Ask Event Episode I: The Island

[Ezra Thorne]

So far Ezra’s attempts to actually work with the local critters paid off. It was the complete opposite of how he would have operated years ago, but his friends had changed him more dramatically than he realized. The natural salve MM used on his wound worked at once. Ezra looked mortified at the thought of parting with his EZPhone. He looked at the other Jedi, but he doubted he had as extensive of a music library. With a grumble, he handed the comms device over, hoping he wouldn’t regret it. He had never parted with his comms before, but being trapped on an unfamiliar island certainly changed some perspectives.

The little tattoo pointed him in the direction they needed to go, and he was secretly glad he didn’t have to torture any of those tree creatures to get it. Pallid lady? Ezra internally groaned, wondering what new bullshit they would have to fight next. And now he couldn’t distract anyone with his EZPhone.

He stared at the pale woman, considering her height, “You must be related to my Pops..” He muttered under his breath. Ezra listened to her, almost smiling bitterly. Which Beast? Because he knew he carried a part of Raze in him as well. Another Beast. The woman offered something in return and he felt uneasy about it. His immediate thoughts were material things or grand wishes. At the end, he calmly stared at her.

“I want to safely return home without being haunted by anything that happens here.”


@Logan @Killa Ree @Wit

 

[Electra Juvexia]

So the creepy bird grandma wasn't one for elongated stories and exchanges in general...Well, she did this Galek guy rather dirty, so that was a plus point for spitefulness, but apart from that, the Queen wondered whether this crone would even have any reasons to help them..

She conjured a book and tomes out of nowhere and Electra just stared at what the hell was happening. This was like the plot of some cheap holo...maybe she was indeed just having a nightmare and she was incapable of waking up, or had one of her precious scorpions stung her? The Great Protector...the White Queen.

She had a rod with runes, so maybe she was fine. Maybe she simply had to play along and this would all be over soon. "Sure. Okay. Got it. We kill this White Queen and the grande protector saves us. Count me in" she was being fully sarcastic, yet decades of audiences had taught her how to sound completely genuine while at it.

"Give me that Quill" did they really want to do this clichéd blood oath bs? Well, the Queen was one to act and even if she didn't believe any of these fantastic stories, she turned her left arm and pierced the skin with a little wince. If I get Hepatitis, I'll sue you, she thought bitterly as she scribbled her name with her own blood. This was so messed up. But it couldn't be real. The others had apperently lost their minds already and she would do everything to speed this weird show up.

@Logan @islandpeople

 

[Galek Ordalos]

Galek was internally fuming at the old woman - his jaw set into a fine line and eyes narrowed into thin daggers. He was among the most influential politicians in the Galaxy and with a fortune to his name. Who was she to call him irrelevant? The woman looked like she hadn’t bathed since the coronation of his grandmother - and the Prince had half a mind to tell her such. Before the words spilled from his lips, however, Galek paused to listen to her fairytale and proceed to offer some crude, used needle to seal the deal. He blinked several times, immediately skeptical of the exchange that was being offered to them.

“I presume you have some method to defeat the White Queen.” He said with a grumble. He was wholly out of his element, and wasn’t convinced any of them were prepared to face some mythical beast. He briefly looked back out the door, as if gauging his chances of braving the wilds instead of dealing with the nonsense before him.

When no other option presented itself, Galek turned back to the old crone and her quill.

“Excuse you,” He said abruptly.

Galek snatched the quill before Electra would have an opportunity - flashing the Queen a sour look. He wasn’t necessarily eager to accept the bargain - quite the opposite - but was more concerned with contracting some disease from one of his ‘companions’ who’d used the quill before him. Absolutely not.

He winced as he stabbed his arm and performed his entirely too elaborate signature across the contract, eyes still narrowed into daggers.

 

[Kaladin]

Kaladin shrugged and shook his head when Ezra looked at him while handing over his phone, the clothes on his back were all he had retained, having left his own phone connected to a charger for the night. The hand-me-down device was ancient enough to need semi-regular charging, a stark contrast from the newer models that had significantly better performance in that regard.

Still, they soldiered on, till they reached the clearing. The arrival of the woman and the girl from earlier immediately had him on edge, and this time he made sure to not replicate the mistakes of their previous surprise encounters, one foot sliding back just slightly so that he was more firmly planted on the ground and ready to move if the need arose. But as they spoke he waited, fingers on his marked hand curling into an almost fist, fingers brushing against the mark as he kept his eyes on the duo, following everything the taller woman said.

An eyebrow rose at the woman's offer, having read more than enough stories with offers that sounded too good to be true to not be skeptical. "If you can give us nearly anything we desire," he spoke after Ezra had given his answer, "why not deal with the Beast yourself? Why do you need us?" There was a catch, and he was curious to know what it was.

@Logan @Sreeya @Killa Ree

 

[Ora Trel]

Ora listened, furrowing her brows as the old lady spoke. She was completely out of her element, much like everyone else here. She was not superstitious and she was skeptical of all this fairy-tale-esque speak, but she was talking to a woman with no eyes, she had just fought off a monstrous, sentient plant, and they had all just appeared here. Wary as she was, Ora was willing to give some benefit of the doubt.

That being said, there was no way she was sharing a quill with the nasty ass humans. Electra took the quill, Galek snatched it from her, and Ora ducked and struck out with her arm to narrowly snatch it from Galek just before he was about to stab himself.

"You two are humans. I go first," Ora declared, stepping back to hold the quill away from them. She pricked the skin on one of her head tendrils to produce a droplet of her blue blood, then signed the paper. She handed the quill back to Galek, stating, "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude! It's just I don't want to catch any of those designers stds."

Though Natuolans and humans were incompatible - as far as she was aware - and they couldn't spread blood diseases to one another, she wasn't so sure about stds. And she'd much rather not have to go through the whole "sign this NDA and I'll pay you a ton of money not to leak to the public that I gave you an std"-thing they did.

When she was rich, one day, she'd have to be careful.

Turning back to the old lady with one hand putting pressure on the prick on her head trendrils, she asked, "So uh, I really only know how to shoot a gun. Probably don't have any guns, huh?" She thought for a second. She probably should've asked this before signing. "So, just us three? Or will like, the girl- she didn't tell me her name -help us too?"

@Logan

 

[Syrina Ro'shyn]

Being ignored once again, apart from sharp words from Ezra, she merely glared at the male before offering a curt nod to the green guy.

"I'll keep an eye out," she responded simply, maintaining her closeness to the three. Still, she didn't miss how hard it was for Ezra to part from his own device, and could empathize, but only a little bit.

Still, at the mention of the Pallid Lady, she only tensed slightly, wary of any more strangers approaching. But she'd already been reproached once for defending herself, she wouldn't do it again.

Bowing slightly to the pair before them, she only nodded at the mention of slaying the beast, but looked on at the cat woman shifting. Now, things made sense.

Letting Ezra and the other guy speak first, she nodded once, before her own voice spoke up.

"If it's all the same, I'd like to hold onto my wish... For now," she answered simply, cocking her head. "I'd like to go back home, of course, but..." She nodded to Kaladin, "my companion has a point. What is this Beast, and why were we brought here? Beyond our lives... What else is at stake?" She glanced between the two ladies.

"Once we accomplish this task... Will our wishes be granted?"

She wanted to believe that they could send her home; she wanted more than anything to go back, but it wouldn't be this easy.

@Logan @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Lissa Blackhand]

Whole the others were fighting over the quill, Lissa was eying it suspiciously. In a galaxy where men could be twisted into horrible monsters, lightning can spring from peoples fingers, and mind tricks can make a person think pineapple on pizza is a good idea, was it so strange to think that your blood might have power over your actions if it is bound to an oath. They only had one side of the story of this island, and they were evidently here for a reason. She looked back at the old woman as the pthers fought over the quill.
"A blood oath huh? Sounds like a convenient way to make us adhere to your words even if turn out to be as hollow as this tree. What guarentee do we have that what you speak is true? That this witch really is the enemy here and that it isnt you?" She asked, measuring her words evenly, and not trying to sound spiteful or accusatory. She was simply stating the ambiguity of this situation.

 

[The Storyteller]

Into the Woods

The Crone listened to the questions from the outlanders and watched them nearly fumble over each other to draw their own blood and sign the piece of parchment. She let them ask their questions but returned no answers, that was until a purple and red haired woman spoke and a scowl formed upon the Crone’s face.

My word is my bond you ignorant child, She said, her dusty and weather voice suddenly finding new life with its venom. I do not lie and I expect the same in return.

The scowl eventually faded and her face returned to its normal resting wrinkled mess. Once those that would make the choice to sign the parchment, the Crone would eventually answer the other questions asked of her.

There is only one method to kill the White Queen, the Crone replied to Galek. In her current form she is immortal. It is possible to harm her, even maim her, but she will always and forever return to her full strength eventually.

Despite the obvious strain it produced in her ancient and stiff fingers, the Crone did a few intricate hand motions. After a few moments, a hazy, slightly blurry vision would appear before everyone.

It showed an old thicket of gnarled trees with thick, ancient black bark. Blood red leaves sprouted from the tree branches, some falling and slowly fluttering down to the ground. In the center of the thicket was a tree stump, its center hollow.

Hanging in the stump, held to its sides by thick red strands, was an ice-white heart, beating slowly in a steady and unyielding rhythm.

The White Queen managed to use ancient rituals to separate her soul from her body. The only way to kill her forever is to find it and destroy her heartsoul. Until recently, it had been hidden from us. It took a great sacrifice of blood and life for us to finally find it.

The image faded away, leaving an eerie silence hanging in the air before the Crone began muttering under her breath. The words were harsh and undecipherable to anyone who’s hearing was good enough to catch them. After a few moments, she raised her hand and faced her palm at the outlanders.

Each of them would feel a searing pain in their minds that would come and go in a swift instant that felt like forever. Burned in their minds was a map of where they should go, each of them now knowing the precise location of somewhere they’d never been.

In addition, they would feel a strange course of energy pulsing through their veins, like they’d just gotten ten shots of adrenaline jammed straight into their hearts.

Your guns would have no power here, She said to Ora, the Crone clearly looking exhausted after concluding whatever she’d just done. But I have granted you a taste of this place’s magic. It is simple to use, but be wary of over exerting yourself. Imagine something like a flame in your mind and channel that image into your hand, and you will find you can create it.

Her fingers outstretched, the Crone did just that and launched a small fireball from her fingertips that smashed into a nearby wall, burning for a moment before fizzling.

The magic is tied to this place, tap into its leylines and you can manipulate the world around you.

Sinking into her seat, the Crone sighed heavily, a long and slow rattle shaking in her throat.

My daughter will accompany you. Go now, before we run out of time. The White Queen will know you are coming.

The Crone would fall silent and her daughter, the girl that had led them to the Coven in the first place, would motion to the group to follow her out the door. The path to their destination would not be incredibly far, and fueled with the ancient magic, they would be able to travel with great speed.

And they would know where they needed to go.

- - -​

Do You Know the Mushroom Man?

As Ezra, Kaladin and Syrina each took their turn to tell the White Queen their wish, the Pallid Lady would levy her gaze on each of them and they would feel a great weight on their shoulders.

An invisible pressure yet still incredibly oppressive, like something was staring into the very depths of them, the parts that were the truest and most vulnerable. She would answer Kaladin’s inquiry first.

My quest to destroy the Beast has been a long one, with as many setbacks as successes. She said, her voice metallic and resonating. During the last era, allies of the Beast were able to perform an ancient and powerful ritual that prevents me from directly killing the Beast with my own hand.

Despite her unchanging tone of voice, it would be evident that potent fury boiled beneath the surface.

The souls of hundreds were sacrificed to strengthen its magic.

Turning her attention to Syrina the White Queen’s face turned grave.

The fate of each and every soul in this place lays firmly in your hands, outlander. If the Beast remains unchecked, it will eventually turn them all to its will. It will control each and every one of them and use them to kill any who will not submit. Your inaction will birth a violent tyrant, dooming us all.. She sighed, shaking her head in dismay at the prospect of what that would mean.

You have my word that I will uphold my end of the bargain if you uphold yours.

Finally, she turned to Ezra and nodded her head knowingly, taking his wish in and acknowledging that she heard it.

I can grant you that wish, young Ezra. This place will not haunt you on your return home.

Before she could continue, something seemed to quirk the Queen’s attention, causing her to raise an eyebrow, her face showing a look of curious concern.

The time to decide to fight has run out. Agents of the Beast move to end the fight once and for all.

With a wave of her hand, the White Queen would mutter an incantation under her breath, and in the hand of each of the three would materialize a weapon. What that weapon would be would likely be different for each of them. Whatever in their mind and heart would be the thing that represented them most, the weapon that they would be most comfortable, most familiar with.

The weapons would shimmer and pulse and be cold to the touch, the magic within them strong.

You must make haste to the heart of the forest. You will know your enemies when you see them. Protect the heart with your lives and the reward will be swift.

Making several intricate handsigns and muttering her incantations, the White Queen produced a portal in next to her, its surface ice-white and shimmering.

Step through the portal and do what must be done.

@lizziie @Sreeya @Pazaakly @Panda Hermit 98 @LadyRen @Altaris @Wit @Killa Ree

 

[Electra Juvexia]

What a weird trip this was...she knew she had to accept it for now and so she did, deciding to participate in this bullshit for now even if she was everything but delighted.

She gasped as this ill-mannered prince of whatnot attempted to snatch the quill from her. Electra had reflexes like her Nexu and so she triumphantly snatched it back, yet the brat immediately tried to grab hold of it again, but the Queen's flawless skills made her win it back. With a smug grin she faced him, however that was when this Nautolan floozy did the most audacious thing next.

Scandalous! The Queen was beyond mad about having to risk getting any diseases here, however she was at least second in line and spared from any more peasant genes. She was still disgusted and found it hard to keep a straight face as she did pierce her skin before immediately handing it to the others.

The coocoo crone spun another fairy tale and the Queen just roller her eyes before she was suddenly afflicted by a massive searing pain that struck right in her mind. She grimaced heavily, but as it slowly faded, she tried her best to regain composure. This is naught but a dream.

"Very well then" she rubbed her temples before she began to turn, "Use our new magic powers to kill the heartsoul to murder the White Queen. Let's go people". She absolutely couldn't take any more bullshit and thus wanted to get it over with, so she gripped her rod tightly, waited for the daughter to take the lead and followed right behind.

Little, however, did she know that as soon as they'd approach the thicket, they'd run into those other they had met earlier which made this even more weird. "Where have you guys been?". Ugh...she hated people, but this was somewhat suspicious. (@Sreeya, @Wit, @Killa Ree)

@Logan @islandpeeps

 

[Kaladin]

Kaladin was silent on hearing the White Queen's answer, chewing on her words and seemingly satisfied by what she said. So when the time came for action, and a simple sword materialized in his hand he simply nodded. The weapons simply backed up the Queen's claims about her powers, at least to some extent. Either way, gripping the almost talwar like blade in his hand, he swung the cold weapon a few times to test the balance and a small smile pulled at his lips at how right the blade felt.

Giving the Queen a nod, of farewell, acknowledgment, or both, he did not know, he jumped through the portal and began making towards the center of the forest as the Queen had instructed. Though once they reached the thicket he was surprised to see the beach party. Ignoring the other Queen's question, he simply looked around to see if everyone who had been at the beach was there.

"Didn't I tell you all to stay at the beach?" Shaking his head, he would turn to give Ezra a quick look. "It'll be tricky fighting whatever's waiting for us while having to protect civilians. Any of you know how to fight?" The last bit would be addressed to the crowd from the beach, many of whom didn't really look like combatants at first glance.

@Logan @Sreeya @Killa Ree

 

[Syrina Ro'shyn]

She couldn't help the shiver that raced down her spine at the words.

Gripping the stiletto in her hands, she eyed the Pale Lady, then nodded.

"Guess we have work to do, then."

Syrina wasn't a hero. She was a dancer, who had a tiny studio flat and a dog.

She gripped the blade again, feeling the cold bite into her palms.

Stepping closer to the heart, she looked at the group, giving a small wave. "Glad to see you all alive" she spoke up after Kaladin. But...

If this was who they had to fight...

Well, shit. She needed to get home, staying here discussing niceties wouldn't do it. She'd have to be defensive, but she would be careful not to start anything first.

@Logan
@island peeps

 

[Lissa Blackhand]

The old crone could sneer and grimace all she liked, something about this situation was fishy, and it wasn't the Nautolan. Lissa considered the contract again, glancing at the crossed out names and thinking about the fates that could have befallen them. Despite the powers the others seemed to get, they still failed, for all their fancy fireballs, they fizzled out. Maybe there was something to be said for trusting one's gut, but she trusted in the Force, and if her gut was made from the Force then presumably that feeling came from the Force right?

Either way, her mind was made up. She refused the quill when it was offered to her, shaking her head.
"I'll help, but I'm going to take my chances without. It may be unwise, but it's my decision to make," She said, standing with the rest. She was ready to move in case the lady or her daughter decided she was a loose end, but if no one made any move against her, she would move out with the others, following Ora and trying to keep up with the enhanced folk. Assuming she was able to keep up, she would look at the other group as they appeared, sighing softly to herself. "I think we may be what's waiting for you Jedi...did the White Queen send you?"

@Wit @lizziie @LadyRen @Altaris @Sreeya