RP:Madness Blooms in the Dark Forest

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.

Summary: Kasyr brings Quintessa along for a little bit of slash and burn with Chisel. Kasyr does the slashing, Chisel the burning, and Quintessa experiments with hallucinogenic poison darts with some giggly dolls she meets in the woods. It's all very creepy.

House Dragana

Towering over the abyssal forest, the dark mass of House Dragana is no less eerie than the vegetation, or lack thereof, in which it stands. The mansion's outer perimeters are flanked by the twisting trees and there are no gates to prevent the seemingly less desirable denizens of the forest from trespassing upon the property. A sleek, obsidian walkway runs from the house's entry to the path. The only source of light without comes form wrought-iron lanterns that are placed on either side of the walkway, spaced perfectly from one another. Within them, an eldritch glow of a deep, verdant hue flickers. Those brave enough to approach House Dragana's doors will be greeted with iron knockers bearing blackened skulls, their eyes set with emeralds that glow with the same light from the lanterns. Within the house's walls, there is no shortage of decadence. Only the most elegant of furniture is placed throughout its rooms. A grand staircase of blackened wood leads to the upper levels, where rooms for those that reside within the house can be found. Midway up, the stairs split to the left and right, spiraling upward. Here, there is a landing with a set of double doors that leads to a large ballroom. The lower level of the house plays host to a dining area and kitchen, though rarely used, a grandiose library filled with grimoires and tomes, and a small museum of artifacts collected by the house's residents. Though there appear to be no candles to light the way, an ethereal glow floods the innards of the house, providing ample reading light - undoubtedly arcane in origin. Dark magic is weaved into the house's existence as a measure of protection.

Kasyr s been putting his recovery time to good use. Not counting, his unfortunate attempt at cooking, anyways. The bags under his eyes have faded, with some semblance of liveliness having crept in to replace that habitual exhaustion- because the gears are churning in the swordsmans mind. There's a distinct sense of purpose at work in his steps, the beginnings of a plan starting to finally solidify in his mind. Scooping his trenchcoat off the couch he'd left it on, he's in the process of heading towards the door when he remembers something. Two things, really. One of them is to actually collect his backpack, and make sure he hasn't left any of his notes or rambling scattered about. The other one, however, is to actually scribble out one of his typically Kas-ish style notes, complete with his signature and a plethora of Cat doodles, and to leave it carefully on the table next to the door. "That should be about right."

Quintessa had only just returned recently when she got the notice from her vassals that she had a delivery. "What in Daedria's name is a 'taco'?" The changeling had never eaten this strange, noble vampire food. She would have to write a well written 'thank you' note to Joan later for this unexpected shipment of supplies. Did undead need to eat anyway? Quintessa had already dismissed the remaining living members of Larewen's retinue, preferring to rely on the army with the cheapest upkeep. "Skeletons and flesh golems don't need to eat- Oh! Hello Kasyr!" She spots her teacher standing by the door, apparently catching more information about her army that she didn't want him knowing. The jig was up now, anyway, wasn't it? "You're still here?" Mismatched eyes quickly flicker from his face to his backpack, and she can't hide the frown that grows on her face when she says, "Oh, you're leaving." Why was she so disappointed? "Well, thanks for taking care of..." her gaze retreats out the door, in the direction of the supplies she still had yet to deal with. "Um, my relations with the merchant families."

Kasyr abruptly leans to the table, doing his best to look utterly casual, and also palming the note in one motion. "Mmm. I don't think it's quite taken care of. More.. postponed? I mean, this was apparently paid for, but, I imagine if there's more business to be had, that es going to be your headache." His other hand moves to adjust the backpack on his shoulder, before he adds, "Still, I Can't just spend all my time giving tu private lessons, et lounging, though, non? But, " Kasyr, for all the practice he has at maintaining a straight face, can't help but find his good humour turning a little awkward in the face of the frown. "I am grateful." Her looking away makes it a bit easier for him to scooch the note underneath just against the wall, before stepping outside, "Though- I suppose I could spare some time for a final lesson, that might coincide neatly with something I was going to be gathering for the class. Et well, part of why It's so important that I get moving again, enfin."

Quintessa balks at Kasyr's notion that managing resources was a headache. There was a sort of strategy involved. Numbers! Maths! Somewhere there was a quintessential -perfect- combination of costs versus output, and the newly self-proclaimed baroness was obsessed with finding it. "Headache? This is actually -fun-." With the mention of private lessens, the hex blade gives a roll of her eyes but the smile that played at her lips betrayed the amusement she got from such banter. "Oh, shut up," she pushes his shoulder before she moves to grab her satchel, slinging it over her shoulder before wrapping her invisibility cloak around her. "So, where are we going? Should I bring Bloodbeak with me or is this close by?"

Kasyr blinks, a few times, actually. "To each their own, Madamoiselle. But I'll admit that I far preferred things as regent then Roi~ ." When she gives him a push, he simply spins with it, hands moving to rest on his head as he backpedals further towards the woods, "Well. Well, as it were. It's two errands, both of which are rather local, en fait." The expression on his face is almost apologetic, but there's still a hint of impishness about it, "I mean, the first es a bit overdue. I'd been meaning to go et gather what would be useful for making tu et Karasu some new weapons. Ones that'd work rather well with a combination of well, spellwork et swordsmanship- but, " His attention flicks off to the side for a moment, his shoulders hefting up in a shrug, "A bit more mindful of tempers, et such." The last bit of humour seeps out of his expression there, as he wheels frontwards again, "...Not quite as sure if you'll be keen on the second errand, en fait. I need to hunt down a Dryad. Find it alive, enfin- to fix something that was broken, et hope that I can find a lead towards something I ought to have handled a few years ago." He does at least turn back to offer her a somewhat apologetic look, "Et, I really couldn't figure out a better way to get their attention or help, short of picking a fight, enfin."

Quintessa is used to just improvising when it comes to doing anything with the kensai but when he starts speaking of dryads it gives her pause. "Pretty salads?" The changeling hurries after her teacher, giving her steward a quick, yet aggressive, "Get this stuff inside and off my lawn," before she leaves him to his duties. Of course Quintessa would never let on to the actual contents of these containers. The notion of Joan shipping tacos from her shop over here still made her giggle though. "Find a dryad to fix something broken and find a lead to something you you should have fixed already... Could you be any more cryptic?" She adds sacastically, finally catching up to him. "I've never met a dryad before, but I have no reason to assume I wouldn't get along with one. They sound kind of cute in the story books."

Kasyr snorts, one hand coming up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "God, the rest of 'em woulda loved you too." He's still chucklin' about when Quintessa catches up to him properly, and starts to grill him over his obligatory cage-yness, "Well. You aren't going to like it. But I'll explain along the way, j'pense." Kasyr squints a little at nothing in particular, moving to just massage his chin as he finds the right words, "I mean- I don't think the act itself is going to bother you, et quoi-ce-soit. Fixing up a statue of Vakmatharas actually sounds a bit like your wheel house. Just more who it's for." There's a sound like steel sliding free of a sheathe that starts to echo in the woods- a faint accompaniment to the rapid materalisation of the Kensai's summoned swords. And, whilst they are remarkably plain compared to some of the arnaments at Kasyr's disposal- they do have a rather distinct advantage. Their connection to him makes them -remarkably good at channeling spells, or energies. "I'm not sure the Dryad es going to be feeling cute when she finds us, though. But then, I figured the fastest way to muster things -would- be to give her a reason to find us." Energies, for instance, like those the Kensai can wield in Daedria's name- vestiges of the divine carried forward on a hummed tune, and layered bit by bit into the swords following Kasyr. One has to wonder, really, just how loudly the black forest is going to start screaming when that mass of blades snakes their way in the swordsmans wake- as the vegetation finds it subjected to a sudden and altogether unpleasent bit of purging. " Bet you a gold she finds us within the hour."

Camp Fire

As you step into this dark area you see smoke rising up from a pile of burned wood. It would seem someone was here not long ago, camping. Curious that anyone would even desire to camp here, you take a slight look around. This dead end resembles the exact area of the twisted trees, with the exception of the tiny camp. As you glance down you can see foot prints, leading back into the forest, vanishing off. Your only way is back east. You can't help but wonder where the person has gone.

Chisel shouted, "A blood curling roar soon filled the air, re-vibrating through several forests, Kelay, Sage, and Ancient forests, trees began to sway left and right as giant Flora Colossi howl bestially into the air as the one who roar the most began to march from its den. The forest giants soon began walking as well, forward, as the very earth tremble, all heading towards Vailkrin."

Quintessa manages to catch what Kasyr said about the rest of them loving her too and she can't contain the proud smile that grows on her face. The satisfaction yields to the curiosity of the first act. Of course she wouldn't mind restoring a shine to Vakmatharas, what devout Necromancer would? But then the color drains out of her face. "What are you..." she begins, wanting to know if she understanding this correctly, "Wait, there have to be better ways than pissing the thing off!" The hag-borne's heckles were rising, and she wasn't entirely sure why until the swords begin to hack through the vegetation and the worst feeling she had ever experienced washes over her. "You're- Cutting-" she wraps her arms around her stomach, trying to keep herself from vomiting, a single pale hand moving to cover her mouth. She can't stop him, so she simply follows in his wake hunched over like an old woman. "What have you done!" she finally manages to hiss at the swordsman.

Kasyr s' merry little path is leading him to one of the camps that are occasionally maintained in the forest. Sometimes they belong to unfortunate travelers simply seeking refuge, and not knowing the horrors of the forest. Others are carefully cultivated by those who prefer the solitude provided by the bleak forest. But in the face of that horrific outcry that resonates through the tree, and the way even the woods twisted fauna is fleeing in all directions- he's going to assume it's likely not going to matter soon. It takes a foolhearty sort to stay out in this sort of situation. Which is why Kasyr is making himself right comfortable, the full array of blades he has at his disposal lifting up, if only to skewer straight into a tree overlooking the camp, so he has something to perch on. And, you know, increased injury to insult as it starts to burn from the inside out. "Well, if I -had- to guess, I probably placed the bigger target on us that I possibly could, because find a branch in a forest es hard. Less so if said branch might be diligent about stomping out problems in the making." It's actually a bit uncanny just how calm the swordsman is, especially given the vast amount of misfortune he's managed to gather to himself recently- but then, the expression in his face right now is distinctly predatorial. The weird cacophony of noises, of rustling leaves, creaking bark, and squelching fungi as shambling masses of flore tread, roll and creep towards the source of what's wounding the forest does little to dissuade Kasyr from continuing to quietly carry a tune.

Magik appeared from the east.

Magik said, "Awkward.."

Magik exited to the east.

Chisel :: The trembling of the earth did not cease, birds began to fly away in haste as other fauna scattered in all directions, trying to take refuge from what is to come. Powerful footsteps as giants continue their march toward the center of the forest, groans could be heard, like wood aching, breaking, creaking as if to emulate emotions and sounds, it was sad, horrified, angered. Seeing the death around it, the footsteps began to grow louder and louder as if the giants stomping the ground in order to gain more speed but unable to do so due to their size. The forest itself gave way as the guardians follow the trail of murder. It found them, something truly dangerous is coming. Not the giants, no.. comparing such creature to a flora colossi is like comparing a rat to a wolf. Soon two Flora Colossi exited the tree line, completely exposing themselves as the campfire shed a light to their giant forms. The ones still in the forest stopped in unison. They were all scouring about, looking for their prey but as if in a hive mind, the giants simultaneously turned toward the direction of the campfire, marching once again. The ones already there roared in rage as they clumsily charge toward the two, swinging their massive arms toward them, an amalgamation of roots, vines, branches and all sorts of tree parts, fueled by anger. One tries to reach for Kasyr while the other lift both arms as if to slam both its fists against Quintessa, aiming to crush her against the ground.

Quintessa continues to curse at Kasyr when the ground begins to rumble, her harsh words continuing to berate him until the Flora Colossi enter the area. "My home! You've desecrated my-" She suddenly stops, turning to face the giant guardian as it closes in to crush her. She barely has enough time to jump backwards to evade, the force of plant slamming the ground enough the send the changeling flying backwards with an "Oof!" Her lithe form rolls across the earth for a few meters before she catches herself and hops to her feet. "Great! Now look what you've done!" She screams out loud, her shrill voice echoing into the forest as she stares down the Flora Colossi that targeted her. "I would never hurt the forest!" she tries to plead with it, "Kill him!" she points to Kasyr, still angry with him as well, just not as intensely. "He did it!"

Kasyr doesn't even seem to move as the colossi reaches forward, having gradually assumed a lazy flop as he waited for all hell to break loose. Really, Quintessa's dilemma seems to actually take more of his interest, a bit of concern creeping into his expression. Or well, there was- and then he's just left face palming. "Thanks for the assist~" When the colossi's hand abruptly closes down around the position Kasyr's occupying, the swords are abruptly dispelled, weaking out in a 12 synchronous slashes of silvery light, and leaving nothing between the Kensai and the ground. Which, just narrowly brings him underneath the colossi's hand as it comes to a rapid close. He wastes no time in rolling off to the side, dirt and detritus kicking up as he scrabbles up into a crouch, and then hurls himself straight up at the Colossi. Mid-air, one of those metallic gashes coalesce into the shape of a sword, providing the swordsman with a weapon to slam into it's wooden exterior, if only so he can vault himself further forward- spilling out across the surface of it's arm. He doesn't really risk falling over, however, another sword hastily called into existance so he can provide himself enough of an anchor to get to his feet, and begin making his way down the length of those arboreal aberration. That still leaves what to do about that second mass of vegetation, however. "Do you think they can hear? Or were they just following the sense of screaming?" Hrm, Better question Kas,, do they feel? It's a -really- good experiment to try when you still have 10 rapidly summonable swords unaccounted for, and have nothing to do except fling a few into Colossi #2 to see if you can get it's attention. "I mean, I can -provide- that."

Chisel :: As the fight rages on, the other giants has soon made their way toward the area, though not exiting the treeline as there wasn't enough space for them to fight within such a small area all at the same time. Their heads sticking out of the tree tops as they wait for the opportunity to enter... though maybe there would be no need for them to fight. A trail of light soon appeared through the forests, flora began blossoming behind her, flowers bearing like a bell, glowing deep red with rage. It was a common plant in Sage, Kelay and the Ancient forests, a flower that emits light as soon as the sun sets in the horizon, planted by the dryad itself though usually known for their beautiful blue light... a trail of murderous intent now goes deeper into the forest, making its way towards the campfire. Roars of anger and pain emits from the creatures as Kasyr peppers it with sword wounds, though leaving several deep wounds upon the giant, its body remained intact and kept of flailing about as it try to capture Kasyr. The one near Quintessa moved forward, still trying to attack, though this time aiming to reach for her, possible crush her upon its grip only to have its arm struck numerous times, turning its head toward Kasyr before lumbering forward. "Mommy didn't like that..." a voice whispered. It was inaudible at first as the fight was still going on but now that Quintessa's enemy has moved on to fight the Kensai, it was clear that her problems is far from over. This phrase was repeated numerous times. "Mommy didn't like that..." like a child hiding somewhere, once, twice, then soon enough a dozen children began to speak in unison, giggling, laughing. "You desecrated my home.. Kill him..Look what you've done..." creepy little children eavesdropping, listening repeating the woman's words, just like earlier the phrases was spoken again and again, various voices from every direction till finally it suddenly stopped. "You've desecrated my home." in perfect copy of the woman's voice... then loud maniacal giggling poisoned darts soon filled the air, all aiming at Quintessa, as the flames of the campfire continues to sway about, one would see a doll hanging on vines by a branch with a flower growing out of its eye sockets, still wearing that childish smile as more needles filled the air.

Quintessa's burning anger subsides as the colossal guardians focus on Kasyr, a slight sense of satisfaction that they recognized her as fellow dweller of the forest. That is until the haunting voice of little girls echoes from the depths of the forest to speak to the changeling. "Mommy?" Quintessa felt something cold run through her. What was this feeling? "T-this is my home..." She turns away from the fight, wandering away from the safety of Kasyr to search for the source of the voices. The changeling's mismatched eyes were wide with terror, her animal instinct telling her it was not safe to move forward. But why was she drawn in? "What are you?" Is all she manages to say before a wave of darts fall upon her. Fear shifts to desperation and the hex blade dashes behind a tree as her left arm shields her body. A few of the poison darts stick into her from her shoulder to her forearm before she can escape behind cover and she curses Kasyr again for summoning an apparently insane dryad here in murder mode. "Dammit," she mutters, pressing her back against the tree as she feels the poison numbing her fingers, "I'm actually going to have to fight back..." Already Quintessa is reaching into her cloak for one of her famous potions, this time an antidote she kept around for when she accidentally poisons people. Accidents happen, but now she was glad she came prepared for this.

Kasyr , for his part, is having the time of his life. When the colossi begins to flail from the obnoxious assault the Kensai had subjected it to, he finally takes the route of least resistance, and simply let's go- allowing the moment to send him hurtling up into the air, and away from the immediate reach of the colossi. What should be more suspicious, however, is the manner in which his hovering blades dislodge themselves from where they'd been stuck, wrenching up to linger behind the swordsman as the Kensai starts to fall again. Emphasis on start, given the manner in which he takes hold of a member of his bladed entourage, and promptly flickers straight down in a crash of thunder and lightning- partially collapsing in the top of one of the flori Colossi from the combination of raw Kinetic force, and and the abrupt burst of heat that came with the electrically charged dive bomb. It's not enough to halve the damnable thing, however, which is about the point where the Kensai leans on a different option in his bag of tricks. With a rapid invocation, there's a sharp intake of wind that seems to condense around the former revenants blade- until it's released a moment later in a single smooth stroke that sends that gash of air scything forward, to finish cleaving apart the colossi he'd been on. "Burn it or...?" Anger the dryad. Don't panic her- "Ooof." It's actually really hard to hop clear of an arm swinging out to smear you against the ground like you're some sort of insect, but Kasyr manages it- a graceful, yet graceless stumble step that leaves him sprawled just witthin the ruins of the prior colossi, and clear of the still active ones wrath. "Es this enough, enfin." Not for the first time, the Kensai does the equivalent of stabbing a walking barn with a Katana. This time, however, the reaction's far different- as the inside of the flora Colossi's arm starts to rupture apart from the rapid formation of Katana's within it's mass- rippling forward in a tide of steel that rends apart it's limb and then begins to mulch apart it's torso. Kasyr, after all, has managed to make a decent career out of mimicry...imitation, and those summoned swords of his have always been an extension of that. Being able to mirror his own abilities up to and including the creation of themselves. To a point, to be sure- but really, there's only so many times a walking tree can take having a sword crop up in it's mass.

Chisel :: As both giants collapsed, one would think that another pair would take their place but the giants kept watch, creating a blockade as they have surrounded the area, the children on the other hand was a different issue. Their laughter continues to fill the air, echoing in the wind as the sound of movement comes up around every now and then as if they are running about, giggling, firing a needle whenever someone isn't looking. The two are completely surrounded and now the toys are... toying with them. Suddenly however the dolls stopped, "Shh! Mommy is here!" a hushed voice till everything seems to have stopped. The woods came to a grinding halt, trees, fauna. even the wind seems to have stopped in their tracks as a bright light appeared from the east. It was a woman... probably. Her body is wearing a white tattered dress, covered in dirt and blood. One would think it was a corpse hanging off a tree... its just that the tree has taken form of a massive seven legged spider, strapped upon the woman's back while one of its legs hang above her, holding a lantern. The woman's hair flow before her face, black and improper, as the trees have made way for this creature, one could see the trail of red flowers behind her before two colossi moved in place to cover the gap. A scraping, groaning sound soon escapes the woman's mouth, her head rotating into unnatural angles as the sound of wood breaking, splintering fills the silent night. "Why......" her only word. Soon the massive haunted tree charged forward, Its four legs crossing the distance in great speed, its arm raised like a scythe as aimed its weapon against Kasyr. Oddly enough the woman tied onto the tree was also reaching forward with a hand ax at hand, swinging on the other direction, like a pincer attack as the dolls began their barrage of needles. The giants roared and began throwing everything they could find off the forest floor, it started with rocks, mounds of earth then finally lying dead wood, even the remains of the earlier fallen giants were thrown into the center, any projectile that missed the mark and found its way near another giant gets thrown back, clearly wanting the two dead already.

Quintessa drinks her potion quickly, but when she doesn't immediately feel relief from the toxins she growls and tosses the vial in the dirt. "Figures." she spits out. Whatever poison was being used was far out of her ability to counteract. She reaches for the hilt of her katana with her left hand- "What?" In horror, the hex blade realizes that her left arm is completely unresponsive. "Fine! I only need one arm!" she sheiks, drawing her katana only to fruitlessly stumble after the dolls as the scatter into the forest. The changeling blinks, her pupils slowly dilating as the psychotropic elements of the poison begin to take effect. "Little bitches!" she screams in fury, swinging her sword aimlessly at anything that moved, that made a sound. "This is -my- forest! I'm the monster here!" Her aura of hatred and oppression would expand to consume Chisels minions, but would dolls even be affected by such things? Quintessa grows at another dart picks her in the back of the neck, and she turns to face the doll, shouting the words to her spell as she slashed her sword in its direction. "Tân!" As the words pass her lips, an arcane spark of fire ignites and arcs in a straight line, aimed directly at the doll that shot her. The flames explode harmlessly against an old tree stump. That wasn't a doll at all! The changeling's grip on reality was starting to crumble so the confrontation between Chisel and Kasyr goes unnoticed until the dolls all back down. "Mommy?" Quintessa repeats again, lowering her sword as she stumbles back in the direction she thinks Kasyr is. "Where is mommy?"

Kasyr 's reaction to the 'thwip' of the darts had been to crouch further into the accumulated detritus of the colossi, trenchcoated arms drawn up to cover his face as he effectively hunched behind the protect of the mithril mesh and preklek plating woven into his clothes. Which worked well enough until the horror show he'd drawn to this area creaked and shuddred into view. "You know, that's a good qu-" Kasyr doesn't even get to start trying to stall vis a vis rambling before things have accelerated back into murder mode. Chisel's advance, however- provides an opportunity. Even as the air becomes a chaotic mess of projectiles, the swordsman begins to dash forward, vaulting over bits of crumbled Colussi as he seeks to plunge at the enraged Dryad, so that he be shielded from the debris by either the size of her mount, or some show of restraint on her pets. It also serves to put him clear of the handaxe- though not -quite-the arc of the latern, which catches him in the side and turns his roll askew. It's when he's gathering himself back to his feet, and peeling out one of the many Katana's now discarded through the wreckage of the colossi that he catches wind of Quin's voice. No doubt, the horrible wooden arachnid's going to be already in the process of moving, which is a wonderful motivator for the Kensai to take hold of one of it's legs, spitting out the words to a spell before it can get itself any proper speed. And that's because this particular bit of spellcraft is meant to rapidly raise the temperature of the blade he's holding until the metal is a gleaming inferno- which'll make it more than capable of rapidly alighting bits of the colossi it touches- and very handily spread the fire of Chisel moves around while Kasyr's attached. "Mon Dieu."

Chisel :: Neither the dolls nor the giants even bother with Quintessa anymore, it was clear that she was already losing her mind to the point that Chisel's minions began focusing more against Kasyr, should anything hit Quintessa from this point forward would most likely be unintentional as it was clear that she'd probably get herself killed on her own or the poison would completely consume her, either way. The number of the projectiles in the air became a problem soon enough, large objects colliding with one another mid air while the dolls having trouble finding a proper angle to shoot as falling rocks kept making cover for the man. Dirt, stone and wood raining from above eventually extinguished the flames of the campfire leaving the only light source for this hellish night was Chisel's lantern and Kasyr's fire. The giants running out of things to throw began to stand firm at their spot, pores began to open from their bodies and bright yellow pollen floods the immediate surroundings, Eventually pouring toward the center, wanting to poison the two, slowly inching forward. As the man severs one of the spider's legs it started to tilt but quickly regained its balance. Too quick even. The partial limb still attached to the haunted tree was moving as if it still has a leg, clearly ignoring the wound it just received. But the real reason why it did not fall was the number of vines tied upon the creature's back, it was trailing all the way back to the forest, puppeteering the large creature to remain upright. The dryad roared and began to charge once again, using the same attack it seems. A massive swipe from one side and an ax from the other. A sickening sound emits from her whenever she does such attack, throwing a violent haymaker while holding her ax, dislocating both her shoulder and elbow to increase its range and strength as she swing at the man, this time however the 7th limb threw the lantern up, giving it the height to strike from above.

Quintessa stumbles through the forest, her aura transformed into a deep, dark pool of loneliness. "Where -is- Mommy?" The changeling has never met her mother. She has no idea where Mommy is. Her left arm dangles lifeless as steps back into the clearing. There she sees it. A pointed grin spreads across Quintessa's face as she gazes upon Chisel and her arachnid-like form. "Are -you- Mommy?" She must be! The hex blade can do little else but watch for a moment as Kasyr fights against the Dryad. Why had he done this? Quintessa still doesn't know why Kasyr has put them in this situation. "Why are Mummy and Daddy quarreling?" As the pollen drifts closer the changeling fails to notice, the yellow powder getting dangerously close to being inhaled.

Kasyr gets hurled off the moment that leg comes undone- rolling across the clearing of scattered branches and sparks, leaving a jagged crack of smouldering wood in his wake. There's a gritty taste in his mouth, muck and ashes clinging to his tongue as he rises to his feet anew- but it's the air that concerns him. There's a scent on the wind that makes his hackles rise up, if only because of the very mortal peril that's contained within it. What little humour remained on his lips dies at the sound of his Apprentices call, "Quin, follow my voice." The rumble and rattle of wood and earth crushed into oblivion beneath the arcachnid shape of what can only be described as a puppets' puppet - it might end up masking what Kasyr says. But there's no way it can mask the noise what comes next, the sword saint taking a single step forward as Chisel's arm rears back- just before every blade that had been scattered around the arena surges forward like a nest of steel serpent. The beast's legs are the target- meant to sweep the damnable thing so it's advance turns into a giant rolling crash, with any bit of maiming or mauling to ensue simply being a happy accident. And hell if it doesn't do wonders about completely throwing off the latern strike- just, it falls a bit short on one particular detail. It doesn't do a damn thing to prevent Chisel following through with her attack. and the Kensais attempt at parrying the unnatural arc of her dislocating arm comes short- the axe hammering down onto his collar bone, and staggering him long enough that he can get caught up in the wipeout of the 7 legged construct.

Chisel 's spider is now gone.. it doesn't matter. She can make more, As the spider finally falls to the ground, unable to keep itself standing after experiencing a barrage of wounds. Still the dryad still stands. It was never a good idea to fight one in a forest to begin with. A sickening sound of thick sap as she separates herself from the spider, the vines snapping and reconnecting as she finally freed herself from the creature, now directly connected to the forest instead. She stretches out her arm and catches the lantern before it hits the ground, Standing above her prey, both of them already fallen from either poison or wounds. "Breathe or Spark... either way... I win." she raises her free hand and snaps her finger. In a moment, all the pollen began to converge closer to them. The culmination of thick pollen then a spark from her fingers caused a chain reaction. The entire space to became a blazing inferno. The giants held their ground, tanking the damage so the forest behind them would not caught afire. Chisel, made out of treated wood and metal stood proudly as her vision becomes filled with flames, causing such brightness in the middle of the night.

Kasyr is dreadfully good at improvising, and there is something to be said for that talent when in the decidely terrible situations. A fractured collar bone, what can only be dubbed as a rather prolonged set of friction burns running up his hands and forearms, and his current status as partially pinned beneath the damn spider. He's actually looking a bit bitter as Chisel simply dislodges herself from the mess, a distinct look of spiteful ire crossing his features as he tries to pry himself over towards her. Then she speaks, and there's the dawning of recognition for what's to come, at least in part. He takes in what breath he can, and rather then try to dislodge himself from the damn spider, he jams his word into it's wooden underbelly. A sound akin to the peal of thunder accompanies Chisels finger snap, though it's not the dryad's doing. No- that already ragged flesh on his forearms abruptly evaporates into sparks and free-flowing blood, splintering open a fresh crack in the artificial arachnid- and providing the Kensai a sap oozing bunker of sorts to provide cover. It's likely not apt to survive the flames long, but it might at least provide an adequate buffer against the blast that engulfs the area. Which leaves the matter of Quintessa. Whilst a part of the Kensai is profoundly hoping she has a plan, there's the fact that she sounds like she's having a bit of a mental breakdown- Which is why she's going to less-than-gracefully be introduced to the flat of a series of summoned swords, which are posed to hone in on the relatively location of her empathic resonance, and -hopefully provide either a bit of a boost to drag her clear of ground zero, or at least a small barricade between herself and the shrapnel.

Chisel 's clothes were burned off by the flames, exposing the marionette form underneath, the vines that connect herself to the forest has also burned off and the giants stands idle around the camp, they are dying... but Chisel can replant them. Those who have enough strength to move began to walk back home, vines slowly slither against the charred ground, trying to reconnect with the dryad as clothes began to appear upon her body again, A beautiful white dress made out of plant fibers. There was so much rubble around her that Chisel could not stand staying here. Slowly, the barefooted woman walks away, leaving foot marks against the ash.

Kasyr is pretty sure this is going up on there on disgusting, uncomfortable moments he doesn't want to repeat again. And it's not even the discomfort from the break in his collar bone, or the way it protests as he starts to wriggle out of that sap filled nook that he'd make for himself. No, the culprit for this was the way the sap was rather literally seeping into his wounds, a pungent and intrusive balm that practically glued his clothes to his body, and made him a magnet for every branch and clump of dirt he crawled over. Getting out of the the spider was at least easier then in, a few quick cuts to it's now grievously damaged surface making short work of that. He takes a moment to survey the wreckage of the campground, caught somewhere between aggravation at things going awry again, and relief that the Dryad had decided to depart. Quintessa's sprawled form is what he finally settles on, and any lingering thought on hunting down Chisel is set aside in favor of retrieving his student, so he can return her home. She hadn't sounded well, and nsuring that she could recover in bed, with a pitcher of water nearby , was the least of what he could do. ...Maybe go and pester that stupid Cannibal tree for some scraps of wood, and update the note, too.

*A bundle of thick branches lie tied together in a cord, some of them smeared in blood and sap. An ominous feeling exudes from  the lot of them.*

Quintessa,
I hope this letter finds you in good health.  If I didn't manage to say goodbye to you, et this is it- well, I appreciate all the  hospitality et kindness you've shown me.  You didn't have to provide me a place to stay, or to help piece me together after  Frostmaw. et after Luffy.
You certainly didn't need to agree to keep some of my secrets, and to let me in on the start of your own. So, I'm sorry if this  comes out a bit short in proper farewells. But you're right. There is bad things coming, and soon. And this is me trying to fix  my own part in them. Hopefully, I'll see you soon, et can can pick up on lessons once more. 
A bien tot,
~Kasyr Azakhaer
P.S. This is wood from the Ya-Te-Veo. Va-Ya-Teo. Va-Te-Whassit .  ...An evil Tree. I'll leave it at an evil tree. -Anyways-.  There is a smith in Craughmoyle, I think? Nikola- might be able to turn it into some proper training weapons, may be some left  overs to use for the hilts of a proper sword. Those are important, for you et Karasu. I still would like to continue training you  two. To be a good teacher, if I can be.
P.P. S. Sorry if I've made it hard to sleep tonight. I had to run an errand. I may have riled up the forest a little more. I  hope this doesn't interfere too much with your work in the days ahead. 
P.P.S.S. Don't start any revolutions. Without me, anyways.

Kasyr s probably also going to do that whole Paladin laying on hands things. Moooostly for himself, but maybe it'll help Quin a little. But, yeah, he really needs a bit of self love in the grievous physical trauma received sense. And to snipe more of Quin's potions