pneumatik's WotBS 2 - The Indomitable Fire Forest of Innenotdar

As you approach the lake you can see that the seela village consists of about a dozen stone huts on what used to be the lake bed. All along the edge of the current lake is a line of brightly burning brush, and the southern edge of the village is protected by a stone wall. It looks like the only way in or out of the village is along the now mostly-dry riverbed you're walking along.

A fifteen-foot-tall stone tower sits at the edge of the lake. At its top are several seela who sing the sad song echoing off the cliffs. When you see them Tiljann starts humming along, then singing. Her voice is upbeat and tries to drag the others up with it.

Once you're within clear view of the village a seela comes gliding down from up where the lake's original shore before the indomitable fire started. "Papuvin!" Tiljann says when he lands. "Look what I found!" She gestures to the party.

"Look at who I found," Papuvin says. "Only take poetic license when you need it. Also, why did you bring this poor souls here? Now they're caught in the forest like us."

"No, they're what I was looking for. They're the 'beautiful thing' I was going to find in the elven village. They saved my life when other seela tried to kill me."

Papuvin is taken aback by Tiljann's statement. "My apologies," he says to the party. "We have all too few Singers these days, and no seela deserves a fiery half-death. Please, tell me your names so I can Sing thanks when my turn next comes around."


OOC: Papuvin and Tiljann speak common.


Papuvin, by Juan Navarro

"I am Hollister Avendri," says the fire mage to the seela. "What can you tell us of Indomitability?"

"Hello," the cute female halfling with red curls says stepping forward. "I love your wings. Do they really work? I mean, can you fly? Could you take me flying with you?" She says hardly drawing breath.

"What was that about you singing? I would like to hear you sing, maybe you could while we were off flying together. Please." she smiles showing her dimpled cheeks and blushes slightly.

Fritz yips and hops around catching a bit of his companions excitment.
_

"I am Liiros Tivaniel, squire in the Knights of the Aquilline Cross," the armored elf replies, bowing slightly to the older-looking seela. "And we were already trapped in this forest, at least for a few days now. We were attacked the other day by fiery stags, trapped between them and a wall of fire, until we destroyed those fire-stags, small though they were. We seek a way to be free of Indomitability's threats and continue on our journey. To that end, we must do something about the entity calling itself Indomitability. What can you tell us about that, and the situation here?"

Lytha

“Hi, I'm Lytha. I sure hope, Tijann is right. I'm growing tired of all this fire around us. We should show this fire-stag the exit once and for all.”

"Papuvin is our Songleader. He's been leading us in the Song of Forms for over forty years," Tiljann says.

"My apologies for not introducing myself," Papuvin says to the party. "As a protagonist, Tiljann, you know everything so far, but everyone here is in media res. Please provide more exposition."

A crowd has started to gather while the party made introductions. As Tiljann tells about her trip up the White river and the fight at the bridge in both song and prose, more seela come to listen. When she's finished there are nearly twenty seela listening. One of them, clearly charismatic from how other seela react to his presence, positions himself opposite from the party. He catches the eye of everyone in the party in succession with a purposeful look. When Shaylir looks at him she gets dizzy and has trouble staying on her feet, but it passes quickly.

When Tiljann finishes there is a restrained round of applause from the crowd. "Well, its clear you all need somewhere to stay," Papuvin says to the party. "Please, come and stay at my cave. Singers, please rest up." A handful of seela nod in response and head back into the village. The rest of the crowd wanders away.

Papuvin leads you up a small path out of the riverbed to a cave overlooking the seela village. It's deep, and further back its sparsely furnished as a bedroom. Up near the front are a few cushions and rugs for sitting. "You're welcome to rest here if you like," Papuvin says.

[sblock=Shaylir]You think you felt dizzy because of the song the seela are singing.[/sblock]

Shaylir composed herself as they left the group and were shown the cave.

"Rest sounds wonderful I think I must still be tired from the battle," Shaylir says bring a hand to her head. "And I think the singing is also effecting me oddly," she says to the rest of the group.

"It is like it is reaching inside me trying to pull me in two directions at once. And it is... overwhelming, I would like to rest."

Hollister takes a seat on a plush cushion, cross-legged. He watches Papuvin as the others enter the cave to find spots for themselves. After a few moments, he clears his throat to get the Seela's attention. "We are told that releasing Indomitability from binding would allow the entity to return to its own plane of existence, and free this place of the flames. What can you tell of us this?"

Arshen seems tense and on edge, glaring around with barely-restrained hostility at any seela who catches his eye. "'Somewhere to stay?'" he hisses to his companions as they head towards Papuvin's cave, keeping his voice low despite its urgency. "We certainly do not need somewhere to stay. Tell me thou art not really considering accepting the hospitality of these creatures! We know nothing of them, or their ways, but what they choose to tell us. Who knows what manner of cunning and capricious fey these might be, or what sinister designs they might harbour?"

He gives a ragged sigh of exasperation. "At least, if thou art all determined to indulge these sprites, have the sense to accept no food or drink from them. And do not sleep here," he adds urgently, regarding Shaylir with narrow eyes; most suspicious, that she should be affected like this. He watches his other companions keenly for any sign of similar symptoms.

"But I am tired now, Arshen." The halfling pouts for but a moment and then seeing the pillows as if for the first time says, "Oohh! Now these look comfy indeed. Can't we rest before we battle the fire stag."