Epic Library Research

Log Info

• Title: Epic Library Research
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Cryosanthia, Faranmidahn, Auranar, Mikilos
• Place: A10: Temple of Daeus
• Time: Sunday, April 12, 2020, 1:35 PM
• Summary: Cryosanthia is once again going over the plague files, with the assistance of helper elf, Auranar, when her friend Faranmidahn arrives. The white-scale sith-makar is enthusiastic and happy to see her friend, leaping over the table, and the lucht finds the return to somewhat normality of her larger charge reassuring. Mikilos arrives, somehow instinctively drawn to the pile of books and research. Cryo and Faran catch him up on some of the recent developments, with Sephielia, and additional information about Salina, including her 'Sally' nickname. The misfortunte of the temporary chimermaid Braelnoir, are also relayed, and the group determines that Faran's return likely means the Fae will be coming for Sephielia tonight. Cryo and Mikilos head out to get some adventurers and intervene, while Faran checks on Braelnoir in the Arcanist Guild Dungeons as a favour to Cryo.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple of Daeus *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The temple of the Sun Lord glitters golden beneath the same. Rather than walls, the majority of the temple is composed of what appears at first blush to be a raised round platform made of one of the largest slabs of marble likely in existence. Columns rise into the air as if to hold some massive ceiling, though instead of a normal ceiling, one finds the deep blue sky, studded by a disconcertingly close canopy of bright stars. One should not worry, however, as the rain never falls, and the wind never blows on this particular temple, but for a gentle breeze, whatever the weather outside may be.

Despite the austerity of the columns, warmth suffuses the grounds. A grand, marble statue of the Shining Knight stands a the center, a hand outstretched in benediction. Beside Him, the statue of Althea, their hands clasped in love. The central position of the temple to the others gives view to all of their children, and the two look upon one another with the solemnity of love that has been the center of so many tales and legends.

Masterfully designed mana lamps provide further soft, golden lightning where needed, their pedestals carved in the form of the Dragons of Light, over which Daeus is said to have dominion in His form of Draco Solis. Majesty, justice, and welcome suffuse the temple grounds. Around the central temple are a series of smaller buildings, each with a simple function and form. One houses the sacred book depicting some of the earliest known translations of the Laws of Light, which pilgrims from near and far come to visit. Another houses the well-appointed quarters of the Sunguards, and among all the ground bristle the Sunblades.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     267 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Auranar      4'8"     123 Lb     Wild Elf          Female    A wild elf with dark skin and a red dress
Faranmidahn  3'3"     35 Lb      Halfling          Female    Albino Lucht woman in black leather armor with a BIG spider
Mikilos      6'8"     180 Lb     Dawn Elf          Male      Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Cryosanthia is back in Alexandria, back in the Temple of Daeus, back in the library. She managed to resolve a lot of things in Mictlan, show Zeke the waterfall, and reconnect with a place that she remembers being at a few weeks ago, but feels like she hasn't visited in decades - which is closer to her truth. She's returned because there are still things to be done, carefully raise the topic of Zeke's attonement with someone or something. She's not even sure that's a process she can or should be involved in. Finish the research and re-review of all the records.

So, this finds the sith-makar back in the records room, surrounded by books, papers and inkpots, going through them and looking for clues.

There are baskets of scrolls, the pigeon holes and shelves full of documents, and the adventurer reports borrowed from the Explorer's Guild. Also, the palescale's copious notes.

Auranar seems surprised to see Cryosanthia back in the temple, back at the table full of books, and is clearly brimming with curiosity, but so far the elvish woman has yet to ask any of them. She sits in her chair and quietly makes notes as she has all along, but quite often her gaze is turned from the books to look at Cryosanthia. Then quickly back down again.

Faranmidahn has, likewise, returned to Alexandria after her own jaunt to the other side of the ring of mushrooms. For the first time in weeks, with the exception of the plain broach holding her cloak, she looks like herself. She has a basket of several warm loaves of honey bread. She'd meant to visit Cryo in her room, but heard she was down here doing research again, and so... "Hello, Cryo!"

- and a somewhat sheepish smile to the elfen lady, "And you, Miss, Auranar!" Ahem, "Would you like some bread? It's fresh!"

Books, papers, inkpots, and maybe clues. It's Mikilos bait! Well, maybe not, but the wizard shows up anyway. The wizard is carrying a few scrolls of his own, searching a few moments before handing them off to an acolyte. Main task finished, the elf glances about before making his way over towards Cryosanthia, glancing curiously over her currnt collection. "Peace unto your nest." <draconic>

"Its... overwhelming there..." The white-scaled sith-makar starts to say, then she hears the lucht's voice. "Faran!"

Scholars don't usually jump over tables, and when they do, it isn't a graceful fluid movement that clears it easily without disturbing a thing. Cryo moves from seated, to standing on her bench to the other side of the table and scouping up her friend. She looks up from where she is crouched, hugging Faran, to Mikilos. She smiles, "Peace on your Nest. I wasn't expecting you. Welcome, that is Auranar helping me, and we've got lots of news."

"Faran! You smell great, what happened?" This is a huge change from Cryo's previous mannerisms days ago.

Rising from her seat as Cryosanthia jumps the table Auranar shakes her head at the pair. It's a slightly fond shake of pink curls however. After a moment she seems to realize that Mikilos is there and offers the other elf a polite nod of her head. She's not a familiar face, and she doesn't look to be an adventurer really. Not with her red dress more suited to tea parties than the road, and the inkstains on her fingertips that are clearly more suited to writing than a sword. "Greetings."

Faranmidahn blinks wide as Cryo is back to something like herself and gives a surprised, if delighted, squeak as she's hugged up off the floor, but her arms are full of a basket, so she can't hug her friend at present, but her feet swim a little in excitement. "It was a party!" pause, "I think?" She lifts her chin and shows affection to her friend with a little peck to the scales, "You look great, today! I brought bread!" Her attention turns to the wizard from that unsettling attempt to scry on the vampire and offers a, "Hello, Mister Mikilos, how are you?"

Mikilos is a bit more scholarly himself than the rough and tumble adventurer type. But when you study the right things, sometimes it all comes togther. He smiles at Cryo's antics and words. "Glad to hear it. Is any of said news connected to these rumors I hear of mermaids?" He nods politely to the others present, his focus on teh white sith.

"Auranar has been a great help, going through the records, and other things." Cryosanthia says, staying low. Her crouch still gives her the height advantage, she ends up kneeling on the floor in front of the lucht. The sith dips her nose, closes her eyes for a moment as she accepts the kiss, before facing the lucht once more. "Faran. I've leaned on you so much. I'm sorry, it was too much to put on you. I was stuck in myself and you suffered. You have honoured me more than you can imagine. Please forgive me."

She holds up a finger in a wait-a-moment gesture towards Mikilos, "Yes. I'll get to that."

Auranar murmur's 'mermaid' to herself quietly but finally shakes her head as the answer to such is not immediately forthcoming. Instead she reseats herself at the table, settling herself into the chair and fiddling with the papers which are situated on the table. There's quite a lot of it all told. Dozens of reports from the advenurer's guild and even more when one counts the notes that the elf and the sith-makar have been making.

Faranmidahn blinks to the wizard, "A mermaid? I hear they're very beau-" and then, Cryo is speaking and Faran, at once, is not. The lucht turns a warm gaze on the sith and smiles, "I'll never forgive someone who's done me no wrong, Cryosanthia. You're my dear friend, and you always will be, right? I'll always try for you. I can't... promise success, but I'll always try."

Mikilos takes a moment to find a chair for himself. Looming is okay in some situations, but tends to get awkward socially. "No rush, I've exhaused my latest line of reseach, and my crafting project needs to soak until this evening."

Cryosanthia wraps herself around Faran, embracing her with both arms and letting her head hang down her back. She's got some big horns, must be heavy. It is very warm and cold at the same time, warm from her emotions, cold because of her. She releases, then moves around to her seat and waves for Faran to do the same as she takes a piece of bread. Breaking off a piece, the sith-makar starts to speak.

"Well, what we're doing here is reviewing old notes, fresh set of eyes, looking for lost leads. We found, Auranar found it, found a good one." Cryo nods over at the helper elf.

She waves her hand in the air, "Now, The mermaid is only indirectly related. I went swimming a few nights ago. I know Faran, you wanted to come, but you were away and I had to. I brought another friend, and met Elleandra. I was starting to enjoy it, when something went wrong. My friend, she's been affected by Kaelyn's artifice transform pegs. Merek was along, and he was casting. I thought he wasn't cured, I don't know. A little after his spell my friend's transformations were triggered again. She turned into a mermaid, that can't swim, can't breathe water, can't speak or sing but has to stay wet. So, we got her out and in a tank, but then I had to go Mictlan. When I got back, someone had stolen her, and I found her at the Coloseum in a 'Win a Mermaid Wife' fighting contest. She was Pissed! She's in the Arcanists Guild Dungeon now, the no-magic zone, to try and force herself back to a normal while we figure this out. Only connected as a victim."

Cryosanthia looks over at Faranmidahn, "I guess, it was a fun party, but no new information. Do you want to catch Mikilos up on that?"

The story of Cryosanthia's friend draws Auranar's attention and by the end of it the elf looks properly horrified. She shudders, but keeps whatever thoughts come with that expression to herself. The papers shift under her deft fingers and she keeps to herself, only looking a trace embarassed by Cryosanthia's statement that she's been helpful.

A bright smile and the lucht starts to move to the proferred seat with her basket, pausing to turn and offer him some, "Honey bread? It's fresh." Several slightly squished but still warm loaves of bread contained therein. The story widens her eyes and she shakes her head, "Aww, the poor thing! I guess miss Kaelyn still hasn't cracked it yet." She sets the basket down on the table and imagines it's her turn for a story, one she was admittedly late to, but here goes, "Cryosanthia, Merek and Sir Seldan had found a young girl who was having memory troubles, and it was thought taking her back to her family home, where there was believed to be a fae presence, might hold the key to restoring it. They believed that Sally" she still refuses to use the name aloud, "The Fae queen in the Shard Tower, might have been responsible, so myself and several other adventurers rendevoued with them, just in case things went badly." A loaf of bread finds itself rolling over in her hands.

"Well, I tried to cast my magic detection spell, but all I saw was a flash and I...." blush, "apparantly passed out. Instantly. I missed a little of what happened before Cryo and Mister Zant woke me up. By then the girl was trying to run to her home."

Mikilos is mildly disappointed there wasn't a 'real' mermaid to talk to, but gets over it swiftly. "A girl with memory lost? Was she checked for a snowflake scar?"

"The Fae were not pleased to see us. Said we couldn't protect Sephielia from Endless Winter, that is was She who blasted the landscape." Cryosanthia supplements Faranmidahn's story, "She wasn't checked for anything Mikilos, almost two years and the adventurer's report said she was clearly possessed and no one checked. I'm still not sure she was taken to the Temple of Eluna after. Events were looking like it would move to fighting."

The palescale looks down at the table, breaks another piece of bread and eats it, gulping down, little chewing. "I was holding the girl and Pelka took her from me. I ... gave up. Started singing because I was sad. Somehow we got through, they wanted one of us to stay. I didn't care, I was going to... half the party volunteered. Faran, went first. That, that ... helped."

"I asked them for help to defeat the Endless Winter, Her. They gave us names. They gave me a song. A, really nice song."

Auranar pulls out a scrap of paper and looks at Cryosanthia. "Names? Of people that might be able to help bring this person that I've been reading about down?" She lets out a hollow, irritated noise. "What were the names? Do either of you remember?" The elvish woman looks between Faranmidahn and Cryosanthia curiously, her pen poised for witing and her bearing insistant.

Faranmidahn nods, "I'm sorry, Cryo, it looked like you were about to and... I was afraid. I didn't know what that would have done to you. I expected Sir Seldan and Mister merek would be able to help you better... and suddenly half of us follow my lead." A sigh, "But, they kept us for... I just got back, now... and I remember it was... a party." She looks a little guilty and fidgets, then, "But the names they gave us were, The Queen of Air and Darkness, The King of Light and Illusion, The King of the Slaugh and The Queen of the Wee Folk. And they call Sally the Queen of Endless Winter, obviously."

In Faran's mind, Salina twitches every time she refers to her as 'Sally'.

"You were right too Faran. I was not well. I still am not. I think I chose that one because there was a well." Cryosanthia says, still looking at the table, making a strange quiet noise in her throat, one Auranar and Faran would recognize. The palescale inhales sharply, twitches her head, "The song was this. There will be a Spring."

She sings, something in sylvan that sounds hopeful. Winter will be over, spring is coming. She only gets a little way in before she chokes again and stops suddenly. "This one is feeling things, I need a moment. I will perform the song properly later."

Cryo breathes carefully again, exhaling. She adjusts her robe. "My apologies, that will happen again. Those are the names, I have no idea how we might contact them, I don't think. Also, there are two of Her."

Mikilos nods. "I've been trying to find a good time to venture and try to meet the Queen of Darkness. She might be able to help in stopping 'Sally'. If she can't, or won't, I plan to try to meet the Mad King of Illusion, but again seek a proper time for it."

Mikilos blinks. "Wait. 'Two of her'?"

Auranar marks the names down thoughtfully. "They sure do have interesting names don't they? Colorful." She sounds slightly dry, her voice thoughtful and then blinking at Mikilos as he brings up an excellent point from Cryosantha's statement. "How can there possibly be /two/ of her?" What that question is really asking is: WHY?

"Severed time, I think." Faran says thoughtfully, "She can make decades pass within minutes, maybe she knows more ways to cheat?" The lucht sets the loaf down on her edge of the table and takes another over to the nice elf lady, "Here, thank you for helping us and... I'm sorry about the other night we were..." Ahem, glance at Cryo, "In a bad place, at the time."

"They are. Please record them exactly as Faran said. I believe it is imporant. A thing is a thing to the fae and the name encompasses all of it. The Queen of Air and Darkness. The King of Light and Illusion, I would not add or subtract. Sad, that you say the King is Mad, Mikilos, his name makes me want to meet him. I would meet him. I have no idea how to call their attention." Cryosanthia says, setting her hands on the table. She takes another piece of bread, swallows.

"This bread is wonderful Faran. Would you consider making and taking some to my friend at the Arcanists? The guards should be able to figure out they have a mermaid and need to feed her."

Cryo returns Faran's glance, and looks with her at Auranar, "So very much. You helped. This one is also embarassed and sorry."

She looks over at Mikilos next, "I saw Her, two of Her, in the tower. I remember this distinctly. She can meet with herself. I don't know if one stays in the tower and the other is a copy to venture forth, or there are two towers when they intersect. But they pass information. She may act in the past then jump forward to see the results. This may be why Kol was interested in me, he recognized me as the Pet she'd always had but never encountered me outside before. It is fractured time. It is a mess."

Mikilos nods to Auranar. "Names are vital to Fae. There's the old saying 'A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.' That's not quite so for fae. Their name is what they -are-. Change the name, you change the being. Though there is a difference between a real Name and what you just happen to call them." He nods to Cryo. "I have some ideas on meeting them. The Endless Lands are easy enough to reach, with magic, but finding the right place, and the right time, in those lands is a little more difficult. Try to find the Queen of Air, instead run afoul the Wild Hunt." He considers. "There's a number of ways to copy yourself that don't require time travel, but most are pale imitations at best. Advising your past self... I can only speculate how that would work."

Auranar has the grace to look embarassed again, accepting the bread from Faran. "My thanks." She means more than the bread and that much is clear. The names are written clearly on the page before her and she stares at them briefly before returning her attention to the conversation at hand. "If names are vital to the fae, then I wonder why everyone calls this woman 'mistress' and 'she' and 'queen of winter' rather than her /actual/ name." She looks at Mikilos. "Do you know when the right time would be to approach one of these fae beings?"

Hmmm's, "Master Mikilos? I got a glimpse of Sally when she appeared in the Fernwood while I had my detection spell going. She was blinding, like looking at the sun but I dropped the spell in shock, so I couldn't determine the auras. Is there a way perhaps you could see into my memory and decypher the-" Faran pauses, "Would my magic detection spell even show me the same thing as a wizards', or...?" She clears her throat and puts forth, "I had the thought that maybe the Sally we met, the second one is maybe some kind of golem linked to her, and maybe the energy from the slime... issue is being sent to either power her time-trickery or maybe the avatar." She looks to Crysanthia at that and, "Sure I can! The guards can take it to her, it's just bread." and with a grateful smile to the elf, she drifts back that way to get her basket.

"There were other things in play at the Fernwood, a force barrier that kept Zeke upstairs. She passed off knowing about the experiment as hearing gossip, but may have known." Cryosanthia adds, "As Faran said, she may use the ooze to power that, move her tower, resist time. This one does not remember enough."

She takes up her pen, scribbles a little on the page before her. "Perhaps, the names the wee folk we met used, in Sylvan, are the proper names for them. Although it marks us as their servants to use them. The Mistress was formal, I think. Her name does not come easy but subservient titles do. Also, they called her Endless Winter, as if she was a place and a person. Two names for her, two of her. Could she be stealing power from the other monarchs? Is that why the King is Mad?"

The white-scale sith looks over at Mikilos, then Auranar, "Would the song they gave me, be a key, more than just a comfort? If you can read Faran's memory, that would be wonderful. If you could look in my head and find mine, I'd be... overjoyed. Perhaps."

"Tell her I will be by soon Faran. I am glad you are back as well, so very."

Mikilos sighs. "In 'Sally's' case, it attracts her attention. The one time I used her proper name, Kol and Yukia showed up almost instantly. And a True Name can be used to bind a Fae, much like binding a demon. It's possible, but very dangerous. As for timing... it's complex. Once, on the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox, the King of Light met an adventurer. They talked for a time, and the King sent the human on a quest, to fetch an item from the lair of a dangerous beast. The man prevailed, and in return, the King granted the man a Boon. A wish, for whatever he wanted. So, on the First Full Moon of Spring, it's now... not quite a tradition, but maybe a habit, that if someone approaches, they might be granted a Boon. But, they might have to be human, or need to be male, or carry a long sword. They might be sent on a deadly quest, or a simple one. The Boon might be granted in good intention, or the words might be twisted into a curse. Or the King might choose to ignore the whole thing and just have you exicuted on the spot." Th elf rubs absently at his eyes. "The more times a.. 'tradition' has been followed, the less likely the fae are to ignore it. But the more details and rules get layered up to make a labrynth of cause and effect that only the fae might really understand... and I'm half convinced they just make it up as they go anyway." He sighs. "Any case, the time trickery is a stolen power of the Tower itself, set before the Ooze got involved. Though 'before' is a shakey concept when time travel is involved. The Ooze was forged by Zeheir, the wizard who made the Tower. Whatever it gathered energy for was his purpose, not hers. However, she's had plenty of time to twist the Ooze to her own ends." He considers a few moments. "There are ways to read minds, compel truth, but I am not a master of them. Seeing memories as remembered is even more powerful. I'll need search my books to see what options I have, if any." He poders again. "As for spells being wizardly or sorcerous, arcade or divine, it shouldn't matter. A spell is a spell, the source that powers it is secondary... generally speaking. There are always exceptions."

There's a lot to parcel in what Cryosanthia and Mikilos have to say. So Auranar does what she does best. She takes notes. Writes them down with half a frown on her lips. "So saying their full names can summon them. Maybe that's why they use these fancy titles then. And it'd make sense that they don't want common folk saying their names all the time if they're kings and queens." She makes a soft amused noise in her throat. "I hope that she's stealing power from the other monarchs that will make them more likely to help us don't you think."

The pink and black haired elf looks up from her notes for a moment and eyes Mikilos. "Give us an easy quest rather than one that's impossible. Or maybe even help us outright if if possible. I don't know anything about the fae myself, but if they're most likely to help in the spring then that's pretty much /now/ is there a plan in place to convince them to aid us?" Auranar frowns and then taps her pen on her paper. "Actually, if this girl is in contact with the fae maybe /she/ knows how to summon one of these monarchs? Or maybe her friends might? If they'd be willing to tell us when they'd be most likely to help us..."

Faranmidahn nods thoughtfully, "I stared into the auras of the ooze while it was... trying to eat me." she shivers. Ahem, "That's how we figured out some of what it is and what it does, but while I managed to determine that it translates all schools of magic into it's own universal flow, the mechamism at play was... well beyond my understanding, perhaps that would shed more light onto the affair? But, my bread is cooling, and Cryo's friend is probably starving! Good luck, and if anyone needs me, I'm either with Cryosanthia as much a I can manage, or I've been renting a room at.." she rattles off a reasonably comfortable inn with a... forgiving stable, then scoots.

"Sephiealia may know. It may involve Milk, Under a Blue Moon, which is the second Full Moon of the month. The wee fae told us they are strongest on the Full Moon, and plan to take Sephielia back that eve. The volunteers were to be kept until the Full Moon." Cryosanthia sounds a little like her unfeeling self as she rattles off a list of details, though her phrasing becomes more lively once she's into her questions, "Could it be tonight? Moons are fullest for three days, yes? The most in the middle day?"

Cryo looks over at Mikilos, "They do like things the same, but a thousand attempts one would not be able to repeat a thing perfectly and exactly as it was. I would hope the King would be willing to consider others beyond what you said, a human male with a sword. We could see if Sephielia knows. We could see if she has been examined by a healer with the appropriate spells, at the least. This is something we should do now?"

Mikilos shakes his head. "My example was one of a thousand stories or meeting the fae, half or which were made up by some bard... which doesn't strictly make them less true. A fae might follow a tradition that someone made up on the spot, if they happen to feel like it. Some spring tales end well, some don't. Sorting out fact from fiction, good from bad, and all the assorted details, is what I've been trying to do the past few weeks."

He looks to Cryo and shrugs. "I don't know. I'm starting to suspect the whole bit of 'traditions' is just a game made to confuse mortrals. If there's some other lead, such as the Wee Folk going themselves, that's as good a time as any I've been able to pin down."

"I would definately say that asking the girl or her wee friends is a good idea then." Auranar scratches her head and leaves a little ink-smudge on her brow as it furrows in concentration. "I suppose it must be hard to work out what's works and what doesn't when there are so many stories about them. I imagine that there must be different kinds of fae too, so that different kinds are affected in different ways... I suppose we'll have to go with whatever seems the most prevailent in stories and hope it holds true."

"Should we go to her then, now? When are the moons Mikilos? Will next months do? We don't want to have to wait a year for spring again." Cryosanthia says, looking between the two elves, at the difference in their appearances, momentarily distracted by this tangent. She rubs at one of her horns, "If we are negotiating, what are we asking, what are we offering? A thing that will defeat her, a weapon? We already know the sort, and have none to weild it."

The white sith exhales, stretching her hands out in front of her on the table. "The wee folk wish Sephielia. They will take her, and may take us to their rulers. I... can't. Make that offer. Her grandfather has lost so much, has only her, he is old. It would crush him. He would go with her, I think, he has the look of one with little left holding him to this world. I would that singing their song of spring would be enough. We've sacrificed so much already."

Mikilos nods. "General rules, be polite, and think about what you say. I think it's just a bards tale, but are stories of people being asked by fae, 'May I have you name?' Answering yes, the person becomes Nameless, a pale shade of a person, as the fae takes their Name. All fae can be hurt by Cold Iron, and most fear it. Impolitle to carry an Iron weapon, in most cases. Sweets and music tend to be well recived, and clever riddles are typically view with favor. Jokes and pranks are iffy, a good one can earn great favor, or firey ire."

He turns to Cryo. "Spring was one of many examples. Any day, every day, might hold significance. Afternoon may hold a very different meaning than morning, which might vary from evening, which might vary if you appraoch from the north or the west, which might vary on if a cloud is currently blocking the sun or not. For myself, I hope to learn the stance of the King's and Queen's on Sally's actions. Do they support her, or stand against her? Would they fight, given the chance? I would also know of True Death weapons, ones that would slay and Immortal. This is, I admit, as much a matter of personal curiousity as a Builder Arcane. I'm a weaponsmith, a new sort of weapon is of no small interest to me."

More notes are taken on the subject of the fae, but Auranar is frowning at the list with confusion and mild irritation. "It sounds like we don't know /anything/ about them then. With so much information it's as though we might as well know that much. Like you Cryosanthia, I would rather not allow these little fae to take a child from her grandfather. So our best bet might be to surround her with adventurers on the date that these fae are meant to take her and just... stop them." She sighs and finally crumples up her notes and looks as if she might toss them though she doesn't. "I wonder where we could get good, reliable information you know? Something more than just fairy tales."

"She laid waste to the landscape and ruined it magically. Faran described it as resembling a war zone of celestials. This one can't imagine they would support her. It seems... their new name for her, Endless Winter. That she is halting even the changes they enjoy, the cycles of spring to summer to fall to winter, of light to dark. I think that's their stance on her."

Cryosanthia nods, looking over at Auranar, "That may be the best plan, camp out. This one doesn't know. A book? A bard? It's all made up? If I could remember... if there was a friendly Fae... the fish stealing dragon that came to your banquet? Sephielia herself? Her brother, we never examined the house... there are so many pieces."

She stares at the map, with all the dots. "I feel if I walked this route singing their song of spring something would happen. It seems as much sense as the stories you've told Mikilos. This one knows no expert on Fae, no reliable source. I know only Her, and what I remember is mists."

Mikilos laughs quietly. "These are fae. They're -all- fairy tales. That's rather the problem." He nods to Cryo. "I very much understand. I'm sure in my own time there I ran across -something- that would be useful... but I can't recall any of it."

"It's /all/ confusing." States Auranar and finally she pushes the little crumpled-up piece of paper away to start again on a fresh piece. "Might as well ask the Gods if they know." She mutters the words to herself in irritation and then looks at Cryosanthia. "You... you were with this Queen of Winter for a time you said? Both of you? That means you should know /something/ about her." She shakes her head. "It must be so frustrating to remember none of it. If only there was someone who did. Which I guess leads us back to the little girl. She knows something about fae after all."

"Yes, we were. Mikilos had a relationship with Kol. I was her Beloved Pet. Kol is not allowed to play with me." Cryosanthia says, sounding distant and staring at her own piece of paper. She draws her Cryo - Dragon Eye Arcane Mark, which is an eye formed using the four letters in Sildanyari script and some additional scale decorations around it. Beside that, she draws a snowflake. Her notes, are in Mynsandraal when she's writing quickly, and then she works to translate them back into tradespeak. Almost everything she writes has to be done twice. She repeats the arcane mark, then the snowflake. It looks a little like the small patterns she has on her clothes.

"Lets go ask Sephielia then. And... it is."

Mikilos grins. "I did ask the gods. Well, some of the lesser avatars. Not the most trueworthy method, but by asking around, became certain of my answers. 'What sort of creature is the Mistress of the Shard Tower?' Fae. 'Does the vampire Kol Demontry gain some of his powers directly from the Mistress?' Yes. 'Are th Mistress and the demon Eclavdran allies?' No. 'Will killing the Mistress directly stop the plague?' No. 'Is the Plague being used to gather energy?' Yes. 'Does Kol make his lair in the Shard Tower?' Yes."

He frowns mildly, looking to Cryo. "...what sort of relationship did I have with Kol? I recall none of him within the Tower. Only our meetings outside of it."

Auranar lets out an amused noise. "Mikilos? /The/ Mikilos? The crimson pen insists that you and Kol are in /love/. That he secretly pines for you from afar and wrote his name on his flesh so that everyone would know the name of the man who his heart belongs to." She arches an eyebow at the mage and waggles it only to laugh shortly. "I don't imagine that it's /true/. Alright." She puts her pen down. "Enough of that. You should go question the girl." She waggles a hand at the pair. "Go on. I'll tend the notes like I usually do."

Mikilos groans and rolls his eyes, half glareing at Auranar. "That is -exactly- my concern. I don't -think- any of it's true... but since I can't actaully remember for certain..." He sighs. "Maybe I should go on some of these dates Aunth Marith keeps setting me up with... get married, or at least engaged. Kill off a few of the rumors."

Cryosanthia laughs in response to Mikilos' question, a laugh that goes on for a little while, then she shakes her head. She folds her notebook closed, puts a stopper in her inkwell, then stands and brushes at her robes. They have inkstains. A moment of concentration, then they don't. Her gloves still do, and she gestures, they glow, then she wipes them down. She follows this with an automatic set of gestures to clean off herself. She looks over at Auranar, "Want some prestidigation cleaning, for the ink?"

Stepping back from the table, she grabs the remaining bit of her bread and looks over at Mikilos, "Let's go see her, it's not too late. We can warn her grandfather about what might be coming tonight, and should have some adventurers along who will be willing to sit watch."

"Thanks again, Auranar."