The Lady of the Wood Ravenclaw Murder Thread Finished

Interacting With: @Marcus Iwasaki and @Pericles Dralt and the Ravenclaws at the edge of the forest

It seemed that Hogwarts would never relent in its ability to keep things unexpected. It seemed that even a summer spent at Hogwarts would not be free from some chaos. But the extent of the situation was still unknown. Marcus’s pace stressed the potential gravity of the situation and Zoë was quick to fall in with the man, following his speed and path to ensure he would have any support that she could offer. As always, Zoë just hoped that nothing too grave was happening and she did what she could to quiet any potential anxieties that might have preyed on her as they started the run. Normally Zoë would have been horrified at the thought of running but with time of the essence, she knew it would not be the chance for a sarcastic joke about needing to trot about with the likes of Marcus.

Just as curiosity had begun to rake its claws over Zoë’s mind concerning the note given to Marcus, the man passed it to her for her own brief analysis. But she couldn’t possibly begin to understand what the words were trying to convey. It wasn’t that it was difficult to read but there was clearly more to the cryptic words than what rested on the surface. What could the ‘black raven’ be? Initially, she believed that it was likely a person but why the riddle? The panicked words of the prefect still echoed through Zoë’s mind as she tried to piece things together but there were too many pieces that she was unfamiliar with.

There was a pit that sat heavy in Zoë’s chest as she worried about the students and whatever this monster blood and riddle meant. While not as important as the safety of the children, Zoë did find it rather unfortunate that a bunch of students would find a way to end up in trouble the one evening that she had something nice planned with Eliseo. It wasn’t the most pressing issue but part of her longed for that simple night over an evening of intense worry and stress all while stuck beside Marcus.

“Of course when your Eagles find trouble they find it with riddles,” Zoë grumbled as she glanced over the note for what seemed like the tenth time. “Couldn’t be something simple, no the bookworms had to find monster blood and riddles,” Zoë said, trying to keep at least some level of good humor to drown out the growing anxiety to get to the rest of the students.

Reaching the Forbidden Forest with Marcus and Pericles, Zoë’s eyes whipped around trying to quickly take in as much information as possible but it was challenging. There were still too many variables, too many unknowns to really devise a concrete plan. Zoë could almost see Marcus trying to formulate a plan. These were his students at the end of the day and Zoë knew that the man was likely even more concerned and connected to them than she was. Sure she recognized many of the faces but there was a difference. Her face was focused, her eyes and mind still working to break down the scene as best she could. She was there to help and support as she could but they needed to figure out what was actually even going on.

“Is anyone hurt? Are any of you injured at all?” Zoë kept her tone loud and calm to not add any unnecessary stress to the situation. At the very least, however, Zoë wanted to make sure that any injured students would get the quick care they needed. While not understanding the entire situation, Zoë did know that the students of Hogwarts had an uncanny ability for collecting severe injuries.

Abilities:

Reducio

Lovely Creature:
You are very distracting to look at. This increases the Control DC of spells in duels and adventures by +2 as well as the DC for finding things in adventures.
Perfectionist:
You have a reduced critical failure chance range by 1. In addition, you can counter up to 1 point of additional critical failure chances caused by abilities or spells (not potions). In other words, if you have an extended critical failure chance range (as is the case with certain races, the effect of certain spells or potions), this reduces that range by 1. So if you have a +2 critical failure chance range (meaning if you roll a 1,2, or a 3 you critically fail), this ability makes it a +1 critical range instead (meaning if you roll a 1 or a 2 you critically fail).

OOTD:

Reducio

Her spell would thankfully not backfire or end in some kind of disaster. She had put out the fire that had started to lick the lush green tree's leaves. If only she could have two wins in a row and manage to save Aurora, who had, for some unknown reason, ran into the forest like a complete lunatic going on about how she was going to set Vladimir on fire? Winnie wasn't entirely sure what had attacked her friend, but she knew she was acting even weirder than usual (and that was saying something). "Aurora! Wait up, please listen to me. Let's go back to the camp, you're not thinking straight right now..."

Upon the call of Dee's voice, she would whip around to see the prefect standing not too far away from them. "Dee! She won't listen to me!" It was a cry for the older student to help her somehow, but she had not expected her to use immobulus. Not here, not in the forest where the vines and tendrils were whipping themselves viciously at the students. "No, wait!" It was useless to shout, the smell had already been cast. "S-She can't defend herself if you immobilize her!" If Aurora had been shot down by Dee's spell, Winnie would kneel next to her and position herself so her wand was gripped tightly within her hand. She would keep an eye out for any tree that thought they could injure her friend.

That was the plan, until Sylvain decided, for some reason, that Aurora was in need of some slugs crawling down her throat when she couldn't move. Maybe Winnie was wrong in assuming the forest was the threat when her classmates seemed to want to try and kill them. "SYL, NO!" She cried out as she rushed through the forest to try and reach her dorm mate's side. If the spells hit Aurora and she was halted, Winnie would use the oppertunity to drag her fellow Ravenclaw out of the forest. "It's okay, Aurora... I'm here."

Action: Attempting to drag Aurora out of the forest.
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 7 | Arcane Power: 7 | Accuracy: 7
Abilities: Healing Sage & Muggle Condition | Health: 600/600 | Trunk: X

| @Zoë Fresnel | @Marcus Iwasaki | @Aurora Ranvier | @Winnie Harper |
Mentions Dee and Syl

Pericles' breathless explanation had halted. The adults asked no more of him, so he picked up the pace, only flicking a sheepish glance at Zoë come her comment of Eagles and riddle addiction. Conflict still stewed in his heart. Perhaps seeking the aid of a professor first, before any of this began, could have mitigated damages done. Perhaps staying in bed would have been better yet. Regardless, it did not do to dwell while friends were still in danger, and so he honed his thoughts on guiding the professors to his peers as quickly as he could.

The young wizard reentered the scene loping alongside the adults. The forest was still on the attack, only now it was also on fire. Blue flame burned plant matter, though at least it was harmless to flesh, and its light did well to illuminate the tumultuous scene. He arrived in time to see Dee exiting the treeline, calling for Syl's aid in stopping Aurora and Winnie, some still attempting to enter the forest. He would witness his dueling partner casting Immobulus at Aurora, which Syl shockingly followed up with a slug vomiting jinx. No time to question this chaos. At least it appeared to encourage Winnie to guide Aurora away from the woods, two more moving out of danger's range.

Pericles felt the urge to plunge through the treeline in search of others, yet he had no interest in accidentally making himself another problem for the professors to solve. Professor Iwasaki asked if anyone was still inside; with a quick scan of the faces present, coupled with the distress of those still tempted to run a rescue mission in the forest, he could guess at least one. "Athanatos," he muttered urgently up at the Head of House. Clearly he and his housemates had failed in the end to prevent Vladimir's romp through Hagland, but he had a feeling Marcus would be far harder to deny. Wand in hand, he trotted away from the safety circle around the professors, moving to meet those retreating from the treeline. While Winnie aided Aurora's exit, he sought to cover them by placing himself between the duo and the threat. Pericles walked in their wake while incanting "Lumos."

Summary: casting Lumos and keeping close to Aurora and Winnie

Stats

Reducio

Perfectionist, Perfectionist II, Keen Eye
Stamina - 7 | Evasion - 9 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 9 | ArcPower - 8 | Accuracy - 9

The light from @Bloom Silverton's and Cade's wand illuminated the forest floor. Bluebells gave the forest a cool, azure glow.

Bloom maintains Lumos.
Wisdom Check 1 Critical Failure
Cade maintains Lumos.
Wisdom Check 17 [Success]
Sylvain maintains Bluebells
Wisdom Check 20 Critical Success

That was until Bloom's wand flickered out. Like a dying flashlight in need of new batteries. Yet she was not left entirely in the dark in the forest. No, the canopy above them was covered in a cool, blue flame that consumed the darkness. The forest was growing still, the trunks no longer quivered. The vines no longer lashed. A restless shifting could be heard on the forest floor, the insistence of a lair to deter interlopers.

Yet in the forest there was a dark spot, a place from which darkness was being made. @Callie Jensen's wand was absorbing the light, negating the good that was done. The critically-failed Lumos Maxima enveloped the girl in a darkness that seemed to attract the wrath of the reckless forest.

There were still viscous vermin on the ground, spiders made of pure gloom that were drawn to the darkness like moths to a deadly flame. They would converge upon the girl.

Vermin attacks Callie.
Attack (vermin) 12 + 10 Miss
Evasion 18 (+8)
Shadow Spider attacks Callie
Attack (spider) 13 (+10) Hit
Evasion 13 (+8)

There was a modicum of relief perhaps in the fact that no new dark arachnid would skitter from the forest in search of its next meal or host. The vermin on the forest floor would be attracted to Callie and the darkness that seemed to encase her. She would scramble away from the rat that tried to gnaw on her ankles but she would not be so fortunate as her hand braced her against the trunk of a tree and a spider found the tender surface of her hand.

Pain would shoot deep into her hand, it would feel as if she was stabbed. The raw pain would sting like alcohol was poured on a fresh wound and the pain would immediately start to slowly spread.

"Aurora, Winnie, stop!" @Dealla Prince called after them Aurora and Winnie. What in the world were they trying to prove? Who could make the better corpse?

Aurora really had no idea what was going on, moments earlier she was concerned that she might be a tree and now she was considering the possibility that Vladimir was having some sort of illicit relationship with a tree. It would be her hasty conclusion that she could somehow sneak into the forest that was actively attacking. Like a dentist doing a stealthy cleaning.

@Aurora Ranvier would move further into the forest. there was really no stopping her.

Aurora maintains Lumos
Wisdom Check 10 [DC met]

The light from the tip of her wand was nearly as persistent as the unpredictable girl. At least no logically stopping her. "Aurora! Wait up, please listen to me. Let's go back to the camp, you're not thinking straight right now..." Winnie would try to beg the girl.

Winnie could have, should have stood back. She could have, should have drawn her wand. She did not need to put her body at risk as she pursued the crazed Ravenclaw. "Dee! She won't listen to me!" Yet she did.

@Dealla Prince was injured, a shock of pain coursed through her as she tried to make her move. She was not able to stop them alone. They were incessant. They were simply cracked. "Syl, please help me stop them!"

Them being Aurora and Winnie.

"What about Thomas?"

@Sylvain Wyllt called back. He had also wandered into the forest in spite of the obvious danger.

"And Callie?"

Who was now the focus of the darkness. A stone would come up from the ground beneath the girls feet as he said that, the forest still lively there.

Stone attacks Callie
Attack 10 (+10) Hit *Bleeding*
Evasion 8 (+8)

"Did we lose them and Vlad?"

No not quite, but the two of them were trying to distance themself from the forest's edge and they had gotten themselves dangerously deep. The only reason either of them were standing was the bluebells that Sylvain had cast that had made the forest lethargic. They seemed to forget that Bloom was in the forest as well. Having wandered in once again for reasons unknown to join the other two in death it would appear.

Raising her wand, Dealla pointed the length of cherrywood it at the Aurora. She could not save all of them but she could start with one. "Immobulus."

"No, wait!"

Winnie cried uselessly, the spell had already been cast.

Dealla casts Immobulus at Aurora.
Wisdom 16 (+10) [DC met]
Attack (Dealla) 14 (+6) Miss
Evasion (Aurora) 15 (+8)
Calming Presence- An aura of calm. Allies (House Ravenclaw) gain a 10% chance to auto-hit their chosen target. This does not stack. 78 [No effect]

"Never mind,"

They could only divide themselves so many times over before they would be overwhelmed. They needed to put their own down if they had any hope of saving them. A house divided that needed to fall if it hoped to be saved.

"Let's save the others first."

The others being an agreement without context. They were going to extract Aurora, even if it killed her.

"Winnie! STEP BACK!"

A second cherry wood wand was drawn. Aurora was defenseless in the woods as cerulean flames consumed the canopy.

"S-She can't defend herself if you immobilize her!"

Winnie cried. Not that Aurora could defend herself in her mental state either. Thankfully the immobilizing charm did not land either, the girl was able to run and flail. Perhaps it would have been better had the girl been bound.

"Aurora, that goes for you too! If you don't I'll make you both puke slugs!"

It was a threat that he meant. He was going to stop her oir at the very least make her regret running.

"Slugulus Eructo!"

"SYL, NO!" There was no stopping him.

Sylvain casts the Slug-vomiting curse on Aurora.
Wisdom DC 4 (+10) [DC MNet]
Attack: 14 (+8) Hit
Evasion 12 (+8)
Calming Presence- An aura of calm. Allies (House Ravenclaw) gain a 10% chance to auto-hit their chosen target. This does not stack. 66 [No effect]

Slugs would emerge from her mouth. Large, slimy, wiggling slugs as large as her mouth could open, each temporarily blocking her airway. A disgusting noise as eat was regurgitated from the seemingly endless confines of her stomach.

What a wretched feeling.

"It's okay, Aurora... I'm here."

Winnie reassured her. She was rather strong for a first, soon to be second-year. it must have been all of that time on the farm.

Winnie attempts to drag Aurora out of the forest.
Attack (winnie) 10 (+7) Hit
Evasion (Aurora) 6 (+8)
Strength (Winnie) 13 (+7) Success
Strength (Aurora) 3 (+5)

Winnie would grab hold of the unruly, puking girl. Likely wearing the very slugs Aurora was vomiting as she forced with brute strength her housemate out of the forest.

__________________

...unbelievable. These kids had a talent for finding trouble even during times of leisure. The worst thing these kids were supposed to experience was sunburn. How? Just how!

@Marcus Iwasaki and @Zoë Fresnel traveled alongside @Pericles Dralt back towards the forest. What little Pericles had the opportunity to share with them was concerning to say the least.

"The dead have risen and have rushed into the darkened wood. Seek the black raven for he has secrets you might learn on this day."

A cryptic statement that would have more weight a few weeks in the future when the would be face to face with a dead man walking -- Victor Moore. Zoë was passed the note. A heaviness felt. She would have vastly preferred an evening with Eliseo than deciphering a morbid riddle and rushing to the rescue of a group of reckless kids. Her hand was meant to be holding a glass of chardonnay, not a crumpled note directing children to their death!

Of all the things that would prove to be a mortal flaw - curiosity. Ravenclaw was drawn top their doom with a riddle.

Monster blood. That was the other statement. A rather apt description of Athanatos' affliction. one that he did not always suffer from, that would have likely been a part of the staff's orientation dossier. Yes, Vladimir Athanatos was involved. He was a strange lad that did not talk much, he vastly preferred to stray top himself and none could blame him really. There were tidbits that the two of them would be aware of, idle gossip from the other Professors and important statements that were shared with them upon being hired involving the boy.

First and foremost, the pureblood was incredibly wealthy. Second, his family was well-known philanthropists but more questionably they were brokers of information. It was not known to any of them that Vladimir was a Legillimens, but it was well known that many members of the family had uncanny psychic capacities, primarily Seers. They married for not just blood purity but also to assure the perpetuation of certain hereditary talents.

Second, the boy's first year ended tragically. On the same night as the Hufflepuff incident Vladimir and his friends were attacked (as far as they knew) by the living darkness. Upon making their way back to the safety of the castle they witnessed the Potter murder. The three of them had spent the last several weeks of the school year in the Ministry. The incident coupled with the curse that crippled the boy Victor seemingly the most, isolated the three of them -- Victor, Marion and Vladimir from the rest of their peers.

Third, Victor died last summer in a questionable event where the Slytherin students claimed that they were lured into a fight club of some sort. Victor was found impaled by something large, powerful and sharp. It cut clear through him, leaving a fist sized wound in the middle of his chest. he was dead by the time the Professors arrived. That same year the same boy was immolated, an unfortunate accident that always seemed questionable that left Victor in St. Mungos the last weeks of the school year and the first few weeks of the summer leading up the to London experience.

Finally, Vladimir had a few scuffles himself. Minor ones really, fist fights and brawls. The sorts of things that happen when a young man comes of age. Nothing worth investigating really, likely over a minor disagreement or some girl.

Yes, it was known that Vladimir was cursed, it was presumed (but untrue) that Vladimir was cursed the same day, at the same time as his friends Victor and Marion but that was a falsehood.

When they arrived at the forest, all they would see is blue flames creating a ceiling of light over part of the forbidden forest. Despite the raging flames, there was no heat. It was a fire that did not burn. The forest was barely quivering at this point, in part quelled temporarily by Sylvain's flames. Yet there was still enough chaos to behold. The chaos before them was still apparent even if the forest was not visibly alive, obviously writhing and thrashing. The Ravenclaws had turned on themselves. Zoë would arrive a few steps behind and see Winnie carry Auora from the forest while she puked slugs all over Winnie's lovely long, red hair.

"Is there anyone still inside the forest?!"

Marcus would ask, his tone demanded answers not explanations. His presence ominous. Yes this was the aura of intimidation, like a miasma that would herald his presence and chill the bones of the children there. This dire sense, where fingers would shiver for no good reason and a cold chill would run down their spines. A need to look over their shoulders, keep sight of Marcus even if it was from the corner of their eye.

"Athanatos," Pericles answered. Yes, Vladimir Athanatos was missing, out of sight and too deep in the forest to be easily recovered. The Professors would see three other students inside the forest as Winnie extracted Aurora from the forest's edge -- Bloom, Thomas and Callie.

Pericles had no time to say more as he moved to the girls' side.

"Lumos" Pericles incanted.

Pericles cast Lumos.
Wisdom Check: 3 (+9) [DC met]

The tip of his wand would cast a warm light around the three of them. He would get an up close and personal view of slugs sliding from Aurora's mouth and plopping (yes, a sloppy noise even made on impact) as they were evacuated from the girl's mouth.

Well, one would have thought that Vladimir was gone but he was returning as quickly as he seemed to have left. Only he was not alone this time. Something was slung over his shoulder, it was large and almost as large as the teenager as he walked back with a brisk pace. His wand was exposed but something had happened that did not fit the known time line. A pant leg was mostly missing, belonging to the same leg as the one that was injured A strip of the same colored cloth seemed to peer from his shoe, covering the bottom third of his ankle. A crude pressure bandage. Yes, he still had that Calvin Klein shirtless thing going (avert your gaze Aurora). He was covered in the same inky darkness that he left with. His hands, both of them were bandaged like mittens. He held his wand crudely as he carried his massive cargo over his shoulder.

He rose his wand and leveled it at one of the students in the forest. This time Callie, the girl whom the darkness had enveloped and who the creatures of the night had converged upon. "Flippendo," a familiar spell he seemed more than willing to use over and over again.

Vlad casts Flippendo at Callie
Wisdom 20 Critical
Attack 7 (+10) Miss
Evasion 18

But he missed.

Nell [outside]. 400/600 health
Cade [outside]. Full health
Peri [outside]
Marcus [outside]
Zoe [outside]
Dealla [outside] 350/600
Aroura [outside] 320/500
Callie [inside]. 300/600 *cursed* Bleeding [-10 health/round]
Winnie. [outside] Full health
Vladimir. [inside] 570/1000
Bloom [inside]. Full health
Lavinia [outside]. Full health
Thomas [inside]. Ful health
Sylvain [outside]. Full health

Order of Operations
Maintained:
Bloom [failed to] maintain Lumos
Callie's critically failed Luminos Maxima is attracting all the bad things.
Cade maintains Lumos
Aurora maintains Lumos
Sylvain maintains BlueBells [criticall successful] the forest has grown still
Vermin attacks Callie. [Miss]
Spider attacks Callie. [Hit]
Dealla casts Immobulus at Aurora [Miss]
Sylvain casts Slug-vomiting charm on Aurora [Hit] *reduced accuracy and evasion, minor damages*
Winnie drags Aurora our of the forest
Pericles cast Lumos
Vlad cast Flippendo at Callie [missed]
Vlad is carrying something, something does not add up.

Walking into the Forbidden Forest, Bloom had tried to cast the light charm, Lumos. She tried to remember the rules for casting. The minute she said the incantation, her wand's tip lit with light. Bloom smiled that it finally worked. However, a couple of seconds later, it began to flicker off and on. It then stayed off. Her spell failed.

It was the easiest spell, too, she thought, feeling disappointed in herself. But she knew that she did not have time to sulk right now. She was in the dark forest and she needed to go and help the best that she could-- even if a failure.

Luckily, it was not pitch dark. There seemed to be blue light that was layered over her above. Who knew, however, how long it would last.

Bloom walked step by step further into the forest. The weird part of it all was that although it was not silence, it was still. There was nothing happening and she always heard rumors that something always happens in the woods no matter what. Perhaps the woods were busy with everyone else that it wasn't going to be paying attention to her. No matter, Bloom kept going as much as she could.

Following the voices of others, Bloom walked towards their direction, her wand at the ready. She was going to help save her peers and for once be a leader.

ACTION: Walk further into the forest following any nearby voice

"My stupid face? You've got the stupidest looking face I can think of, so I know you're not trying to have a dig at me," Thomas retorted to @Callie Jensen, though the comment was mostly in jest. The fact that they were able to bicker was likely the sign that the two were in good health, particularly considering the ridiculousness of the subject of their argument. Sure, the young Ravenclaw might've been rather verbose and put together, but there was something about chopping it up with his friends that brought out the thirteen-year-old in him.

It was almost nostalgic, the feeling of looming danger and dread. If Thomas didn't know any better, he'd think himself something of an adrenaline junkie. His good friend Sylvie would chastise him from entertaining such a notion, for she was the lunatic who loved danger so dearly... No, it was the promise of information, intrigue, and experience that drew him into these woods. The riddle, the potential that the young Ravenclaw could make sense of this dark, mysterious world of witchcraft, it was all far too tantalizing for him to resist.

Dark. Oh, how he was growing to despise the dark.

As Callie's spell was a colossal misfire, the young Ravenclaw felt his heart leap into his throat and his stomach careen into the soles of his feet. It was nauseating, the immediate fear response that he so desperately wished he could condition out of him. Thomas' pulse accelerated, the paranoia that threatened to take control immediately jumping to the driver's seat. Every joint in his body locked, every muscle tensed uncomfortably, and the wizard stood stock still. The sounds of his peers shouting at the forest's edge, the sounds of rustling in every corner of the very living woods, the sound of Callie's breath, it was all far too loud... And yet, the cacophonous roar of his own heartbeat drowned it all out. How could no one else hear it? Thomas drew in a quiet, shaky breath and held it.

Silence. Perhaps it would provide safety.

Maybe for him, but Callie would fare far worse. Rats, spiders, rocks, and even a certain Vladimir Athanatos seemed keen on harming his friend. Thomas' freeze response shattered, and the boy leaped into action. It would be inaccurate to say that he was angry, this was the sort of aggression seen in cornered, wild animals rather than the sort to be perceived from apex predators. His first target was that godforsaken spider, the creature that rather frighteningly resembled the very same ones that cursed his dueling partner and others in the Common Room.

Perhaps the fact that the canopy of leaves above his head had burned away would allow for the full potential of this spell to be reached. Thomas, in a desperate departure from his typically rather quiet and precise spellcasting, shouted out the incantation and paired it with the wand movement as expertly as his shaky hands would allow, "ALARTE ASCENDARE!"

Regardless of whether or not the spell succeeded, Thomas would move on, refusing to look Callie in the eyes. This was the second time he had failed to be there when it mattered most. He was sure of it, she would be furious with him and perhaps never speak to him again... Yes, he'd have to go back to being alone. Riding solo was so much easier than trying to care for others, it was too painful to see righteous anger from someone whose opinion he valued. The young wizard hated many of the emotions he felt at the moment, why should he care about anyone other than himself he wryly contemplated, but most despised of all was the shame.

Instead, he glared at Vladimir, his emotions tumultuous and far too difficult to parse through as he pointed his wand accusatorily at the older student. Thomas' face was practically bright red, his mind concocting conspiracy theories that would somehow be stranger than the truth as anger, hurt, and fear gnawed away at him. Still, he was able to bring his voice down to normal volume, hopefully not audible to those outside of the woods. Vladimir knew things that Thomas had only suspicions of. This was his only opportunity, and though he hardly cared for the fifth year's safety (he seemed to be plenty competent) Athanatos had made everything profoundly Thomas' business.

"What is... That?" Thomas began, honestly a fair question in regard to whatever it was that Vladimir had been carrying. "And what's with all of these riddles, this deception and subterfuge. More importantly, is what you wrote true... About the curse, about the poison in the food, everything. I don't want the Hogwarts approved, sanitized version of the events that have been transpiring. The professors, they're all either crazy, or they're in on it," he boldly declared, false bravado coursing through his veins. Vladimir was a human (mostly, aside from the strange blood he supposed), not some mysterious monster of the woods. This made Thomas confident, or at least far less afraid than he was before. "You know things that I want to understand. Let Callie go, and anything you tell me here will never fall on a staff member's ears."

Action: Launching the spider that had attacked Callie with Alarte Ascendare, attempting to threaten Vladimir for answers
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers II, Statistically Relevant
Stats: Sta 5 || Eva 12 || Str 1 || Wis 11 || Arc P 10 || Acc 10

Interacting with | @Sylvain Wyllt | @Marcus Iwasaki
Mentions | Aurora Ranvier | Winnie Harper | Thomas Baines | Callie Jensen | Vladimir Athanatos | Bloom Silverton | Zoë Fresnel
Open to interactions.

"They were supposed to be behind me." Dealla's reply to Sylvain's inquiry about Thomas and Callie was quiet, meek almost, uncharacteristically so. She hadn't looked back as she'd hurried -stumbled- towards the light, scared of being the target of another attack. Cade had followed, Thomas and Callie had not. If something happened to them, would that be on her?

Her Freezing Charm, aimed with a shaky hand, missed its target, and she blinked when a different spell hit Aurora instead. The girl started vomiting slugs, and for a moment, Dee stood stunned in confusion, before her eyes travelled to Sylvain. That was not what she'd meant. She'd hoped to immobilise Aurora, so that Winnie and Sylvain could get her out of the forest without further resistance. How were the slugs helping? Winnie managed fine on her own, however, dragging Aurora out with an impressive show of strength.

Then, finally, Peri was back, and Dee couldn't remember ever being this relieved to see their Head of House, arriving with her partner, Professor Fresnel along with them. This answered the question she had asked him during his welcome party almost a year ago with surety, then. He'd come to help them, as Professor Equinox had during her first year.

Had she been able to breathe a bit easier for a moment, she stiffened and straightened up at his stern question, ignoring the ache in her side and her back. He was still intimidating, no doubt. The fact that, due to her prefect status, she felt somewhat responsible for what was going on here didn't help. She swallowed, eyes doing a quick sweep of those present although her vision was slightly blurry, comparing to who she knew was around here somewhere still.

"Vladimir Athanatos," she replied, voice as steady as she could manage. "He was going in deeper, we tried to stop him but he wouldn't. Thomas Baines and Callie Jensen are in there, too, but not as far." She could see them between the trees. Her eyes caught on a girl who had been outside, relatively safe, with them, just a moment ago. "Bloom, right there. I think those are all."

Her voice trailed off slightly, confused, when she thought she could see another figure appearing in the shadow of the forest, coming closer instead of heading in, but oddly shaped, a bulk on top. Carrying something? Everyone else was accounted for. Who was this, then? Vladimir, or some new terror the forest decided to throw at them?

Taking a deep breath, she took a step closer to the trees, raising her wand again, intent on casting as much light into the murky shadows as possible. The spell had served her well so far. "Lumos Solem."

Action | Casting Lumos Solem into the forest

Stats
Sta 6 | Eva 11 | Str 3 | Wis 10 | Arc 6 | Acc 10

Evasive Maneuvers | Charmer | Perfectionist
Allies: All Ravenclaws except Vladimir

350/600 HP

Hexcode= #507091

Okay, so maybe making Aurora vomit up slugs wasn't what Dealla had asked for, but in his defense the only other option had seemed redundant and the threat of it was supposed to be enough to change the two's minds. Then again, maybe he should have re-evaluated his stance. When had he ever let a little bit of grossness stop him from doing what he thought was the right thing? Not once so far. That was why he stuck to his original threat. If she wouldn't listen, then it was up to him to make sure his words didn't remain meaningless. "I'm sorry Aurora!" he said as the curse wracked her flailing form. It didn't feel good in the slightest to hurt her this way, but at least she was that much safer now in Winnie's arms.

He would reply to Dealla as her spell missed the target. He thought now that it seemed to be caused by how beat up she was but that was the thing about magic, sometimes you couldn't control it. "You're okay and I'm sure the others are fine." He reassured her with a smile, the kind that he reserved exactly for moments like this. "We're going to keep doing our best alright?" For as long as they could stand, he planned on having her back. "I'm trying to think of a way to save..." but before he could finish his sentence, professing his desire to save Vladimir from the mess he'd gotten himself in, Marcus, Peri and Zoë burst into the scene with questions. Shifting his footing to be nearer to Dealla's back than her side, Sylvain meekly kept his head down, his gaze averted and his lips shut.

Syl didn't answer Marcus. Dee had already done so and quite well enough already. Sylvain's own account would have been less than helpful and more panicked than factual. Reaching for his satchel reflexively to hand the evidence off to Dee, so she might pass it to their Head of House, Sylvain suddenly remembered having lost hold of Vlad's journal at the start of their conflict. The lad dropped and began searching the ground on his hands and knees. He started near where the two had first confronted each other, frantically searching in the hopes that he might give the journal to Marcus or Zoë in explanation of exactly why he'd run off. He acknowledged that even if he found the small notebook they still might not believe he had been doing the right thing, but it had to be here somewhere and even though doubt lingered in his mind he kept on searching.

Like the upperclassman had said, Syl had stolen Vlad's journal, but he was not the culprit the intruder had made him out to be.

Action: Searching the ground for where he dropped Vlad's Journal

Calming Presence- An aura of calm. Allies (House Ravenclaw) gain a 10% chance to auto-hit their chosen target. This does not stack.

@Aurora Ranvier, @Winnie Harper, @Dealla Prince, @Marcus Iwasaki, @Zoë Fresnel, @Pericles Dralt, @Vladimir Athanatos

Callie had only come to the woods for one reason and one reason only: Thomas Baines. So to put herself in such a dangerous situation and be brutally maimed in the process was only fitting. The boy wasn't exactly a good luck charm but that didn't mean she was going to drop him anytime soon. In this regard Callie was like a bad smell that you couldn't quite shake from your favourite jacket.

But the pain...god the pain was real. So real that Callie immediately froze, her mind taken back to the incident resulting in that pesky curse of hers a while back. She didn't want to experience that kind of pain again but alas this was the woods and this was Hogwarts. Getting out of situations like this unscathed was a pipe dream. It wasn't until Thomas started questioning Vladimir that Callie was brought back to reality by his poor attempts at interrogation. "Nope! This isn't the time for questions, Baines!" Callie forced herself to ignore the growing black spots in her vision and grab what she assumed was the back of Thomas' shirt. "Time to go! I think I'm going to pass out." From there she started running with Thomas in tow in the direction she assumed was the way she came. "Gah! God, this hurts."

Action: Fleeing
Abilities: Calming Presence [Ravenclaw Students] | Prod Charms | Spell Spread
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 12 | Arcane Power: 7 | Accuracy: 11
Mentions: @Thomas Baines
Sorry for dropping off for a while guys, I started a new job recently.

Bleg!

Poor @Aurora Ranvier was vomiting slugs in front of her long-term crush @Pericles Dralt. A graceless scene of retching and large, wiggling, writhing creatures escaping her gasping maw. They would hit the floor with a slimey splatting sound. If Pericles was standing near, his shoes and pants risked being covered in the very slugs that escaped the girl. The same fate @Winnie Harper would suffer for dragging her afflicted friend to the forest edge.

She would never be able to face Pericles ever again! Damn you Sylvain!

"I'm sorry Aurora!"

Apologies would feel perhaps hollow given the situation but he did quite possibly save her life in one of the grossest ways possible. He would not stick around of course, there were more important matters to contend with. Aurora was not going to return to the murder-forest in this state, so for all it mattered she might spend the rest of the evening barfing up slugs.

Blue Bells continued to burn, spreading over the canopy. The cerulean light overhead, heavens ablaze. Sylvain knew not what he had done, what terrible things he had changed. The spell cast an eerie glow on the forest floor, tall, long shadows that seemed to quiver in fear of the celestial light. All was still less the errand children who had traveled much too far.

The Head of House, @Marcus Iwasaki was accompanied by the ever lovely @Zoë Fresnel, the Professor of Charms. They would come upon a chaotic scene, children playing at a forest's edge that came with the term forbidden. Names often had a relevance, the forest being of no exception.

@Dealla Prince was one of the few with a mind to try to explain the scene to the Professors. "Vladimir Athanatos," blame immediately laid at the feet of a boy that was still in the forest. Not much was known of the boy, he seemed to find himself in trouble fairly often but it was many times presumed to not be of his own making. In his first year he was one of four witnesses to the Umbridge murder. A fact that only happened because his presumed friends Victor Moore and Marion Davenport were seriously injured in an event that took place in these very woods a little over five years ago. The two of them were the first to be cursed and they were out after curfew and witnessed the whole incident. Besides this incident, he was a rather quiet boy with few friends, a wealthy father who rarely sent word and had gotten into a few schoolyard scrapes over the years. The most notable being the Blossom Ball a few years back where he had gotten into a tussle with several other students but escaped with minimal injuries.

What was readily apparent to any Professor was the fact that at some point since his friend's initial infection, Vladimir had also gotten himself infected and frequented Nurse @Kelsey Bumbey's office. Also, a number of students appeared to be agitated by his presence. @Sylvain Wyllt would drop to his knees and feel through the grass, he was looking for something that could not be seen but could be felt.

Sylvain searches for the diary.
Wisdom Check (DC 25)
Roll: 9

Sylvain would not find the journal in the grass on the ground, wherever it was that Vladimir had careless dropped it.

"He was going in deeper, we tried to stop him but he wouldn't. Thomas Baines and Callie Jensen are in there, too, but not as far." @Thomas Baines and @Callie Jensen were both still in sight, among the thin, tall trees. They appeared to be for the most part safe in spite of the panic Dee's voice seemed to carry. Past them, Vladimir was visible although a haze illuminated by the azure flames that gave his outline form. He was carrying something, large enough to be a body over one of his shoulders. Still only half-dressed, the boy was covered in evidence of the spreading, terrible darkness.

Thomas' wand was drawn, he was pointing his length of wood in the direction of his female counterpart. He was not aiming for her of course, he was aiming for something else. Almost invisible, it was only faintly visible to the naked eye. A spider made of pure darkness that was too faded to be seen from afar.

"ALARTE ASCENDARE!"

Thomas Baines cast Alerte Ascendare.
Wisdom: 1 (Critical Failure)
Attack: 15
Evasion: 17
Damage Done: 600

@Thomas Baines would attempt to launch that unfortunate arachnid into the air. The only problem was the fact that the spell critically misfired and instead of sending the spider skyward, he would shoot poor Callie upward. A sudden vertical trajectory through the flaming canopy and out of sight. The flight was mildly problematic as she broke through the branches and for a moment possibly saw God. The issue was the fall, once she met the apex of her flight and she began to descend. She would come crashing down, finding what seemed liked every errant branch possible to break through on her way down.

Callie has been rendered unconscious.

If only he had listened to her as she tried to warn him pre-emptively of asking questions. She urged him to leave but she would never have the chance. Already injured, the forest floor made certain that she was not going to be getting back up again anytime soon.

Dee's narration had turned away in time to miss that terrible scene but the adults might have seen it, slack jawed and terrified. The impact of the girl hitting the ground however would demand their attention moments after she pointed out Bloom. "Bloom, right there. I think those are all." Dee pointed out the last girl in the forest.

@Bloom Silverton would venture further, she did not have a specific plan beyond glory. She had seen the formerly darkened wood lash at her peers, attempt to steal them away. Drag them to hell. Yet she would find herself oddly safe, as if the cautionary tale told by the cries of her peers were nothing more than that tales. The trees were still, the stones did not break through the needle and leaf blanketed floor, the vines did not reach the the vermin had returned to hiding.

The only voices that were nearby would be those outside the forest and those of Thomas Baines. Callie would slam onto the ground feet from where she was standing. She was no longer moving. A sickening THUD was all that was heard from her, although it was quite possible that screams and the crack of branches warned him of the impending impact.

This was obviously Vladimir's fault.

As Vladimir approached the fringe of the forest the Ravenclaw Thomas Baines would storm towards the elusive trouble-maker. Trouble and disaster seemed to follow the older student and Vlad knew more than he was willing to say Tom was certain of it! On this day Thomas was going to demand answers and he was actually going to get them as a chapter starts to close.

"What is... That?"

Vladimir would not answer him immediately as he walked briskly towards the forest edge, as if he feared this peace was only short-lived. His long strides exceeded that of most of his peers, but from the looks of things he was carrying a body. When he reached the forest edge, the place where trimmed lawn met untamed wilderness he would drop what it was that he was carrying onto the ground. It was a doll, a life-sized doll that clammored as it hit the ground. The doll was wearing a patchwork of rags. The part of one shirt made the sleeve, another the collar, yet another the breast panel on the left and again on the right side. The frankenstein of attire, none quite the same size. The face, a poorly fired mask-like appearance. A mold of an unknown yet seemingly once real face contorted into a pained, perhaps screaming expression. The hollows where there should have been eyes, there was nothing.

He did not have the opportunity to respond as Thomas went on, demanding more answers in spite of the fact that he knew next to nothing about the circumstances that led to this moment. Vladimir was looking down at the doll he bothered to extract from the forest, the doll he was willing to die for. The doll that he was willing to take everyone else with them if they were so inclined to stubbornly remain.

"And what's with all of these riddles, this deception and subterfuge. More importantly, is what you wrote true... About the curse, about the poison in the food, everything. I don't want the Hogwarts approved, sanitized version of the events that have been transpiring. The professors, they're all either crazy, or they're in on it."

Vladimir blinked a few times, exaggerated blinks as if he was not entirely sure time was still passing. He was trapped in his thoughts. "I don't know," he claimed in a single quiet breath as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. The boy's friend was broken on the forest floor, there was a very creepy life-sized doll just waiting in the forest for extraction, and the forest was alive. At least it was alive, it had stopped. It had died.

As if he was foolish enough to believe that death was the end.

"You know things that I want to understand. Let Callie go, and anything you tell me here will never fall on a staff member's ears."

He glanced from the side of his eye at Thomas. The boy was an absolute dolt. "I don't have her and our Head of House and a Professor are standing right there," he reminded him as if he was a narrator attempting to re-explain the scenario to someone with a memory poor enough that they could hide their own easter eggs. "You really don't pay much attention do you?" He was the one that had sent the poor girl flying, not Vladimir. He had warned them to leave, to flee. That they should not stay but they stubbornly refused. They did not understand but they knew that Atahantos wanted something so they just had to stand in the way like some sort of sick compulsion -- if Vlad wanted it, it had to be no good.

"Lumos Solem." Dealla would announce her word of power and send a glowing orb of light into the forest. The forest that her peers foolishly refused to escape.

Dee casts Lumos Solem.
Wisdom: 19 success

A great orb, like a small sun would form in response to her incantation. Indeed, it would comply with the witches demand, bathing the earth in a raw of gilded light under wicked skies of blue fire. The spiders made of pure darkness would have nowhere to hide, they would fade away into nothing, just a puff of smoke as if they were never there in the first place. Shining a light now on their fallen friend, Callie Jensen.

Was she still alive?

Thomas, what have you done!

The girl, both of them really -- Callie and Bloom both were secondary concerns. Victims potentially of their own stubbornness. "He's still dead..." Athanatos muttered as he drew his wand and pointed it down at the the human-sized d0ll and muttered a single word "...Bombarda" His wrist flicked, making an oblong pattern, pointed pattern that resembled a triangle the least musically inclined child would play in a marching band.

Vladimir cast Bombarda
Wisdom Roll: 15
Attack: 19
Evasion (advantage): 5, 5

As the incantation was made, the wand motions were completed it would move Its' arm would twitch, its leg would bent. It would try to stand, it roll, to run away. But it would not, as an explosion from an unseen place inside the creature would cause porcelain shrapnel to shoot about. The shrapnel would rain down on an area surrounding the doll corpse, embedding itself into the trees along the treeline. Inside, a dark, writhing creature. A massive millipede had made itself a nest in the doll's chest but was now exposed. It would emerge and start to move, frenzied almost and erratic in its movements.

Shrapnel
DC: 25
Cade 3 (hit)
Peri 19 (miss)
Marcus 18 (hit)
Zoe (hit)
Dealla 7 (hit) [Evasive 69, no effect]
Aroura 16 (hit)
Winnie. 17 (hit)
Vladimir. 13 (hit)
Lavinia 16 (miss)
Thomas 15 (miss)
Sylvain 3 (hit)

There were a few that were able to duck and cover, but most of the students were not so lucky as sharp pieces of broken china rained down on them and embedded themselves into their flesh. Vladimir got the worst of it, Thomas having the presence of mind to stand behind the taller Ravenclaw and avoid the dangerous shower of broken doll. Pericles and Lavinia both, athletes in their own right were also able to duck and cover. However most of the others would feel this sudden, scattered pain as they realize that they have been not only injured but many of them were bleeding.

Yes, bleeding. Athanatos being no exception. He would place a hand to his chest, ripped open by the explosion he foolishly and hastedly created and feel the wet, terrible substance creep between this fingers. A chest full of spiders, the spiders would proliferate from their source. "...Run."

Status
Cade [outside] 400/600 [-20/round bleeding]
Peri [outside] (full health)
Marcus (full health)
Zoe [outside] 300/500 400/600 [-20/round bleeding]
Dealla [outside] 150/600 [-20/round bleeding]
Aroura [outside] 120/500 [-20/round bleeding]
Callie [inside]. -310/600 [-600]*cursed* Bleeding [-10 health/round] Unconscious
Winnie. [outside] 400/600 [-20/round bleeding]
Vladimir. [outside] 170/1000 [-40/round bleeding]
Bloom [inside]. (full health)
Lavinia [outside]. (full health)
Thomas [inside]. (full health)
Sylvain [outside]. 700/900 [-20/round bleeding]
A swarm of spiders have now emerged from his chest.
There is a large (about 6 foot in length) centipede moving about.
Blue Bells is still in progress.
The forest is still.