World Tree MUSH

    It isn't a very notable valley. Oh sure, there have been numerous legends and other stories associated with it, and even a few strange beasts. It just isn't something that has attracted a lot of attention, even though it has a ruined monastary in the mountains on the inside part of the valley. Those ruins are where the action starts today!

    Things are a little strange lately, is why there is action at all. Vines are sometimes dropping people off nearby instead of in the location they should, and the Gardeners even put out a note about 'multiple contact incident' concerning the area. No notice of danger, but for the Gardeners that just means there's nothing here that threatens to tear apart a world connection or damage the Tree.

    Whether by accident or design, everything suspicious leads to the ruins above. Crumbling steps are slicked with ice... rapidly melting. There has been a turbulent weather inversion in the area that it is still recovering from, a few days of winter invading the grueling heat of summer. Dimensional troubles being what they are! The slippery stairs lead upward to a rotted door half off the hinges, and what looks like a sprawling but dangerously derelict place.

    Shin is here! He doesn't look all that happy about it! He'd been travelling with Kiyohime to show her his favorite Ramen Restaurant back in his Home Tokyo, but the Vine had deposited them here instead, much to his chagrin. He's standing there holding a cell phone skyward as if it were a tribute to the sun. He's actually looking for reception, "What a shithole. Not even one bar. Not even on the old 3G shit. Boy, we really must be somewhere foreign. Like an ancient world. Or Arkansas." He remarks to the dragon girl. 

    "Let's check around and see if we can find anything while we're here."

>> SUMMARY[Shin Tokuyama] >> Shin thinks he's either in Ancient Medieval Europe or Arkansas based on the lack of civilization.

Exploring other worlds is part of her purpose. Kiyohime doesn't actually mind being dropped into this strange world at all, because it provides her with a reason to investigate. The remnants of odd weather tell her that something has happened, and that may be some kind of clue to what goes on in her own world. A good start, and ramen can wait.

She also looks more dressed for the place than some others might be. A long and elegant kimono with a bow on the back makes for good clothing for the passing chill now heating up. It doesn't look good for crawling through ancient ruins though. Immaterial when the light-footed legend hops up several stairs.

"I agree," she says to Shin. "We should see what lay in here. Perhaps it can give us a view of the area, as well." A naginata manifests in her hand, and she raises her voice just slightly. "Is anyone about?" She doesn't want to scream into the monastary in case it's hostile.

    Nearer to the snowmelt-slick walls of the building, there is an irregularity in the huge hewn-block walls of the monastery. At first it's just a vague shadow visible from where the Vines release travellers. The closer one gets to the building, though, the more visible the irregularity is.

    A person, leaning against one of the crumbling exterior walls, legs crossed at the ankle, arms folded over chest. The figure is dressed in rich light leather armour, a fine silk shirt, and a magnificent broad-brimmed hat with a long black plume in its band. The figure's face is hidden by a brazen mask in the unsmiling guise of a moustached man, its eyes grotesquely bulging, slotted so the figure can see through them.

    They're armed, too. Estoc or rapier at the hip, buckler over the shoulder, enormous cavalry greatsword slung over the opposite shoulder.

    For the moment, the figure doesn't move. If they're watching the arrivals, they offer no acknowledgement -- at least, not yet.

    Gardener messages always get attention, just not always the kind they want. As Keeper agents go though, this is... probably one of the more harmless ones to have looking your number up.

    Stumped in front of the frozen stairs is a teenager with long white hair and flat, almost empty purple eyes. She's wearing thick winter clothing, the kind with an awkwardly long and inconvenient purple scarf and a fur coat that can't possibly afford enough mobility to flail one's arms around.

    If she steps on that ice, she'll just trip and fall. And so Elise, awkwardly, is just kind of waiting at the first step, trying to nervously gauge if she could just kind of skitter her way up.

    It probably doesn't help that she seems to be talking to herself, muttering "I-I can't," and "P-Please stop y-yelling, i-it's a lot of s-stairs..."

Anna wanders into the area with Spiral perched on her shoulder. The two were supposed to be visiting a world like her own where other people had supernatural abilities, or at least superhuman ones. "... definitely think we got our vines crossed," Anna is saying worriedly, her voice sounding somewhat androgynous as usual.

The golden-furred catlike creature on her shoulder looks around wide-eyed. "Careful, Anna," she says in hushed tones, "I *think* I can sense some kind of power in ... Oh! There's Miss Kiyohime!"

Anna turns around, and waves and hurries over. "Oh, hi!" she says, not saying anything until they're closer. "Glad to see a familiar face out here, at least." She glances around again, looking nervously up at the monastery doors, and frowns as she glances over at Elise. "Did you guys get diverted from somewhere else too?"

    For once. For ONCE, Rydia of Mist did not want to get involved in anything. She just wanted to head back to snowpeak. After handling some errands in a city offworld, the small Summoner wheeled her chocobo around and started wandering her way back, paying no mind to quest givers, job offers, wanted signs, or job postings.
    Kind of irrelevant when she takes her regular path and the Vine drops her off at the foot of a crumbly set of unfamiliar steps.
    Staring at a few familiar people. And some new ones. 
    Rydia tugs on the reins to her giant yellow bird, her usual layer of mist floating around her swirling faintly as she purses her lips. There's Shin. Kiyohime. And a load of other people she has never seen before.
    "Okay. What did I walk into this time?"
    Rydia is warming the Sass Engines, already.

    The monastery doesn't appear to have anyone in attendance, other than the silent one next to the wall watching people arrive. At least, nobody that can speak answers the call. A few crows alight at the entrance, making their loud caws, and the fading light is not helping the atmosphere look any more inviting.

    It is good that the temperature is warming up some, because the wind howls now and then and chills. It could be VERY cold if it were still mid-winter. Amidst all of this, the dimming light reveals that at the far end of the monastery, in what looks like a bell tower, a sputtering light flickers. Someone is home?

    "Yeah," Shin replies vaguely to Anna when she wanders over. She seems more familiar with Kiyohime than him, so he doesn't try to butt too much into that conversation. Instead, he just focuses on the area immediately around him and also the dragon that tends to make sure his shenanigans don't turn lethal. Shin looks towards Kiyohime, "Oh you're agreeing with me? I guess the idea must be sound then." He seems momentarily confused before starting to carefully walk along the steps. 

    He lifts a hand up above his head and ki gathers around it, illuminating the area not unlike a torch as he strolls along and answers Rydia, "I think the Vine messed up and dumped us all in Arkansas or the American Midwest. I need to look around a bit to confirm it, but that's my current suspicion. We oughta find another Vine out or something. I guess I should be used to the risk by now."

Oh, hello. Turning to face the others approaching, Kiyohime stops her approach long enough to smile in greeting. "Rydia, Anna. So you are here too. Yes, I'm afraid there's been a Vine mistranslation." She gestures upward with her naginata. "We were going to see if something was in here. Perhaps, as Shin suggested, a way out of here?"

She looks dubious at the idea of the American Midwest, but Kiyohime isn't going to argue with that. "Hopefully nothing like that pocket space we ran into... oh hello." Elise has been noticed as the young lady approaches the stairs. "Hmm. This does not look like a guardian..." Lucatiel might, but since they aren't moving toward the group... Kiyohime makes her way further up the stairs as if to scout.

    "U-Um... k-kind of, I-I came here al... k-kind of alone," Elise stutters in response to Anna, which is technically entirely true but also not really.

    Everyone seems to be hurrying up the stairs. Or to want to, at least. Rydia gets an awkward glance, and maybe Elise knows better than to try to get recognized considering how that night went.

    ... how both of those nights went.

    Elise begins ascending, taking the slowest of steps to avoid slipping and falling. She doesn't look like she's ever walked on iced stairs before. Or ice at all, for that matter.

    It's hard to say whether the figure is awake or dozing. They don't look up unless someone approaches too closely to their section of wall. That broad-brimmed hat does tilt slightly, canting upward so slowly at Kiyohime's approach that the movement might be missed.

    Shadow pools under the brim of the hat. 

    "Have a care." The figure's voice is hard and low; it belongs to a feminine man or a masculine woman. Each word is spoken clearly. Aristocracy or nobility, maybe. There's no clue as to gender, despite the thick braid of honey-blonde hair trailing down the figure's back. "But have a caution what dwells in the dark, for the greatest dangers are oft those which cannot be seen."

    The figure falls silent, apparently not caring who's listening or not listening. They don't raise their voice to be heard, and they never move from their casual lean. But the head doesn't lower again, and there's a quiet intensity about the figure that suggests that the figure is watching every stranger's move.

Anna shudders at the sudden chill. "Arkansas, huh?" She looks up at the monastery, then turns back to the other group. "... Well, uh, I'm not all that well-traveled, so I'm not going to be able to say a definite no. Um, Shin and Rydia, right? I'm Anna, and this is Spiral, Kiyohime helped us out ... with ... a monster-nest a while ago."

Spiral keeps an eye on the monastery doors, and hops off of Anna's shoulder and floats over to Kiyohime. "Yeah, I can't sense any sign of a Distortion, and they're kind of localized to our Blossom anyway, buuuuuut yeah." If allowed, she'll settle onto Kiyohime's shoulder. "There's just *something* about this place that's REALLY creeping me out."

Anna hurries over to Elise as she seems to be having trouble. "Hey, careful!" she says, taking the younger girl's arm. "Here, lean on me, I'll help you up. If it's both of us working together, it should be easier to ..."

And then Lucatiel makes their presence known, and Anna looks up quizzically. Spiral looks much more worried; her eyes flicker with a pearlescent light as she gives the figure a quick scan, and then her tail twitches nervously. "... ummmmm ..."

Anna glances back at Spiral. "I don't think we're in Arkansas anymore," she says slowly. She blinks. "Or, I mean ... I don't think *anymore* that we're in ..."

    The temperature may be warming, but Rydia draws the white fur of her Wolfos cloak around herself anyway as she hops out of her saddle. The chocobo dips his head, nosing at her cheek, and the green-haired brushes fingers along her avian steed's beak. She can trust him to be where she needs him later, but for now it looks like she's deciding to go on foot and follow.
    "What's an Arkansas?" The Summoner asks, pursing her lips. "... Hello, Kiyohime.
    Things only get more awkward for poor Elise though. Rydia finally gets a good look at the Adept and realization clicks.
    Rydia freezes. She freezes and she stares at the girl not only responsible for a zombie outbreak... But the girl who she VERY CLEARLY remembers had her brains blown out right in front of her.
    She's staring. And for good reason. That was a nasty death, and she vividly remembers the hot splash of blood that splattered all over her face.
    The fact that Rydia rallies as fast as she does is almost a sad testament to how desensitized she has become to such terrible things. But her hand edges closer to her dagger, anyway.
    Then there's Anna, Spiral, and the masked figure... "Mn. Hi. Yes, Rydia of Mist." She introduces herself to Anna, a tad sullen, while jade eyes linger curiously on Lucatiel.

    Lucatiel's warning to the group might be a good idea. The stairs are slick and dangerous by themselves... but moving slowly keeps any trouble from happening. The ice has started to melt already, so even the higher altitude isn't keeping it there frozen solid! Yet no real enemies seem to be about, do they? Not... at first anyway.

    "Caw. Caw."

    Just a few crows, which flutter off when the group does start to ascend. The door is open thanks to the rotting making it half collapse, showing a wide courtyard and crumbling masonry around. It would appear that there is a crumbling bridge over a chasm leading to the tower with the flickering firelight in it. A small tower must be passed through to reach the bridge, but there's one detail.

    A dead traveller, cold but obviously not long dead, is propped against the fallen statue in the middle of the courtyard.

    "Shin Tokuyama. Wandering protagonist." Shin says, holding out his hand towards Anna for a few moments, "Kiyohime also calls me Anchin sometimes, so that's goin for me too." Shin points out before retracting the hand as he keeps walking. He didn't shake her hand with the one glowing with Kung Fu Power, at least! 

    As they come across the dead traveller, Shin shakes his head sadly and then looks towards Anna, "See. There's another Victim of Arkansas's terrible Meth Epidemic." Shin shakes his head sadly, "You can tell because he propped up against the statue to smoke up on his meth pipe. Or inject it or something." Shin stands up a moment later. 

    "Stay on guard, everyone. There might be other meth addicts on him that took his sneakers and cell phones to pawn for more meth."

    The masked face regards each stranger, pausing long enough to suggest intent study. In particular the mask pauses over the figures of Anna and Rydia. Do they suspect something? ...A question for another day, as people start heading for the monastery.

    The figure peels itself away from the wall and follows the trailing edge of the party. They do so with a long, exasperated sigh that echoes oddly from beneath the mask.

    There are probably horrors hiding in there. That's always the way with a place like this. Somewhere between one breath and the next, the rapier is slid from the scabbard; buckler shrugged down to an arm. Naked steel gleams in the dim light.

    "Very well, I will accompany you, as there is clearly something of interest here." The words are somehow run together and yet not spoken hastily. Even the effort of climbing slippery, wet steps doesn't wind the stranger.

    The figure is silent for a beat. "I am Lucatiel, of Mirrah; and my sword is always ready." It's an introduction, but it's given in such a matter-of-fact manner that there isn't very much warmth or eagerness in it.

Kiyohime regards Lucatiel. The youth frowns, "So true, but we must see anyway. It appears someone lives here. Who might you be?" A good question for the swordsman, and one that has Kiyohime hanging back somewhat. As Lucatiel answers, she nods and moves forward again. She has no clue who Elise is, or why the girl would be of concern. It does trouble her though.

"A strange gathering of people happening upon a deserted fortress, and a corpse. This is looking a little concerning." Sigh.

She should introduce herself. "I am Kiyohime, skilled in the lance." Among other things. "No sign of the killer... Shin, my dear... I am not certain..."

Another sigh. No, she'd best not try to convince him.

"Let us make haste to the fire. If they are the killer then we should see why they did it. If they are not... then they may be in danger." She isn't really the heroic type, but this seems like a situation that needs just that sort of intervention.

    Elise ascends, mostly thanks to Anna. Those stairs would probably have gotten the best of her otherwise. This her, anyway.

    Once at the top, she doesn't much get of a thank you in so much as "S-Sorry for being a b-bother, u-um, I don't k-know what's g-going on here b-but I was told to come look s-so..." Well, so she did, because she's a doormat.

    There's no stare or glare for Rydia. Fun fact, but Elise doesn't remember most of those incidents herself. She's pretty fragile like that, now.

    Everyone's introducing themselves! Elise is... well she seems content enough stuttering in the back row. There's that brief moment when she tries to vocalize "E-Elise," but says it so meekly it'd be a miracle if anyone heard.

    Unlike the others who just seem ready to go on, she clearly doesn't much want to be here. And the sight of that dead traveller doesn't inspire much confidence in her to keep going, either.

Anna, sadly, was too distracted helping the apocalyptically-dangerous clumsy teenage girl to shake Shin's hand. She does glance over and give him a Look at the nonsense about Arkansas, however. "... yyyyyeah, I'm not even gonna dignify that with a smartass wisecrack," she says flatly. She peers worriedly at the body, but, well, there isn't much that can be done right away.

Lucatiel gets a nod. "Nice to meet you!" she says. "I'm Anna Freeman, um, of Brighton, Massachusets. And ..." She grasps the sapphire pendant hanging around her neck with her free hand. "... well, I'm not particularly ready yet, but I'm getting there!" she says dryly. She nods to Kiyohime, much more enthusiastic about the whole heroing business. "Couldn't've put it better myself!"

Spiral sighs softly, using her new vantage point to watch Anna from a distance, since, well, Anna tends to be a bit *too* enthusiastic about the whole heroing business. This is why she notices Rydia's expression upon seeing Elise. "... hmmm ..."

Anna is also at least close enough to hear Elise's introduction. "'Told' to come look?" she says gently. She looks down at the girl, noticing her reticence. "You wanna stay here?" she says, faint motherly instincts overriding the urge to be uselessly heroic. She glances over at the rest of the group. "I mean ... the people here already can probably handle themselves without two more ..." Her gaze falls to Rydia, and she frowns when she sees the green-haired girl's expression. "... I mean ... uh ..."

    The rotting architecture and desolate atmosphere are enough to give Rydia another chill, regardless of the melting snow, and she huddles into her cloak as the group proceeds.
    It takes her a moment to calm down enough for her hand to move away from the blade at her belt.
    But she DOES look at Shin like the man is touched in the head.
    "Meth?" It's like he's speaking in tongues. At least to her, anyway.
    Briefly, the green-haired child stops at the corpse. Tense and staring. Where other girls her age would be repulsed or shy away, she simply lingers, hesitant and silent for an even longer moment.
    Before she kneels down by the corpse. One hand reaches out, small trembling fingers outstretched...
    To close the traveler's eyes.

    "Must there always be corpses involved?" Lucatiel's question seems more rhetorical than anything else, and tinged with a faint hint of disgust. Death is a messy business. She has more reason than most to avoid it. She gives a long, low exasperated sigh. "Of course there must."

    She ignores Shin's raving. He's probably crazy.

    For now, the fencer trails after the party, apparently content to let them lead and encounter whatever horrible nasty things lay in wait first. What? It pays to be pragmatic. And she likes not being dead.

    Lots of details to notice. Like, for instance, that the corpse was killed from a stab wound to the back quite suddenly, and collapsed against the statue. The eyes must have been open in surprise! A thin blade did this and very brutally. They look normal enough though. Maybe a neophyte adventurer?

    No sign of what killed them though. Not here, at least. Maybe hidden in the sprawling but crumbling masonry. Now that the small group is closer, most of it appears to be rotted away even with the high altitude helping preserve it. The large iron doors to the tower survived, but one of them appears to be damaged, hanging off the hinges.

    Shin sighs a bit, "You know. It's no fun when you let me stop pretending." Shin grumbles to Kiyohime as he dusts off his hands and then cracks his knuckles. Being an experienced homeless person, Shin has no moral qualms about rifling through the pockets of a deadman, even after Rydia shuts his eyes so he can move on into the afterlife. 

    "He was probably killed from behind with a shank or something. That means anywhere you go, you should expect to get shivved in the back unexpectedly." Shin comments as he stands up and puts his hands into his pockets, turning his gaze towards Kiyohime. He stares her dead on. 

    "I don't suppose you wanna use your unique skills to show any would-be assassins who the superior stalker is, Kiyo?"

>> SUMMARY[Shin Tokuyama] >> Shin gets like 60% more serious. Also suggests that Kiyohime stalk the Stalkers, just to make sure there isn't an ambush.

Shin has the unpleasant task of realizing they aren't in Arkansas. Er, that is, diagnosing the wound. It puts Kiyohime on guard though, and she seems to adjust easily to Shin switching from his carefree native to something more serious. It just gets him a look, that's all.

"I suppose, if I can pick up the trail." She looks at the ground and does a slow circle around the statue. If she picks up the trail, she'll follow it. Otherwise, she heads for the tower to look there, motioning for the others to follow if she thinks it's safe.

    Does she want to stay back? With the dead body?

    Elise quickly decides staying with the party is a better option. By far.

    Even though they may be headed towards whatever killed that adventurer. "W-What if whoever d-did that is still here?" That would be pretty awful. Awful enough, in fact, that Elise has half a mind to... w-well, that adventurer isn't going anywhere now is he? And he... clearly doesn't NEED his body anymore, I mean, would it really be that awful to just...

    Elise shuffles uncomfortably. To Anna it may seem like she's talking to her, all of a sudden. "N-No, not yet! We don't... d-don't need to... I-I know b-but... a-ah..."

    Elise momentarily clutches her head like she has a headache. It passes. She shakes it, and just apologizes again. "S-sorry, I-I'm fine. Um, l-let's, keep going."

    Towards that tower, if Kiyohime deems it safe!

    Rydia spends a few beats assesssing the corpse even after closing the eyes. It's a pretty self explanitory kill, though she listens anyway when Shin expounds. Rydia stands herself back up properly, unslinging a hunting bow from her shoulder and readying an arrow before progressing.

Spiral looks over at Shin. "Well, if nothing else, I'm here to watch Anna's back," she says dryly. "But yeah, thanks for the heads up.

Anna blinks when Elise raises the possibility that the killer might still be around. "That ... is an *excellent* point. Uh."

Spiral sighs theatrically. "Like I was saying!" she says. "Look, Anna, it's kind of obvious that we've got an entire party of adventurers here to take care of Elise, and you don't have anything except the Windrunner ability without the strength to really carry anyone anywhere." She pauses. "Unless you're ready to transform?"

Anna winces and quickly shakes her head. "... You're saying we should try to find a vine out of here, in other words?" she says weakly, her voice taking a slight downturn in pitch, although it sounds like she's at least somewhat coming around to the idea of just leaving.

    Trailing after the others, Lucatiel of Mirrah halts near the body, the mask canting slightly to one side as she surveys the wound. A slender blade, maybe an estoc or rapier, or a dagger. Lethal, obviously. The poor wretch probably never had time to turn around. He never knew what hit him. Shin vocalizes pretty much all of that, so she feels no need to speak.

    Such things happen. Head straightening, Lucatiel's mask moves as she looks on toward the area ahead. Had the adventurer's killer gone that way? She shifts her grip over her own thrusting sword, the leather of her gloves creaking, a low and thoughtful sound escaping the mask. "How interesting." Not really, her tone seems to say. She's expecting trouble.

    There's always trouble.

    "Perhaps we should move on. Whatever killed this wretch may still be here. This blood is still somewhat fresh." Without waiting for the others, Lucatiel trails past, leading with her sword and heading for the crumbling bridge and its lonely tower.

    Investigating is probably a bad idea, but her life is full of bad ideas! Or maybe just bad luck. What's one more on the pile, right?

    The adventurer has a few coins and some basic supplies, but that's it. A short sword, some torches, travel rations. Odd that those weren't taken!

    Picking up the trail of the one who killed him is easy though. Kiyohime is skilled enough that the heavy foot prints are seen... a few hours old. And they do go into the tower... which may or may not be safe.

    As Kiyohime approaches, the door opens on its own, though. As if from nowhere(or really, just fading back into visibility), a very tall, nine foot woman with pale hair, dressed in a warm-looking fur robe, steps out... carrying a scythe still dropping pieces of a corpse.

    "Who art thou?" A soft, pleasant voice issues from her. "Art thee the ones responsible for the loss of mine home? Whither hast thou spirited us?" Her stance says she is ready to fight, but she is asking questions. Or perhaps, demanding. "I know not what thee hast done to the painted world, but I shall find my way back. Correct thine sin."

    Well, there is trouble, after a fashion. Looks like the killer was handled by this woman though. Either that or she somehow shivved him in the back with a 10 foot tall scythe.

    "Good. Always good to have someone to watch your back. Kiyo watches mine when she's got the free time, but you know. She has her own work what with the planet saving and all," Shin remarks to Spiral before popping his knuckles. 

    The door opens and a figure appears. Shin immediately switches his stance, stamping a foot down to steady himself as he gets ready for a fight. But the woman seems peaceful, so he relaxes after a few moments, "Uh. Who art I? I'm uh... I art Shin Tokuyama. Wandering Karate Hobo Guy." He's a bare-handed build, Priscilla. Watch out. It's the gimmickiest of all PVP invaders. 

    "I dunno what painted world you're talkin' about, though. We all kinda got dumped here."

DANGER DANGER! Kiyohime's eyes widen, and her instinct is to consider Priscilla a rival, a threat. At least, for a few fractions of a second before it becomes obvious that Shin is not about to leap into Priscilla's arms, and Priscilla seems more intent on getting home than associating with anyone.

"We are also people who have been brought here against our will... most of us." She heard Elise say otherwise, but has no inkling that Elise is actually anything more than a frightened young lady. "This is an unknown place, and if you are far from your home, you should not stay here. More will come, seeking answers."

    The point of the fencer's rapier lowers until it's directed at the ground, but the blade remains in hand. Lucatiel tilts her head, the brazen mask gleaming in reflected light. She says nothing; merely stares, mask canted up and slightly to one side, and its blankness perfectly reflects the fencer's confusion. Why? As Kiyohime opens the door, there is a nine foot tall woman with pale hair and carrying a gore-coated scythe that's very nearly as large as the Elite Knight of Mirrah.

    ...Well, that's not high on the list of things she was expecting to see when she woke up this morning.

    "I am Lucatiel of Mirrah." Yet the fencer sounds almost uncertain in the face of this... whatever that figure is. The tilt of the mask suggests Lucatiel is watching the scythe. "I do not know what has befallen your home, or what that place even is."

    Carefully and deliberately, Lucatiel puts her buckler up, and returns her rapier to its scabbard. It's important to lend an impression of not being a violent maniac! Especially when the other person's holding a weapon bigger than you are.

    She folds her arms, leaning against the nearest available wall, legs crossed at the ankle, casual as you please. "I gather you are responsible for the dead man some ways back. Or, perhaps, you have done for his killer. I suppose it matters not, either way." The mask tilts up as Lucatiel looks up to regard the tall, pale woman. "Hm. So you are searching for your home. What kind of a place is it? Perhaps one of us has seen it, in our travels."

    The door opens, Rydia readies her bow and...
    That girl is very large.
    She is also armed, and that scythe is bloody. Though Rydia holds her fire when the new arrival chooses to speak rather than immediately engage in hostilities, and eventually eases up on the arrow in her grasp and lowers her bow.
    "Painted world?"
    It is clear that before this moment just now, she has never heard of it. "I was trying to get back to my own... Home, and lost my way here."
    Home. That's an interesting thing to call Snowpeak, these days.
    Yeah basically what the others are saying.
    "... I don't think she's responsible for that one." Asided to Lucatiel. "That scythe would have left him in more pieces than how we found him." She points out. ... Then again she could just be wrong if the Crossbreed is super precise and she's misjudging. But then everyone is dead if that's the case. Everyone except that dirty cheating Elise, anyway. ... And probably Lucatiel, too, but Rydia doesn't know that.

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Seven Year Old Logic, lots of rambling, and accusing Elise of being a DIRTY CHEATER.

Anna blinks, and drops all thoughts of leaving. "Uh ... um, okay, *first* of all," she says, going slightly red-faced ... but then she winces slightly as she focuses on the scythe, and then does her best to focus on anything but the scythe. "... r-right, then ..."

Spiral groans and buries her face in her front paws.

Anna clears her throat. "Uh. I'm Anna Freeman, and this is Spiral," she says lamely, "and ... yeah, I'm pretty sure if you take any three of us here, you'll find at least two homeworlds of origin. We're no more responsible for this than *you* are."

    The appearance of a massive woman causes Elise to shift, not-so-subtly behind Anna to boot. Spiral is, if nothing else, adorably comforting too.

    "I-I'm not allowed to l-leave until... a-ah, until, I find out, what the commotion here is a-about," Elise explains, poorly, though having seen the large dragon of a woman, she might technically have fulfilled her role here already.

    No introduction manages to come out of her mouth this time, due to the huge weapon and the threat of it being used. No, really, being behind Anna right now is all kinds of great and comfortable.

    Priscilla balks at those answers. "Alas..." She has no reason to mistrust what everyone here says, even though she is mistrustful usually. This isn't her home, no matter how similar the layout might be, and these people are very strange. Crestfallen, the tall lady looks away. "The killer sought to whet his blade upon mine body as well, but did'st find his own end instead."

    She straightens again. "Mine name is Priscilla, of the Painted World of Ariamis. A sanctuary from the world, it hides mine home. The entrance lay within the halls of the Cathedral of Anor Londo, when last I knew. Perhaps one of thee can show me the way?"

    Oh... it appears they are terrified.

    Priscilla walks outward more, barefoot. "If thine desires are not toward besting myself, then worry not for thine health. I care not for the art of killing." Despite this, an odd chill follows her presence as she... walks toward the exit, since these people have proven this is not her home. Also, a fuzzy tail swishing behind her.

Kiyohime isn't terrified, but wary? Yes. Priscilla seems strange, but not a threat... either to her, or to her other concerns. "Never heard of it. You will find this place very different once you leave," she says. "We should find shelter and return. Or a Vine somewhere safe."

It appears the matter is settled for Kiyohime.

Anna reaches back to put a comforting hand on Elise's shoulder, and Spiral also floats over to settle on Elise's other shoulder and gives her cheek a gentle nuzzle. Then Anna blinks and peers at the fuzzy tail, but just shrugs. "Uh, trust me, besting you in combat is the furthest thing from my mind, and also I guess it's ... really obviously not something I can actually do?" She shrugs. "Sooo, yeah. Nice to meet you, though!"

Spiral exhales softly, but doesn't comment. "Likewise," she says. "And yeah, Miss Kiyohime is right, let's just find out way to a more comfortable world than this one."

    The mask tilts to one side, watching disinterestedly as Elise cowers behind Anna, but the fencer makes no comment. The mask instead turns back to face Priscilla, seeming to take the tall woman's measure; studying.

    Lucatiel inclines her head down and to one side, a gesture that's not quite a bow, but respectful nonetheless.

    "I have seen no such places. I wish you fortune in your search, Priscilla of Ariamis." There comes from behind the mask a soft, light laugh, almost girlish, but something about it is unsettlingly... detached; almost unhinged, despite the razor precision of her words. 

    Lucatiel turns and begins strolling back toward the Vine that she had come in through, apparently unconcerned with turning her back on the tall woman. "Perhaps our paths may cross again..."

    Provided nobody stops her, the fencer is soon gone.

    What a strange woman.