D&D 5E (2014) Witcher: Mother of Monsters

[Quickleaf]

OOC: Oh yes, run with your theory.

 

[Axel]

Kynee moves aside to let Talashia pass. She gazes after the woman curiously. There was plenty of cold air these past days... She even complained of it last night!

She turned back to the possessed Odvara, wondering...

[sblock=ooc and roll]
Because I'm a troll who loves the first roll of a campaign...
Insight: 1d20+5 25

And WHAT a roll!
[/sblock]

 

[Skarsgard]

Darius felt like a child again, the current situation reminded him of being at the adult table, trying to understand what the grown-ups were talking about. Looking between the magic users he couldn't help but feel there was a level of conversation he was missing here.

When Talashia spoke he hoped he would get a chance to understand what was going on. From her demeanour he knew there was something either unsettling or upsetting her.

Darius stands and with a puzzled frown heads outside.

 

[Quickleaf]

Kynee recognizes that the spirit's questions have been about more than meets the eye. A question about ghosts because the spirit may herself be a ghost. A question about monsters because the spirit wonders if she is monstrous. A question about memories because the spirit can only barely recall her own memories. Each question has really been a reflection of the spirit's own state of mind. And thus it stands to reason that the question poised to Talashia - "have you ever harmed someone by accident?" - was also a reflection of one of the spirit's woes.

Meanwhile Odvara simply smiles at those getting some fresh air and passes her empty cup to Fergus to be refilled. "Tell me flaxen-haired one, you have not asked a question yet, so let me poise one to you: What would you die for? Surely there is some cause that drives you?"

 

[Steve Gorak]

Talashia narrows her eyes.
She looks around at the others. "The rest of you may wish to come and join me when you have a chance. Perhaps not all at once, since our guest here must have her diversion. But one or a few at a time."

With a curt nod, the sorceress steps outside of the hut.

Where are you taking us, spirit? Ethian thinks to himself.

Looking at Odvara, Ethian clears his throat. With the decorum hinting at his high-born heritage, he says "Forgive me my lady, but I have been tending this fire for some time now, and the fresh air would soothe my throat." He curtly nods, and walks outside to meet with Talashia.

"What do you make of this Talashia?" He asks the sorceress

 

[Shayuri]

"She's doing something," Talashia mutters darkly. "Every time a question is asked and answered, there's a little flare of magic. She may be telling the truth when she claims not to know what...but regardless, it's happening. She may be...feeding on it somehow."

The sorceress looks at Ethian impatiently; her inner turmoil finding an external target.

"There's power in acts of consent. Giving and taking. It's a kind of sacrifice. It may be harmless, I suppose. It's just that there's very little that happens with magic that doesn't carry a price of some kind. And without knowing what it is, there's no way to tell if it's one we're going to be happy paying."

She sighed...her little rant letting her relax again momentarily. "But since she has Odvara, and none of us have the means to expel her, we're better off not angering her. Just...give her as little as you can. We can minimize the damage, perhaps."

 

[Fenris]

Meanwhile Odvara simply smiles at those getting some fresh air and passes her empty cup to Fergus to be refilled. "Tell me flaxen-haired one, you have not asked a question yet, so let me poise one to you: What would you die for? Surely there is some cause that drives you?"

Fergus gets up and refills the cup in silence. He sits down again before speaking. "I am as you no doubt have observed also a witcher. Therefore what drives me and I would die for is what every witcher is mutated to do. Remove the land of monsters."

 

[Quickleaf]

Odvara gracefully tips her cup to him, running her fingers along her lips flirtatiously. "Ah, but what is a monster? No doubt you witchers have some black and white answer." The candles flicker with no discernible wind causing them to do so.

 

[Axel]

Kynee smiled, like a cat that cornered a mouse. "Is that a question out of turn?" she asked rhetorically with mock indignation. "I shall answer, but then you will owe use two answers."

Pausing for breath, she continued. "There is no black and white answer. Some humans are far worse. In visage and deed. So are some individuals of the elder races. Yet all hags are monstrous. There is the key to your answer."

Gazing directly at Odvara's body, and presumably whatever animated it, Kynee continued. "My turn then. Who have you harmed in life? Mortal and..." she gestured, lost for a word. "Otherwise," she concluded, lamely.

 

[Quickleaf]

Scrunching her eyebrows together, the spirit in Odvara bides her tongue, a look of quiet frustration at being caught at her own game by Kynee. "Harmed? Father, I suppose. He always wanted me to marry the alderman's son for some political reason, but I thought him too low-born. Was I mistaken? Hmm." She pauses, recalling others she had done harm to. "There was that one priest of the Eternal Fire who tried to excise me from a peculiar girl in a most violent manner that would have done the poor girl grievous harm. I...drowned him. It seemed fitting to end the firebrand's life by water."

When she admits to drowning the man, it's clear that she doesn't fully take responsibility for the act, as if it was something that happened - like the weather - and she is only vaguely aware that she had something to do with it.

She takes another sip of wine. "And the usual white lies and meaningless hurts, yes I committed many in my life, but always with regret. I've hurt far fewer than your dear Odvara, that much I'm certain. Oh, did I mention? I can see her memories, and there is much she is keeping from you." The spirit reveals with secretive relish.