Chapter 1

[fabulist]

As she carefully proceeds inside of the the cave, Merisiel can already hear soft, quiet speaking coming from further inside. It's hard to tell its exact direction, the sound reverberates between the smooth stone walls, creating many echoes of anything audible. The slow dripping of water also adds to the noise, though it blends with the speech into a nice, musical tune.

The elf can see little in the dark, aside from the cave's shape itself, because there isn't much to see. There's a ledge on the right (north wall, which runs into a chamber away from the entrance (west), a series of negative bubbles in the rock on the left (south wall), and slanting to the right but mostly inwards, the cave tapers into a narrow, horizontal crevice.

OOC

How mindful is she about being quiet / silent?

 

[Rudra]

Merisiel focus more on beign careful than stealthy, moving silently may be good but not slipping down a fissure is better, she doesnt know the place so prefer to minimize the risks.

Hearing a voice she decide to be forthcoming, if the cave is inhabited then she is the intruder, better to announce herself.

"Francis? Francis? can you hear me?"

[fabulist]

As her voice echoes in the cave, the previous soft speech stops and there is silence for a while. Then she hears movement to her right, sliding noises moving towards her. Something then visibly descends on the wall dropping from the ledge, and a creature stands in front of her, half a dozen meters from her.

It is a mish-mash of known animals and supernatural creatures known to Merisiel. Generally humanoid, with a dragon's head, lynx's fluffy ear, long arms of an ape ending in webbed fingers, a tail ending in a stinger, and random pieces of armor here and there covering little spots on its body.

"The boy wants nothing from you, mortal. He is happy here, and you shouldn't take that from him."

[Rudra]

Merisiel cant hide her surprise(and fear), the creature remind her a chimera, but unlike the mythological beast this one is intelligent and able to communicate.

The inventor has so many questions but this is not the right place and time, she need to think carefully her next action because this could end very badly for her.

Mustering the courage to speak, she reply at the creature "I..." she cough "I'm not looking for troubles, i'm not going to take the child anywhere against his will, if he is truly happy here then let him speak, allow me to verify, if what you have said is true, i'll leave" she had her doubts about the whole story and did suspect that the child fled from his parents, but the only way to know what happened is to speak with Francis.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Rudra (see edit history)

[fabulist]

The creature's eyes suddenly change into feline eyes after it blinks, then its tail slowly morphs into that of fox. While the changes take place, it contemplates what Merisiel said. "The world is dangerous. It is dangerous to mortals, it has been since the invasion. The creatures of darkness don't want peace with mortals, you are just sustenance for them. This little human can't fight one and survive, like the one you defeated outside the shroud. ... Talk to him, if you want to."

It looks up where it descended and calls out. "Francis, there's someone here, and elf if I say it properly, who wants to talk to you."

After a few seconds, a boy appears at the top of the ledge. "Hello?"

[Rudra]

Merisiel cant avoid making a comment at the creature" for an immortal you care a lot about fleeting lives like ours, to you we must be like a mayfly, born yesterday, dead tomorrow"

Not that she is truly interested in the monster's motivations, she's just doesnt like being called mortal, those who use such term tend to have god-complex.

Anyway the boy appear and the inventor dedicate her attention to him, she get close enough to observe the Francis, but not too close, she doesnt want to scare him, or annoy the strange creature.

"Hello Francis, your parents have filled the town with posters about you, if you want to return to them i can escort you, if, instead, you want to leave them then, at least, do write them a note, tell them whatever you want, lie if you wish, but give them something or they will keep searching. I'll deliver it."

Ultimately it's Francis choice, Merisiel wont drag the kid against his will, they arent paying her enough to pick a fight with a shapeshifting monster.

 

 

[fabulist]

The creature lets out small sounds of relief at Merisiel's talk to Francis, and the boy looks rather surprised. He opens his mouth several times but then says nothing before he can formulate an answer.

"I ... like it here. My friend," -- he indicates the creature standing there -- "loves my stories and I like telling them. And she gets more interesting every time I tell one, you know. She keeps things what I tell and she looks different, like I was making her up. Or drawing her." His big smile looks really genuine at that.

"Now, come on, Francis, I'm your friend, not everybody's. Remember what we talked about?"

"Ok, sorry. ... I'd like to talk to mom and dad, here. Or, outside the cave. Can you bring them?" - he asks Merisiel.

 

OOC

I'd like a Wis save vs. DC 16; and if you'd like to persuade Francis in any direction, a Cha check.

 

[Rudra]

She think about the kid's story and his request , wondering if this monster isnt some kind of guardian spirit shaped by Francis imagination and latent powers.

"well, you see, i cant just bring them here, i'm a stranger, this place is outside the city and quite dangerous, they wont follow me without a good reason" assuming they have some common sense.

"but you can write a message, i can show it to them as proof that i have indeed found you , or you could tell me something only you and them know, or give me an object that will surely recognize as yours, i need something to persuade them" She has her own motivations to make such request, Merisiel intend to get paid before sending the parents here, in case they decide to cheat her out of the reward...or get killed by the monster.

[fabulist]

Francis muses a little about what she says, then a puzzled little smile spreads over his face. "Well, ok, I guess." then he turns and climbs back up the ledge, and reappears after half a minute. He's got a moderately crumbled sheet of paper tucked into his pants, which he handles over to Merisiel.

Dear Dad + Mom,

I'm down here in the cave, with my friend and I really like it here. Come and talk to me, you gonna like it too. I love cherry pie.

Francis

OOC

I'd still like a Perception DC 16 check 🙂

 

[Rudra]

Merisiel take the letter, fold it with care and stow it in her journal, finally she place the journal back into the backpack "i'll try to be as quick as possible" she say at the boy then she look at the creature "thanks for taking care of Francis..." she realize the creature hasnt said it's name " how should i call you?"

[fabulist]

Francis watches as Merisiel puts away his letter with perceptible longing and doubt in his eyes.

As the elf turns to the creature and asks for its name, it muses for a few seconds before answering her. "I am Friend. I'm Friend for Francis, you can call me that."

It turns back to Francis and indicates the way up the ledge with one of its hands. "You were telling me the story about the girl in the forest with the ghosts. I'd like to hear what happens to her and her family."

[Rudra]

Strange encounter, Merisiel leave with this thought, a truly strange encounter , she sense that there is something deeper but she's only interested in the reward, she already had to fight a monster for what could turn out to be pennies, thats not good, she's no knight in shiny armor.

She leave the cave and go back the way she has come, using her grappling hook to make the climb back to the city, once there she will pick one of the posters and move to francis's parents home.