Scene 1- The Mindbender's Hut

Coco swoops in again, picks up the cup by the handle and flaps his wings furiously struggeling to lift the teapot. Finally he hovers it high over the sink and lets it splash into the water filled sink sending drops flying.
Then he lands on the table again and walks up and down the table. He doesn't talk but he sends waves of welcoming feelings to the new arrivals. After some seconds everyone feels an unspoken question floating across the room while Coco sqwawks and bobs his head.
In his eyes still glints a little spark of suspicion but as the new arrivals don't seem to be threatening any more he puts that aside for now.
"Coco wants Bisquit!"

The black bird enters Marta's home cautiously advancing on the bowl of cream. A deep rumbling whines in her empty stomach until the bird's caution gives way to her hunger. Diving beak first into the bowl as an unsettling shadow passes overhead, Teasel pulls back from the milk just as suddenly. Teasel looks about worriedly, ivory droplets sputtering from her beak. "I am called Teasel," she all but whispers in introduction to the others. "You don't seriously mean we should run about investigating dragons, metal-one?" She shakes her head indignantly as if to say no, no, no, not this bird!

Diginus registers Torbern's odd salute & awkwardly returns it. To Teasel he says, "I'm not at all sure what we should be doing. To be honest, I don't know what possessed me to come here in the first place. I was on my way elsewhere on other business. As for dragons, not all dragons are cruel, though all dragons certainly need to be feared."

Diginus teleports onto the table. He puts the pewter plate down carefully and absently hands Coco a biscuit. He ponders: it might have been a mistake to come here. "I am curious, my new friends, what brought you here?"

What am I doing here? Fenwick considers the oddity for a moment, momentarily unsure what is happening. With a shake, he dismisses the uncharacteristic introspection and instead looks at Torbern suspiciously. "This one did it. His fault we came." His ears remain directed at the door, beyond which, he fears, is something terrible.

"Sis...Sister? You've changed... Marta seems to come alive like you've not seen her do, for Coco it at first seems his old master has returned to herself, except the connection is still gone. She continues to adress the raven. "OH! HAHAHAHA...I SEE! You figured it out to, did you! Clever girl. Our brother and his mad quest! He needed our magics, all of our magics." she says indicating Finwick and Torbern, "In order to claim The Dragon of Brass's horde and claim his treasure." Here she turns to Diginus, "And it seems even the dragon itself got in on the game. Good. Our brother has become an evil man. He seeks the secret of Apotheosis, to become a god in his own right. He learned he needed the three magics of life, Body he possessed himself. Mind and Soul he never had the talent for so he attempted to steal from us. The Dragon held the key, though I can't say if it even knew the treasure it held. But he couldn't do it alone. He needed help. It seems he found it with the Solidarity. He betrayed you though didn't he? Yes, I know, his treachery knows no limits." Another roar peels through the forest, shaking the house. "He comes, my wards grow weak. We five must ban together now and defeat him. Otherwise he will become a scourge on this world unlike anything we have yet to imagine. But...I am tired. I need to sit down, just for a moment...I...Sarah? Child you have grown. How long has it been? Your parents are well? Oh I need to make their medicine to keep their strength up...I need...I nee...my book. I took it from The Dragon you know. Heh-heh...that was an adventure... I...so many years..."

With that the old woman sits back down and she slumps back into the slack position from before. The light of intelligence fades quickly. The hut trembles again as the beast outside calls. With Marta's revelation, each familiar recalls a little more of the final day of their master. They see a man, bare chested, brown skin, black hair just beginning to gray, at that temples and peppered throughout. He is the peak of masculine human condition. He is covered in black tattoos all over his bare torso. The symbols form a trap that let's energy in but holds it until he decides to release it. He is casting a spell in this memory, one meant to steal the knowledge of the others and bend it to his will. A large python drapes his shoulders and its gold eyes seem to look at each familiar, through the dream. Its predatory gaze pierces the veil of time it seems.

The man intones a spell and the world goes dark for a moment. When the moment passes each of you realizes that you just witnessed the moment of your masters' deaths. That man was responsible, and the which tells you he is to the south. He has shattered your existence and seeks to take more from you now. What will you do?

Diginus emerges from his vision with a jolt. Somehow he senses that the others have just experienced similar visions. That this is what connects them. His master's killer! If that is what roars in the woods then it is fearsome indeed! Even more so if it bested mighty Vrexoeis! How can Diginus face such a foe? Vrexoeis did not create him for battle. Diginus fixed things, and opened portals for the powerful beings that served his master. Perhaps those beings would aid him?...but he banishes the ridiculous thought. It seems hopeless. And yet it appears he now has allies. He looks carefully at them. "My friends, it seems we now have some clue as to what our purpose here might be..." Diginus pauses. So many puzzle pieces! He needs time to think. "The old lady seems to know much, but the knowledge is jumbled up. If we only had a way to probe her mind we might learn something valuable."

Fenwick dabs spittle from Marta's chin with a piece of her own garment. We he turns back to the room, his eyes glisten with tears, but his face is drawn back in a fierce grin. His little body veritably shakes with rage and the entire cabin is buffeted by unseen forces, which cause the plates to rattle, and hair and feathers to ruffle. Mastering himself, he says "Fenwick thought ... but no it was him!" pointing to the south. "Dragon soars high is fearsome to behold, but when he passes over he best look out from below."

Diginus ponders Marta's words and thinks out loud, trying to put the puzzle pieces together: "Marta has (or had) a brother and a sister. The brother has gone mad, consumed by greed. This is the man in our visions, who killed our masters. The Brass Dragon...could that mean my master, Vrexoeis? The evil brother covets the dragon's treasure, and seeks the key...."

Diginus trails off when he realizes that if this Brass Dragon does in fact refer to Vrexoeis then the key may very well refer to him, oh dear! He shakes his head, recovering, and continues: "Or it may mean a different dragon altogether. Now five must join forces to fight him. What five? Could it be coincidence that the five of us have been drawn here?"

Diginus speaks to Sarah and Coco, "Now Marta needs her book, she says. Do you know what that means?" and to the others, "He comes, she said, and her wards grow weak. It seems you may get your fight after all, Torbern. But this foe bested all our masters. Perhaps we should all flee until we learn more?"

"Oh! A book? Do you mean that ancient tome she kept all of her recopies in? It...it's here somewhere."

Standing near the fireplace is an old pedestal. It is covered in way from many candles that burned low on it. Somehow this old tarnished piece of furniture is made more distinguished by its over use. However there is no book resting upon it.

Diginus helps Sarah search the place for the book. He glances up at Coco, "Any idea where this book might be, Coco? Can you tell us if we're getting colder or warmer?"

As he helps rummage, Diginus continues talking to the entire group, "Forgive me, but since it appears we are meant to be in this together, then I would like to get a better idea of what each one of us is capable of. A machine only works when you know how the cogs fit together. I can tell our friend Torbern here is a fighter. That is good if we are to stay here and fight whatever is coming through those woods. I fix things, and you have all seen me teleport. I may be of assistance if we all decide it would be better to flee."

"I, Fenwick, am a force mage. I find things and take them for old master. Now, master dead and I want fight dragon. But cannot do it alone." He looks hopefully at Torbern and Diginus, and suspiciously at the two birds.

"You say you are good at finding things, Fenwick? PErhaps together we can find Marta's missing book..."

Torbern is slow to shake himself of the vision. Unsure if he imagined it or if it was summoned from deep inside him he, for a moment, felt as though his connection to his master had returned. Hoping to stretch that feeling out he remained dazed as long as he could. But the world does not wait for those who live in the past. The thing outside was connected to his masters killer, perhaps is his masters killer. It wants in and is fighting to get through the wards. This is what Torbern was built for and if he had heard right Fenwick correctly he would have support. He needed information on what the enemy was capable of. Perhaps this book Diginus was looking for would help. The best course of action Torbern decided was to shore up the huts defenses. He slowly walked to the door and placed his uncharged fist on it. He pulled from the power deep inside him and cast a silent spell to put a barrier of energy over the door. Then turned to do the same for the windows.

Torbern hurries to the table. He gets his hands under one of its legs and flips it on its side. He is preparing an inner barricade. He looks to the others to see if they will join him in his plan to fight.

Diginus says to Torbern grimly, "If we are going to fight this thing then I suggest we do it outside, leaving Sara and Marta inside where it's safer. If it should go poorly I will try to take them away from here. Agreed?"

Fenwick dances with the book, and then drops it on the table and forgets it. He stands by Torbern. "This bad spot for little fauns. If we's attack, I distract it and then go side and try and not get eaten by hungry teeth. When its back is to the house, then you kill it from behind, yes?"

Diginus picks up Marta's book and pushes it into Sarah's hands. "Look after Marta and the book. If this thing threatens to overwhelm us I will take you both to safety." He then nods to Torbern and teleports out to the front yard. Diginus is afraid. He has never fought anyone or anything before! He suddenly wishes his former master was here to protect them. Oddly, he feels exhilarated as well. "I'm my own master now!" Untrained in battle he may be, but he feels an unfamiliar excitement for the impending fight. Perhaps it is the prospect of avenging Vrexoeis in some small way. Or perhaps it is the old dragon's essence-shard inside him that is itching for the fight. Already, blue lightning is crackling about him. Diginus wonders again if any of the storm elementals that once aided Vrexoeis would come to his aid as well. He reaches out with his mind, opening a portal to their world...

[OOC: How do I do this? Do I roll something or does the Stunt just happen? I never did work out the cost of this. Is this when I spend a Fate point?]