#dreaming

***************

Thistle finds herself falling through the book, string and all into a frosted surface... snow is not new to her, she lives in New York State. But this looks... different. The trees are different for one.

A grimace as she looks around. But... she still has the string!

That's a win!

She does

"Who do you worship?" a voice nearby asks, catching her off guard

It's a powerful voice, but not yelling. Masculine...

"...Excuse me?"

"I asked, Who do you worship?" The voice speaks again and this time she sees it

The tree is immense and ...oddly wise

I mean, it must be wise, it has a beard

kinda

"Dude! Treebeard! Um. I'm Episcopalian?"

"Ah, so you follow the Hidden One or at least his Teacher Son. Most do these days. Careful of that, some here hold grudges..."

"Where's here?"

"Oh folks argue over the names. The Norse want to call it New Asgard, the Greeks probably want to call it Olympus in Exile, and so on. I like to call it the Forest of the Gods, though it's not all Forest. Forest is as far as I get, obviously"

"Huh."

"Have you seen a big stone giant?"

"Yes, and no. " The being answers.

"Howso?"

"I am a god of the forest, though few know me now. She has walked through the forest, so I saw her, but with the eyes of other trees rather than my own. Also... in this world, there are giants much much bigger than she. If the one I saw is who you look for. Odd one that...her blood screams of thunderbirds and Sun lifters of Western lands, her spirit is very Norse... Heimdell and Thor... and then there is her loyalty, which smacks of Celtish origins. I do not know who she worships, it's not so easy to guess"

"I'm not sure if she worships just one thing. She has a lot of heritage to balance."

"But I'm looking for her."

"Then you should hurry. SHe has drawn the attention of dark powers. "

"What direction?"

"Travel South... look for the river... that is where I lost sight of her" The being asks promptly "I would ask you to send a prayer my way, but you are taken by the Carpenter ..ironic that but it fits. Your spirit is one who works with her hands. No resentment here. So a simple thank you, Tapio would be welcome though. I ask you try to use dead wood rather than cut anything down while you are here unless a life depends on it"

"I don't know much about you, but if you're a god of trees, I can respect that plenty. Thanks for the help!"

"You're most welcome."

She turns to head south!

South...which way is south? The sun can't be seen for the trees.

(Nocker solution welcome, or a Wits plus Survival)

She rummages in her backpack!

She's like a scout, always prepared!

Well, artist.

She does turn up a water bottle and a paper clip and a pencil case...

Squint, frown, dig.

Ah-ha!

A powdered donut is offered. Citrine wants to help!

Grin! "Thanks!" She pops the donut in her mouth and chews as she works.

Good energy burst!

She pours some water into the emptied-out reservoir of her pencil sharpener. The bottle is set aside, but she holds onto the cap.

The paper clip is straightened out, and one end is rubbed against the magnetic snap on the pencil case.

She floats the bottle cap on the water, and gently places the now-magnetized paper clip on top of it.

Maybe it shouldn't work in a mythic land, but even if the sun travels around the world here, it has a north right? Besides, she's a nocker... it furking works!

Magnets are basically magic, anyways!

Indeed, she uses the compass-making as a bunk, releasing a wisp to follow Gwen.

And it flares up QUICKLY..hey, that's right, she's in some part of the Dreaming... banality is reduced...

Better to try TWO things!

Southward she goes, following the Wisp