Unusual Activity: Esrogoth

Garrett seems almost shocked at your words.
"Why, no one told me any of this. The dwarves of the Eastern Citadel had commissioned us to help with the repairs, and told us to cut down only these trees. I do apologize if we caused any harm.
He waves a man over, and relays commands to halt further hunting and gathering.
"Please, do tell me more. We wouldn't want any further trouble due to our ignorance. My name is Garrett, by the way,. Son of Ser Holland of Dohral.

The owl on Grace's shoulder seems both surprised and relieved by such friendly and cooperational atittude shown by the man, the owl even looks a little less grumpy now.

The owl then proceeds to spin its head around, giving a look throught the camp, then back at Garret, and waits for Grace to reply.

Grace seems as surprised by the owl at the sudden commands and cooperativeness. She was expecting some form of debating and haggling. Adjusting her wait to compensate for the great owl on her shoulder, Grace watches the message be passed on, before looking back to Garret. So he was a noble then. Interesting. Or so she presumed so, her knowledge of the noble families in Dohral was limited. Ser Holland didn't sound familiar. How sincere he was, was another matter.

" The gods can oft tell better than any mortal the consequences of certain actions. If you recieve Deeproots blessing, then you can assume no long harm damage will come from your activities- providing you mind yourself." Grace pauses and looks south to the woods. It's unlikely they'll try and get wood from the north woods across the river- which is fortunate, as that would go poorly. And there was the broken circle to the south west which, despite it's current state, would seem a grave insult to cut the trees from it's area. "The woods south of here have young flat leafed trees- they can grow again, given chance. Avoid cutting down conifers- trees with thin round leaves, like pines. Go too far south and you'll run into ogres and giants. Too far south east, and you'll end up in the Fens. West, and you'll be encroaching on the Lord of Esrogohold's lands. I'd suggest going along the road east of here, and cutting back the trees along there. Be careful of bandits- they do haunt the east road. You'd likely be doing the city a favour, cutting down their hiding spots along the road."

"As for hunting... Deer are prey, this is a truth. Hunt them if you must, but try not to over hunt the does. Don't single out stags and bucks, but.. favour them. I would advise against traps, the suffering they cause will bring you misfortune. But there are also other food sauces. Plenty of fruit trees, but keep only to the berries you know."

Grace seems to pause momentarily, before rumaging through her pack, and hands over two types of mushroom, one round and white and one yellow and pointed.

"If you desire mushrooms, then look for these ones. This is the common field mushroom. And this is Seasahwandi- good for energy. Again, only trust people who know there mushrooms. Seasahwandi are rare, so don't expect to find many." Grace hands over the mushrooms. Hopefully, by allowing them to take a little, and pointing them in the right direction, they would not be tempted to over use one resource too much.

Was she talking too much? She was talking too much. But she also didn't want to have to stay any longer.

"With a camp and project this size, you should probably ask the high Priest himself. The Shrine is along the north road- the voyanaut's caravan, or portal, will halve the journey."

He waves a woman over, and relays a majority of the information to her, which is hastily copied down to be passed out later.

"Thankfully, myself and those with me have almost nothing to fear from these threats you have listed. We are protected by divinity." He would present a holy symbol, then return it to the folds of his robe. "Thankfully, our work in the woods is nearing it's end, though the Citadel is in desperate need of stone to finish it's repairs. The temple is closed, and will remain so until we can finish."
He shrugs. "You know the dwarves, they could have all the stone and more in a fortnight if they had need of it, but a human temple for human Gods can wait a few centuries...
He sighs.

Grace blinks as the symbol comes and goes, giving her little time to try and identify it. The Temple at the terminus also seemed so empty to her, she thought it abandoned and was not aware it was still dedicated to a deity. Well... at least they would not draw too much on the forest's reserves, although hopefully the stone they needed would come from a pre-existing quarry, and not require deforestation to obtain stone from another, closer, area. If they were foolish enough to believe her warnings on felling trees did not apply to creating a new quarry, then that would be their downfall, although she felt that would not be the case. Unsure as to whether she was still needed her or not, Grace shifted, glancing around, before returning her gaze to Garret.

"Any questions?" Grace then turns her head in the direction of the owl, although her eyes appear to be looking around and not focused upon the bird, "Anything you feel still needs to be addressed?"

The owl stops running its eyes throught the camp, then looks at Garrett again.

["I want his word that all trees cut down will be reflorested. And if it is their wish to remain in this region, they won't do harm to the wildlife..."]

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An eagle swoops down to land on Grace's other shoulder, studying the group in the firelight with piercing blue eyes.

Grace frowned at Dru's words. Asking the campers to replant the forest the cut down was no issue, but people had to hunt. Why focus on preventing people from hunting while letting wolves hunt? Both were natural phenomenon. She had already warned them to keep to deer as much as possible. She was about to open her mouth to argue with the owl when another weight gripped onto her shoulder, startlingly her briefly.

Looking up at the eagle, Grace just raises a brow. It's unlikely a wild eagle would land so close to an owl, so either this bird was a messenger, a shape shifter or had intelligence beyond it's kind. She glances at Garret, but supposed the man shouldn't be too bothered if she spoke animal to the new arrival.

"[And to what do I owe the pleasure of another shoulder companion?]"

When attempting to contact the eagle's mind, you are confronted with a mental defense akin to a steel fortress.  
A thought floats out, briefly connecting you together.
[Evil floats on the winds. Terror lies in the future.]

The Eagle lets out an ear splitting screech, before refocusing it's attention on Garrett as he clears his throat to get your attention once more.

"My, what magnificent birds you own. What are the chances of could convince you to part with one?"

The owl frowns at the eagle, staring at it, when the eagles lets out the screech, it jumps off Grace's shoulder and flies a bit away from her, then with Garrett's comment, the owl takes flight and keeps swooping in the sky above their heads.

Grace stared wordlessly at the eagle, till the sudden weightlessness on her other shoulder brought her back to the conversation. The eagles mind was... surprising. It's words even more so. She was unsure of who or what sat on her shoulder, but the eagles presence and ominous warning made her uneasy. Evil and terror...

Grace blinks at Garret, then glances at the swooping owl above, "I own neither bird, and would not 'own' any animal that would give me the right to give it away." Grace frowns at Garret, feeling suddenly unsure of why she was there and what she was doing, "Nor are these 'birds' what they seem. They're guardians of the forest, and partly why I come to warn you, amiably, to tread carefully. I do not wish for your men to suffer for avoidable carelessness. If you do not take my warnings seriously, you will loose people. That is not a threat. It is a warning."

Grace looks pointedly to the shifted druid above, before glancing to the eagle. What was going on here? Was the warning connected to the campers? Elsewhere?

Grace whistled up to Dru, forming calls that sounded odd coming from a human mouth, "[Keep aware. Danger]"

She allowed her mind to brush against the eagle's once more, while attempting to draw upon her lycan spirit. Grace had never learnt, or allowed, to let the spirit merge fully with her own concept of her soul. The bear was strange, did not act like a true bear, but did allow her mind to connect better with nature's flow. Animal instincts read nature's signs better than the complex, overthinking mind of a humanoid.

"[Can you give me more meaning than that, friend?]"

Grace inhales, taking in the pungent smell of the concentration of people; of sweat, wood smoke, food, and drink.

"I hope I have not spoilt the festivities. What is the occasion?"

He mutters about the owl and a hat, before moving to answer her question.

"We feast this night because the dwarves have decided to allow select few to stay the night in the city. Normally, we would have been allowed inside, but thanks to the attack they have not trusted any outsiders. Tomorrow, we begin excavating the Temple.

He gestures towards one of the women standing nearby, and she brings him a goblet of wine.

"I heard the temple had suffered. What god is it you worship again? I did not catch the symbol."

Grace was loosing what little tact she had. This situation was getting... unusual. The eagle upon her shoulder was no ordinary eagle, and the presence she felt before still seemed unexplained. She didn't trust Garret, she didn't trust this situation, and paranoia was creeping up her spine. There should be nothing strange about a group of workers hoping to make an opportunity out of a disaster, yet the presence of Drurazhor, and what or whoever was on her shoulder, was making her nervous.

Nature had been calm. She had not sensed distress there. Grace breathed in and out, tasting the air, relaxing her muscles. She looked away from Garret and his 'cup bearer' or whoever this woman was, and scanned the crowds. The eagle had not replied yet, Dru was still in the air. Garret had promised to heed her warnings. Was she still needed here?

Suddenly Grace's mind erupted into double vision, as the eagle opened up its mind to her, and she could see Esrogoth through her own eyes and the bird's mind.

It wasn't like when nature allowed her to glimpse beyond her own sight. This was almost second hand, her mind reeling from the foreign thoughts, visions having to go through translation from the bird, not a bird, EagleManHumanNoneDruidProphetSeerLostStop

She was in the Citadel.
She was outside, she was in the camp, she KNEW that, where was she?

Below the Citadel? Was it night, or was that the stone roof above her? She tried to walk, to direct the vision, but it wasn't hers to control.
It was night, she was outside, it was night. Who are you? What are you?

A gem studded Pyramid was before her, bodies encircling it. It was dream like, the area around her detailed enough to trick her mind into thinking it real, but vague enough for her to miss any mistakes. All that mattered was the focus of the vision.
I've... seen that. I know that pyramid. The temple? but why, who, when, what?

The vision abruptly focused. A knife. Ornate. It sunk into flesh and blood. The vision sped up, preventing her from trying to think, to rationalise what she was seeing.
This is one of many possibilities.
Who are you?

Flames erupted from the blood, from the circle, from the vision. Grace couldn't step back. She was trapped.
Though with each passing day, the options dwindle.
What are you? What do you want me to do? Stop this. I did not consent to this.

A light, bright, unnatural, unearthly. The focus changed again, jarring Grace's mind as it tried to follow. Demons were slaughtering people. Esrogoth? A sense of double vision came back as the familiar landscape made Grace's mind try to latch onto it's own stimuli. She could see both the campers, and the demons. She was standing amidst the chaos, while watching it from above, detached.
Soon this is all that will remain.
What do I do? What can I do?

Her mind lurched, and Grace was left staring at the campers, eyes unfocused, hand pressed to her head. It took a while for her thoughts to catch up, to realise she was back in the here, the now. She closed her mind off, before slowing opening herself back up again to nature, to the balance. The present , living, force was a strange contrast to what she just saw; it was content, and peaceful. No signs on the surface of what was to come, that she could see,- if the vision was even true.

"I'm... sorry," Grace lifted her head to look at Garret, ignoring the... being on her shoulder for now, a frown burrowing into her face,"did you say anything?"

"I had only asked if you needed accommodations tonight, or if you had your own place to sleep this night."

Things around camp have started to dwindle, food mostly eaten, and people going to sleep the sleep of the wine soaked.

"No, I won't be needing any accommodation." Grace massaged her temple on the side lacking the eagle. She needed to speak with Dru about what had been shared with her. Maybe get inside the temple, confirm in the pyramid in the hall beneath the city was the one she saw in the vision.

For some reason, she didn't fully trust Garret. He seemed reasonable enough, but Grace had always been taught that between charming smiles and silver tongues, people missed the sharpest of teeth. Garret and his men had access to the temple, or so he claimed. The knife in the vision... was it a male humans hand that gripped it? She never did get an answer on what faith the men were, but if they followed a deity shunned by others, why risk showing her the symbol he wore at all? Was it to mock her?

She was being too paranoid. She should speak with Dru, and the being on her shoulder, and investigate the temple. Find out more, before jumping to conclusions.

Grace warbles again, low bird-like noises, "[Dru, I must speak with you. Keep an eye out, warn me if we're followed.]"

With that, Grace makes her way from the camp, towards the Citadel walls.

The Eagle launches off Grace's shoulder, taking to the air and after a moment and a flash of light, dispersing into the wind.

Drurazhor did realized already that something seemed wrong with Grace, but he did not landed again because he didn't liked that eagle, neither Garrett.

He flew around for awhile, watching the surroudings, after hearing Grace's message, he kept a low altitute above her head, only having his place again on her shoulder after she left the camp, still looking back at the camp, eyes of a sentinel.

["Is there something wrong?"]

Grace startles when the eagle simply disappears. She was still unsure of what she just had on her shoulder- another druid? An elemental or being of nature? Shaking her head, Grace kept walking, till she felt Dru's weight return to her shoulder.

"[Something's wrong. That eagle wasn't an ordinary bird. It shared a vision with me. A pyramid surrounded by corpses, while a ritual took place, summoning demons to flood the Citadel and Esrogoth. I remember there being a pyramid like that in the dwarven temple beneath the Citadel. I don't know exactly what's happening here, but it doesn't feel right. I want to get into the temple, examine this pyramid, maybe wait, and see who approaches it.]"

Grace frowns. There was little information to go on, making it difficult to plan what to do, "[Keep an eye out for a man with an ornate knife- with strange ruins. Ceremonial. The campers will be working on the temple, it may be one of them. We cannot allow for that vision to pass. We need to get into the city somehow, although they'll be on high alert...]"

Dru turns his head to Grace, frowning, surprised by that kind of vision showed by the eagle, he was already expecting there was something unusual about that eagle, but one that could give such visions was truly unexpected. He then turns its head, looking into the direction that the eagle flew away, then turning to the citadel ahead of them.

["Do you know anything else about this piramid? Its origin? Why it is there?"]

" [I don't know anything about it. Dwarven crafts are not among my studies. Lia mentioned that something had been stolen from it though.]"

Grace looked up at the walls. Getting into the city would be easy. No one would suspect a pigeon or crow. Getting into the halls would be harder. Rats were small and sneaky, but not well liked. Cats may be more tolerated, but easier to spot. She could not take the form of a moth or spider...

"[Shall we pay the temple a visit?]" Grace turned to look at the owl on her shoulder. "[ I'm not sure if an owl would go unnoticed, but I'll be taking the form of a crow till we reach the entrance to the under hall. From there... Perhaps a rat, or a cat? Although I heard dwarves liked to eat rats.]" Grace grins playfully, even as her lips begin to harden, and feathers sprout from her skin.




((If Dru takes flight and heads into the city, Grace will join him as a crow and lead the way to the entrance.))

As grace shifts, Dru jumps from her shoulder and takes on a higher altitude, waiting for her to take the lead, the problem with the campers are dealt with, Dru feels no reason to accompany Grace to this Piramid, but the vision was truly disturbing;

["Whatever way you choose, I'll go with you... We are druids, we can camouflage and proceed as cats. Cats are more sneaky and agile than rats, not to mention even if we're caught... We don't run the risk of being eaten..."]

"[I'd rather not run the risk of being magically detected. A cat raises no suspicions. A magically camouflaged anything does. I'm sure we could talk a fellow animal out of making us dinner. Although people may be harder to negotiate with. Cats seem a better idea.]"

The crow flies over the city walls and circles round the market place of the citadel a few times, looking to and fro, watching for any activity. Grace still felt she was being watched, but still couldn't place whether that was bad or good. She could not commune with nature for a little while yet. It was risky, connecting so deeply with Nature too frequently. You could begin to loose sense of yourself to the whole.

The city looked to be on alert. Scaffolding and rubble obscured the silhouettes of the buildings to an extent, which was distorted further by her bird eyes. The Citadel always seemed to odd to Grace. Partially human, partially dwarven, half above ground, half below. So much smaller than Dohral. And up until recently, a lot quieter. She knew the lands around her by heart, but had little reason to visit the Citadel regularly.

She knew Dru was behind her, on soft, near silent, feathered wings.

Looking for an area hidden from public view, the crow would dive into an empty alley, close to the entrance to the Under hall and morph into a dark grey tabby cat.

Dru waits a few seconds to follow Grace, giving one last look around the surroudings, looking back to make sure there wasn't anyone following, and around, so there aren't anything suspicious.

Then he flies down quickly and lands, shifting into an black cat, and proceeding to follow Grace.

*Mialee having been resting in a room for a few days at the last rest inn near the Eastern Citadel. Feeling restless she leaves her room and exits the inn looking around outside*