Legend of Ransera

Glade 2, 123

The torrential rains and downpours and brutal winds had finally abated. The clouds had cleared, revealing the great ebony ball in the sky that still lingered. The sun continued to make the bold and unpopular choice of not shining down on Ransera. As such, everything was still soaked, drenched, and otherwise fairly damp. Norani was out upon the beach, walking barefoot upon the sand, absorbing the water from below, nude as she normally was. Her Runes had grown far more elaborate since she and Imogen had last met. Her Elementalism rune now swirled with living wind, water, and lightning, and the tapestry upon her back included several more spirits that frolicked upon her skin.

She had come to a few conclusions about her mission now.

Help would be needed, and not just that which could be provided by the Spirits that were aiding her. No, this was going to affect the world and the world needed to be able to protect itself. She had also determined that this was not going to be a war against whatever this great and terrible being of darkness, no, that was an errant mindset, only further strengthened by Astrid's words. The Elements longed to be together, and they were separated, due this entity unknown. Norani was a conduit for the elements now, she would bring balance, she must bring balance.

And so her feet carried her toward another's hut.

She would need someone that was an incredibly powerful witch, wise from her many, many years of study, and didn't look a day over twenty-five. As Norani approached the hut belonging to such a wizened and mysterious witch, a curious little metal spirit appeared. It was the same one that had given the task of dealing with a minor feline issue to the Witch, and was clearly her most trusted companion in the world. Norani nodded her head in deference, and then spoke in Acherani to the small spirit, knowing it would understand.

"Hello there. I am Norani Windwalker. I have come to speak to your witch partner, to seek her vast wisdom and guidance and her aid in bringing balance back to the world. I have been to Agst'rasera, I have communed with the World Tree, and I need your help. Is she around?"

She hoped that Imogen Ward would be amenable to helping a young and fledgling with such as herself. Surely one of her knowledge and experience had saved the world like this many times over. But she did say she would help Norani with a monster hunt, free of charge even. And a witch was as good as her word, was probably a saying someone said somewhere.

The little metal spirit bobbed and floated, leading Norani to where Imogen presumably was. If this went well, then Norani's allies would double. After this, she would journey back to Drathera, to appeal to the Senate, in the hopes of finding more aid and guidance from a nation she knew would take this quest of hers seriously, and the only one she knew.

Norani spoke, the winds automatically carrying her words to wherever the witch might be hiding, "Hello? Imogen Ward, are you here?"

The ancient and powerful witch that Norani sought was not in the hut- instead, the little spirit led her around back.

This was the spot that Imogen and Carina had first set up hammocks on the night the Duck made landfall, but it had been somewhat improved since then. Wooden spars had been driven into the ground and packed with sand and rocks to keep them stable, and Imogen had affixed a sheer length of canvas between them over a firepit, a crude chimney ventilating the whole thing. More hammocks featured throughout the covered space, rocking gently in the breeze, and Imogen lay on one of them, snoozing.

Other oddities dotted the little outdoor lounge. Most obviously, a seven-foot long staff floated in the air over the unlit firepit, bobbing gently up and down in the light wind. The top end featured a large Dawnstone, but the entire thing emitted a soft silvery light, just bright enough to color everything else under the canvas. A frankly enormous kitten lay in one of the other hammocks, one eye open and lazily following Norani's progress, bits of shadow curling away from its fur as it yawned. Over in the corner, Imogen had drawn a wide circle in the sand around a glass bottle, filled with water, in which was suspended a small, glowing shard of rock.

Near the center of the little area was the witch herself, sprawled out across a hammock and deeply asleep. She was still attired for travel, as she had been on the beach two days past, but had clearly been napping for an extended amount of time. She'd been there long enough, in fact, for the aether of her floating Pact weapon to seep into the little covered space, and the effect was strangely peaceful. Standing at the edge of Imogen's tent, one felt as though nothing bad would ever be allowed to happen again.

As Norani approached, however, the staff hovering near her came to life, and descended to give its master a gentle nudge. When this failed to wake Imogen, it drew itself back and poked her firmly in the face. The Sunsinger's head jerked back from the unexpected tap.

"Eugh... wha?" Imogen asked, blearily, her eyes cracking open, "I'm up, I'm up. What's the trouble?"

The older ork's bleary eyes met Norani, and she pushed herself slowly up into a seated position.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, though fairly softly, "'s Norani. They were looking for you the other day, said you were lost. Though I suppose you knew where you were, so from your perspective, we were the lost ones...?" It seemed to take Imogen a moment to catch up with herself and realize that this did not, in fact, follow.

"Never mind that, sorry. I challenged the Captain to a drinking game last night."

The jaguar kitten mewled. It had hopped down from the hammock while Imogen was rambling and padded across the covered area to rub against her shin.

"Really? Shit, I guess that was two nights ago. Anyway, I'll spoil the ending for you- I didn't win. Sorry, I'm going on a bit. Did you need something, Norani?"

Norani turned the corner around the hut, following the little Phycaal, and her eyes widened. There were floating dragonshards, weapons of probably immense power, an especially large kitten of shadowy nature, and one witch snoozing in a hammock amongst it all. The elementalist watched as Imogen's staff, seemingly of its own mind and accord, woke the witch up. As she woke, she began to speak strangely, and Norani just assumed this was due to her deeper understanding of the world and the mechanics of it all.

Mystical and mysterious.

Norani wondered for a moment how one did a drinking game? Was it just about drinking the most water as fast as possible? But she had more pressing matters, so she kept those questions to herself, for now. Maybe after the seasons and Ghoron were safe. "Hello again, Imogen." Norani lowered her eyes a bit in deference to Imogen's wisdom and elder status.

"I hope I have not disturbed you much. But I have come to seek your wisdom, and to call upon your offer you generously gave me."

Norani sat down upon the air, levitating without concentration, as the little metal spirit wandered over to her. She beckoned it into her lap, where it sat, a swirling mix of hot and cool metals as Norani rubbed her aether tinged hand over its surface.

"I have been gone for some time now. I'm sure you've noticed the great tree on the horizon?" Norani looked in the direction that could be seen from all points in the world, equally. "I have learned that it is Agst'rasera, the World Tree. Of course I don't need to tell you the significance of it and how it is in constant commune with the Primal Planes and connects them to the Mortal Realm." Norani nodded curtly, assuming that such a witch had known about these things for centuries now.

"I have been called upon to enter the Eternal Glade, to provide aid to Ghoron, the last of the Titans of the world, and the missing spirits of Glade, Searing, and Ash. They are trapped in the glade with a primordial being of darkness, and Ghoron is injured." Again, Norani did not elaborate, for she assumed that Imogen's wisdom already knew of such things. "If I can succeed at this," the little metal spirit now was growing metallic tendrils, wrapping them around Norani's arm, "I can return the seasons back to Ransera, to allow Frost to finally rest." She looked up at the great black orb above, "It is tied to the Eclipse, somehow. But I have not learned of the connection."

She smiled softly, "I have been training for this mission, and have grown in some understanding of my magic and the spirits associated. I have finally been able to return, learning to walk between the Primal Planes. And so now I seek allies powerful and wise." A determined nod, "Which has led me to you, Imogen Ward. If you would, I ask that you join me on this, as a powerful warrior and witch. To fight by my side in this rescue mission, to help me to hold the being of darkness at bay while we get Ghoron and the spirits out. It will be dangerous, of course, and if we fail, we will never be able to leave the Eternal Glade." A glint, or maybe a sparkle, in her eye shone as the metal spirit cooed copperly, "Time is of the essence now, unfortunately having to wait on my training. But I am ready now."

A small pause, "Will you join me?"

Imogen's face changed as she listened to Norani speak, first distractedly, then with increasing attention and bafflement.

Agst'rasera the World Tree? Well, it was a big tree, to be sure, but surely not that. Connecting all realms? It was a tree. Wasn't that giving a tree too much credit?

Eternal glade? Ghoron? Last of the Titans? Free the seasons?? Primordial being of darkness???

Norani did not seem to notice the peculiar look Imogen was giving her at this point, but it was safe to say that the witch's full attention was on the young girl. Had she just washed in, perhaps? Spending too much time on the open seas, this far south... it surely could be heatstroke. The girl didn't look like she was suffering any of the classic symptoms, but the witch really wasn't sure how you'd tell delirious from sound while levitating. Maybe you'd sort of... tip over a bit?

As the determined young Ork delivered her impassioned plea, Imogen fumbled for a suitable reply. 'Are you sure about this?' seemed insufficient- you wouldn't say all that shit if you didn't believe it. 'Are you drunk?' didn't work well either; anyway, if Norani were hallucinating it was certainly not from any substance Imogen was familiar with. Still, she couldn't just sit there staring forever. So what she said was:

"Oh. The, uh... the seasons are imprisoned, you said?" her mind raced, trying to figure out how to break the girl's weird fever-dream, "Very worrying, certainly. And a Titan, too, yes. Did you see this yourself, or...?"

If it were a fever caused by some illness or arcane malady, the fire might work, but she wasn't about to stab the poor girl. "Big job for two people, too. Perhaps we ought to go to Drathera? See what they can do?" She wasn't going to find Norani any kind of doctor here, that's for sure. Unless you counted Vhexur, which she did not.

"I mean, for myself I'm always willing to scrap one on one with some nasty critter of darkness, even if it's really big, but sometimes it's not a terrible idea to have an army, you know, knocking about in your back pocket?"

She wasn't actually sure if Norani wore clothes with back pockets, but she wasn't about to try to adjust idioms for other cultures on the fly.

Yes, coming to the great witch Imogen Ward for wisdom and advice was proving fruitful. An army would be most helpful, and Drathera had the only army with which Norani was familiar. She smiled and nodded curtly, "Then let us go and collect this army of allies. I will make the plea before the Senate and they will answer."

She pulled a pouch dangling from her waistband, and began to gently sprinkle it out into the complex shape that Astrid had shown her back upon Agst'rasera. Imogen would surely recognize that the dust was an incredibly rare and complex blend of Sorcerer's Sands made from all of the Primal Planes. As the dust was poured, and the runic shape was formed, a witch of such power and renown and advanced age would be able to feel, and certainly recognize, that the very fabric of the mortal realm was changing. This was not a violent tearing open like the portals of Traversion or those utilized by the gods with their Archmagic.

No.

It was a gentle question, a desire for her other home, the one in which she was born to, the one in which her love was born, the one that had helped her come to what she was now, sent to Agst'Rasera, a question passed onto all of the Primal Planes. In turn, each gave their silent assent, and a tendril of the World Tree's own power extended from its roots, worming into the mortal plane, and grew, expanding a portal that was not volatile, fragile, nor dangerous. This opening was just as natural as every other aspect of the natural world. Inside the opening, Imogen would be able to see the great tree's root, a road large enough that an army could walk comfortably along it. Here, it split between a realm of wood and plant life and a world of ocean and tempest and water.

Norani smiled at Imogen, shifting into her Prescience form of Wind as easily as she might exhale, a hand of swirling winds extended toward the wizened and withered witch. "Let us make haste."

The young Orkhan woman pulled out a bag of sorcerer's sand and began dumping it onto the ground, giving Imogen a chance to extract herself from her hammock and cautiously stand. She squinted at the sand for a moment, a little worried that Norani was about to blow up her hut- but a quick look reassured her that this was obviously low-grade stuff, crystals of conflicted elements ground and muddled into a mixture which even she could see was unlikely to do more than fizz and spark.

Once she'd levered herself off the hammock, Imogen tapped her thigh twice and held out one arm. Kitty jolted upright to attention and sprinted towards her, deftly weaving around Norani and making an heroic leap towards Imogen's raised hand- only to disappear into the shadow behind it, the umber rippling as flesh and form faded. The witch extended her other hand towards her floating staff, which spun lazily into motion, arcing into her palm. With another thought, Imogen set the tip glowing, lighting up the little tent so that she could get a better look at the symbol the other girl was drawing.

"So what are you scrive-"

The Ork's question died on her tongue as she realized that the sand was splitting apart. No... not the sand.

Imogen was used to seeing the fabric of space split apart, of course, but it was that very familiarity which made Norani's growing portal so unsettling. This was clearly not Traversion, nor was it one of The Duck's impossible doors. No, the incomprehensible rune which Norani had drawn had prised open... not the veil, not Slipspace, but yet another in-between place. Beyond, Imogen could clearly see great roots, immersed in tremendous elemental flows.

Was this real? Could it truly be that someone had taught the young Ecithian to quicken and coax the roots of Agst'Rasera? It seemed impossible, but what other explanation was there? It couldn't be an illusion; the light of her staff would have incinerated that. No, it seemed that Norani's promised magic was no lie.

...but wait, what did that say about her fever-dream story of Ghoron and the imprisoned seasons?

Now Norani was entering the portal and motioning for her to follow. Shell-shocked and still drowsy, Imogen would have preferred to beg off, to tell the girl to calm down, to go find Carina or Kynne or Avamande or someone who could help make sense of this, but it seemed there was no time for that. Imogen Ward had given her word, and the word of a Sunsinger was about as unbreakable as it got.

"Ah fuck," she prayed, under her breath, "I didn't even charge her."

And then she went in after the increasingly-translucent girl.

Once across the breach, Imogen would find the windy Norani there waiting for her. As the elementalist spoke, her voice took on the voice of a thousand winds speaking together. She gestured down to the large, wooden root, showing the electricity that surged through it, "This will light our way to Drathera." She smiled gustily, "I'm not so well versed in this travel just yet. I know it moves between all realms, including the elemental and para-elemental realms, and other primal force realms that I do not understand yet. If we survive this mission, I hope to begin exploring them."

She summoned an entire host of winds, enough to carry a hurricane with ease, "If you will ride the winds, I will carry you. If I fall, follow the lightning, make the plea to the Senate in my stead." But she felt a bit silly saying such things to the witch who surely knew her way around this particular interdimensional highway. This feeling didn't last long, for Norani knew she needed everything she could muster for her mission, and that included full faith and confidence in herself. It would be the only way she could succeed, the only way she could survive, the only way she could find her way to Yeva.

The winds hovered and waited on the elder sorceress, she swallowed a bit of her pride, "If... If I don't make it out of this mission..." And there were more reasons she might fail than there were stars in the sky, "Please find Yeva in my stead." Norani would, of course, do the same for Imogen and Carina, if only to pass on the story. It was the least she could do, considering the weight of what was being asked.

With that, she gave a curt nod, and whipped up the waiting winds into a mighty frenzy, and sent the group roaring down the breach between realms, keeping an airy eye on the lightning that showed the way. Fast as the fastest winds, they would travel, make her plea heard, and see this mission to completion.

They had to, they absolutely had to.

Oh, good, Norani was turning into wind. Why not? Was that a power common to Elementalists? She doubted it, but that was fine- Imogen was adept at simply accepting that she did not understand what was going on.

Speaking of going with the flow-

"Flying underground, are we?" she supposed the roots were still technically underground, at least in a sense, "Sure, that may as well happen."

Perhaps it would actually have been the reasonable move to object here, to tell Norani to wait a moment, that she had clearly misunderstood something in this whole dynamic and they needed to re-evaluate this plan. On the other hand, Imogen was still the witch who had walked right through the door to The Duck a year past. Caution and planning were things she had learned some of over the years, but they were still very much learned behaviors papering over an impulsive spirit.

So instead, Imogen dissolved into a whirling formless shape of mercury and silver light. From a technical perspective, her full-body shifting was quite impressive now, incorporating various magics to instantly strip herself and conceal the moments of unsightliness as Ork-flesh melted and reshaped itself to that of a bird. Grey feathers formed internally and pushed to the surface, flesh and fat rendered into aether and were sucked away like water into a drain, leaving behind only a perfectly-sculpted albatross. She did not even land, flapping twice to keep herself in the air during the spare instants of transition.

Imogen's reaved staff unraveled itself behind her as she flew forward into Norani's wind. Thoughtlessly, the bird replied to Norani:

"To Yeva? Oh, yes, I can do that. I spoke to her just the other day. I couldn't see her, but I think Kynne could."

It wasn't entirely easy to remember that meeting on the beach, and she'd gotten drunk before she could finish writing down all the details, but she distinctly remembered the poltergeist seeking news of Norani. She also remembered some of the other things Kynne had told her, and especially how he'd responded to her final lyrics. Still, no point in laying all of that on Norani just now.

"She wanted to know where you were, I told her all I knew was that you yet lived."

Imogen

Loot: Confusion?
Injuries: More Confusion?

Points: 10 Exp, may not be used for magic

Comments: Imogen is so wise, offering guidance to mere fledgling witches.

Norani
Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points: 10 Exp, may not be used for magic

Comments: Norani was there, probably.