#odyssey

Fuck.

She really, really hates Aphrodesia.

Otho's warnings come back to Dagmar and Symon's memory Don't underestimate her, she's got magics

Okay. So the pooka has to be neutralized.

A sigh. He heads carefully towards teh dark hallway of the Sweepings. Check this out, and circle back to these guys later.

She nods, and follows.

Once more, Symon and Dagmar find two kithain.. one brainwashed, one not. A boggan and a sluagh sweep the hallway. The sluagh twists and looks about with alert and devoted eyes.

(And Wits plus Stealth for Symon to motion Dagmar back before she comes into view and TRY to hid himself, or he can roll Dex plus Stealth and Dags is on her own with a roll)

(Let me know which)

Symon will, of course, try to gesture to Dagmar.

/roll 7

(ope)

(Sluagh can't botch Stealth, but a failure none the less)

Dagmar realizes Symon has walked into something, the old sluagh woman has looked up and her eyes seem to see well in dark places to, she has only a second to act

Dagmar steps forward - in FRONT of Symon, with a muttered swear and a little hoppy stubbed-my-toe shuffle.

"...shit. Uh. Hi!" Big wolfy grin.

A blink from the sluagh, then a whisper "Greetings. I do not know you" a statement of fact. The sluagh seems to have her wits a touch dulled by her brainwashing, she observes, but processing is slower than it was when she was free

The Boggan looks up from his own broom

"I don't know you. There was a hole on the silver."

"You should have rung the bell" the old sluagh says "I will get our holy one , we will rejoice that you are here. There shall be singing and bright colors" And she gives the most vacuous empty headed, if still toothless, smile Dagmar has ever seen on a sluagh

"Uh - holy one? Right..."

Symon stays behind Dagmar, waiting for the sluagh to go to fetch the Holy One, or else be distracted.

Dagmar is a Big Blue Distraction alright.

Pudge speaks up "I'll inform her Beldame" He offers and raises his broom "This is a glorious day indeed, huzzah"

"Okay, cool. Listen, I was actually doing stuff. Is there an elevator or something so I can just be on my way?"

Beldamae says "Huzzah" And turns back to their guests "All will be explained..."

Which is when Pudge hits her upside the back of the head with the upraised broom

That is, he hits the sluagh

the sluagh drops unconcious

and Pudge looks up "You're in terrible danger" he tells the troll

Dagmar crouches, clapping her hands around the sluagh's wrists. "Yeah, I'm aware. We can get folks up the shaft, but not everyone is gonna wanna run."

Symon slides into view from behind the troll. "Others - where?" He whispers.

"Crack and cool, til brainwashing we can overrule..." Ice forms under her hands, coalescing into a set of cuffs. It won't HOLD a sluagh, but it could slow her down.

Pudge says "Wait, there are two of you and you're rescuing us?" It takes him a moment to realize "Oh my word. Was it Otho? Did he get word out? I knew that nocker was a decent sort. We're not allowed to study wayfare so flying up out is impossible but he had the most clever idea..." Then he collects himself "Goldy and Majestix are at the garden, you may have seen them. Ware of the c hildling she's powerful in her way but very brainwashed. Our 'spiritual leader' uses her magics to add to her own. I think Derva must be singing down the other hall, not willingly though that little girl has a lovely voice. Gutter is probably singing along eager to punish her if she doesn't hit the right notes."

"Oh there's also a one eyed basilsk roaming the halls. If it doessn't know your sscent it stares at you and freezes you in place if it catches your eyes"

A grim look and a nod.

"We can shoot folks up the shaft - problem is three of you are gonna wanna jump right back in."

Symon looks grim.

"Aye" he nods "We've got Beldame bound... for now, but when she wakes up she'll start to wriggle"

"Will distance lessen the hold She has?"

"Concussive cerebral realignment? I mean, it works in the movies."

"I don't know" he admits "None of us have gotten that far"

She rubs her face. "We could get you, the eshu, and the clurichaun all out first. That would mean at least half of you would be free..."

"I won't leave anyone else in this heckhole" Pudge say "Get the others first"

"Okay." She accepts it without argument. "The cap - he all in on the shiny-happy-joy thing? Or is he the enforcer?"

Symon gestures, rubbing two fingers together. Can he be bought?

"He's in the joy joy thing... it's disturbing to see a redcap sing hapy songs and I LIKE happy songs'

A frown, that's harder.

"A sluagh, too. Feels too far from their dreams."