It's another day in the Switchback, just like the psat few. The few folks who are there have been slowly expanding their exploration, looking into whatever nooks, crannies and houses they can find. Some of the group are back at the Inn resting. Others are braving the outside. It's a day that feels sort of like autumn, not really cold, but with a hint of chill in the air. It is daytime, though the fog certainly makes it difficult to tell for sure.

Kyrie spent the better part of a couple days working on some of the coins she'd collected. And drinking. Not exactly a lot else to do around these here parts. Now, though, she's stretching her legs with a walk as she casually rolls one of the scrubbed coins over her knuckles. And looks for anything to catch her attention.



Gavin was stretched out on the rock, that is Amy's perch. Don't tell her, and catching a bit of sun or whatever passes for sun in the Switch back. He was half awake and kinda of drousing. The trusty wood choping axe he's seemed to acquire is within hands reach.

Kyrie rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a failure.

Danielle folds her arms across her chest, looking out at the blackness though staying well back from the edge. once bitten twice shy

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using occult.
The result is a success.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using notice.
The result is a success.

The day seems to be one of those lazy days, with not much going on.



Gavin snorts out, "Dragon!" This rouses him from his dream with concern. He sits up grabbing his axe. Then stares off into the fog, his eyes narrowing as if he's trying to concentrate. "I think there's something in the fog, a box?"

Kyrie pauses suddenly, at the snort from Gavin, and she actually looks up and around as though maybe there's a dragon nearby. Who knows, right? Not seeing one, she then turns her attention towards Gavin, and follows his intent gaze towards the fog. "A box?" She peers as well, but without getting close to the fog.

Danielle looks at the box emeging from the fog "If you would, stand ready to pull me back if this fog decides it time for round two " and then she step forward and reach for the box

The box is there, it's solid, Danielle can touch it. But it doesn't move. The fog swirls, whirles and flows all over, sparkling in some areas and darkening in others in a random pattern.



Gavin stands ready, "I'll pull you back. Though we need to get rope or something to pull you back." The knight looks at the box, "Yup definitely a box. Can we move or open the box?"

Kyrie purses her lips as she watches. "Really need to look for something to keep on me as a lasso." she says, echoing the importance of finding rope. "I think mine was on my saddle when I woke up here. Someone better be taking good care of my horse." She looks around them for something that's close enough.

Danielle does something the others might find odd then and asks "Can I have the box and tries again to take it

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using influence.
The result is a success.

The fog seems to move back where the box is, so that the box is visible. It looks like a stereotypical treasure chest.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using Athletics.
The result is a success.



Gavin frowns, "Here let me see if I can just open it." Then he takes up his axe and stomps over there then with a mighty seing he goes to break open the top of the chest.

Kyrie's lips are pursed as she finds nothing of immediate use as a rope. She instead returns to watching their efforts with the box. "Does this feel like a science-y kind of test to anyone else?" she muses aloud, crossing her arms but also looking ready to move if needed.

Alas, her attention is in the wrong place when she needs to move. While they were focused on the box, the fog darkened behind Kyrie and a tendril slid forward to grab at her leg. There's a shriek as she tries to pull away.

Danielle manages to move the box a couple inches, and then Gavin comes over to smash it open. He's successful, and the lid pops open. Inside, there's a sword and shield, a dagger and a staff. All seem to be reasonably well made, and in good shape, though they are all just straightforward things.

The fog however closes back in, tendrils curling and trying to catch hold of all three.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using Athletics.
The result is a success.



When the tendril comes curling towards him Gavin gives the box a might grip after dropping the ax inside. His plan trying to use the box to block the tendril. The box seemed immune after all. "Get back foul darkness!"

There is a great deal of tugging from Kyrie, as she tries to free herself of the tendril around her leg. Cutting it will do nothing, of course, so her rapier stays sheathed as she looks for something to grab onto. There's a unladylike words.

the box now that it's out of the fog and broken certainly seems to be something that can be moved. Gavin's actions seem to start off by causing the fog to pull back, trying to not touch the box. The box's contents fall to the ground, and the fog tendrils start to grab those things, slowly bringing them back towards the fog.

The fog curls around Kyrie's leg, and a couple more tendrils reach for her, starting to pull her in.

Danielle does nothing at the moment but reach out her mind. is there one force at work or two" but then as kyrie gets pulled in "stop that let her go"

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using influence, occult.
The result is a success.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using Athletics.
The result is a success.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using Athletics.
The result is a success.



As the tendrils go to grab the stuff, Gavin decides perhaps it's best not to give that stuff back. He forgets the box and goes diving for the stuff. He gathers it up in his arms and tries to roll dodging the tendrils. "Kryie! Talk to us!"

First it was one tendril, around her leg. Then a second around her wrist, drying out the skin there. Then a third catches her around the waist, doing more damage to her nice coat. It is not letting up, and is certainly managing to drag her towards the fog. Talk to them? Uhhhh.... "Nice weather we're having?" she calls over. And then she's pulled into into it and is lost from sight. Ooops.

And just like that, Kyrie vanishes into the darkness of the fog.

Danielle curses "Shit! Give her back" she hollers into the fog "Please"

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using influence.
The result is a success.

There is no response from the fog, it just stays dark, but there are those little areas of light, and more tendrils come out.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using Combat.
The result is a success.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a failure.



Gavin rises with the sword and the shield, "That is not what I meant.." He says taking off at a charge and swing at the blackness, "You cannot have her." The shield raised for protection. "Try the staff and some magic."

Danielle reavhes likewise for the staff but is caught as one of the tendrils grab an ankle

There is still no sign of Kyrie, but the fog does start to pull Danielle in now.

FGavin can totally charge into the fog, with his sword. It doesn't stop him, letting him come in. In fact, he gets quite far into the fog, with that rush. There are no tendrils reaching for him, but he does find himself in thick dark fog. There's no problem breathing, but it's imposisble to see.



"Kryie! Danielle!" Gavin yells out at the top of his lungs, "Where are you! Yell if you can hear me!" He says trying to wonder around and out of the fog.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a success.

Danielle digs her nails into the earth "I'm still out here. Becareful. Don't wan't to lose you too

Now the thing is, Danielle is so far holding her own, fighting with the fog. But she is all alone.

Gavin on the other hand? Is in the fog. Danielle can no longer see him. He, should he try to turn back, cannot see her. Nor can he hear her, now that he's in the fog. It's dark, chilly, maybe a bit damp. It so far seems pretty flat at least. Though - weren't they on a mountain side?

Danielle hollers to Gavin "Can you here me? Where are you?" for the moment continuing to fight to hold her ground

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a success.



Gavin can't hear but he's walking around in the cold dark, and then he stops for a moment. "Wait why is it flat? This should be up hill or down. That or I should be falling. Have I walked out of that shadow?"

Danielle manages to hold on, and the Fog starts to retreat back to its starting spot, as she continues to fight. It soon is just hanging there ominously, the light spots fading out and leaving it the same as it has been since they arrived.

For Gavin, he can hear what sounds like a roar off in the distance.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using notice.
The result is a success.

Danielle stands peering inthe darkness trying to see anything or anyone

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a success.

The fog doesn't even burp, but one might think it would given it just ate two people. For poor Danielle though, there is a staff still on the ground, and a dagger. They didn't end up in the fog after all. There's also an ax and the remains of the box.



The roar that Gavin heard was the only thing he could use to place his bearings. So the knight truges even closer to the roaring sound. Ready to fight if it's a beast but more than likely ready to find some type of water fall.

Danielle sighs and moves to pick up the staff tryimg it experimentally. it's weight in he hands, thinking.. back forward. she should at least let others know what's happening so she tries to scratch a message into the ground " Gavin Kyrie lost in fog. Going after. " After which she charges in as she saw gavin do

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a success.

Gavin rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a success.

So Danielle goes charging into the fog, staff in hand, and she finds herself in the dark, unable to see. But she can hear. She can hear a roaring sound that is moving closer, maybe.
Gavin is headed towards the roaring, and it's only pure luck that keeps him from running over Danielle as they end up in the same spot. That roaring? It is loud, it's angry, and it's still headed their way. Of course it comes along with bright glowing eyes.

At least it's less awful in the fog than they all probably assumed it would be. Kyrie pauses briefly once inside, then takes a few careful test steps in some direction since she's not sure which way being pulled in left her facing, just to make sure it all doesn't drop out from under her. "Hm." She does draw her rapier, using it to make sure she's not about to walk into something. The direction happens to keep her from running into the others, but that roaring sure gets her attention. "Fuck." she grumbles. At least her blade is out already.



Gavin raises the shield and his sword ready to strike with the blade at the sight of the eyes. He looks to Danielle and gives her a nod. Then back to the growling creature, "I am Sir Gavin, son of Prince Gerard. Beast we man you know harm but if you make to attack. I will strike!"

Danielle holds the staff at the ready but simultaneously tries to evoke some kind of shielding around them

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using occult.
The result is a success.

There's nobody at the halfway lookout at the moment, though there is a broken box and a dagger. The fog is roiling and whirling, with tendrils snaking out into the area as though fishing for something.

Kyrie can see the glowing gold eyes in the darkness, as the dark shadowy 7 foot tall thing moves in closer, while roaring. Gavin and Danielle too can see it. on the opposite side from Kyrie. And yet they can all see glowing eyes, staring at them. Are they red? Gold? Orange? maybe they were blue? They certainly glow. And as they stand determinedly against it, it seems to pause. A half roar is cut off though, as a bubble seems to come from Danielle's staff, floating slowly through the fog. It creates bit of light for a long moment, and then poofs out. And as it does, so too does the monster. POOF!



"Well that was most useful, Lady Danielle. Thank you." THough Gavin's still on guard. He looks around for a moment, "Kyrie! There you are! Did either of you reconize that beast? Or see a way out?"

Hearing noises above her, Maggie works her way cautiously up along the street. Making the final turn, she pauses, cutlass drawn. Looking around, she spots a box and a dagger before roiling tendrils of shadowy darkness draw her attention. One or two more cautious steps are taken before she holds her position to assess the situation.

And then the monster poofs, but the others are here. "That was weird. On top of all the other weird." Kyrie says. "I've got no idea where the way out is." she says, keeping her blade unsheathed for now. Just in case. "And no idea what that thing was." She looks around, as though that might actually show the way out.

Where Maggie is, she can't hear the others, as they are in the fog. But at least now the other three are together, as they try to find their way out of the fog.

The monster gone, the fog has gone quiet, the only sound their own breathing.

However, there is a bit of lighter coloured fog in one direction.

Looking around, Maggie takes a few hesitant steps forward, eyes wary. A sense of deep confusion, loss and uncertainty surrounds her. When she reaches the box with the knife, she glances around once more before bending to examine it.



Gavin starts across at Kyrie, "Well we're in this together. I'm hoping one of the ones smarter than me figure something out." Though he points at the lighter fog. "It's lighter that way. Lets see where that leads." Then Gavin goes that direction.


**********************************************************************
The fog roils and sparkles, seeming to become thicker and more intense. It whirles and sworls, moving in somewhat ominously, slowly. And then after a while it pulses back out. That fog is really weird..
**********************************************************************


Kyrie mms. "It's gonna have to be someone smarter than me, too. Science-y smart, I mean." She looks around, and finds the lighter patch. "Hm. Worth trying." she says, then does the same.

Maggie reaches out to touch the dagger with one gloved hand. Lifting it, she rises and looks around once more. Seeing only the roiling fog and hearing only the scrunch-scrape of the stones and dirt beneath her feet, she finds a bit of crumbling wall to lean against. With something at her back, she sheeths her cutlass and takes the time to really examine the knife. Blade, handle, any decorations. Anything to tell her who it might belong to, really.

It's a plain dagger, sharp and in good shape. It's made of a nice solid metal, but one that could be found in any village or city, not requiring any modern crafting skills or metallurgy. The fog seems to grumble a bit, bits of it seeming to sparkle as a lighter area seems to be moving.

For Kyrie, Gavin and Danielle, the light spot is there ahead of them, no matter how long they walk. After a while they begin to tire, but they're no closer to it than when they started.

Shrugging, Maggie tucks the dagger into a pocket of her traveling coat. Looking up, she watches the fog a while, a frown touching her brow. "Huh." It is a soft sound, but distinct. Walking cautiously toward the bright spot in the fog, she forms a megaphone shape with her hands and calls, "Hello?" Turning her head, she moves one hand to her ear, cupping it to listen with concentration.

Maggie hears "Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello." As her yell echoes back.

"I don't think we're getting anywhere. It's as if we're walking in circles. I beginning to think maybe this is sometype of experiment." He swipes athe light part of the fog more out of frustration than anything.

Kyrie walks. And walks. And walks. And eventually, she frowns and pauses. "This is bullshit, is what it is." she says, and puts her mind to the problem for a moment. "Amethyst looked like she got it to back off by yelling at it, right? It does react to us. Maybe it needs more than just walking. Maybe we need to, I don't know, make it happen. Insist on leaving. Push it out of our way." Her voice says this kind of thing is not her strong suit, but she girds her loins, as it were, and focuses on getting the hell out of that fog. And then, purposefully, she strides forward again as she expects the fog to part before her. Or something.

The fog doesn't seem to react to Gavin's swipe at all. But when Kyrie starts walking with such determination, she starts to get closer to the brighter spot, though Gavin is in danger of being left behind. (Also, Danielle is going with you all.)

Hearing nothing but an echo of her own voice, Maggie frowns at the fog. Stepping away, she watches it for a moment or two more, then sighs and turns away from it. Looking around once more, she takes in the ruins, the aching emptiness, the muffled sense of everything having gone... wrong. Her shoulders slump slowly as a sense of defeat settles over her. Moving slowly, she walks away from the fog toward the road. A brief glance upward sends a shudder racing through her. She picks up her pace a little.

Maggie rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 15, using no gifts.
The result is a failure.



"Maybe it's not the yelling." He says as he watches Kyrie and Dani actually pull a head of him. "Whoa wait up." He says moving to follow them. He was not getting left behind. "Maybe it's the force of will? Which doesn't make sense. I don't want it touching me with the tendrels."

Kyrie mms. "Well, I like to think I do have some of that." she says, continuing to stride forward with the determination to be out of the fog and back to their little cage away from home.

With a faint glance back over the area, Maggie shakes her head and then focuses on looking where she is going. Down the road... The blazing auburn of her hair flashes in what passes for sunlight just as she disappears below the top most switchback. With that faint flash of color, she is gone from sight.

Whatever causes it, those quick strides lead towards the lighter fog and then out into the halfway lookout area, all three of our intrepid heroes making it out. There might be some wear and tear due to fog tendrils, but not the worse for wear. Mostly. And of course, this brings them right to where th red hair can be seen, as Maggie heads up the switchback towards the inn.

With a faint glance back over the area, Maggie shakes her head and then focuses on looking where she is going. Up the road, her figure visible for a way as she looks for people, shelter and food. Gotta get those basics covered!