In the Fields we Weave and Sow - Ashenbury - Bismuth Abbey

General Summary

With Raijun having expertly burguled the office of Monty Yontuma and the rest of the Wardens having made it out from their respective nights out relatively unscathed they found themselves resting back at the Stagwood manor. A new business partner aquired Miss Carter who is off to have a restful vacation after five years of work, the group reconvened on where to go next. Deciding that the best course of action was to aquire more information they plotted thier trip northward to the Bismuth Abbey where Myra's mother had arranged for them to meet Grand Curator Prendergast, someone she said could answer more questions on the scroll. Nari also suggested that the Abbey might have abilities to help them better track those with the scrolls currently, should the group want to continue persuing their latest attackers. With their work in Kolis-Tane concluded the Wardens have a peaceful remainder of the night as they prepare for thier journey north in the morning.
The Wardens awake to an overcast sky as they say their goodbyes to friends and family and make thier way onto the Stagwood train car headed north. Over the day the Wardens watch the steady climb of the train as they move up continent as the winds start to pick up and the air turns a touch colder. It's about a days journey Ashenbury, the first stop of the train.
As the train moves northward, Myra sits meditatively in one of the chairs - goggles down - as she pulls out a peice of thread she had been working on attuning to the transmutation scroll. As she conducts what looks to the other like an advanced version of cat's cradle, she concentrates on the weave and specifcally on the holes between the threads meditating on if there could be a way to fix them. As she works a knot makes its way into her thread, swearing softly and closing her eyes in frustration. When she opens her eyes again she see's the larger expanse of the threads, the colors binding and fighting against each other. As they continue to pull and shift until one of the threads extends and pulls the threads until they seem to balance in an almost mobius like pattern. As they extend into the mobius shape Myra feels the answer to her question, all can be rebalanced as nothing has been lost.
"What are you working on?" Sarya asks as she see's Myra swearing at the string.
"Uh - I'm trying to figure out how to repair the weave? That sounds a lot more impressive, I'm not actually having much luck."
Sarya nods, " Anything I can help with?"
"Not today maybe tomorrow," Myra shrugs.
As they move north Myra recounts that Ashenbury is a smaller mountain town that relies on the agricultre, hunting and small fishing that takes place between the land and the sea. It's one of the older and classically elvish settlements in northern Glemios. There's a sense of history and immaculate care in its construction. It would not be out of place for a family to live in the same town or even same home for several generations. History is even more apaprent in the old watch towers that gaurd from the forest and the sea, as there was once a defensive area that has now been reclaimed for farming and agriculture. Most notably the Al'tiem Orchards, a large export of the town with its wine, cider, and produce. There's also a notable sea legend that draws people to investigate the fissue sound. The creature, called the Depth Beast, was said to roam the nearby Fissue sound robbing catches of those who did not pay it proper tribute.
It's about six o-clock, the sun beginning to set as the train begins it's approach into Ashenbury. As the more perceptive of the group look out the train, they are horrified by the fields and orchards. What was thought to be lands of bountiful harves now lies fallow as fields of destruction and pestilence stretch before them. Clouds of insects swarm the workers attempting to remove the rotten harvest, trying to salvage what is left of their livelyhood.
On adjoining feilds the group notices large bounties of fruit almost split and sundered, abnormally grown in their size and shape. Buildings once proudly erected out of stone and wood now lay smashed to ruin as a lonely monument to what they once were. Evidence of a commotion or riot scars the town and what was expected to be an idyllic pine mountain town now looks like a warzone. In the distance, the group can see a mass of naval ships stationed out in the Fissue Sound, the banners of the council of Kolis-tane being erected.
Upon pulling into the station the group is informed that, due to recent events, the tracks ahead have been damaged, and that the train will be delayed until the following morning when they can be repaired. The group inquires with conducter as to what happened. He motions to a local guard who approaches.
The half-elven woman bows as she notes the symbol on the side of the carraige, "I apologize for the delay. There has been - over the past few days - some incidents within the town and through that have damaged the rails. I apologize, if we knew you were coming we would have made every haste to ensure your joureney was made unintterupted -"
Myra cuts off more apologies, "It's not your fault. What was the incident?"
She looks uneasily along the group, "Emotions have been very high within the town, as the - a strange strom has blown through. In it's wake it has allowed people to understand the intentions of their neighbors and with the imbalance of suddenly rotting crops and a cornucopia of bounty on others it has allowed inner demons to fester and grow until it created ... further damages to the city." Myra asks if the storm she mentioned was anything like a rift. The guard thinks, "There was only a beautiful display in the sky and then the following day... well it all started with the voices. People could hear each other and understand true motives."
Nari is trying to contain her smirk in the background, "Not very nice is it."
"Well it sounds like someone," Raijun glares at Nari, "is playing with people here." Turning to the gaurd, "When did this all start a couple of weeks ago?"
Adama minor illusions a rift, "Is it like this?"
The guard shakes her head, "It wasn't anything like that just lights in the sky."
"Was it localized or everywhere?"
"It was everywhere here. I'm unsure if other area were affected but it consumed the whole town." Turning to Raijun she indicates that the storm started a few days before the Wardens arrived in Kolis-tane.
Myra thinks, thumbing through a journal comparing it with other events, and notes that it seems to allign well with the break in to Fortis's lab. "You mentioned that some farms were disproportionally affected negatively while others were affected more positively, was there any sort of pattern?"
The gaurd thinks, "No that happened a few days later. And it was jsut overnight another series of colors in the sky, red and pink. It was a beautiful display but in the morning half the farms had large... well plants, then the others had stuff that looked like it had been left out to rot for an extended period of time."
Myra mentally connects to the group, "Plant growth is something I would normally assocaite with my scroll, you know given previous endevors but I didn't ..."
"Sure but a druid with a similar kinda of scroll could also impact the world in a similar manner. I wonder if there's a scroll games with people's minds, that's enchantment or illusion right?" Raijun asks.
"It could be illusion," Adama offers, "Divination would be what would allow people to percieve what others are thinking. but we know who has the divination scroll..."
"But we don't know where," Sarya points out.
"Don't we?" Adama asks.
"No, I mean that's part of why we are going north in the first place."
Back aloud Raijun wonders, "What would someone have to gain from destroying this area like this?" Raijun turns abck to the gaurd, "You mentioned something about some people making out well, who is doing well right now?"
"Well it was the families that had the largest orchards and fields. It was seen to be some sort of bloom upon the others blight. But when - now there has been a lot of unlikely events and everyone is a little riled up so I don't like to speculate but people went around and vandaliazed a bunch of the larger fruit. Claiming 'demonic posession'. They claimed the plants were coming alive and walking about the field."
"I would like to see the affected area if possible," Myra requests.
"It is certainly under control. You may enjoy -" As the gaurd politely tries to keep Myra on the train.
"I'm a druid," Sarya steps in, "perhaps I might be able to help?"
"Please, I think that would do some of them some good," The gaurd leads the group through the battered town to a series of fields. Sarya reviews the areas of rotten and overgrown and notices that the bands seems to be extending north south though there's no regular pattern to them. Adama suggests looking at the pattern from above so Sarya and Myra hop on Spryg and fly up. Myra concludes that the lines of decay do not look natural though there was clearly a movement of something.
As they descend Myra notes, "I mean we know one injured person who was headed south to north..." Sarya agrees. Myra continues softly, "I'm pretty sure he has the scroll of enchantment too."
"That would match up with timing," Sarya offers.
"I don't understand the transmutation aspects though... Perhaps because somone was pulling hard on one it affected another school?" Myra thinks, furrowing her brow in frustration considering the timeline of when the transmutations started, right around the time of the train station attack. "Oh. Perhaps where the weave is weak there's bleed when we pull. He pulled heavily on enchantment that would explain the emotions. If - when I pulled heavily on transmutation that would explain the crops. I don't know if there's much we can do for them to help now...."
"Would the enchantment scroll explain Alsume beleiveing he had killed his brother?"
"Yes it's one of the main reasons, well amongst other things, that I suspect Yamil has enchantment. While divination can be used to affect reading people's minds and divining where things are through connections, enchantment is the school that deals heavily with emotions, thoughts, and how you register and feel about them. One such ability is to modify someone's memory." Myra looks around at the distorted crops, her easy smile from earlier already slipping, "I suppose the crops are my fault then."
Adama offers that it's unhelpful to be upset as Sarya focuses Myra on seeing if there is anything to be done to fix them. As SArya considers what she might have to be able to help the rotting plants, upon her meditation she realizes that the fields that lie decimated looked incredibly similar to the last time she cast Blight. "This looks like blight to me. I don't quite understand the pattern to it."
"Well it would be hard to understand the pattern without going - higher up is the wrong word - further out?"
"Into the weave?" Sarya offers.
"Well, yes. If you looked across all the threads I think you would see a pattern only at that level."
"I guess how much magic would you need to be able to cast a spell at such a large level?" Adama asks.
"Oh - you know just like an anchors worth?" Myra offers. Sarya nods agreeing.
Myra and Sarya try to look into using plant growth to heal some of the more abused parts of the land. Sarya suggests that if Myra could channel the power through her she might be able to shape it into the restoration needed. Myra prepares, trying to limit potential fallout in case it goes badly. Setting up simply in the mud they try channeling, Myra taking Sarya's hands, but as they do the power feels almost clinical and artificial to Sarya and she is unable to redirect it. She breaks off the connection as Myra redirects the magic through her bare feet into the ground which quickly swallows up the magic. As Sarya breaks the connection Myra asks if she's okay.
Sarya motions that she's fine, she gestures to Myra's hands, "It's not life... it's artificial? And the blight, it runs deep. It sucked it all back." Myra looks disappointed but Sarya shrugs, "Nothing for it we'll have to wait for tomorrow."
Myra nods, "I think you're right there's not much more I can do tonight. I mean, I can go repair things. That's easy."
Adama contemplates, "There's defintely a secondary problem here. I mean the crops went bad but then people started to act a bit crazy."
Myra outlines that sher thinks it's all related through the scrolls. She explains the order as follows:

• Emotions started to heighten and go crazy the day Yamil pulled on the enchantment scroll in the Fortis Lab Break in
• People began hearing others thoughts the night of the attack as Surrat kept using the divination scroll heavily to break through the Stagwoods wards
• The crops got out of hand growing the day Myra was captured and pulled heavily on the transmutation scroll
• The blight happened at the same time as the transmutation when, during the fight Iroh pulled heavily on the necromancy scroll before he was attuned

She explains that she thinks that all of the lights and spells were caused either directly by them and their fights or others using the scrolls.
"This brings up the deleterious effects of us having the scrolls and the negative impact they have on the world," Adama ponders.
Raijun offers that the scrolls aren't so bad after you get over the voices. The group jokes that maybe that's just him because of his chosen one status and Raijun happily accepts that opinion. Raijun continues on his chosen one thread saying that perhaps he could crack this case open, even though Myra has just outlined what she believes happend, by talking to plants. Myra gives him a look but he is undeterred and marches over to the overgrown plant area finding a little pumpkin amongst a number of smashed gourd. He crouches an pets the pumpkin, "Little squash seems like you are in over your head. I wish you would tell me what made everything dead." As he does so it flips over and begins rocking gently on it's vines. "Holy shit! Myra! Sarya! Look at this! I'm communicating with a squash."
Myra looks like she's sturned slightly green herself as she observes the interaction, contemplating how the pumpkin was brought to life, "Yeah... It makes sense."
Sarya tries to pat it but it shies away from Sarya instead hiding behind Raijun's boot. "I should ask it the important things! What's your favorite color - wait no only yes or no questions. Little pumpkin can you point in the direction this started happening?" The little squash spins around with it's vines extended. "Everywhere huh? Jeez. What do you think I should ask it?" Raijun asks the group.
"Did you see anyone or anything that would explain this?" Adama offers. "And then, the day it happened did you see where it went?"
Raijun repeats the weapons but the pumpkin shrugs. "Are you connected with your other squash?" Raijun asks hoping maybe one of them had seen anything. The squash sadly tries to take some of the innards from the gourd over and put them back in before turning back to Raijun. "Aw. I'm sorry bud, you know the same thing kinda happened to me one time." As Raijun quickly continues past the looks of his comrades, "If there was a direction I should go to try to help you and the other squash?" After a moment of thinking the pumpkin hugs Raijun's boot. Raijun looks at the pumpkin then back up at Myra, "Can I keep it?"
Myra shrugs, "Sure it's a pumpkin. Just pay the farmer... Actually you know what never mind," Myra comments as she walks off to find the farmer to pay them for the pumpkin.
Raijun lifts the squash gently, "Okay man you can come to me. I'm more of a carnavore anyways." He turns to the group, "Guys I found the all knowing squash."
"The great pumpkin," Hagren adds.
Myra and Sarya agree to try again in the morning. As the group walks back towards the train they see the military setting up in a relief giving effort. As the Warden's walk through some of the soldiers recognize the group from the Beholden as word gets around. As they walk Raijun talks softly to the squash who seems to enjoy it.
"You should name it," Myra suggests, pointing to the pumpkin.
"You're right! Hang on a second," Raijun thinks, "His name is Octavius the Third." The group agrees that's an excellent name.
As Myra tries to help around the town before settingling into bed, she keeps finding herself arriving in front of an odd tower. In an older area of town it stands out. In an older form of what mostly passes as elvish the tower's name reads, "The Tower of the Second Anchor". Myra finds herself returning to it at least six times throughout the day. It almost stands apart from the town, tied more to the landscape than the buildings surrounding it. Myra can't pinpoint why she keeps arriving at the tower.
Myra turns to Sarya, who was walking with her on this particular pass, "You know I've heard mages are drawn to towers but I've never particularly considered myself one. And yet this is not the first time I find myself here." She turns to look at the tower which looks tastefully overgrown. Myra walks up and knocks to no answer. She tries the door but finds it locked. She sighs turning back to Sarya, "I mean I can get in..." Sarya nods to one of the nearby people and offers another solution as Myra blushes slightly saying Raijun must be wearing off on her.
They approach and older woman, Myra speaking first, "Excuse me to do you know about the tower? Who lives there?"
"Excuse me? What business of the tower is yours?"
"Meerly curiosity," Sarya smiles.
The woman frowns, "Oh tourists. It is a relic of an old elvish belief. But it si very nice at a certain time of year."
"What belief is that?" Myra asks.
"Go read it in a pamphlet somewhere," the old woman dismisses and starts to turn. Sarya offers to speak more perhaps over a beer but the old woman dismisses her and tells her she's busy walking away.
As Sarya tries to convince the old woman Myra touches her earing and sends a message to her mother, "We're stopped in Ashenbury, there's no cause for alarm. But, have you heard of the tower of the second anchor?"
A moment passes before Ladystagwood's voice arrives in Myra's mind, "Dearest daughter, the tower is of no concern to you. Not at this time. Maybe visit it during your birth season, that's when the light truely shines."
"Well I now have a season," Myra shrugs turning to Sarya.
"Which season is that?"
"Bloomscrest. I believe she was intimating that something happens to the tower during bloomscrest? Unclear." Myra shrugs and returns to the train for the night.

Evening in Ashenbury

Adama appraoches Hagren that evening to try the training that he had practices with Ayen (see battle rage under feats). He asks Hagren to stab him and when he does Adama feels the impact reduced, and the ability to redirect some of that pain into his attack on a nearby candle. Adama explains to a only mildly concerned Hagren that the recent training with Ayen has paid off and that he wanted to try the new ability. Adama explains that it allows him to reduce incoming damage while also potenitally dealing more damage when he strikes well.
While Adama and Hagren train, Raijun slips out into the night to surveil the town. Undetected through the night Raijun dances roof top to roof top, watching the townsfolk. He overhears many town gripes but notes that no one person seems to have benifited greatly from the recent events. Raijun enjoys the gossip but, while knowing a lot more about the town populace, begins his return as under his breath he whispers, "Nari what have you done?" Happy to blame any rouge divination magic on her, desipte her comeplete un-connection.
After an hour or two of watching he begins to head back. As he does Raijun notices a cloaked figure, the gait somehow familiar walking through the streets with purpose. As he trails them he notices them going from the north end of town towards the south, he calls out over the group chat but is too far away from anyone for them to hear the message. He tails the figure for a bit until he sees them arrive at the Tower at the southern edge of town
Sarya is off feeding the bats bread as Raijun returns.

Report Date

21 Oct 2022