Episode 8: Not a Drop to Drink

[erilar]

Jareth: "Ah-ha! Here is the passage I was looking for... Yes, yes - as I suspected. [snaps the book shut] Miette, it turns out I can accompany you after all - let us gather the gear we require for this endeavor."

[Fen's Ego]

Onarra: "If anyone is in touch with their beastly nature, it would be we, and perhaps Bannok as well. Let us see what lies on the other side of this wall. And although I don't mind it so much, shapeshifter, my name is Onarra, not Miette"

Can-or did-we take a moment to identify the other contents of the Fey compartment?

[EvilGenius]

Onarra: "If anyone is in touch with their beastly nature, it would be we, and perhaps Bannok as well. Let us see what lies on the other side of this wall. And although I don't mind it so much, shapeshifter, my name is Onarra, not Miette"

Can-or did-we take a moment to identify the other contents of the Fey compartment?

"Ahh, apologies, Mistress! Since you are garbed like a Thief and not in mud and berries like a Druid (no offense, O Wise and Inscrutable Master), I naturally mistook you for your sister, Miette. I trust she is well? Hasn't had her hands chopped off for 'just looking' at someone else's treasures or anything?"

You have not yet tried to identify the items that you took from the chest in the FeyWild. Unless someone has access to the Identify spell, you would need to spend a short rest in order to learn anything about them.

[erilar]

OOC - Jareth was calling you Miette to play along with the genie. Wasn't sure how he'd react to you not being her, and we don't know what we don't know, you know?

[EvilGenius]

OOC- if you don't have the identify spell maybe the genie knows what the items are.

[Fen's Ego]

Onarra: "Think nothing of it, Alisar. Identity is a very mutable characteristic, and memory no less so. Why, I was just making a small wager with your master that even a loyal servant, such as yourself, must have forgotten the contents of each compartment, as well as their function. He was, quite naturally, fiercely insistent on your behalf, that such a lapse in memory was impossible. I believe he described your service to be, how did he say, "flawless" and "without peer". Come now, you can't possibly be so gifted after all this time. It's perfectly fine to admit you have forgotten."

[EvilGenius]

Onarra: "Think nothing of it, Alisar. Identity is a very mutable characteristic, and memory no less so. Why, I was just making a small wager with your master that even a loyal servant, such as yourself, must have forgotten the contents of each compartment, as well as their function. He was, quite naturally, fiercely insistent on your behalf, that such a lapse in memory was impossible. I believe he described your service to be, how did he say, "flawless" and "without peer". Come now, you can't possibly be so gifted after all this time. It's perfectly fine to admit you have forgotten."

Alsiar looks at Onarra in a tiredly bored manner. "Mistress Onarra, please refrain from embarrassing yourself by attempting such shallow manipulations. You may be more clever than the average bear that you romp around with in the dirty woods, but I am beyond your ken. Perhaps your sister would be more skilled at both insults and interrogations."

Alisar turns back to Jareth, "Master, MUST I continue to waste precious moments of my immortal lifespan listening to your lesser servants struggle with three syllable words? In addition to making my time in service to you seem to slow down to the point of madness, I truly believe that the effort is causing them pain, judging by their strange facial expressions when they attempt to speak." Alisar looks appraisingly at Onarra, then Brigga and Bannock. "Alllthooough, those strange facial expressions COULD just be the way they naturally look. I don't know, I am not an expert on Mortals."

Seeing Jareth's annoyed expression, Alisar relents. "Ok, ok, fine, O Patient and Magnanimous Master. I will continue to entertain clumsy questioning from your companions\servants. I do not know what pleasure you derive from my pain but whatever it is, it is my duty to provide it to you."

With a small but pronounced sigh, Alisar turns back to Onarra. "I do not KNOW what is in each of the chests, Mistress Onarra. Nor have I been in any of the Mirrored Vaults. However, I DO recognize the items you brought back with your from the Fey Vault." Alisar points to the Bracers. "Those are the UnSeelie Bracers. They greatly increase the wearers ability with bows. Also, they seem to protect mortals from suffering time distortions when travelling back from the Fey realms. I believe Master Jareth, may his Merciful Countenance shine upon us all, also mentioned that they MAAAY sometimes accidentally pull unsuspecting users into the Fey against their will."

Alisar guestures toward the strange bundle of glowing pipes. "Those are Master Naziah's treasured Bagpipes, which he called the Pipes of Dawn. They can produce a wide variety of magical effects on the listeners, I understand. Of course, after my wise Master, Jareth the Just, caught Naziah attempting to break into his most private vault, Master Naziah no longer needed, or could use, his bagpipes..."

[Jonkga]

Given Onarra's suggestion, Bannock will command Cur to stand guard at the mouth of the Crystal Cage room to watch for approaching fish-men or other nastiness, and will offer to join Jareth and Onarra on their walk through the other two mirrors, more as protection and/or to bolster their numbers rather than with helping too directly with the chest, as he lacks Onarra's "fine motor skills".

[EvilGenius]

Ok, cool. Who else is going to step up to the Beastly Mirror and attempt to pass through into the Vault beyond?

[EvilGenius]

Given Onarra's suggestion, Bannock will command Cur to stand guard at the mouth of the Crystal Cage room to watch for approaching fish-men or other nastiness, and will offer to join Jareth and Onarra on their walk through the other two mirrors, more as protection and/or to bolster their numbers rather than with helping too directly with the chest, as he lacks Onarra's "fine motor skills".

Bannock steps closer to the Beastly Mirror, mentally preparing for whatever lies ahead. As you look into the mirror, you notice that your appearance has started to change, becoming more bestial. Startled, you break the connection to the mirror, backing away in confusion.

[erilar]

Hmm, Jareth gives it a try. If repelled similarly, he will attempt to first shift into bear form and then pass through. (If Big Bear Butt form is too big to fit, he will assume the shape of a svelte mountain cat.)

[Fen's Ego]

Onarra will similarly queue up and concentrate on her former self's embrace with the wild side. If the mirror's effect seems to require input from her, she will focus on the form of a hawk, with which she remembers the strongest connection.

[EvilGenius]

Jareth, Onarra and Bannock all step up to the Beastly Mirror and start to concentrate on their reflections. After a moment, Bannock and Onarra's reflections begin to blur and change.

Bannock, you feel a slight pressure in your mind, as though something is searching your very soul. For what, you can only speculate. However, after a moment, your reflection changes into that of a giant wolf, standing up on his hind legs, front paws pressed up against the other side of the mirror.

Onarra, your reflection begins to change but the process appears to be more difficult than Bannock's smooth transition. The face of your reflection changes to become more bestial, savage even, but you are still mostly elven in the mirror. You feel pressure start to build in your mind and are afraid that your identity is ... changing. With a feat of concentration though, you form the image of a hawk in your mind, as you now remember doing as a druid in your former life. Slowly, your reflection in the Beastly Mirror changes to match the form of a hawk, mirroring the image in your mind. Once the image in the mirror becomes the hawk completetly, the pressure eases from your mind.

Jareth, when you concentrate on the Beastly mirror, your image doesn't change, but the ghostly image of your bear form appears behind you. Regardless, you feel that you have successfully, and easily, synchronized with the mirror.

The three of you step up to the mirror, then step into the strange reflections, and through the Mirror, out of the Crystal Cage.

[Jonkga]

Bannock looks over himself and his companions: on this side of the mirror do we look like ourselves, or do we look like our beastial reflections?

[erilar]

Bear Jareth sniffs Wolf Bannock's butt. (Sorry, involuntary reaction.)