.

"Ooooh, that makes sense," Mei says with a sudden laugh, as she stolls along casually a few steps behind Amity, ready to back her up but looking as casual as can be. "If I had to guess, that happened at," and she gives an exact time, not just the date. "The Tree seems to react to, or act as the catalyst to, certain Awakenings in the area. We're not really sure which, but there at least two of us standing here that had similar circumstances around our Awakening." She laughs and looks at Tanya. "Although probably not connected to the Mists, considering that we're an Obrimos and a Mastigos, eh?"

Then she realizes she hasn't introduced herself and does so. "I'm Parhelion, Obrimos, one of the Children of the Tree, and of the Firebirds cadre. You should come visit our Arboretum, and see the Tree in the material world, when you get a chance."

"I am not certain my ... lack of affiliation with any of the Diamond Orders or Un named Nation would make me particularly welcome within the walls of that Arboreum, it seems to be something to be guarded against anyone that could be perceived as an uncertainty." The Druid says, tapping his walking stick onto the ground. "The less I get mixed with the orders, the better it is for everyone."

Amity holds up a finger when something that got said reminds her of something. "Be right back," she says, before she steps out of the Mist Haven and takes a step with intention, like she's expecting something to happen. Something that kind of happens and kind of doesn't in the strange potentiality of the Mists, where she vanishes for a moment and then also simply finishes her stride, stepping backward with a slight stumble instead of going forward.

"Well, that's odd," she remarks. She turns back to the others, looking puzzled. "I think there is a fruit here, but there's also not. Like it might happen, or it possibly did, but neither is certain. In any case, there definitely seems to be a connection." She shrugs, and she smiles at the other Druid. "I can understand the desire to remain apart from them, but why is it better? If you don't mind my asking."

Liezel stays quiet, listening, attentive. She is well out of her depth here and learning much and more, but she has-

She pauses and sings under her breath a moment, a dirge for truth, lamenting its rarity, forming a spells imago with the lyrics. It settles, on her, only her, with no immediate effect apparent.

As Liezel cast the spell on herself, as Maddy speaks up about her finding on her small investigation, a genuine smile grows onto him and he nods, as if he's gotten the answer he was looking for. He taps his staff in a sort of rhythmic knocking joke on the ground and several different effects and spells seems to appear out of above him, all of them dropping onto him specifically.

Liezel's eyes flit up and track the fall of the spells' down onto him, settling back on the mage himself. "Forgive me if I offended. I am- not used to this part of things. Usually, by the time I am involved, we already understand what is happening and possible offense is not much of a consideration. I am Master Juno, Orphean Alchemist, Arrow and Obrimos, Master of Matter, Death and Forces, Disciple of Prime, also of the Martyr's tree." She grimaces faintly. "Sorry. That is as short as I can make it without feeling like I am trying to hide something. Are you here to investigate the uncertainty of the fruit? Or are you perhaps part of the reason it -is- uncertain, sir?"

After the spells finish dropping onto him, envelopping him like a wave of water or a cloud of fog, he vanishes completely from their sight without any word spoken beyond what he's already said. No effect remain behind, nothing harmful befalls those near where he was.

Maybe 10 seconds later, the Mist Haven flicker out of existence, ended by the will of it's creator.

The swirls of Mist around the trunk of the Martyr's Tree stop almost immediately, floating down and spreading across the area evenly, not unlike a sigh of reliefs. A branch grows before their eyes and a crystalline apple appear at the end of the branch with a little flash and gleam in their periphery.

The branch, just like that, grows brittle and old, bending under the weight of the fruit, slowly morphing into what seems to be a weeping willow branch that goes through all seasonal stages along the course of its branches, bringing the fruit even lower.

Mei was about to say something when the man vanished. "Shit," she says with a glance around, like she's concerned about threats appearing. "While, that didn't go the way I would have hoped. I have a suspicion there's a good reason why that man didn't want to pay a visit to the Arboretum, and it's because he would have been distinctly unwelcome." She frowns, but she gives Amity a nod and agrees. "I think it would be good to get back and report what we found. It's not like we can't come back here pretty quick if we need to, right? I wonder what he got out of all that, though. Couldn't he have done... whatever it is you did, that gave him information he was apparently after? Oh well."

Liezel starts faintly as the man vanishes, chewing at her lower lip. "... apologies. I may have unsettled him by openly casting my spell. I will take responsibility for the abrupt end of our conversation. He was, though... attempting to deceive us. The spell I cast was one to discern truth, and he was not speaking it. He was who he seemed, though- and in his departure, he seems to have resolved the uncertainty of the fruit?" She chews her lower lip a little more. "I would like to leave, too. And have the sympathies purged. This is a good idea."