The Muck Pond

[swymir]

"No please, I didn't do anything. Really. What is it that you want? You can have it back, I swear I don't know how it got in there." She runs away unloading her pouches of all the stones and twigs that she has previously picked up. "How did all this get in there? I don't remember taking any of it. Is this what you wanted? Here take them. They must have fallen into my pouches. It happens all the time. I don't know why. I think I am cursed. Please don't hurt me." She hides behind a bush and covers her head with her four arms.

[Schme]

MushBall swelled with joy and pride as he observed the widespread death that had come upon the village. “What bliss!” he thought. “Through my actions, the non-believers have had wrought upon them their just punishment! Oh glorious day!”

“Do you see this, Yanisha?!” said MushBall with great excitement. “Do you see my great work? I am truly one of the greatest military leaders of all time, without a doubt! How grand I am!”

MushBall felt extremely powerful walking through the place where once he had been threatened by his enemies. “They now can see the error of their ways! They have now been enlightened! I have truly done the world a great service!”

Seeing the townspeople run and hide in their homes, MushBall’s felt a great happiness. Perhaps the townspeople hated him, but he had done them a great service. “……For you see, Yanisha,” said MushBall “knowledge is truly the greatest gift of all.”

And so, he continued on through the village, going off to the path he had seen at his previous visit.

[Fleegle]

(For Swymir and Nalaris. Swymir, Deimos has put your character under "Mind Myst" (his special ability) which means that your character's mind is now clouded until I indicate otherwise. What this means for you is that you must act as if you are having trouble stringing thoughts together, and any attempts at movement will have uncertain consequences... just act like you're REALLY REALLY drunk, I guess)

The leaves around Omura began to lose focus, and she stumbled as the Mind Myst took effect. The shape of Deimos before her seemed to split into several foggy likenesses, and she began to experience a slight vertigo. Random thoughts seemed to dance about in her head, having little connection to one another.

(For Schme)

"You did this, Mushy?" Yanisha said incredulously. "I suppose they had it coming, but I would hardly call it bliss... I am surprised that you find this scene pleasing, Mushy."

The road out of the village led to a small wooden bridge. An aging mill stood upstream, slowly turning as water fell onto it from a short cliff. The terrain on the other side of the small river was rockier than the pastures they had crossed earlier. While still green with grass, several outcroppings of black to dark-grey rock jutted out of the landscape. An assortment of trees dotted the scenery. The path split into two directions, north-west and east. The easterly path seemed to lead toward the ocean, while the north-west path ambled up the side of the cliff.

[swymir]

Omura drops her arms to the ground as her vision blurs and she becomes faint. "no... please... it's...not...it's...not...". She colapses onto the ground by the bushes.

[Razorlance]

"Well that is pretty efficient" Tek then swings the limb holding the device back round to face the wizard, aiming it carefully at him. " I think Kikkik is right, Ao, and if he tries anything he will get a taste of his own magic" His finger hovers over the same arrow shaped button on the device as he mindspeaks.

[Nalaris]

Deimos considers for a moment whether or not he should enter the Myst, as he might not be immune to its effects. He cautiously reaches his fingers in, keeping one thought on his mind, "Get fingers in, get them out." Assuming he's unaffected, he'll reach his arm in and try and grab the little thief. If not...well, I hope his one thought stayed clear.

[Leo Luncid]

It seems that the construct was about to climb the tree after careful examination, but it then hesitated, and rubbed the forehead of his helm-like head. It then turned to Ithicus with a simple nod, and approached the light that came from the clearing, it's heavy feet pounding the ground, the grinding constantly at a certain low volume.

[Fleegle]

(For Nalaris and Swymir. Note that the MindCloud can ONLY affect one character at a time, even if another character is nearby, so no, Deimos is not affected)

Deimos managed to grab ahold of Omura, who appeared to be having difficulty fixing on anything. The mist continued to surround her head, seeming to follow her despite her having moved.

(For Leo and Pie)

The pair reached the central clearing of the forest. A path veered off down a hill to the left, where a chorus of birds could be heard. Another path to the right led off into darkness.

[swymir]

Omura lies motionless in a state of unconciousness.

[Leo Luncid]

The sound of the contruct's movement grow louder as it looked from one path to another, and then doing it again, it's movement slightly a little faster than usual. Andrik for a time faced away from the paths, after which it went off downhill to it's left.

[Nalaris]

Deimos starts searching Omura for whatever it is that she "didn't" take.

[AoM]

Ao nods and turns the wizard around to face the bridge and the path back towards the wizards bazaar. He gives the wizard a light nudge in that direction and points in the direction that he wants the wizard to go. (Which is back the way he came.)

[Fleegle]

(For Swymir and Nalaris)

Deimos' search turned up nothing but the odd stone and twig. The Mind Cloud began to dissipate though Omura remained unconscious.

(For Leo)

Andrik trudged down the path, met by what seemed to be hundreds of twittering songbirds, until he came to a much smaller clearing. Doing so, he nearly stepped on what appeared to be an ordinary ant. The ant ran a safe distance away, up a tree stump, then turned back to look at Andrik.
"Oh! Who are you?" the ant mindspoke to Andrik, not realizing his impediment. "I'm Briker, creature of the Muck. Are you of the Muck too?"
A rotund pig-man rolled off his tree throne and stumbled over to the towering Andrik. "Hoy! Briker ma boy, 'course heesh ov the Muck, I'm a gud, I cun tell deesh thins. Velcome, velcome... oosh, yer a strappin' lad uh? Comeon, comeon, havva bitta wine... Jilly! Wine!" the pig-man slurred.
Jilly, a nymph, obediently ran over with the decanter and poured a cup of wine for Andrik, holding it out for him to take. The pig-man smiled dumbly.

(For AoM and Razorlance)

The wizard scarcely looked back as he and his shame ran back the way they had come.
"We'd best keep moving, lest there be any more wizards about," suggested Kikkik.

[Nalaris]

Deimos decides the creature could be useful, and slings her over his shoulder, intending to wake her up from her "bad dream" about being robbed by a gigantic humanoid insect later on, and establish a friendship with her.

[swymir]

(I'm not sure if I am allowed to say that I regained conciousness so I am just going to say that I didn't)