Lightning in a Bottle (RP)

Roald is unable to hear Albert, and the group is unable to hear Roald'scall [ref]. The only means of communication the two teams have is the rope, and whatever signals you agreed upon before separating.

You ignore the distracting voices and they give up and fall silent. You have sloped down into a marshy area of the river and the mist is thick and heavy, forming a dense white wall in font of you. The rope runs out and pulls tight a moment before you arrive at the water.

The moon is in front of you and its light flickers as it plays off the water onto the mist. It is almost like it is forming images, projected onto a sheet in a show. You see the shape of an old woman, bent-of-back and clutching a walking-stick in both her gnarled hands. She regards you with nervous suspicion, but does not move or speak.

What do you do?

- Ezme -

It is hard to tell with the flat planes of the projected image, but you think the woman scowls as you address her thus. There may be a slight sneer of contempt at the idea of her being related to your goddess.

She looks slightly less nervous, but still does not speak, or really acknowledge your party at all.

- Gronk -

Ezme's polite and deferential approach seemed to fall flat and failed to illicit a response from the being.

Surprisingly, your outright demand for answers is more successful. The old woman appears to turn her face to you, the expression still not at all what one might call 'friendly', but she 'nods'... or at least that is a possible interpretation of what just happened.
She does not move, but instead flickers from one image to another: facing you, head up; then —flash— head down, her face concealed by falling hair; then again looking at you; with no intervening motion.

She seems to confirm that this is her doing. Detailed conversation with her may be complicated by the lack of speech, but at least she shows willing to try communicate.

What do you do?

At the mention of 'the townspeople' and 'harm' there is a flash of anger —and possible disappointment?— on the figure's face. Then the images changes to show you her standing without her cane, but holding her stomach in a way that suggests 'hunger'. Then she stumbles forward and grabs her cane, her face once more showing... annoyance? directed towards the townspeople?

What do you do?

The figure 'turns' to face Ezme and nods. There still seems to be a higher level of annoyance directed towards the girl than to the others, but you can't say why.

What do you do?

The figure looks frustrated at the questions. They are not easy ones to answer with its limited 'vocabulary'. It pauses for a while, thinking, then stares at Ezme in a way that is very reminiscent of an elder exasperated with a child that should know the answers, it touches its foot and then its hand, then is sighs and turns to Gronk, pondering.

After a few moments of awkward 'silence', the figure seems to have gathered its thoughts enough to try an explanation...

In a flash the cane becomes a knife, which it passes overs its arm. Silvery liquid drips, and is captured in a grail. In the next scene it is drinking from the grail, but the scale seems wrong.

Gronk: Something about this strange tableau reminds you of something, if you can just remember what it is. Some piece of local history or folklore, maybe? Something from the stage? Maybe with the others help you can put it together and find an answer.

What do you do?