The goliath was the last one across the gap, catching up with the others and walking along behind them on their way to the next obstacle. He said very little for the moment, listening to the rest of them and keeping an wary eye on them. He rumbled softly when Umraeyrr finally wanted to learn their names and finally, from the back of the group he spoke up with "Atsushi" and said absolutely no more than that. Either he recognized Umraeyrr was introducing himself and looking for names but didn't speak common, or he spoke common and merely didn't want to talk. That would remain a mystery to his companions for the moment.
Gimli, when asked, would flitter ahead to the maze and stop a dozen feet before it, the poor bat came winging right back to Cyrus to cling to his pack and clothes and hide it's head in a dark space, dizzy and clearly frightened of whatever it had seen and needing to recover before coming out of it's attempt at hiding. The maze was shifting and changing too much for the bat's senses to be able to pick up on anything, the echolocation only returning a confusing mess of information.
The humanoid cleric gave a slight smile as almost everyone had introduced themselves so far. "I am James, pleasure to meet you all. I'm a cleric and I come from Ten Towns in Icewind Dale." They were keeping a close eye on Soren and his sore hands right then, but also observing their companions to make sure everyone would be okay and didn't require aid. The dragonborn was the last to go, after Gregor introduced himself, dipping her head and making a gentle motion with her hand that was clearly a greeting. "I am Koalasa, you may call me Koa. I have studied deeply into many schools and kinds of magic." But that was as much as she would give away right then.
--- Investigation Of The Maze ---
The wall of bushes was near enough to where the group had stopped that he heard them while also looking the greenery over. Walking almost to the point of being toe-to-trunk with the base of it he tilted his head back to look almost straight up then to either side. Left and right the wall of bushes disappeared into the distance, cutting off the forest like a line in a children's coloring book.
Trees. Hard line. Maze.
He took a step back and looked the situation over again for a moment longer. "Whole bunch of new things today." He spoke under his breath, soft so he could still hear as Raven made her talky part. "Why not a bush that can't sit still? Sounds about as reasonable as the ground deciding to just give up part way across the biggest park I've ever seen."
Twisting his left arm behind himself he got access to a pocket on the left side of his backpack and withdrew a pair of pitons. One in each hand he eyed the pointed ends then the apparent density of the branches.
Selecting a point at about his own shoulder height, roughly 5' off the ground, Ransom lifted his right arm and stabbed with a horizontal using more elbow than shoulder. Testing the force needed, whether it was even possible, to set some climbing points to get over the wall. Due to the way he'd attacked the bushes he had needed to be quite close up but because he had not thrown his weight into the attempt he maintained his option of springing backward away from the target if it reacted badly.
Ransom really couldn't see much aside for the thick heavy greenery before him, and his stab at the shrubbery bounces right off without even leaving a mark or ruffling a leaf.
Putting away the pitons Ransom again walked up to the green wall. Raising his left hand he tried just working the claws of that hand into the bush. Not yet to climb or even gouge he was just seeing whether it could be grasped into.
Ransom digs his fingers in as best he can, a one two three and he finds himself sliding right down as if the leaves were coated in something quite slick and slippery.
Soren would finish his investigation and wait until others joined him, however seeing what Ransom is doing he would inform them. "These things aren't cutting and they aren't budging. The only thing I haven't tested is fire just yet but I expect that could be a far larger mess than a help." He explained as best he could, looking back to the group as they finished their introductions. He wouldn't go straight on ahead this time. Their individual skills would go a long way in getting through this, and despite his disposition he didn't want to see any of them fall into a trap.
When Umraeyrr approached the hedge Ransom continued watching it warily but explained as much as he knew. "It is hard like stone to pierce. When you do it is slick, kind of fluid but not a proper liquid. I hold out no hope of a grappling anything being able to keep a like up for safe crossing this time."
He glanced over at Umraeyrr, "Good idea though. Helped with bringing the group together some, I think. If you can use a few more obstacles like that it'll a tight little party in no time."
Returning his attention to the plants he backed away to be sure he was out of damage range. To himself he continued, "Skeptical about fire though. Worth a try I guess. Also there's someone who can light fires without the noise of a flint and tinder."
Raven speaks up, softly "magic don't burn don't waste your time. Why don't we just go around? How big is it?"
Ransom's monochrome blue eyes turned to the one he had recognized as a rogue. His tone bordered between disbelief and disrespect, "Princess of the Ravens, how the Nine Hells--which I genuinely hope are not related to this Forest of The Nine--do you expect any of us to answer that? Or do you think one of us is lying and already knows this land?"
Shaking his head he turned from her to seek out the Goliath. "Do you know more lore about this goddess, Ao, Mistress Ivy Greene or the trials she uses to conscript her new Champions?"
Quietly, listening if and when others spoke but generally not responding, Ransom kicked at the ground with the toe of one boot. After trying to unearth a little stone for a bit he dropped in place, crouching on three points and experimentally digging with his free right hand. "Anybody know about Sapping?" he asked generally.
Raven sighs and looks at Ransom, "I know some of sapping but it requires digging tools. I had thought though perhaps our companion who was recently above us in the trees with his little batty friend might have had some idea of the scoop of this thing."
"He's already told us it was a moving maze," Ransom reminded with a tone about as flat as hers. "I don't know what else you want him to see but it made the bat ill the first time it tried also."
"Do you know more lore about this goddess, Ao, Mistress Ivy Greene or the trials she uses to conscript her new Champions?"
The goliath gave a shake of it's head, attempting to stand on his tippy toes and look over the edge of the hedge maze. "I know nothing more than I have said already horned one." The big creature rumbled, "And for as far as I can tell the maze shifts and goes on for as far as I can see."
"My father once told me that when lost in fae magics, like a maze, keep your hand on the left wall and facing your destination." Nera announced herself, lightly stepping into the conversation as she placed herself next to Soren, turning her eyes up to look at him. "When you are lost in a forest, or unknown terrain what tactics do you use to overcome the situation and find you way home?" Skill sets and use there-of were the only way the group was going to be able to get by.
If a deity summoned them all it was more thought out than she would probably like to think about. So the tests had to be designed with their composition in mind.
"I've had no encounter with fey, but there are similar sayings of the mazes in the underdark... though not always true it helps many." Umraeyrr comments as he follows after Nera. He then looks over to the Goliath. "Would you mind sharing what you learned with us?" He says as he looks over to see Ransom and Raven stepping off to the side. He'd check up with them later.
--- Ransom & Raven ---
Raven takes a step aside with Ransom in the direction he indicated and waits to see what he wishes to speak of.
"We know eachother, to a point. Now I make a gamble..." Ransom was not hesitating out of indecisiveness but to give her a moment to reply, verbally or through gesture. He was almost desperately curious to get what she would reply, even silence would have meaning!
Raven lifts a questioning eyebrow and waits for him to elaborate. She gives a graceful hand a spin to indicate well continue then.
Reaching to the neck of his tunic Ransom pulled a cord which, it became obvious, he had around his neck. Pulling it free he continued to run his finger along it to grasp, display then clasp before his chest. The amulet was sewn leather and impressive embroidery; impressive because pressing even something so fine as a needle through leather was a hard task. It was a harp on a field of blue; sign of the Harper's Guild of outlaws.
For a task--not long ago enough in the before--it had been made public, grown into being a fad for Wealthies to play at being baddies. His symbol, though, bore the marks of a genuine copy of the crest.
"I don't recognize your...marks, I guess. Seriously if they are there then their too subtle....Harper's Guild has conflict with no guild of Waterdeep. Do you intend to continue that general agreement of peace?"
Raven says softly in her husky alto "I was raised in the temple of the Raven Queen deep in the Shadowfell. I hold no other allegiance other then to my mother. All the temple raised are considered her children. Waterdeep was merely a place to collect my bearings in this world of brightness after I left the Shadowfell."
A tiny "huh" acknowledged each of her corrections. At the end, though, starting at the use of 'brightness' he sharply focused, in a way far more intense that the words she ended with would normally merit.
His posture changed, all over he became quite relaxed. Relaxed but eager to hear from her again. "You came out of the within, into the without? Were you newly a slave or did you reach that point of snapping which some do?"
Raven shakes her head and explains in that emotionless husky alto of hers " There are places that are gateways between the Shadowfell that is a dark mirror of this world. Places usually where great evils and darkness have befell in the past. If you know what you are looking for they can be found and used freely. I was shown through at such a place. No collar has ever graced my neck."
She continues "I came because it was asked of me to be my mothers eyes, ears and hands in this world."
Ransom obviously spent the time where he paused then to sort the new information. All of which he accepted as truth. Then to check his understanding he repeated it back to her.
His way.
"There are panels in within which allow things to step from there to a place much like the within but is far harsher." He paused again, this time just to get hold of the next bit.
"There is the land of your mother," the emphasis he placed on the last word made clear his intention to show it did not mean an actual mother, "and also it is the land into which, prodigiously evil, things from the Above are tossed."
The last he actually felt more confident about. "And your Mother," again the falsifying emphasis, "is shockingly permissive but also has interest in the Above."
Finished he immediately closed his lips and waited with uncertainty for her approval or censure.
Raven responds "A interesting perspective on the matter. More or less yes and how could she not when her world is a darker reflection of this one. Changes here portend changes there. It is not impossible she saw the possibility of this thing that has been implied is of major importance to the existence of this world. It would stand to reason if one is destroyed the other might as well."
Ransom gaped with overt awe. His tone was softer and also filled with awe. "oh! oh Then this is very personal for her. And you," he backed a step away from her and lowered his head a little in respect. "You must be her most trusted to have such a critical mission."
"I am but one of many. She has many murders at her command. I am just one raven but perhaps the one that was felt to be most suitable to be sent to this world. Most likely to be recruited to this trial. There are many with more favor and skill then I. Any ties I once had though were recently severed." She touches the scar on her face. Well I healed the rest of my marine unit perished. I alone was left." She says emotionlessly like it is a meaningless thing
It the shadows creeping over them, cast by the trees to their west, whether he went so far as to pale was indeterminate. The dark maroon red of his skin also made it difficult.
Ransom's empty right hand made a loose fist which he held before his mouth. Looking over his own knuckles he attempted to work this out without too great a pause. Emotionally based pressure built rapidly. Words had to come soon!
"Would you allow me to take Umraeyrr aside and discretely inform him of some part of this? He knows a lot about the--Underground and he understands much of life in the Above-Ground as well."
Raven responds in that emotionless husky alto of hers " I do think that you have made a small mistake in your logic. The Shadowfell is a beside not a Underground. I can logically think of no reason that you should not. Unlike what seems like all beings of this world I am not driven by what you call emotions. So I have no feelings about anything as far as I have been able to determine."
Ransom turned that over like flipping a coin and immediately resumed his usual, disinterested yet not coldly so, posture. He did not release his charm though. "So you are sure enough to declare it a fact that you cannot care. You're going to complete your mission, or die working toward it. And nothing anybody does matters unless it negatively impacts doing what you were sent to do." Ransom paused again, checking as to whether he had these points, at least, right enough.
Raven nods "of sorts I will endeavor to keep the rest of my unit alive as much as possible as they could prove critical to the success of the mission. However the many outweigh the few. With the fate of the worlds in the balance."
"I understand that," he responded with a dismissive tone and flip of the wrist. Not bothering to look at her while he spoke, Ransom instead shrugged out of his backpack, set it down before him and began checking the supplies and gear inside each pocket.
This, he had to get right. Possibly the first time would be his only chance. locating the small crowbar in his bag he continued checking and adjusting the placement of his things. He could grab the crowbar while tumbling out of reach if he did not say the right words.
"I would like to, offer an additional action to some of the deeds you potentially could decided are required. First of all, unless it is clearly and completely necessary, I suggest instead of killing me outright that you instead warn me." The next he did look up at her for.
"I know that sounds bad. I'd be on guard if I had a warning. Or I could summon the others. However, I suggest that it in the better interest of your goal to warn me. First of all a body may be found. The Gnome has a bat. He and Soren are quite strongly drawn to nature. If a body were just lying around, they could find out. And that would result in physical and lethal combat obviously. So instead, you warn me. With that warning I will pick a proper time for it and leave them. I will not come back and I will leave as silently as I am able. No body to find. No target for blame but me, for abandoning them. You see?"
Raven lifts a eyebrow at him "Your terms are acceptable. I find it highly improbable though that the advantages your skill sets give will be deemed worth sacrificing by my hand. You are quite competent. That would at this time in my opinion be wasteful."
"Competent?" That was not a word he had considered applying to himself in any context. Raven's statement had to be a lie or a truth, she would not try to flatter.
"Speaking on skills, I think I have a solution to the wall. At least one worth trying." He put his dirty stone into an outer pocket of his bag then stood. Using what force it could add he swung the backpack up and behind him to put it back on. Through the whole, quick, process he worked hard to suppress any expression of great pain.
He did not bother with the politeness of a parting exchange. The hope was to make himself make more sense to her.
Raven tilts her head, understanding that Ransom considered the conversation to be done with his actions she follows him back to the others.
--- Back At The Maze ---
Ransom approached, not sneaking or even slinking but giving care to the placement of each step he took. He was trying to read Umraeyrr carefully, ready to back off if the dark elf seemed more inclined to stay and wait for his re-recital of information.
The Goliath seems mildly irritated with Umraeyrr's question, but after a moment he answers, giving the same information as he had given to Ransom, Raven, and Soren moments before. "The maze shifts and goes on for as far as I can see, I know no more than that."
Ransom would find the Goliath turning to keep an eye on him, but there was no question from the biggest of them all as to if approach was allowed or not.
"I apologize for asking you to repeat the information, I hadn't the chance to catch it the first time." Umraeyrr murmurs.
The whole time Soren had been considering what they might try. Admittedly a maze was not one of those things he had dealt with personally. Mostly only wizards and the rich had the capacity for such things and he'd never had much encounter with either of those. Looking up though he met Nera's gaze and responded with at least what he knew.
"What we will consider is to test a few things. Thus far it only seems like the walls themselves wont remain the same. So we can designate someone to hold onto a bundle of small brunches, Every time we find a path that leads to a dead End we will put the branches in the ground as an X shaped marker. We can use this to also indicate paths we've already traveled by marking with a single branch in the ground at the beginning of a path." Soren explained, finally straightening up he was a bit taller than the woman but not so much that it seemed like he was entirely looking down on her.
"Mazes aren't really a specialty, but when traveling a new forest it is best to place markers, something to help you know where you've been." He spoke softly, mostly to her and her friend that had followed close behind. "We can only afford to split up at forks in the road, and even then only until another fork, If we go at it by just tackling it, you might get lost in there. The cross method will help us know when a way is useless... but then again if these walls shift constantly this might end up wrong anyways." Soren sighed and brushed his hand through his hair.
"Really all there is, is to try." He wasn't different with anyone. Calm despite what the situation proposed. Relaxed and focussed on the task ahead of them. There would be time to get to know his traveling party in the scheme of things but that would come after they'd gotten through this and were somewhere safe. "I can lead and do my best to mark the ways, once everyone is ready. You seem to be the leadership type Paladin, so if that suits you then just say the word and we'll get going."
"Going how," Ransom interjected, using the chance to step closer to the group. "I missed the part where getting beyond this outer wall was solved."
"That's simple as following the wall along until we find the entrance, The real trial starts once we are in I think Ransom." Soren piped up.
"Seeing as our friend here has a flying companion, wouldn't it be possible for them to fly up and help us find the way?" Suggested Umraeyrr
"So, no plan at all," Ransom nodded. "You're just assuming that there are more than one entrance and that there are entrances on this side at all. And then after getting through, or maybe along the way, working your way back into an easterly alignment with the glade we woke up in." He tilted his head to one side and gave his pronghorn horns a little toss, his version of a shrug. "Wonderful. I won't be doing that but definitely good luck."
Raven just stays silent and watches the discussion
Soren shrugged a little. it wasn't a bad plan in theory. "I think it will depend if the walls are that accommodating of the critter. It would be up to Cyrus if he is alright doing it that way, I still suggest at least marking dead ends." He'd leave it at that though, talking between them now. He looked to Ransom and laughed. "If you got a better idea, by all means I'm all ears friend." Soren looked back to the maze again. Things like this was a deterrent. More often than not it was the indecision that remained the worst factor with puzzles. Overthinking it. "The other option we have is to follow stars and find a way to keep pace of what's north. But honestly we aren't getting anywhere shitting on ideas and debating the first step. Considering we are apparently in competition with others too, I'd think we wanna get a move on pretty quick one way or another."
Ransom had to snicker quietly at the whole 'shitting on ideas' part, not intending it as a mockery, it just seemed genuinely funny to him.
"Atsushi," Ransom looked up to address them directly. "You said you can see over the hedge, how thick is it? The wall here I mean." With that information he went to the forest, which was still pretty much surrounding them, except on the hedge side. Grabbing up a stone he brought it back and held it out. "Would you mind tossing this over the wall and then checking to see if it landed on the path inside?" If that went well he intended to speak with Cyrus next. He was starting to think more about the time though and briefly looked west to check the sun.
The goliath's eyebrows began to inch downward the more that Ransom spoke, but he followed the tiefling over to the edge of the maze, taking the stone and hefting it. He attempted to toss it over the hedge and found the stone shot right back at him, the stone hitting him square in the sternum and knocking him on his ass, the big guy coughing and wheezing.
Alarmed the cleric rushed over and knelt down by the goliath's side, reaching out to heal him a little. "What the heck?!" They demanded of Ransom and then muttered under their breath, soothing their larger companion until the goliath could get his breath back. "I don't think attacking, hefting anything, or trying to break through is going to work here. Stop, before someone gets hurt!"
"I'm not an expert on mazes or finding my way, so I'll leave it to you and Cyrus to handle then." He says to Soren before looking to Ransom. "I know you've got wings, but I've never seen you use them. Can you fly with them?"
"ah" Ransom doesn't shuffle or look aside but he does start to go flat affect. "No."
Soren settled in at that point, offering a quick salute to Umraeyrr in response to their difference of expertise. He looked to Nera. "So you are a rebel fighter to the south huh? What's that gig like? Admittedly I haven't been much further south than Baldur's Gate and that was only once." He was going to pass the time, as Ransom got whatever answers he was searching for. Nera seemed interesting, like she had a lot going for her. So why not. At least until a decision was made.
Cyrus looks at the group during their discussion, "I doubt that flying is going to help us by looking at the maze from the top down. This is a magical maze after all, and with the capabilities that is the first answer that anyone would think of to circumvent the maze"
Cyrus continues "additionally, while Soren's idea of marking paths is great and all, I'm unsure about its viability since it appeared that the maze was constantly shifting, so marking our pathways might inhibit us more than help us. I personally would like to take a few minutes to watch the maze as it shifts, see if there is some kind of pattern to it or if I could ascertain some kind of pathway."
Ransom's eyes are distracted and his voice less expressive. "Would you look to see if it is all the walls or just some that move? Running right-left and forward-back..." He reached up and started rubbing his leather amulet in a worried gesture. "Do the walls always leave the same width passages? Does anything ever run completely along a pathway so it would sweep away anything there..."
Ransom's head turned away a little from the group but not the same way his eyes were searching. He worked to control his breathing and closed his fist tightly around the charm on his necklace.
"Umraeyrr said to just focus through it," he half whispered. "It'll pass and I'll still be fine." His free hand came up, the arm wrapping around his middle and he focused on the texture of his leather necklace and his breathing and did calm down after a few minutes.
With a toss of his horns Ransom blinked a couple of times and mentally rejoined the group. "huh?"
"Well yes, that is what I'd be planning to look for. Any extra info that we could use to our advantage, and while we may be on the clock in some way, time spent planning is never wasted." Cyrus noted.
--- Umraeyrr and Nera ---
Nera stood quietly, listening to the veiled dissent of the group as they sorted how to handle this challenge before them as she worried her bottom lip between pointed canines. This was a mess of ideas. Soren's voice drew her eyes back to him as the worried look dissipated quickly into a reassuring smile. His question both surprised and pleased her, at least someone had caught what she said it seemed.
"Dangerous? You can't tell friend from foe most of the time and all the powers of your home want you dead. But you get to see the happiness of freedom in the eyes of innocent people so it makes it all worth it in the end." Her words had a natural canter to them, playful and light despite the utter seriousness of what she was speaking of.
"I'll admit I've never been that far North either, but my father spoke fondly of his time there. One day, perhaps when my job is done I would like to see it for myself." She paused a moment, a stray thought seeming to cross her mind as a devil worth smirk bloomed to life on her face. "So how is the gig of being a mercenary leader?"
Umraeyrr smiles as Nera approaches. "I'm a paladin still in training, so it comes as no surprise to me that they are very different from me." He stated with a grin before looking over at her. "You have a silver tongue, golden eyes, and skin of amber you are truly blessed." He responds with an equally playful and flirting tone. "I too look forward to working with you. I may not be as skilled a singer, but I will do my best to join you next time."
"In training? Hopefully this little... adventure doesn't interrupt that overly much." She mused with a light step to keep at his side if those chose to walk while speaking. Her violin hung casually in her hands that clasped in front of her hips, eyes staying on him with a calm sort of intensity in them. "I suppose so, but no more than you yourself are. Where I am from we don't see many of your kind and none who are so elegant. Though Calimport is not known for the knightly sort from any race."
Another soft laugh followed that as wandering fingers raised to try and push deep crimson hair back from her face, not that it would listen or be tamed so easily. "It will be a task to turn this group into a team, but the partnerships have to start somewhere. So why not between us?" A coy little wink accompanied her, seemingly careful chosen, words as the hand that had been in her hair extended to him. "Friends?"
One is not a fully fledged paladin until they receive spells from their God or Goddess and take their oath. Unlike wizards who often find years of study to advance, paladin and clerics advance through faith and action, if anything this adventure will help me." He explains with a soothing narration as he keeps in stride with the group looking ahead to the maze. "Keep staring at a man and you will find yourself stared back at." He teasingly stated as he glanced at her.
"Why thank you." He responded as he offered her his hand as they passed a fallen tree. "Considering you say you have two left feet, allow me to help." He offered. "In all honesty perhaps that's a god thing... many of my kin harbor no good will towards those on the surface. Still, I do wish to improve the situation for those of us who do live on the surface and have forsaken Lolth." He explained in a more serious tone. "Calimport... oh yes on the far end of the trade way... a shame they deal in slavery. I feel my kin may visit that city to sell people, but I'm not certain. My knowledge past the city of Waterdeep is lacking." He says with a rueful grin.
He looked over as she laughed and pushed back her hair. "I will admit you are quite stunning, but to seduce a noble paladin you must do far better." He teased, all the prior seriousness washed from his face. "Indeed it will be a challenge, but thankfully we're well on our way to getting some group dynamic going." He stated as he looked back at the others. He turned an raised an eyebrow at her statement, but his grin creeping upon his face gave him away
"Friends Indeed, I look forward to our escapades, and getting to know you better Nera." He stated as he shook her hand. "If we return to Waterdeep, perhaps I can take you to the balls instead of the bothersome suitors." He teased.
Nera nodded at his explanation of how his powers were obtained, acknowledging that she understood but not commenting further in it. "I simply tend to give the person I am speaking with my full attention, lest I miss minor...tells. My apologies if my looks make you uncomfortable. Ah, thank you." She happily accepted his aid past the tree before stepping away again to not interfere with their walk. The young woman's lips pressed together as he spoke of slavery, those were some of the very markets she was working so hard to shut down.
Her mind had started to wander back towards home when his next words brought her back quite sharply. "Seduce?" She blinked, taking a moment to process before laughing gently. "I'm going to take that as a challenge though it was never my intention to attempt and seduce you...at least not in the interactions we've had so far." That small nose of hers scrunched up its a playfully devious kind of expression.
"You'll have to teach me to dance if you ever plan on taking me to any such things. Though if we wake up back to where we left, I'll be quite a ways from Waterdeep." There was a faint tone of homesickness there as her eyes turned to look to the rest of the party for a moment. "I look forwards to knowing you better as well Rae." Those sharp gold eyes fluttered back to him, seeing how the nickname stuck.
"No need for apology. Simply don't mind me when I try and pick up your 'tells' as you call them later." He stated with his currently ever-present grin. "You're most welcome." He stated. He was glad she also shared a desire to abolish slavery, but it seemed his jest was taken more seriously than he intended. "I was merely teasing, but if you wish to try I won't object." He smirked with a mischievous look as he recalled over 40 of years spent as a toy... she would have a hard time seducing him like the average man. Still if she was as pleasant a person as she seemed, perhaps he would play along in the future, but for now they had a mission to worry about.
"I'll gladly teach you how to dance. Consider it helping you to overcome your second left foot for our adventures." He stated with a grin. "True, for now let us figure out the situation. Though since you're on the end of the trade way I'm sure I could send aid your way at the very least." He stated before looking at her and noticing the longing for home. "I look forward to working with you as well Nera." He declared, though he disliked nicknames due to the fact his name was given to him by Eilistraee... he could live with this one since they'd be in dangerous situations together... he knew Ransom was going to give him trouble for this later, but oh well.
"Calimport needs all the aid it can get, don't send it solely on my behalf but for my people." Nera mused, looking over the walls of the maze with a small frown. "I think our companions have been exploring this more than we have, let me see what information we've gathered." The bard moved towards Ransom a moment only to see him step away with Raven so instead she shifted her steps to go in Soren's direction.
"I'm unable to mobilize enough to help an entire city, as I'm only a courtier but I'll see what I can do in the future." Umraeyrr explained scratching the back of his head. "Indeed, I agree it's best we go find out what they've learned." He responded as he followed after.
--- The Group Are Still Not Gardeners ---
Umraeyrr places his hand on Ransom's shoulder. "Relax you'll be fine, just stick with the group." He offers with a smile before looking at the others. "It seems going through is no option, and we lack the ability to go above. I feel it's best we follow the advise of those well traveled in the areas of getting around mazes of all sorts. I trust the judgement of our two skilled trackers. I feel between all of us we shall make it through fine as long as we follow our guts and keep our wits about us." He declares in what he hopes is a rousing speech. "Nera, perhaps you and I shall work on keeping the morale of the group up? I feel song is a good way of doing so."
Unsure whether the Goliath would appreciate an offer of help to stand or concern for their wellbeing Ransom tried to settle for a cringe to express sympathy and surprise.
Ransom gritted his teeth and tried to not cringe away from Umraeyrr. He'd caught on that it caused distress to the dark Elf so he did try to hide it.
"Cyrus, didn't your Gimli actually cross over the wall?" he called in the man's general direction. This did not look good. At all. "Yeah, may have to reconsider that walk-around-it plan after all. Has anybody tried fire? Magic as well as mundane?" Ransom glanced around. He was probably rudely interrupting people's conversations but Umraeyrr had already spoken up so that seemed less likely.
This was becoming a much bigger problem with every degree which the sun crept toward the horizon. "Is Gimli up to following on this side of the wall to see if there's a gap within reach either way? Because if we do have to walk, I'm in favor of staying here for the night and heading out in the morning."
"Ransom, while I understand your concern, the situation is we're in the realm of a servant of the over god, I feel that to risk destroying the bushes would only be a risk to ourselves at this point." Umraeyrr calmly explained.
"Gimli got too uneasy by watching it, and didn't get past the walls" Cyrus says after jumping from his tree where he was watching the maze from. "Similarly, it made me uneasy by looking at it from above, so even if we could, going above doesn't seem logical"
"Furthermore, I doubt that breaking the maze walls is a good idea", Cyrus continues, "this is a trial. If it was any maze randomly on an adventure, it would be good to test these things, but the first thoughts to circumvent it have been thought of already. I'll hit the wall with a fire bolt, but I doubt it will do any good."
Cyrus's firebolt crashes into the hedge maze and unlike most things thrown at it so far the leaves almost seem to catch the flames, condensing it down into the size of an apple before seemingly consuming the spell, lighting up with a rosy red-yellow glow where it was hit but otherwise unaffected. As Cyrus came out from behind the tree he'd been hiding behind he finds a branch, suspiciously shaped like a hand, making a 'tsk tsk tsk' motion at him.
"Let me guess," he groused back sourly, "that idea was started by something the Badger kin said. The same Badger kin who had the only source of food or water we've seen since waking here. And the same Badger kin who gave us the order to travel east and the same one who was caretaking us while we slept?"
Raven looks at the sky determining the time of day, finding that the position of the sun hadn't even really changed since they'd woken.
"At least that one didn't bounce back." Umraeyrr comments with a sigh of relief.
With a wince Nera turned away from her conversation with Soren for a moment. Wincing ever so slightly as magic started being thrown about and people hurt. "Perhaps the fact it seems so daunting and unsolvable is the challenge itself. It very well could be an illusion to see if we will even be able to take the first step into it."
"Do we have a choice other than to play his game? I would like to hear it." Says Cyrus, a little agitated. He calms a little and continues, "whatever this situation is, what the Badger kin said seems plausible. Everything points to it being the case, and I doubt that a god would allow us to cheese through his trials"
"No Ransom, this is by reason and logic I deduced this considering how that our goliath companion was hurt. If the over god or one of his servants wished, we could be wiped out with a mere thought. I feel there is some higher purpose we are being called to here. I only request your patience in this regard." Umraeyrr pointed out.
"Absolutely we have a choice," Ransom flashed a fanged smile. "We can go poof like that human did. Whatever happened, he's not here anymore."
"I do believe poofing is counter productive to the task at hand. It would be illogical to just quite with the fate of existence being potentially in the balance. Unless of course you feel you are insufficient to the task. Personally I am unwilling to fail my mother and her domain." Raven continues
"Then be my guest, if you want to wake up then do it. As the badger kin said, if you fail then you'll go back to your normal life." Cyrus sighed, "However, I feel that there is a reason we are here, as Umraeyrr said. If you want to abandon it, then do it, but time twists at some points and some events are unavoidable, and I believe that this might be one of those times"
"My scan of the horizon has indicated to me that the lighting has not changed at all since our arrival here. Logic dictates there will be no night." Raven noted to her companions.
He looked to Raven first. She was definitely the higher priority in his estimation. With a calm tone and calm expression Ransom gave her a single nod. "Possibly hindering, yes I can see that. My point was that it is an option."
His eyes turned to look over the group then turned down, half lidded, and he puffed a sigh through his nose. "I don't care what purpose someone could have for me. I don't care if everything burns and the ground has to be remade by new gods."
Deeply he hated every aspect of the idea but he took a heavy breath and asked, "Right or left, which way do we start going?"
"A song?" It took a moment for his words to catch her, a common issue when so many things were happening at once. "You know I am never one to shy away from entertaining my friends." Offering the group a smile, Nera rosined her bow quickly before being to play. This was not the same playfully bawdy tune from before but a ballad. Slow and rich with reverb, the words of the song focusing on comrades facing strife as she danced away from her place and past the threshold of the maze in attempts to place her back against the vine of the initial inner wall.
She would easily find that she could back up straight into the maze, not at all being stopped by the vines, bounced out or otherwise sent on her way and Nera would back up a decent way into the maze entrance before the badger himself came trundling after her and called out. "Nera, you might think about stopping before you trip and fall." Phiris stopped then and gave them all a careful look. "You're all a very impatient lot aren't you? Well now we can get moving, come along come along!" He still failed to introduce himself until the dragonborn drew even with him. "You have yet to tell us your name...?" The badger looked back up at the dragonborn and narrowed his eyes. "I should give you some made up name just to mess with you, but because your charming companion is just that, I shall tell you a little about me."
He at least led them to the first split off of the maze. "My name is Phiris Clan Smith," His occupation as well, not just his name, "And I am a fighter of great renown where I am from. A small place full of folk like myself you have never heard of nor seen or been to." He gave a toothy smile. "This maze is vast, I wish you luck to reach the other side." Phiris stepped backwards and vanished into the leaves at the split, casting them as seemingly along and letting the group themselves start to figure out exactly where they were and how they wanted to go about navigating their way to the end. Of course as soon as the last of them moved past the entrance it would close behind them, cutting them off from their only known escape route and forcing them into solving the maze or not.
