Private Tales Witchy Woman

[Caddell]

The mainland was interesting. Different, weird, and irrational but interesting. The best part was that people were not as concerned with spirits as his own. You would think they didn't even realize spirits existed and inhabited the world around them for all the care they gave. Actually, they probably didn't....

Caddell had found his way to this area between the Spine, supposed the largest mountains in the entire world in every way, and this region known as the Reach. What was it reaching for? The Spine? Hah!

The young mage sat at a bench in a town tavern. He couldn't remember the name of either the town nor the tavern. getting lost weeks earlier, he wasn't even entirely sure where exactly he was at. He just went out this way to see the Spine and visit this dwarf city that everyone talked about. Along the way he mixed up a few landmarks and ended up here. Nothing a chat with a few locals couldn't fix!

As Caddell enjoyed his, cabbage?, soup, he overheard a pair of drunks talking. One of them was ranting on and on about how his cousin is having a cursed baby because she had gotten a potion from some weird woman. The potion was interesting as it seems it boosted fertility. The guy was convinced it was evil however and described the woman as a witch. His friend and fellow drunk just kept trying to get him to stop talking about it. Something about being turned into a deer or a toad if he didn't. It got his curiosity going. This sort of magic was the kind he enjoyed and could do, outside of the whole spirit magic thing, so it would be fascinating to see how she did it. Was it more like alchemy or enchanting?

After a few rounds of drinks and a bit of prodding, Caddell learned where this woman lived at. She wasn't too far away. A couple days journey following the river would get him to the town and he could learn directions there. This is exactly what he did. With the location now known, he set out to go meet with her. Hopefully she was as interesting as all the rumors made her out to be.

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

The downpour today was heavy. It rained so much it was hard to distinguish if one was on land or under water.

Droplets like grasshoppers bounced off the gravel ground, water poured in droves.
But it certianly wasn't to be so, the rain only appeared in Laggend and only got this worse innthe grove where the witch supposedly lived.
My the pitter was so loud, so loud when the droplets crashed against the tree leaves.
Peculiar.

When the still house with the little stone wall was well in view, it appeared solemn, yet welcoming.

Yet... It appeared to have a repelling aura located at the fence.

 

[Caddell]

The rain was annoying. Getting soaked was a real possibility if Caddell stayed in it for too long, but he was use to it. The Storm Isles were prone to some terrible weather after all. Seemed the storms didn't always stick to staying around the islands. So as he continued on it felt more like home to him.

Eventually a house came into view. That was already interesting given how serene it was so deep in the woods, it just screamed witch to him, but it gotten even more so upon seeing how the rain just sort of stopped short around it and its wall. Magic! Caddell smiled at that as much as at the chance to get dry. He hurried up. Closer and closer it got. Each step made him more excited. Finally the stone wall was just two steps in front of him. One, two, and then he was launched backwards.

Looking up at the rainy tree tops, Caddell felt a little upset. He had gotten repelled. Repelled! What was this some kind of fae trick? Getting up with a frown he attempted to pass his hand through. The same thing happened yet again. So it was preventing him from entering. Guess the witch didn't like visitors after all.

After a moment of looking at nothingness with a house and wall inside of it Caddell smiled a bit. So a new kind of ward for him to study. He wanted to study it and he had a trick that would let him do just that. First he needed to stop the rain from pouring down on him and soaking him through even more. Ruffling around inside his coat, he pulled out a little, flat disk of a pale red almost pink color. A special reagent he invented himself made using bonemeal, flour, and his own blood. He etched the rune for air into it set it on his tongue. Channeling a bit of magical energy into it he began to blow around him. A gust of air began to flow out of his mouth. After making a full circle a protective air bubble was formed that blocked out the rain and outside air from getting in.

Caddell smiled as the disk was fully consumed to fuel the magic. He said to himself, "Finally, no more rain." It was time for him to get started. He pulled out a palm's worth of powdered bonemeal from one of his pouches. Holding it in his hand he began to whisper into it as he channeled spiritual energy into the powder. After a minute he said, "Cover." Then he blew on it. The powder began to glow and fly off as if it regained life in front of him. It exited the air bubble and then began to stick itself to the invisible wall of the ward like dust revealing hidden features on the floor.

Caddell smiled once more as he looked at the thing. "Now, lets find out how you work."

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Today seemed to be a quiet rainy day... Asuego was paging through her grimoire, slowly one by another. The pages were so delicate, fragile. Ancient

Two pulses vibrated through her house. It was so subtle that none but her could feel it. Ears perked, she looked aside as the first pulse came, and as the second wobbled the hanging fetishes she knew what it was...
It was the ward against undead that rung throughout the house.

The woman stood up and moved to a windiw, peering through.

 

[Caddell]

The ward now in sight and the air bubble blocking the weather, Caddell began to look around his feet to see what around. A rock, a few nuts and pine cones, and sticks. Plenty of sticks. He began to pick up one of each kind of thing he found there. For him the question right now was what exactly the ward would block. Did it block everything or was it more discerning? He was excited to find out which!

Carefully and cautiously Caddell began to toss the objects at the ward. First was the rock. The toss was only enough that it would go a couple of feet past the stone wall if the ward was not up. Next was an acorn then the pine cone. Both were tossed in a similar fashion as the stone. Last he tossed a stick. He noted the results of how each interacted with the ward. The next stage of experimentation would be to try each action again. Repetition was key for confirmation after all!

So Caddell repeated the entire process of throwing the forest debris at the ward. He kept his attention on it to see if the results were the same or if something changed. Yet again he noted the results. This would be the basis for what he did next. Which spells and actions he attempted. Just how intuitive was this ward? Would it react to magic or also physical action? This was turning into a fun little game for him already.

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego gritted her teeth. She took the wicker broom by the door and stormed outside. »You imprudent moron!«

The last pinecones still were tossed beside her feet and she waved her broom.

The woman that came out was no ordinary human, nor did she look like an aged witch.
Supposedly she was thousands of years old as far as people told. Her hair was extremely long and tightly curled, both lock and skin was deathly white. The clothes too were snow white and flowy, as if a snowflake exited the dark gloomy hut.

 

[Caddell]

Well one thing did come from Caddell littering up the yard a woman in all white came out of the house yelling at him. Not the first time if he was being honest, but the last time was prompted by a fairy that had something he needed. He never got it. Never once did he ever get the item from a spirit. He really needed to stop doing things for spirits like that.

The woman's words were muffled by the air bubble. Caddell heard something about the color maroon. No clue what that was about exactly. So he just smiled and waved at her. Just like a moron. He thought about saying something but the air bubble would muffle his words as well. It couldn't hurt to try though.

Caddell pointed at the powder covered portion of the ward as he yelled, "This is really good! Can I come in and talk about it with you?!"

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

The hedge witch stomped over closer, past te protective ward so she could see him better. »My, you are a peculiar undead. «

The witches eyes are a patchy pit, the iris degraded to such an extent that it seemed more like a scarce lace than propper iris. She stood now shy from the fence gate, eyes sanning the peculiar sight called Caddell.

 

[Caddell]

Caddell didn't get an answer of any kind. Well that was no good. Instead she just said something not related to his question. He couldn't make it out so well as the air bubble muffled her words yet again. All he could make out was something about undead. Was there some nearby?

Caddell looked around the forest. He saw no signs of any undead in the area. What was she getting on about? He looked a little confused. Then he realized what it was. She meant him. That oddity of his body and magic. The realization showed on his face. He smiled to her once more as he allowed the air bubble to pop and let the rain hit him once more.

"Not undead. I'm very much alive." Caddell said. "See?" He pulled out his dagger and poked his finger tip. A droplet of blood began to form and then slowly dropped to the forest floor.

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego eyed him funny before aproaching him closer, still holding the broom of hers like any angry woman would.

Whatever he was doing. Too far away to see with the vision of her's. »... I see.« The hedge witch grumbled before returning to her home...minding her business.
Though right before closing the door behind her, she stared at the blurr of a not-dead man for at least 10 long seconds.

 

[Caddell]

The supposed witch just sort of starred at Caddell as he let some more blood droplets fall to the ground. Then she finally responded to him. She could see. That was good. What exactly was she seeing though? He had a feeling it wasn't the same thing he was seeing though. He saw a noticeable collection of red at his feet now. He started to put press on his cut to stop the bleeding.

The woman began to walk away. Caddell just sort of watched her. Did this mean he could enter now? He had a feeling he couldn't but there was a chance he could be allowed. He was going to find out which it was. He began to reach out to find out if the ward would repel him or not when he noticed the woman looking back at him. He froze and just waited. Several seconds past. When she stopped he continued in his experiment to see if he would still be repelled.

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

She slammed the door behind her, the fetishes and poppets rattling on the house's beams.
The downpour in the mean time got heavier and stronger, it was hard to define if one was wetter than underwater.

The ward on the floor emmited a repelling aura again.
The air around pulsed and compressed as it pushed what it detected as undead away.