Witchers of Nifelheim - Part 3

Radiance wrote:Internally: "There are a few things. The upmost being that it's taking far too much energy on my part. You've spent enough time in my mind to know that what I'm doing isn't normal. Second, Ursula's words. That audible confirmation that nearly every Witcher-Glysteria pairing to be hostile ends up with everyone suffering." He conjures up a cup of tea and takes a sip "I'd also like nothing more than for our souls to unwind and for us to be separate again.

Which brings me to something that I want to re-emphasize. I'm still not going to use the Dance of Swallow spell because I won't compromise even for an entire other world is the idea that suicide is a good idea. I trust that in time either we'll become close enough that even if I lose my sanity you won't take over or my own stubbornness will prevent that from happening. I honestly hope it's the former."

Echo released a crooked smile, watching the landscape of Adelheid:

"... a roundabout way of saying you're afraid of me. Nearly every Witcher-Glystaria pairing to be hostile, ended up dead. But at least you're honest. A good way to start a productive relationship."


Echo looked at you with an empathic smirk: "And good on you, for not equipping the suicide spell. You should only look out for you and yours. I respect that"

He looked at the city again: "..Ursula didn't even notice that you haven't equip it.. she's kind of a klutz...
Anyway... as much as both you and I want, our souls cannot separate. Once they're connected, that's that. It is the price you paid for blindly jumping into an alien world.. heh.. no pun intended.

And that's all she wrote, partner. The only question is, what are we gonna do about it"

Radiance wrote:"Of course. It's an alternate universe and one would expect it to have its own disease." She frowns, "The way you put it sounds like some kind of conspericy theory. Though if it's true I guess we should be keeping a look out."

Radiance wrote:"Something that Glysteria fear,?" Radiance turns to Ursula inquisitively

"Mm.. they say the Sinners blood is so toxic, even the parasites are squeamish about eating them." Ursula replied.

"...what's the plan?" Kaylee quietly whispered, looking at the cottage in the distance.

"Well... Uh... Eh..." She looks down, "If what we are looking for is underneath it's floorboards and it has a home it must have some sort of idea of personal comfort. If it lives there then it's probably not looking for trouble." She frowns, "the house looks... Somewhat in shape meaning something is maintaining the structure." She bites her cheek, "...but even if it is capable of communicating with us I don't think it will be too pleased with us when we tell it that we have to invade it's home for our own objective." She sighs, "even then... It would feel wrong." She reaches back and scratches the back of her head, "Normally I wouldn't care but something about going into a diseased things house and tearing it apart feels..." She pauses clearly uncomfortable with the thought, "It feels immoral

"I know.. I hear you" Kaylee sighed.

Johan turned his head, looking at you: "..maybe we can just leave?.. we haven't disturbed it yet"


Kaylee grimaced: "Eight billion people are currently suffering from mental breakdowns on Earth. You've seen what its like.
People hallucinate, loose their mind. They hurt each other, hurt themselves.. kill. A child may grow insane and kill his own parent.
We've seen this... we've seen it first hand. In Tesia. In that coastal village where Zoy stayed.


Kaylee pointed at the cottage: "Now we have reason to think, there's an artifact under that house, that may stop all that. Save billions of lives from being ruined.

I know it sucks, I know it's immoral, but if I can't say I did everything in my power, to stop the mental breakdowns on Earth, I won't be able to live with myself"





"So.. how do we approach this?" Ursula asked.

Johan looked at the cottage: "..well.. there is a door... we could just go over and knock"

"Are you crazy?!" Ursula exhaled: "What if that thing opens the door and skewers you whole?"

"Well what else are we gonna do?" Johan waved his hand: "Conjure a firestorm and burn down the house?"

"Well.. no... no, I'm just saying-" Ursula uncomfortably shifted: "We need to be extremely careful okay?"



Kaylee inhaled: "..lets.. start by casting Heightened Senses, it should reveal all the lifeforms around us in a 150 meter radius, see if anyone's even home"

"Allow me," Radiance casts the spell and does an auditory sweep of the area. Checking behind the group first then the sinner nest.

As you cast hightened Senses you can feel the air around you shift, various small animals suround your senses and their souls follow your blind sight. However within the cottage there is a single entity, it's soul as black as the darkest night, the only reason you see it in the first place is that it's somehow a deeper black then that of your blindness. You can hear labored yet controlled breathing from within the house. You can feel the vibrations of a liquid pouring into a small cup. A quick gentle tapping is followed up by the obvious sounds of a chair being pulled out, a loud Creek can be heard and then silence, the things soul coming to a standstill.

Rain looks to Radiance, "Anything? Anything at all?" She crosses her arms, "Please tell me there's nothing inside."

"One...entity inside. Sounds like they just made tea or coffee." He pauses a moment "seems they can silence there own natural sound completely. May have vanishued too. Unless..."

Radiance focuses everything on the cabin. Blocking out all other sounds. If he cant hear the being inside directly instead hell just look for the person sized gap of silence.

As you focus in on it's position the blob seems to be moving closer, the labored breathing becoming somewhat louder. the floorboards creek as if someone is walking but the closest thing to steps you can hear is a quite tapping sound, as if someone were tapping their nails against a table. You can hear a quite sip, it's as if the thing inside is staring right back at you, "What do you want witcher." A voice whispers from inside.

"Oh fuck that" Radiance drops focus on the house. He scambles to his feat and hastily walks a good distance away. His face completly pale.

"Rad-" Kaylee looked back at Radiance as he walked off, then exchanged looks with others:
"...what the hell happened?" she whispered.

"I don't like this" Ursula looked at the cottage again.

"We gotta get in there" Kaylee grimaced: "Also its getting really cold laying in the snow"

Ursula raised her fist horizontally and looked at you with determination: "Rock, paper, scissors"

"What?" Kaylee gave her a confused look.

"Rock, paper, scissor. Someone one V one me. The one who looses goes to knock on the door." Ursula said.


"Dude that's too boring, lets play Papers, Humans, Zombies" Johan said.

"...what??" Ursula looked at him.

"Its just like rock, paper, scissors-" Johan began making strange shapes with his hand, of something resembling a walking hand:
"This is humans, right. Humans beat zombies, zombies beat papers and papers beat humans. Its pretty cool!"


"..... have you been eating that kitty dust again?!" Ursula exclaimed in a whisper.

"Lets just do something, I'm freezing" Kaylee said through clattering teeth.

// HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RADIANCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rain looks at Johan a moment, "That adds too many variables to a game that is already fine on it's own, for God's sake I'll do it myself." She rolls her eyes as she gets up, "I mean... It can't be that bad can it? Just some horrible thing lurking in an abandoned cottage sipping tea." She steps up to the porch her armor making her steps louder then she would have liked. She pauses at the front of the door, staring at it for a long moment. She bites her lip and looks down, it appears that she's doubting her own courage, however with a deep breath she raises her hand to the door and gives it a couple knocks, "Uh... Hello? A-Anybody home?" She calls looking up at the door.

There's a loud thump from within the cottage, a quite somewhat frustrated mumbling can be heard from within the house. A voice speaks up from the other side, it sounds like an old woman who's been smoking since she was 7, "Witchers." It says emotionlessly, the doorknob turns and opens slightly, the loud click of a chain lock coming undone can be heard on the other side before the door opens entirely.



There stands a woman in robes, long bone spiderlegs extending from her back curled around her hips and resting over her shoulders her eyes blacker then the blackest night, a glossy shine is the only sign that they are still there at all, she crosses her arms, one of her hands coming to rest on a leg over her right shoulder, "What do you want witcher?" She croaks, "I keep telling you to get lost, I don't have anymore game for you. If you want game go hunt it yourself." She speaks in fluent Nifel.

Rains mouth remains open but no words come out, "I... Uh... I..." She freezes, her eyes wide as she trys to say anything at all.

"Oh joy." Twilight says dryly. Her face says it all.

She was not impressed at all. Just resigned about the situation. She looked at the creature, then sighed loudly.

"Let's see here... Would scan work?"

"Scan can be used on all lifeforms, but I wouldn't recommend it" Ursula quietly whispered on Soren. She stayed behind on the hill, still laying down in the snow and watched the creature with concentration:

"If she'll be hit with a Scan spell, she'll most definitely feel it. And Scan is usually cast on someone that you plan to attack, so she probably won't appreciate it." Ursula said.

She was squinting at the creature with a strange expression, as if the creature seemed familiar somehow, but Ursula just couldn't place her.




Kaylee had gingerly tippy-toed behind Rain and now slightly leaned from behind her shoulder, revealing a blinding, nervous smile:

"H-Hello! Hello-.." She began speaking in broken Nifel: "We're sorry to disturb you, ma'am. Sorry that, we came unannounced. We are not looking for game.."

Kaylee sheepishly tapped her index fingers together and released a small laugh:
"We were hoping you could help us with something. Its important.. for Nifelheim"

Radiance turns and yells with a nervous laugh so that everyone can hear "Don't let it read your minds!"

Kaylee Brown wrote:

Kaylee had gingerly tippy-toed behind Rain and now slightly leaned from behind her shoulder, revealing a blinding, nervous smile:

"H-Hello! Hello-.." She began speaking in broken Nifel: "We're sorry to disturb you, ma'am. Sorry that, we came unannounced. We are not looking for game.."

Kaylee sheepishly tapped her index fingers together and released a small laugh:
"We were hoping you could help us with something. Its important.. for Nifelheim"

// Well this was foreshadowed

"Yes, we can assure you we come with only good intentions" Rogue adds, in slightly more fluent Nifel. "Is it possible for us to come in, so we can discuss our proposition in more comfort?"

"Something important for Nifelhime?" She turns her head as she lets out a cough, "The end is closing in. What could be so important when everyone will be eaten by the glystaria anyway?" The woman just stares at Kaylee for a long moment, her black eyes burning into the short girl, "You couldn't hurt a fly... You are polite. I appreciate that." Her head flicks up to Radiance, "You're hightened Senses must have picked up my mumbling, I cannot read minds. I think the stress is getting to you." She stands in the doorframe in silence for a solid minute before turning around without a word, and leaving the door open. She simply waves with her hand for you to come in.

Rain looks back at her friends then back at the door, she gives Kaylee a pat on the back, "Good job Kaylee!" She pushes her into the doorframe, "After you! I insist!"

C̷O̴N̴S̶U̸M̵E̵ wrote:"Something important for Nifelhime?" She turns her head as she lets out a cough, "The end is closing in. What could be so important when everyone will be eaten by the glystaria anyway?" The woman just stares at Kaylee for a long moment, her black eyes burning into the short girl, "You couldn't hurt a fly... You are polite. I appreciate that." Her head flicks up to Radiance, "You're hightened Senses must have picked up my mumbling, I cannot read minds. I think the stress is getting to you." She stands in the doorframe in silence for a solid minute before turning around without a word, and leaving the door open. She simply waves with her hand for you to come in.

"Thank you" Rogue nods to the Sinner, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your own name?"

The sinner looks back at Rogue, "Circi." She says quitely re-entering the house. A warm glow eminates from within the small cottage. As she dissapears around the corner you can see various plant life lining the walls, vines hang down from the roof and at the ends of the vines small blue bulbs pulse with a soft yellow light, various fern looking plants rest in pots in many corners of the house. Warmth from inside washes over you like a wave against the freezing winter air.

Rain peaks her head inside, "It seems safe..." She takes a step inside and the floorboards creek slightly under her weight, "it's... Surprisingly fresh in here." She looks into a doorway to the left of the entrance, "Oh... My... This is really nice." She pulls Kaylee in and points through the doorway, in the room is a rather comfortable looking living room, a fireplace crackles, casting dancing shadows against the walls, a simple couch rests to the left of the fireplace. A rather plush chair with a home made coffee table resting in front of it sits a few feet away from the fireplace, a steaming metal cup, a kettle, and a weightstone rest on the table. A pair of iron hooks above the fireplace holds two things. A carved hiking branch, and an iron woodcutters axe that's recently been used. You can hear Circi working in another room behind you

C̷O̴N̴S̶U̸M̵E̵ wrote:The sinner looks back at Rogue, "Circi." She says quitely re-entering the house. A warm glow eminates from within the small cottage. As she dissapears around the corner you can see various plant life lining the walls, vines hang down from the roof and at the ends of the vines small blue bulbs pulse with a soft yellow light, various fern looking plants rest in pots in many corners of the house. Warmth from inside washes over you like a wave against the freezing winter air.

Rain peaks her head inside, "It seems safe..." She takes a step inside and the floorboards creek slightly under her weight, "it's... Surprisingly fresh in here." She looks into a doorway to the left of the entrance, "Oh... My... This is really nice." She pulls Kaylee in and points through the doorway, in the room is a rather comfortable looking living room, a fireplace crackles, casting dancing shadows against the walls, a simple couch rests to the left of the fireplace. A rather plush chair with a home made coffee table resting in front of it sits a few feet away from the fireplace, a steaming metal cup, a kettle, and a weightstone rest on the table. A pair of iron hooks above the fireplace holds two things. A carved hiking branch, and an iron woodcutters axe that's recently been used. You can hear Circi working in another room behind you

"Nice to meet you, Circi" Rogue replies, "Cosy place you've got here. So, what made you live all the way out in the wilderness?"

Radiance steps up beside Ursula, whispering to her in Soren "I don't trust that thing one bit. I'm going to stay out here and keep watch if you want to join me."

"Quite, away from prying eyes and superstitious witchers." After she raises her voice from the other room you can hear her coughing violently in response, "Much like you folk." She pauses for a long moment, "However with the glystaria hord coming in it hasn't been all that quiet. The end of days is closing in, so you witchers better be finding a way back home." She quitely walks out of her kitchen and workroom with a platter, on the platter is plenty of cups and another steaming hot kettle, "Please take a seat on the couch, on the floor, in front of the fireplace, just make yourself comfortable." She whispers loudly, moving to the living room and placing the platter on the coffee table, "I made hot cocoa." Two of her long bone like spiderlegs reach out to the fireplace and lift up the axe hanging above it, her legs move back towards her letting her obtain the axe. She picks up the weight stone and begins dragging it along the blade of the axe, waiting for the various witchers to join her, she only stops to have a momentary sip of her tea.

C̷O̴N̴S̶U̸M̵E̵ wrote:"Quite, away from prying eyes and superstitious witchers." After she raises her voice from the other room you can hear her coughing violently in response, "Much like you folk." She pauses for a long moment, "However with the glystaria hord coming in it hasn't been all that quiet. The end of days is closing in, so you witchers better be finding a way back home." She quitely walks out of her kitchen and workroom with a platter, on the platter is plenty of cups and another steaming hot kettle, "Please take a seat on the couch, on the floor, in front of the fireplace, just make yourself comfortable." She whispers loudly, moving to the living room and placing the platter on the coffee table, "I made hot cocoa." Two of her long bone like spiderlegs reach out to the fireplace and lift up the axe hanging above it, her legs move back towards her letting her obtain the axe. She picks up the weight stone and begins dragging it along the blade of the axe, waiting for the various witchers to join her, she only stops to have a momentary sip of her tea.

"Oh, well I gather the way back home has already sort of been taken care of, so no worries there" Rogue assures Circi, "In fact, it's actually about that that we're here."

Kaylee kinda stumbles into the house in nervous anxiety, but it began washing away as her attention was drawn to the various plants, growing around the living room. She only looked at them for a while, turning around on the spot and slowly taking in the view, before her attention was once again drawn towards Circi:

"..nice to meet you, Circi... thank you for your hospitality." she gingerly approached the platter and gently picked up one of the cups. Carefully taking a seat next to the fireplace and accidentally emitting a metalic clank with her prosthetic leg, she took a sip of cocoa.







Outside of the house, Ursula was still intently watching the events unfold. Her expression began rapidly changing into a strange mask of concern and pity:

"...did she say her name was Circi? I can barely hear them from here" She looked down with an expression of sorrow, then finally rose to full height:

"I'm sorry.. I have to talk to her... maybe Johan will want to stay on guard with you." Ursula quietly spoke, she never broke eye contact from the open door frame of the cottage and once she finished speaking, she began moving forward. Slowly, unsteadily, on stiff, unbending legs.




Johan watched her leave for a moment, then looked at Radiance:
"...we should establish a perimeter around the house, to watch for any incoming hostiles. You still have your Heightened Senses active right? That's good, you should be able to detect if anyone's approaching this area, inside a 150 meter radius."


He looked at Twilight, then at the two merchants still camping under the hill:
"...hey if.. the party decides to go down the tombs... should we take these two 'merchants' with us into the tomb, or ask them to stay top side?"

He asked, then looked at Twilight and Radiance.






Inside the cottage, Kaylee took another sip from the cup, then lowered it into her lap and looked up at Circi:

"...we are researching the Precursor Ruins. Like us, they once lived on this planet and fought the Glystaria, just like us.
Our search led us here" she paused, swallowing and looked at Circi:


"...we have reason to believe, that an artifact of great power is stored somewhere... under the massive withered tree outside. A Precursor artifact.
We believe they used it.. somehow.. against the parasites.

If we could acquire that artifact, study it, perhaps it can give us an edge against the incoming parasite horde. Maybe even a chance to beat them."



She sighed and briefly looked down: "I understand how this sounds, much like a fairy tale, too good to be true.
And yet... as a soldier, someone who swore to give her life for the innocents, I cannot overlook such a possibility. Its very important to us, that is why we have come"


Kaylee blinked, looking at Circi. It seems she's trying to choose her words very carefully:

"Although we know that this artifact might be at this location.. finding it, may be... problematic.. uncomfortable...
That is why we wanted to ask for you help, Circi.. I know we just met and this may be asking a lot but.. can you help us?" she looked into Circi's eyes.



A few moments later and you noticed Ursula standing in the open door frame, slightly leaning on it. She was looking only at Circi. Her expression, a mix of emotions. Sadness, disbelief, pity, a trace of hope. Ursula blinked, betraying a faint trace of tears in her eyes:

"...Circi?.." she quietly called in a hoarse voice.

Kaylee Brown wrote:A few moments later and you noticed Ursula standing in the open door frame, slightly leaning on it. She was looking only at Circi. Her expression, a mix of emotions. Sadness, disbelief, pity, a trace of hope. Ursula blinked, betraying a faint trace of tears in her eyes:

"...Circi?.." she quietly called in a hoarse voice.

"D'you two... know each other?" Rogue asks, looking between Ursula and Circi.

Twilight looks at the cabin, her face in a frown.

"They just went inside? They noticed the spider legs, even I know how they hunt..."

When Johan asks, she jolts out of it.

"Huh? Oh, um, let's see, perhaps we should. Aft all, if the knowledge in there is real, more people to spread the word might help.