May Event Log B: Return to Einjar

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	Return to Einjar's resolution is dependent on the choices the involved players make and will affect the resolution of Song of Suffering. It is not too late to sign up There will be a comment below for plot-specific questions and exploration we encourage everyone to use to help drive the resolutions/plot of the event. After you have read through this post please respond to This Poll as soon as you feel comfortable making the choices in it. Please respond even if your character is not participating in either event as the choice made effects the game world/all players.
🜙 Trouble in Preciposte April 26th
	The first stop on the excursion is Preciposte. Arrival to the Northern Outpost is greeted by near silence. Only a handful of people remain in the deserted outpost and all of them are waiting for the excursion team within the town's tavern. Stew and Hot Mead are available to anyone who needs or wants it and the outpost's designated healer has one of the larger rooms set up with beds for rest and recovery if anyone is injured during the side mission. The mountain goat satyr and her assistants, a very short kobold and a cheerful blue orc, are around to offer their help where needed but they won't leave the tavern. Once everyone is off the airships and crammed into the building, Ser Medraut has a few of his men hand out supplies and split the group into teams with different dedicated tasks. He explains the dangers of the mountain cliffs and the creatures that live at this altitude, including the cliff hawks that do not often differentiate between an easy animal meal or a person. He says that reports from Preciposte citizens that have been relocated to Krimnos claim a large flying beast with scales has been picking people off, and that at dusk its roars and screeches can be heard throughout the outpost. As he finishes and the teams are formed up the kobold in the tavern gets up on the bar to speak to the group. He explains that the little outpost might not look like much but for a lot of folks it's home and they'll do what they can to help the team while they search for the cause of the attacks. Whatever is hunting the mountains is big enough to take on the cliff hawks and it has already carried off a few of the Krimnos mountain horses (Clydesdales). The excursion company is split up into three teams with the Defensive team being made up of people on both teams to allow them to rotate. Team Task: Team Members ⤛ Search Track down, identify, and capture or kill the creature terrorizing Preciposte. Daenerys Targaryen Nike Lemercier Lauralae Robb Stark Poe Dameron Sypha Belnades ⤛ Rescue: Find any evidence of the missing Preciposte travelers and residents and return them or their bodies to the outpost if possible Alucard Jon Snow Trevor Kylo Ren Sansa Stark ⤛ Defense Protect Preciposte and the airships/supplies from attack, provide backup for the other teams where needed. Nike Lemercier Jon Snow Robb Stark Trevor Kylo Ren Sansa Stark Poe Dameron Search team is tasked with tracking down the beast, identifying it, and making the decision to kill or capture it and put an end to the terrorizing it has been doing to the outpost. The paths through and around the mountain Preciposte rests on the precipice of and its immediate surrounding mountains are their search area. While seeking out the creature the usual mountain threats (Cliff hawks, cave spindles, frost manticores, mountain trolls, dire bears, dire wolves, dire snow leopards, avalanches, rockslides, and crumbling cliff ledges). Scorch marks cover swathes of mountain sides and deep claw marks are scored into areas of stone. Scattered weaponry, destroyed and burnt carts, and an odd assortment of crumbled stone piles line the small ravines and sloped sides of the mountains, and a series of caves to explore dot the paths and dangerous off-path areas. A portion of the team is made of trackers and beastfolk to help track down and understand how to contain or kill the creature Rescue team's job is a grim one. Recover the bodies and any evidence of lives lost from the ravines and paths. Collect any obvious personal belongings and remains and send them back to Preciposte for the loved ones of those lost or for proper burials. The same risks exist for both Search and Rescue team, but Rescue team's instructions are to get to cover and hide immediately if the threat is spotted. A portion of the team is dedicated to stealth and illusion to help the team get through their tasks without having to directly confront the creature causing the disappearances. A tracker is on the team to help locate signs of life in the mountains and avoid following beast tracks rather than people ones. The Defense team is made up of members of both teams and their job is to protect the ships and Preciposte from cliff hawk/creature attacks or thieves. A company of around 12 knights goes with Search team, 3 with Rescue team, and the other 15 knights and Ser Medraut remain in Preciposte to help with Defense team. All three teams can encounter the creature, though only search team should directly try to contain or kill it. Being bitten by the creature or looking into its gaze will cause the characters to begin slowly turning to stone from their extremities or the point of the bite. The injury starts with a slow, creeping discoloration of the skin to gray and a stiffness of the limbs. It progresses to a hardening of digits and then lower extremities followed by upper extremities and eventually the entire body will turn to stone. The whole process takes about 1-2 weeks depending on the size and health of the individual. The creature is small, only around nine feet tall with an eighteen foot wingspan. It breathes fire and unusual metal fixtures on its chest, wings, legs, and tail appear to be armor and spikes made of a golden alloy of some kind. It is highly aggressive but will attempt to flee back to the caves if wounded. When the creature is killed, or contained in the airship hold if captured, the excursion company boards the airships once more, sends word to Krimnos of their progress, and continues on to Einjar.
🜙 Eroding Memories April 28th
	The flight from Preciposte to Einjar is tense. The ship crews have to call out to one another as the airships drift through dense, freezing cloud cover. Silence hangs heavy over the whole excursion team other than the echoed call outs for jutting rocks or turns. Progress is a slow drift in the blinding white and gray, and freezing condensation clings and freezes to the ships and everything on board. The air clears as they approach Einjar without hindrance, and the ships grind to a rest on stone dwarf reliefs carved out of the cliff edges. Before the excursion company, in the clearing air, is an unsettling sight. The doors to Einjar lay in crumbled ruins at their base, blocking up the rivers that flowed down Einjar's steep staircases. An overflow tunnel beneath the great landing pours forth torrents of clear water and at the base of the waterfall the lake that rests in the valley before Einjar and the river that flows from it are now visible below the clouds. The lake is a deep blackish-red, and the river sluggishly flowing from it runs red like blood. Ser Medraut calls his knights and volunteers together, the company of knights and a few hands worth of volunteers is small, but the vast landing and doors of Einjar make the team feel impossibly small. Scorch marks in arcing lightning bolt patterns and hardened ice cover the open entrance and crumbled doors to Einjar, the 3 foot deep stone doors have been smashed like clay and lie in a rubble heap blocking the lower half of the entrance in. Ser Medraut gathers Alucard, Trevor, Lauralae and two of his knights and asks them to go over the rubble and quietly, carefully, check ahead into the entrance. They will be the first group back inside of Einjar. He sends Daenerys, Sansa, Poe and Robb to seek out the kobolds the last excursion team met in the hopes of getting information from them. Medraut says Daenerys should be able to lead the group back to the kobold's home a little ways back along the mountain. Nike, Jon, Kylo, and Sypha are tasked with guard duty while the rest of the knights work to clear the rubble, and will quickly have their work cut out for them, as large dire wolves begin to appear on the cliffs to the left and right of the landing, their lips curled back in threatening snarls.
🜙 The Enemy Within April 28th-May ??
	Once the team enters Einjar they find the city bathed in an eerie reddish-purple light. The dome above the city's mountain spring fed lake is cracked and stained red, a slow and steady drip sounding from the back of the city. Many of the buildings inside Einjar have been damaged, some cracked and others now housing crumbling holes where something caved part of them in. The waterfalls barely trickle down into the river, the water pinkish-red. The river, partially drained, is at half its level leaving the heads and helms of stone kobolds and dwarves visible in the canals. Deep claw marks scour the stone floors and some of the buildings and bridges are coated in a thick, beautiful white-blue ice. Each time a drop falls from the dome and hits the lake a ripple of ringing sound echoes through the city, sending a shiver of Paranoia Reflection through anyone who hears it. Touching the water or disturbing it in any way causes the Song of Suffering to ring out, while direct contact and prolonged contact cause the excursion team members who touch or drink the water to be overtaken by Fury or Desperation. Reflection Cause & Symptoms ⤛ Paranoia Caused by exposure to the ringing song of suffering. The sound of the ringing roots out and pulls to the surface every negative, lingering, violent, uncertain, or angry thought the person has had toward or about others and amplifies it, transforming emotions over a simple comment or fleeting thought into defined certainty and righteous fury. Twisting even the clear-minded or pacifistic until they are willing to kill others to protect themselves or those they are defending. While under Paranoia's influence they are beset by an unquenchable thirst and hunger, but no other physical symptoms. The only way to 'cure' someone affected is to disable their hearing or relocate them far enough from the river that the ringing can no longer be heard. ⤛ Fury Caused by any physical exposure to the water itself. Contact with the liquid causes a surge of wild, furious power that infects those it overtakes with a fury that is not their own. This fury is undirected and will cause the affected to lash out at anything near them, living or non-living. Once a target has been found they will not stop until that target is dead or completely destroyed. While under Fury's influence their skin begins to harden and grey starting at the hands and their strength, physically and magically, doubles. Fury can only be cleansed by fresh water or light magic. ⤛ Desperation Caused by ingesting the water or prolonged exposure to the water. If submerged, the person will find their vision quickly adjusting to the water and if they open their eyes they will feel as if something is looking back at them from the depths, reaching out to them. Once they emerge from the water or cease drinking the water they will either see or feel the thick coating of red liquid that does not drip or move, clinging heavily to their skin or muscles. The liquid seeps into their skin or muscles and their eyes turn bloodshot and then solid red. While under Desperation's influence their eyes remain solid red and their movements become sluggish with erratic bursts of speed and wild strength. Until they are doused with fresh water or light magic they will be consumed by desperation and singularly focused on their last goal or thought as if letting go of it would kill them. Without direction or a goal to latch onto the desperation becomes a consuming need to stop the noise and fighting around them through any means possible.
🜙 Einjar's End
	As the last member of the team enters Einjar a thunderous roar sounds from outside the city, and the screech of a dragon sounds, deafeningly loud through the cavern. A blast of blue and white light blinds anyone who looks back at the entrance, the sound of crystals shattering and bumping against one another accompanying it. With the muffled sound of wing beats the excursion team looks up to see the entrance barricaded by a thick wall of blue-white ice at least ten feet thick. The team is temporarily trapped within Einjar and the heavy beat of wings and further screeches and shattering sounds can just barely be heard outside the thick stone and ice walls. With the effects of Paranoia gradually increasing, affecting more and more of the excursion team more strongly with the passage of time and the trapped waters of the Einjar river gradually rising the clock is ticking. Behind the team comes the sound of cracking stone and shifting earth. From out of the broken ravine a creature crawls, leather skin pulled tight over dense bones, ancient armor hanging loosely off its thin form. It slams its axe into the stone and pulls itself up out of the ravine, glowing blue eyes fixating on the nearest knight. It pulls itself up and charges with its axe raised, taking four arrows to the head and chest without slowing before bursting into flames with a horrifying shriek. Behind the draug the familiar tall form of Monty stands, his hands glowing with yellowish-orange light. "Come on, quickly." Monty forms a ball of light in his hand, throwing it down into the ravine to the shrieks of the draugs below and waves his other hand with urgency, breaking into a sprint for one of the towers that had previously appeared to be made of solid stone in an earlier visit. He leads the excursion team along and over the river, the sounds of the emerging draugs echoing behind them until they reach the building. Monty shoves his shoulder into a large circular stone slab covered in runes at the entrance, encouraging others to help him push it. It takes the force of four of them to roll it over in time and they just barely make it, the stone slab dropping down slightly and sliding forward with a thin flash of light until it forms what looks like a solid wall between them and the draugs. A pack of frightened young kobolds are huddled in the back of the main tower room and a large table rests at its center, a single dwarf sitting at its head. Closer inspection reveals the dwarf to be entirely made of stone, a grim expression on her face, her eyes locked on the now solid former doorway and her hand clasped tight around something. Monty pulls off his hood and warily greets the knights before going to check on his siblings, looking them over for injuries and asking them questions with reassuring head pats or back rubs as he goes. A series of five doors cover one circular back wall of the cavern room and stacks of papers and books cover the table, covering dwarf history, dragons, draugs, curses, the long night, and various other events. Ser Medraut sets the volunteers to work on the documents and the kobolds to try and find some answers about what is going on. The knights and their leader climb up the tower to the upper levels, watching the draugs through the barely visible arrow slits, keeping an eye out for trouble, ready for another fight. Ser Medraut descends to give the team the good and the bad news not long after. They can't count how many draugs are out there, but the draugs don't seem to know where they are. The bad news? The river is starting to flood the city, and the ringing sound from everything the water hits is gradually growing louder.
🜙 Escape From Einjar
	After the fifth of May the dragon's roars can no longer be heard outside the city. The water's levels have risen, covering the ground in four inches of red water. The draug's numbers have been considerably cut down, and the creatures themselves seem to mill about, sloshing through water and adding to the constant ringing echoing throughout the cavern. Their weapons drag in the water and the blue glow to their eyes has lessened. They appear to have grown sluggish, but their speed will return if they realize there are still living among them. With the dragon gone, at least one way out is available to the excursion team: Through the ice wall at the city's entrance. Once out of Einjar the team will discover the wreckage of two smoldering airships, covered in ashes and ice and shattered against the stones far below the cliff. The ship whose hold contained the creature from Preciposte remains intact, listing slightly where it is anchored to the cliff. The knights immediately go to check on the ship and grow concerned when there is no sign of the creature that was captured in the ship's hold. They begin to open up the side of the vessel to search for damage and fire blasts outward from the hold, catching several of the knights in its path. The basilisk emerges from the hold, its scales shimmering back into their normal coloration. Its tail slams into part of the team, trying to sweep them off the cliff, and it makes a horrible crowing hiss as it charges out of the ship. Free of the ship the feathers around its head extend out like a mane and shake threateningly. After that display it ignores the team, running straight for Einjar's entrance and launches an attack on the stone statues that stand guard outside the city. Any dragonets present when the basilisk crows will become temporarily paralysed by fear.

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[drizzle]

☙ Trouble in Preciposte

[The silence of the area was very unsettling. It was enough to remind her of the same silence being met in her last visit to Einjar. Somehow the heavy atmosphere has now reached the bottom of the mountain. Nike could sense the local spirits of the area, but none were willing to appear before her. Even if she sang and asked for their guidance, they will not appear.

All Nike could do in such a situation was to observe everyone around her. Overhear whatever bits of conversation anyone was willing to offer in public. And most of all, ask questions. There wasn't much to go by, she found.

So after everyone was paired up into a specific group, in her case she was in two, and were given the necessary equipment to make the next voyage, Nike and her wolf pup will be easily found eating their very warm meal over at the tavern. It was clear by the large amount of food that was currently filling the entire table she was in that Nike was stocking up. Her powers took a lot out of her and with the intense atmosphere she just knew her powers may be needed more than ever. If anyone comes close to her cluttered table filled with dishes, she will offer them a sheepish smile.]

Oh, sorry, do you wanna sit here? Just give me a few more minutes and we'll be done with everything!

☙ The Enemy Within

[The city had seen better days, was all Nike could think to herself as she notices the overall differences between the two visits. It would seem the city had fallen to a great decay of chaos. Now if it was caused by those that shouldn't be in the city or by the spirit world, it was difficult to tell. There are many of both within the mountains, she found. If the spirits from the giant temple were anything to go by, then she knew there was more than meets the eye.

As she explores the city, noticing the strange but very familiar lights surrounding the city along with the tainted water, Nike will hold onto her weapon tightly as she informs those surrounding her about the dangers in touching the water or light because they may as well be connected; however upon noticing the ringing sounds making their appearance she could feel a slight familiar feeling overtaking her senses: intense fear. Anxiety, and maybe a deeper chill that was enough to raise the hair over her hooves and arms. Her green gaze will be on those surrounding her, noticing they were beginning to fell the effects of the water's ringing. Their fearful expressions were slowly beginning to add some sobriety. After all, this wasn't the time for her to be under the water's spell once more, she needed to do something!

And something she shall do in way of singing a heartfelt song that was very familiar to her village and family. Nike was doing everything in her power to invoke as much of her own emotions into the song which may begin to block out the current ringing sound in their surroundings. Whoever was under the influence of the spell, the more they notice her singing the more the effects will begin to dissipate.]

☙ Einjar's End

[Her singing ability had a limit to them under normal circumstances. One hour was all she is usually given. An hour to sing, an hour to rest, or a few days to rest if she does something beyond her powers. Like right now, in fact. She has been singing for over an hour and was beginning to feel the effects of lethargy taking over, and yet she could not stop from singing. The ringing effects of the water were still in effect while those from the dead were taking control of their now crumpling bodies. Too many things were happening at once and all Nike could do was sing to keep the ringing sounds from overtaking the group while allowing the wind to push the now decease dwarfs from overwhelming them.

It was at the moment that Monty makes his appearance that Nike stops to sing. He came just at the nick of time! It was all she could scream out in her mind! But unfortunately she couldn't move as the last of her energy was used to protect everyone. She had lost consciousness.

But it won't be long until she regains it and realizes she was somewhere else entirely! Getting up without a second though, Nike will look in her surroundings to find mini versions of Monty surrounding her and everyone else. Relief will begin to appear on her expression. Just as she was about to express it, nothing was coming out of her voice except a heavy cough. Ah, it would seem her voice needed time to recover. Caelum will begin to search for the nearest person to help his master because she clearly needed help. Expect a wolf pup begin to pull on someone's pant legs as a way to gain their attention.]

(OOC: The last option will be used to discover the reading material! If anyone wants to learn more about the mountain curse and having a way to restore it, then that will be the option for it while the second option to help an affected character of the paranoia regain their senses if anyone needs it.)

Einjar's End

[apilot]

[Initially Poe thinks the tug at his leg is Bey, until he sees the dutiful beagle fetching another small container of arrows to bound up the tower steps with further across the small tower room. When he looks down he's greeted with the familiar sight of Caelum, and he crouches down by the wolf pup with a grin despite the circumstances.]

Hey, buddy. Where's your person? [His voice is warm and friendly for the little wolf just as it would be if he was talking to one of the young kobolds or a frightened child. When he stands he follows Caelum to Nike, one arm stiffly at his side, his injury hidden by his coat, and the other going to her shoulder to check on her when he finds her.]

I saw you drop out there. You've been pushing yourself pretty hard, haven't you?

[drizzle]

[In happier circumstances, Caelum would be very content in simply having Poe's attention. Maybe receive a pet or two. But not now. The small pup will offer a low whine before guiding him to his master.

Nike, on the other hand, was trying to figure out the amount of time needed for her to rest. Her voice felt very soar. Insanely, so. A flicker of nostalgia may just go through her senses as she is reminded of her childhood. And having someone point out the cause of the problem was more than enough to remind her of her only comrade within her family circle. It was hard not to offer a forced smile with a thumbs up.]

No choice. Mind control. Good defense against.

[All spoken between clearing her throat in an attempt to get the coarse feeling out of her system. It may take a while until her voice felt better. Eating pomegranate was usually the best way to do it, but she didn't have any of those. Right now, all she can do was keep an eye on Poe and point out.]

You okay? Was it tough to get here?

[She had no memory of the voyage between Monty arriving and being in the tower. Which, in all honesty, had her complete attention. There was so much to attend to with so few time to do it all. After all, what happened to the living dead dwarvians?]