The Rescuers 2

Auranar stands near the fireplace after having welcomed everyone into the house. The door is closed now, and the number of available seats just barely accommodates the number of people inside. So it's comfortably close quarters for everyone. A certain kitten is sprawled out before the fireplace sleeping deeply. Oblivious to what's going on around him.

"Thanks for coming! This isn't really me that's called you all here though." She motions a hand toward Andelena. There's bread and cheese and tea set out for those that want it. "I think most of you know Andelena. Well we've a request to make of you."

Telamon was a bit startled to get the message, but as it's Auranar... he simply opts to fly there, disdaining the use of the streets. The chill of the air is unpleasant, compared to the warmth of Verna and Aura's home, and he only doffs his coat once he's inside. His eyebrow shoots up slightly at the sprawled kitten, and a small grin sneaks onto his face.

The grin fades when Aura makes her introductions, and Tel looks around before staring at Andelena, a question in his eyes that doesn't get voiced yet.

Dirk is not his usual cheerful self. The reason for that is as plain as the beard on his face--considering it -is- the beard on his face. Or, what's left of it. His once proud and majestic whiskers have been drastically shortened. Long, lovingly groomed tresses that nearly reached his middle now barely reach down to his chest. It's clear there's been some emergency trimming done to even things out. But whatever it was that happened, it's left a traumatic mark on the old ranger. He sits quietly with a cup of tea clasped in both hands, still unfailingly polite. But he's quiet, reserved, and withdrawn. He doesn't even go for the food. "Thanks fer yer kindness. But I'm not hungry," he says in a quiet tone.

Patch sits, hands propped upon a knee as she sits with legs crossed. A heeled boot lightly rocks and sways, the bard's attention on Andelena as Auranar directs towards to the cleric. She nods, waiting to see what this meeting is about. Her coat remains buttoned, though she reaches into the front folds to pull out a small journal, and some sort of writing implement with it. It seems she came her quickly when word came through, but having to bring with her a small bit of books she's had bound with leather straps. They sit tucked under the chair for now.

Other than the platitudes upon being received, Patch has not said much.

Verna is not directly present to share in welcoming, but it is not due to her lack of Auranar's skills at hostessing nor intent to disrespect arrivals. Rather, it is a division of duties; her voice can be heard from another room in a steady drone of repetitive incantation. As it has been for some time.

Andelena has, by this point, gotten her fill of cheese and bread. She offers the crowd a little wave and a nod of the head. "Well, I won't sugarcoat it," she says. "We've got a situation on our hands. More accurately, we've got a plot brewing."

She folds her arms. "Bry, better known to all of you as Dolan, is my fiance. He's also figured out a connection between Kol Demontry and the werewolves. Last night, he gave himself up to Kol willingly, letting Kol take him to the camp where he and a bunch of these werewolves are hanging out and doing whatever it is they do in between being sacks of shit." There's a huff that leaves her at that. "They've got totems there. Dolan knew that if he left with Kol, he'll lead all of us to that camp and we get back the totems they've got."

Here, she gestures to Auranar. "Auranar's betrothed--you all ought to know Verna, I don't know why I'm fuckin' introducing her--is doing a scrying spell at the moment to find the location of the werewolf camp. Since Dolan left behind two of his closest possessions with me, that means she's able to do the spell way, way easier. Here's hoping she gets results."

Serene has arrived.

Serene is... a little bit late. Some might say fashionably late, though fashion isn't exactly in this paladin's baliwick. Her arrival isn't subtle; Silver's landings, the buffetting of his wings to arrest his dives, tend to churn the air, blowing drapes about, rattling shutters, window panes and sometimes even doors depending on how well they're set and sealed. He's a big bird. Cat. Thing.

Thick soled boots climbing the steps, then a sharp rap on the door follow, and once Serene is admitted she carries in with her a brief blast of winter chill. Which surely is just the weather. Surely.

"My apologies," she says once she sees who is all gathered. "There are many demands upon me, particularly in these times."

Auranar is the one that answers the door for Serene, and not being familiar with the paladin offers a somewhat uncertain smile, but a place in the house nonetheless. She makes her way back to the fireplace slowly, letting Andelena do the talking and glancing toward where Verna is doing her spellcasting.

Telamon looks slightly stunned at Andelena's blunt explanation -- less for its harshness and more for its content. Then he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Dammit..." After a moment, he sighs, squaring his shoulders. "Alright. Scrying can be defeated, but let's hope those werewolves aren't skilled enough to do so. I imagine Kol is just -thrilled- to have a new toy." His lips twist in disgust. "Once we know where he is, Verna or I can probably get us there."

Patch nods slowly to the news, sighing. "Then it's all to plan." she says softly, flipping through her book and taking some notes on a page. "Are we to move immediately if we have results?" a hip checked as she adjusts her swordbelt. "Just give the word." choosing to ask what she thinks is necessary as they speak of Dolan being taken.

It's Telamon's words that earn Patch's glance and blink. "I.... let's not think about that road until it's necessary." Telamon's words worrying her.

There is hope that the lycanthropes are not so prepared, inclined, nor capable of masking the vicinity to that degree. Should hope not be enough, there remains the option of focused will. Verna's words grow notable in volume and quicken in pace, possibly signifying that an answer to that question may soon be forthcoming.

"As quickly as we feasibly can, depending on what the results give us," Andelena replies, "and based on the consensus of everyone here. I'm not going to let Bry be in the grasp of Kol Demontry for longer than he needs to be."

She sighs a little from the general weight of the situation, but offers Serene a nod and a smile. "If you are who I think you are, I am /relieved/ you're here. While we're not aiming for Kol's destruction--our focus is on retrieving the totems and my fiance--if it's at all possible to do so, we stand a little more of a chance with you around."

Dirk sets his jaw and looks up. "I don't know how I can help," he says. "Kol's whupped my arse soundly on more'n one occasion. But... Dolan's me friend. I won't leave 'im in that beardless bastard's hands if I can do aught about it." He lifts a hand to rub his shortened beard. "Tell me when an' where. I'll be there wi' bells on."

Serene makes a sound.. not a grunt. Serene never grunts. But she gives a short nod. "For those who have not met me, my name is Serene and I am one of Eluna's paladins. I will endeavour to keep you all alive on this rescue mission. I suggest if the vampire makes an appearance, you leave him to me. It is doubtful I can destroy him; his kind typically require a plan specifically to trap him and nullify his ability to escape. But I can keep him busy."

Auranar glances toward where Verna is yet again and seems to perk up a little. "The spell is almost ready." Her anticipation has her clasping her hands before her so that she doesn't soothe her skirts down. "I'll be staying here by the way... Much as I'd like to go... Last thing you guys need to worry about is someone who doesn't know their magic very well."

Telamon shakes his head, crossing to place a hand on Auranar's shoulder. "I think you're learning, though. If you feel that uncomfortable, very well -- but you better be figuring out what you want to practice next." He grins at her, a genial warm expression, before brushing some imaginary dirt off his cuff and walking towards where Verna is working her scrying spell.

"No help, no matter how little is a waster." Patch says to Auranar as she tries to offer some small comfort in this meeting. Serene is noticed at their introduction, a curt nod given as she sits up a bit straighter. "Well met, Serene. I am Patch, and names, and arms are always welcome."

Verna's words rise in sharp crescendo to be more clearly heard through the hall even with the partly closed door. For a moment. They abruptly end following the stanza, leaving a stretch of silence in their wake. If Auranar's Betrothed overhead the conversation in the lounge, she does not immediately offer comment, nor any word of results, just yet.

GAME: Verna casts Greater Scrying. Caster Level: 19 DC: 24

"Andelena of Selentia. Sunguard," Andelena adds on, introducing herself in a straightforward manner with a bit of a smirk, as is her fashion. "I'll go check on Verna and see what the progress of that spell happens to be." After all, she'd already given Auranar her thoughts earlier on her abilities. She follows Telamon down the hall.

Dirk lapses back into silence, looking down into his cooling mug of tea. He draws a shivery breath and lets it out in a soft sigh.

Serene tilts her head to the introductions, her gaze following Andelena as the sunguard leaves to check on Verna's progress. Not being aquainted with Auranar, it isn't her place to offer encouragement or suggestions. Not really. But she does offer, "From what I know of the company here, I have no doubt you have been, and will continue to do so, contributing invaluable assistance." She takes another look around the comforting room. "This is the team assembled to rescue your friend? No others?"

The silence from Verna lasts a scant few moments, though might be perceived far different subectively by those present. With footfalls approaching, Verna now speaks to someone for the first time in over an hour. Rather than conversational, it is a call yet not quite a command. The firm, flat tone is not unusual for Verna, though perhaps much moreso in her own home.

"Andelena. Come and enter. Alone."

Telamon jerks to a halt at Verna's voice. He holds up a hand to the others, and gestures for Andelena to go ahead. As she passes, he turns to the others. "I'm sorry, I've been... rude. I saw Andelena, and not Dolan, and... I fixated." He takes a deep breath, giving Dirk a sympathetic wince, before sketching a bow to Serene. "I don't believe we've met, Silverguard. I am called Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon, and it is very good to meet you."

Patch has fallen silent, choosing now to refresh herself with some tea as the others mingle, and the preparations are awaited. It's a good time to watch, think, and mentally prepare for things. Telamon's apology is glanced upon, nodding at the man. She too had fixated on the absence, though. It's hard not to when it's a friend.

Verna's command is enough for Andelena's stance to become straighter-backed. She takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay," she says, although it's more to herself than to anyone else.

And she walks in through the door, closing it shut behind her.

Dirk turns his haunted gaze over to Telamon. "Telamon, lad. Yer smart an' well read. Tell me. Do ye know aught of a potion or magic that can regrow burnt hair?" he asks in a very quiet tone. Seems like he's been spending quite awhile plucking up the courage to ask the question.

Serene's eyebrow arches a little bit when the source of Dirk's melancholy mood is revealed. Or at least the part of it he's willing to reveal. But... dwarf will be dwarf. "Well met, all of you. I trust you are.. or will be.. equipped to face the lycanthropes and possibly thralls of the vampire. Perhaps demons." Because there are always demons.

There's a bloodcurdling scream that comes from within the room, followed by a thump to the floor.

The thump had been from Andelena falling to her knees, and the Sunguard breaks into fits of sobbing, just burying her face into her hands. It's just that for long and painful moments, like she's lamenting, and in a way, she is.

And then comes the wrath. She scoops a hand away from her face and slams into the floor, tears still streaming down her face. "I. Am going. To fucking. DESTROY. Kol Demontry!" she roars.

Auranar hears the thump and is halfway across the house in a blink. Worry is clear on her face, and she knows Telamon is closer but... She makes a beeline for the room anyways, hoping against hope that everything is okay. But she knows as she hears Andelena's tears that its not.

Telamon is wise enough not to laugh at Dirk. "Well, there's Perriman's, but sometimes the hair grows back in ... odd colors. However, there are some tinctures that are less... ah... dramatic." He gives Dirk's shoulder a squeeze. "Beards grow back, my friend."

Then there's the scream, and the thump, and Tel jumps into the air, whirling. As Auranar passes by, he's at her heels, following the elf. Hearing the sobbing, the rage, he gulps. "Oh dammit... that doesn't sound good."

"Well, I am glad we're all still on the same page." Patch says from her seat, looking away from the source of that roaring in the other room. Whatever it was, was enough to provoke some very real response from the man's bride to be. It's then her glance falls, sighing. "I suspect that won't be good news." she says to Telamon, flashing a glance to Dirk. "Best be ready." she says, standing and checking the things she brought.

"And I am sorry about your beard, Dirk." Patch adds in, looking to the Dwarf. "That was... not a good night. We've had a lot of weird times lately."

Serene gives a short nod, pushing away from the interior wall to give her own equipment a once over. Peacebonds on her weapons are untied. A snap of her fingers reveals a non-descript silver rod in her hand.. another snap makes it disappear. Her shield is unslung, then made ready. Then she bows her head and closes her eyes.

Verna reaches a hand to Andelena's shoulder. One of many simple gestures of support she has offered to many, and many times. Yet those times were not like this. Her other hand is clenched. "He shall be, Andelena. He shall be. Dolan is yet our priority..." A pause before she asks a question that needs asked but she prefers it need not be. "There is time... but all may be ready to stand with you now. There are risks in either choice, thus it is only proper that it be yours to make."

Andelena's clenched fist is still on the floor, shaking with her tears. But there's a snarl that leaves her as she considers the options, her steel-grey eyes filled with something so furious that it matches the ferocious red of her hair.

"If everyone's ready to knock some skulls, get some totems, and get some fucking vengeance, we leave. /Now/. I'm not sleeping a fucking wink until we get Brydion back, gods /damn/ it," Andelena barks. "I want justice. I want /justice/!

Auranar's at the door. Looking from Andelena to Verna. Then back again. "What... What did you see?" She asks hesitantly, uncertain she wants to know. "Why isn't the spell still active?" She knows enough about magic to know that the spell should still be showing them an image of Dolan.

Dirk sighs quietly at Telamon. "I wouldn't expect tallfolk tae understand," he says morosely. And he wouldn't. There's no blame in his tone. Just sorrow for what he's lost. "Well, I grew it once. I can grow it ag--HEEK!" He yelps at that sound coming from Andalena's room. His grief and misery is forgotten as he leaps to his feet, balling up his fists. He trundles in after Telamon, worry writ large on his face. As Andalena makes that declaration, he puffs up his burly chest and nods firmly. "I'm with ye, Andalena," he growls. "Dolan's my friend. An' that clean shaven son of a troll has got some -serious- payback comin' his way!" He hurries back to the front room, throwing his cloak over his shoulders and picking up his thunderbelcher. He leans out the window and hoots through his fist. "Lulu! C'mon lass, we're goin' huntin'!" Lulu flutters in through the window and lands on his shoulder with an eager hoo-hoot.

Telamon is behind Auranar, looking over her head. At Andelena's state of obvious distress, his expression tightens. Then, curiously, he tilts his head, as if listening to something only he can hear. He nods, slowly, not realizing he's doing it, before telling Andelena, "I don't need the details. Just point the way, Andelena. I owe Dolan that much." His voice is firm, as he reaches down to offer the woman his hand to help her up as best he can.

Verna nods once, her hand returning to her side, clenched like the other. She turns to the others at or around the door. "Dolan appears alive, yet he is ... in poor health. He is bound in a room that may not be large enough to comfortably hold us. The scrying ended when Kol entered the room. I witnessed enough to attempt to take all there, but not enough to be certain of accuracy. We would need crowd close before departing, and would arrive within arm's reach of the vampire." All is stated plain, for transparency, without any bias.

"Do you have garlic in the kitchen?" Patch asks rhetorically as she chooses now of all times to joke about Kol. "If not, I'm ready." she says, looking to the others that had been waiting with her. "It's not like I haven't faced death before. We do it for coin, might as well do it for friends." her resolve set as she looks between Verna and Andy. "Let's cut into Kol's dance. Get Dolan back."

Auranar looks from Andelena to Verna and back again to the people around her. She bites her lip. "I-" She starts to speak but she doesn't know how to say what's on her mind. The fear that envelops her and then it suddenly comes pouring out. "We can't go."

The words are like a lead balloon. "I know we all want to, but if we go now then we put at risk everything that Dolan left for. He left so that we'd have a chance at the totems, and if we go now then Kol is there waiting for us! We have to... we have to wait until he's gone. Just until he leaves. If you could scry Dolan then when Kol is away you'll be able to scry him again."

She feels like there are nails in her throat, as if she's betraying everyone by saying these things. "I know. I know he's being hurt, but we can't take her - HER to Kol!" Auranar points to Andelena. "He'll never forgive us if Kol kills her in a rage!"

"We need a diversion," Telamon says. "We need to draw Kol out, or at least encourage him to step away from Dolan. If the totems are in the tent with Dolan, so much the better -- but I'm not abandoning him." He looks at Verna. "Could you tell roughly where Kol is? Is he holding out somewhere with his werewolf allies, or is he off by himself?"

At the words 'within arm's reach of the vampire', Andelena looks... more uncertain. Her demands for justice suddenly tempered by fear of the vampire. And then Auranar's words ring out.

The Sunguard hangs her head. "Auranar, you're right," she says. Her hands tremble. "We... need to wait. We need to wait. But..."

She shakes her head, and the tears flow down her face again. And in a time like this, there's only one thing she can think to do. She takes the holy symbol from her neck and holds it tightly in her hand. "Daeus, Shining Knight, I come to You in my most dire of hours," she murmurs, her voice hitching a little with the shake of the small sobs that occasionally leave her. "I am no longer just a Sunguard; I am a woman on the edge of breaking. Give me a sign that everything will be okay. Give me a sign that Brydion is in your care."

Her grip tightens just a little more around the holy symbol. "Please."

There's a small meow of a tiny white kitten from beside Andelena. The kitten places both white paws on her leg and looks up at her with wide golden eyes. The tiny mew is repeated, and the kitten bumps his head against the symbol of Daeus in her hands. It's as if the kitten is trying to remind her to have faith.

Serene's eyes open after Auranar's plea for patience and Andelena's acceptance of it. "If Kol wished your friend dead, he would now be dead. Though he now suffers, from what I understand, that suffering he assumes willingly for the sake of recoverying the totems. Patience is wise. But we dare not wait too long. If we make further attempts, and it seems Kol is not ready to leave your Brydion's side, then prepare multiple transportation magics. Send me in first. I will distract the vampire, perhaps even drive him away. Then you can follow."

Patch listens to the plea, again falling silent as she draws her cloak about one shoulder, and waits for a decision to be made. It's not her choice, but offering her support all the same. Just not with words. Not at the moment. Serene is looked at as she speaks of her idea to ward of Kol, just letting the others plot as she tries to find patience.

Auranar lets out a breath that she didn't entirely know she'd been holding. Relaxing by inches. It'd been impossibly difficult to say those things, but she can't regret them. Not now. Not if it saved lives. She'd regret it later though, when she saw the damage done by her own suggestions.

Dirk reaches out to set a gentle hand on Andalena's shoulder. "Dolan's a stout lad," he says gently. "An' he can resist that bastard until sunup. Once the sun is in the sky, then Kol will be powerless. We just have tae wait 'til morning." He looks down at the kitten, and a gentle smile creases his features. "Believe in the sun, Sunguard. The sun is our friend, now more than ever."

Telamon raises his eyebrows at Serene, but he nods. "You'll be facing the fight of your life. But if we can get Dolan out, and the totems... it'll be worth it." He glances over, then down at the kitten, and chuckles. "Someone believes in you, Andelena. They do say the gods often send humble messengers. I think this might be no exception." He gives Dirk's shoulder a pat, and smiles.

Verna looks to Auranar. While she could never hate her, it is all the moreso the opposite that is in her gaze. "Love, you are wiser than I, far stronger, and most certainly best at sharing both with others." A brief smile cuts through the frustration, though it lapses back to a neutral, if determined expression. "I can continue to scry upon him, as often as it requires. It may be best that we reconvene outside the city. Once there, and following the spell, perhaps Dolan will be alone again, and we will need not waste any time reaching him."

For now, Andelena's eyes stray down to the kitten. A small smile finds her face. The golden eyes can't be ignored--golden like the dawn, like the light of Daeus that promises to be their salvation.

"At dawn, then," Andelena echoes. "The morning brings us closer. I have to... believe that Bry will make it through. I have to..."

She looks at the kitten again and gives him a full-on pat on the head, scritching behind the ears. "I have to have faith." That'll be enough. It has to be enough. For the alternative is despair, which is a thing a Sunguard cannot sink into, lest she lose herself and all she loves in the process.