Scene 1- The Mindbender's Hut

It is a warm summer day. The sun shines down from a clear blue sky. A few cotton puff clouds float lazily high above the forest treetops. Below the trees the sunlight dapples the ground. Forest life is present in droves, beetles scurry along the ground, ants busily gather food for their queens and their brood. A fox lopes between the trees searching for a meal, a group of squirrels chatter high above its head in an ancient oak.

Along a well traveled path, we see a young woman. A human woman who has only this season reached the age of majority. Her lush auburn hair is held back by simple twine and a small wild flower garland she has put together as she walked the path. Her dress is homespun. Simple and plain, it is however sturdy and clean, a testament to its craftsmanship and care. The young woman whistles snippets of a half remembered tune as she walks the path. On her arm she carries a basket, covered by linen cloth. Her bundle bulges under her arm and she shifts it occasionally to keep the weight from straining one arm or the other. A bee trundles up to the basket and attempts to investigate, but is thwarted by a gentle showing from the girl and the shifting of the basket.

The woman comes to a stream, a little wiser than a full stride length, and carefully steps on the larger stones placed to ease crossing. She has reached a small cottage, her apparent destination. She knocks but does not wait for, or receive, a response before entering the structure. Inside, the hut is dimly lit and the air is somewhat musty. The curtains are drawn and the hearth is cold. The woman places the basket on the modest table in the center of the hut and takes a look around. The hut is well appointed and divided into three rooms. The main area has a large comfortable chair and several other pieces of furniture. Five could be seated to chat and be warmed by the modest fireplace on a chilly night. The second room serves as the kitchen. A small oven and wash tub take up a good portion of the room. The rest of the space is filled with shelves holding a nearly impossible amount of bottles, jars, vials, and bundles of dried herbs. Tucked away in the corner is a small half-door that leads to a larder and storage for food stuffs that could spoil. The last room is a bedroom. The fireplace passes through into this room as well to provide warmth to the occupants as they slumber. A pile of threadbare quilts and blankets sit atop the thin but soft looking mattress on the small bed under a small open window that is also covered by curtains.

The hut is in minor disarray, looking as though some careless individual had been living here. There are bottles and canisters strewn about, obviously not in their proper place. The remnants of a meal or two remain on plates. One on the floor near a large comfy chair, another on a side table. When the woman opens the curtains to let the sun's light in, notes of dust dance across the beam of light. A slight smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she gazes out into the forest. She does not see the gray figure that rises from the bed and shambles toward her.

The gray figure extends a thin, gnarled, bony hand toward the woman as it shuffles forward. Slowly and silently the apparition advances on the girl. The skin on the outstretched hand is pale and leathery, cracked and calloused from years of wear and work. It is a stark contrast to the soft pink flesh of the young woman's shoulder and neck it is reaching out for. As the fingers touch the woman she let's out a sharp cry of surprise and turns quickly to face the gray being.

"Oh! Marta, you startled me." The gray figure, named Marta, is a thin worn woman of advanced, but not ancient, age. Her hair, once waves of gold woven with silver, now hangs limp and unkempt. It frames a face that once was lovely, though average beauty, now lined and wrinkled. Her thin lips are colorless and wide on her face. Marta's sunken eyes are rimmed with dark circles. The once bright green is somehow faded. Her gaze is long and unfocused, staring but unseeing. Marta removes her hand from the young woman's shoulder and looks past her into the trees outside.

[b]"How are you today? Have you eaten yet? Can I get you anything?" the young woman inquires of the older. "Who...? Marta weakly responds.

A look of concern comes over the young woman. "Marta, its me Sarah. Sarah Clairmont. I've come to check on you and help you clean up a little? I've brought your groceries from the market." With this response, Mart gives no indication that she has heard it, she stares out the window vacantly for a moment, then turns and shuffles over to the large comfy chair.

Sarah sighs, then begins working. First she makes Marta a meal of honey cakes and a few sausages. Then she sets to the task of cleaning and setting things right. Several times she has to remind Marta to continue eating when she finds the older woman just sitting with the plate in her lap as she stares out the window.

((Ooc - I would like each of you to describe what your characters are doing now. For those not from Barrelwaight, you can't tell why but you have all been drawn to this place. You see Sarah approaching Marta, the Mindbending Witch's hut and can get close enough to see the whole scene described unfold from hiding if you wish. Just give a bit of detail about what the familiars would do here. Chocokiko I left Coco out of my description to give you as much freedom as possible. Coco can be in the hut, or wherever you want in this scene. Also, if I need to edit any description of the hut or Marta (including need name - I couldn't find one in your posts or description - just let me know.))

Teasel, the Raven
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Temporary Aspect(s): A Long Journey's Toll
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Fate Point(s) 5

Driving eastward as if by wicked purpose, unsettling behavior for one commonly mistaken to be death's harbinger, a stocky corvid flies black gold in the early sunlight. She flits among the treetops and summer wind never resting for more than a moment to ruffle her feathers and catch her breath. The hurried blackbird keeps an eye to the west, in a conspiratorial or clever way, as if aware of some danger no longer immediate. She is the cat hissing at ghosts and the dog crying for the storm brewing beyond the mountains. Only there is no storm brewing this day, and the spirits of this forest are rumored to be kind.

Following the winding path of a small river the raven glides low toward a shabby cottage. At last she takes her rest, touching down on a window ledge of the humble cabin. Peering beyond the threshold she witnesses an older woman listless at her morning meal and a younger maiden at work cleaning house. She wonders what compelled her here, but makes certain not to announce herself for fear that the women might read her arrival as portents of ill luck or of death.

Silver moonlight glints from her eyes casting circles around her black pupils. She cocks her head about searching for hidden answers from the home and it's crowded shelves before retreating to a hidden perch among the forest trees.

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Action:
Sneakily Create an Advantage to Read Psychic Impressions on Places or Objects in visible portions of the hut
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Aspect Declaration:
Spirits Rumored to be Kind
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(Can spend a fate point for aspect declaration but not placing it for immediate use, just fleshing things out)

((For Torbern to sneak into the hut you would simply need to state the action and make a roll+Sneaky. To observe the intruders Coco would roll as well. Careful and Clever jump out at me as the approaches that makes the most sense, however it is the nature of Fate Accelerated to be flexible. I could also accept Sneaky, on the grounds that "It takes one to know one." Meaning a sneaky person naturally uses their knowledge to ferry out other sneaky people (or creatures in this instance. If something else comes to mind however, state your case, if it is logical I will accept it.

As I think about it more, Flashy and Forceful at the only approaches I'm not seeing as useful for observing in this instance. That doesn't mean they can't be used to observe ever, just not now unless you all think of a way to do it that I haven't

Since Coco and Sarah are the potential observers, they will each make their roll and those wishing to remain unobserved will have to roll Sneak to remain hidden.

So far we have Fenwick at +3 to sneak in and Teasel at +2 to sneakily cast a spell. When we get results from Sarah and Coco we will decide the results.))

As Fenwick is pulling himself up the window he finds a cockatoo stalking up and down the windowsill eying him very closely and suspiciously.

Coco reaches out with his mind giving Fenwick a very *bad* feeling about entering without permission.
Then he will try to get a sense of what drives that strange creature to sneak around his home.

He also noticed the raven on the other windowsill but since it only seems to be watching without the intention to enter he deals with the more important issue first. Also the raven didn't make any attempt of hiding so it seems to have more honest intentions.

((Results so far - Teasel, your spell goes off without any problem. The impression you get is this place is safe. There are numerous wards against evil magic and creatures. It would take a very powerful mage , or other entity, to disrupt the protections on the hut. You don't notice any wards that would specifically target you or your kind. However, the place is claimed by another, a common occurrence and practice among magic users. When a person stays in a place for a long time, builds upon it, and generally thinks of the place as theirs while in it, then it becomes true. Like "Nature" or "Reality" agrees that the magic user does belong there. The end result is that the flow of energy sort of "warps" or "bends" to accommodate their will making magic easier to practice. All of you understand this principal as just one of the basic laws of reality, like how gravity works. You could study it your whole life and your understanding would be immense compared to the next mage, but it would still only be a scratch on the surface of the actual truth.

But I digress, Teasel's spell shows this. The raven's initial though is that it is the older gray woman, but she reads as magically inert. The younger woman has power, but it is fledgling and more or less untapped. Then there is the big white bird, it is similar to the raven itself, in that it too was once a familiar. The wards on this place were not cast by this, though it now holds the claim on this place. That is something unheard of in your understanding, but then again, so are you. Your master perished, the pieces you brought back passed on and in bringing them back you managed to keep a small portion of your master with you, but the conduit between you was severed and you should have either died or reverted back to your primitive, animal state.

However, while you magic works, it is noticed. Both the white bird and the girl look directly at you. Without reacting though they both turn away. Something else has caught their attention, you are unsure what it is though.

How does "Hospitable, but weary" sound for the success? If Coco welcomes you it will change.))

((I have results for Fenwick coming but am having issues posting it. Give me a couple hours and then we can continue.))

((@Jabes-Unless you want to make the "Plate for a Shield" (or something along those lines) a temporary aspect, no roll required. If you do then choose an approach and make a roll. Manipulating metal is one of your Magic traits and right now you aren't affecting anything more than the "flavor" of the scene.))

Fenwick plays his haunting tune and capers about, his hooves adding a drum beat of rhythm to the song. Sarah sways back and forth to the music, clearly the spell has taken hold. Marta however remains unmoved. The music and it's magic don't seem to touch her at all. Marta simply stares out the window. Over head, a shape passes between the sun and the ground. Its probably a cloud, but Marta's expresion changes to one of fear while the cloud makes the sky darken. After it passes her exprsion retturns to normal.

Diginus is indeed correct. Had it been a cloud, he would sense it. The white cotton looking puffs in the sky however are moving slowly. There is no way it was a cloud. But the nature of the disturbance eludes his search. Diginus does however take not if the fact that the woods surrounding the hut have become very quiet. Almost to quiet?

((Coco and Diginus rush to find out what made the disturbing shadow, but the unknown creature is faster than they are. All they are able to determine is that the creature went to ground South of the hut, well away from the wards that protect the hut. There is a comotuon as several wild birds flee to the sky, and moments later a group of deer and several families of hare bound into and through the clearing. A sound, like a roar from several predatory beasts trying to call in chorus, fills the air. Coco and Teasel have a flash of unexplained dread wash over them, but it fades quickly. Diginus, Torbern and Finwick have an unexplainable deja vu. The roar envokes some half remembered dream in all of the familiars. Inside the hut Sarah drops a tea cup she was about to wash, the dregs splash on the floor. Marta let's out a whimper and a moan.))

With a dark eye turned towards the door, Fenwick hurriedly helps search for the missing book.

Diginus notices what Torbern is doing and nods appreciatively. He pauses his search for the book to sense if the house has any rear or side doors.

[OOC: Any results on Diginus & Fenwick's search rolls?]

The white bird Coc begins squawking and flying around the house pulling books from shelves and dropping them on the floor. Fenwick Diginus and Sarah are forced to dodge to avoid being hit."Find the book, find the book" he chants.
It takes some time but eventually Fenwick discovers a false bottomed shelf. The panel slides away kicking up a small cloud of dust. Inside there is a large leather bound time that is stained by cancel wax and worn with age. The tattered pages are coming unglued front the binding so it must be lifted carefully.. additionally there is a small bundle wrapped in a silk cloth.

"This is it. This is the book Marta always used while making her spells." Sarah exclaims.
"YES! BOOK OF SPELLS" Coco screeches.

Outside the roar is louder. There is a noise...like a tone to low to really hear, like bass rattling your bones. Then a wave of could smelling air hits you and you know, Marta's wards have fallen. Torbern has constructed his own. But will they hold? The beast is crashing through the woods getting closer.

Diginus, you identify there is a door in the kitchen that leads away from the beast's approach.

What do you do? Stay and fight or flee to safety?

((Sorry for the delay again...life. Anyway, you have, what you are certain is Martas book that she talked about. I will tell you this...the beast outside is not unbeatable, a challenge (I hope) but not to much. But it doesn't have to be beaten now. This is a decision you all have to make. Splitting the party is doable as well...though not advised.

Since the summoning is part of your Magic extra this would be a Create Advantage action. Choose your Approach and roll the dice. The difficulty is just a 0...so get a 1 or better and you have a Summoned Elemental aspect for the scene, a 0 means you succeed at a cost. You then can describe the elemental fighting with/for you in the scene. It will work just like any other aspect, invoke it for a +2 to your roll or a re-roll, and because it is your summoned creature there will be a lot of room to invoke it...you can command it to do just about anything an elemental of its type could conceivably do. (And of course a 3 gets you free invokes as normal for extraordinary results)

((Ooc...Jabes. I realize I should have waited for you to roll to summon your elemental before having Chimera crash onto the scene. Please roll for it still and that will not take your action for the first round round.))

Scene aspect anyone can invoke (with Fate points as usual): Residual Ward Energy, Kind Forest Spirits, Sturdy Old Cottage(Sturdy is thanks to Torbern's ward a few posts back), & Recently Fallen Trees

(( Awesome...so with a +4 you got an exceptional success... that means 2 free invokes. You guys get first actions since you were ready for this guy. I will tell you now that this guy has 2 armor. I don't want to surprise you when your damage doesn't seem to affect it.))

OOC: Let's lock this in as Create Advantage so that everyone can use it :-) I will use my next action to have the Elemental make the actual Attack.

((OK...then you have both successfully created advantages."Distracted by Diginus" has one free Invoke right now Fenwick's "Hidden in the Fallen Trees" had a whopping +7 result so I'm going to call that a success with Style and it has two free Invokes as well, so super sneak attack all lined up I would say!. I consider it bad form to attempt to Overcome these kinds of Advantages before they've been in play for a turn so Chimera will be attacking Diginus because he is putting himself at risk. Make your defense roll. You do not have to use any Invokes before you roll you can wait to see your result then am end your message to get the +2 bonus or re-roll. Once Diginus/Jabes has Defended it will be your turns again to attack or whatever else you might want to do.))

The beast snarls, growls, bleats and hisses its disdain for the little metal man jumping and flashing around it. The burst of light that accompanies each teleportation causes the beast to flinch, making it in prepared for the next place Diginus appears. However, this beast is an apex predator and its instincts kick in and it lunges for Diginus. The dragon and lion heads bite in unison then the rams head and viper lash out!

((Make two defense rolls. Invoke Distracted by Diginus after you get your results if you want to...you don't have to. It gives you either +2 or a reroll.))

((So that's a 3 and a 1 total comeing at you.))

[OOC: Oops, typo. My second roll Defense was done Quickly, not Cleverly. Hence the +2 and not +4. ]

Fenwick climbs/levitates up onto the table and creeps over toward Sarah, like a spider on a web. With baleful eyes and teeth showing, he approaches the book. His hand reaches slowly out to the book, and then snatches it and scurries to the other side of the table, glaring at the bird and the woman. He approaches Dignius and holds the book out for both of them, flipping through the pages. The book is upside down in his hands, his eyes darting back and forth between the big people and the loud bird.

"Yes, yes, we sees. Okay we fix everything." He scowls some more, and then stops, and flips a couple pages back. "Waits! We are The Key? Bird and Fenwick must tear off flesh and fit in lock? But where is lock? We must reads this but it not making sense." He frowns and mumbles. "Terrible bird wants take Fenwicks flesh and bones but I'll show him tearing and rending and grinding."

Suddenly the familiars notice, directly under the window that Sara said the others left through, a small shiny pebble. It appears to have an oily sheen on it that makes the otherwise dull gray show up in the shadows inside the hut. It is teardrop shape and rounded on all sides. As you approach you can see that it is turning, nearly imperceptibly, back and forth. The point of the teardrop points beyond the wall of the hut as it wavers slowly.

The stone does nothing upon being touched and but Fenwick can feel gentle resistance as he turns the stone. When he let's it go it flips back to its original orientation. You do notice however that the back-and-forth motion has stopped nearly completely.

((If it isn't clear the motion also indicates kind of a range. As Torbern gets farther away, the distance he travels left and right has a smaller affect on the stone. Its not exact obviously, you have no from of reference for how far Torbern has gone, only the general direction. As you get closer to him with the stone it will become more accurate. The only thing you know for sure is that he travelled on foot before so he probably hasn't gotten very far.))

:::So I think that's a good place to call this scene. I'm not going to close or lock this scene right now in case we think of something. But I will as we move into the next one. Retcons are an option if needed until this thread gets locked:::

OOC: I want to to say we took Marta's book with us, but I wonder how big it is. Would these little critters be able to manage it? And how important is it? Maybe we've already learned all there is to learn fron it.

Good point. It is rather large in comparison to the PCs. If they stood next to it standing up, it would probably be mid-chest to shoulder height. You can take it with you, but it will be cumbersome to carry. Fenwick could levitate it and it would not slow you down, but he would have to put it down if a fight broke out, or he wanted to use his magic in some other way. So it would be a risk of damaging or losing it. You do still have information to learn from the book, so you aren't done with it. Another option is to ask Sarah to try and figure out what you need to know and leave the book with her. It means you would have to come back to learn what she figures out, but Diginus can teleport.

So as I see it you have two options, take it with you and be burdened by it and risk damaging/losing it and not learning what you need to know, or leave it and you have to come back to Sarah and hope she learns what you need to know.

I guess we leave it with Sarah. What do you think, Qralloq?