Octavian, a silken spaniel arrives, following Zoey.

Octavian, a silken spaniel leaves, following Zoey.

The day is starting to wind down, but the snow storm outside shows no signs of slowing. It has been falling in sheets since noon, and now with the sun set, the darkness blankets the world outside the shop, and the cold winds rattle the glass in the windows. It is a different place outside this bastion of warmth and light. Out there in the darkness, the snow creates a muffled silence that swallows most things. The winter is hungry.


Rubbing her hands together, Laurel had stopped to look outside before returning to the Forge. "Still snowing," she murmurs toughtfully, a heavier double layered apron worn over her somber black clothing has been adopted for the work in the back room. Her white gold hair has pulled back and a kercheif wraps around to make sure that most of it stays out of her face save for the wayward blonde curl that slips free.

Her blouse sleeves are pressed back, caught and folded to stay up at the crook of her elbows. "What else do you need of me?" she asks, commiting to the eveing in hopes waiting out the storm.


"There was a batch of the new dawnstones, the ones from Sandreef. Green and purple. Demetria brought them in this morning. I need them sorted by size. I am thinking of a tiara to woo the silver from Grayson or Velenosan pocket." There's a glance to Laurel and what snow had landed on her. "And by the looks of it, I'll be spending the night here. I won't even bother trying to make for Saik towers or the hundred cities inn." A scowl as she shifts in her seat to move the length of star iron cross the face of the forge's opening to soften it a little.


"Oh yes, I put those..." Laurel's voice trails off, a hesitant sound as she gaze. "Oh yes. Here." She moves across the room to pull out the small box and finds a flat tray to pull up to a work table. Standing before the array of dawnstones she begins to pull them out, sorting them by color and size just in case. Starting smallest she bows her head over the work, bringing her face scant inches to inspect them.

"They are lovely," she admits, using the tip of a worn nail to gently nudge or move one or two around. "I am hoping the storm will break," she says distractedly. "I live in the Uppers. Bit of a journey.." she mmms over some of them, moving a few around to be sure that they are sorted in correct groupings.


Josephine checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Laurel checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

The temperature in the room begins to plummet, it's not a subtle change at all, the drop from a cozy warmth to a chill deep enough for breath to be visible in silvery huffs. The windows are all still closed, though there is a seeth from the wind as it continues to blow.

"If it does not, there is the hundred cities, or we have a room here. Nothing fancy, mostly beds. The forge keeps everything warm." There's a gesture to the door in the back that leads to a few beds, stuffed with cotton and blankets, everything to keep someone warm if they need to sleep after working through the night. "Worst comes to worst, there is a room in Saik towers. I'll send a letter with you and the Baroness Saik will give you succor in my room there. Or Malvici I am sure would honor a request from their minister." She looks over the work, an ear to her metal but a look to those gems and points out two that should be moved. 'That one is larger, it's hard to see, but it is. Otherwise, you do fine."

It takes a moment though, for Josephine to realize she is seeing her breath, the twinge in her leg standard this time of the year and she looks confusedly to the forge and her star iron there.

The light from the fire is dimmer than it was, no longer a crackling and merry thing, but a dimmer, weaker thing. The heat is muted, certainly and the level of light has grown much dimmer.


"Even if it means sleepign next to the hearth. Just do not want to get lost. I am familiar with Arx. Just not that familiar," she says, glancing back at the entry to the Forge as she shakes her head, "Thank you, Guildmaster. But I will remain an work until you are ready to leave as well." The faint smile is offerd but as her head starts to turn she stops, standing up a bit straighter as she bilnks and furrows, watching the fire suddenly start to die down. "Did...my eyes must be playing tricks on me." She wipes her hands off on her apron as her breath mists out before her.

"Something must have fallen on the fire. Saw a bit of color and now.." she starts towards the heart, a curious look on her face as she reaches for a poker or similar tool to stir the embers and see if something fell down the chimney.


"What in Arvum.." Josephine nods in agreement, slipping off the chair, the star iron placed down as she let Laurel tend to the fire, moving toward the vault and the special bits of coal there and wood. "Odd thing. Occasionally a bird comes down but they usually burn up before doing much banking. Gods that is blistering cold." Josephine complains, cane in hand as she limps past. "Star iron won't soften at this rate."

As the poker is reached for it falls away, hitting the floor with a clang and rolling towards Josephine as if drawn by a lodestone. There is a terrifically cold wind that pours down the chimney, all but putting out the fire and rendering the room into a shadowed state, all the lamps and candles dimming as if on cue.


Her hand finds air and Laurel blinks as a clang is the answer for her efforts. She glances down to watch the poker start moving towards Josephine. "Guildmaster," her voice raises in tenor, a cough following when the all too chill wind rushes down the chimney and stirs up the ash that flies up into the air around her. Waving her hand to clear it, she hurries after the poker in an attempt to stop it, leaning down to reach for it and grasp it up before it ends up meeting up with Josephine.


Demetria Arcuri have been dismissed.

"No.. oh no. This is going to set us back weeks." Josephine abandons getting a new batch of coals and letting the cane drop starts to go into damage control mode, a glance for the lamps and the candle, confusion and anger. "Laurel, to the bellows. Gentle presses, we need to keep the coals going. If we can keep the coals going, we will have salvaged something. Something must have happened to the chimney. Oh I should have had it looked at." She limps swiftly as she can to the forge sos he can peer in, see if there's any coals still working.


"Oh," Laurel is being give orders while she's trying to stop the moving poker, her gaze narrowed as she tries to swipe for it. "I do not know if the hearth is salvagable.." she admits, still coughing and confused by the dance of the poker. But she is straightening up, whether or not she has it as her brows furrow and she is quick to help move coal if the poker stops its merry dance.


Laurel checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked strength(2) + melee(1) at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Laurel is able to catch the poker, and there is a bit of resistance, enough that it is a noticeable weight, a pull against her picking it up. There is a growl of sound that rolls through the room, carried on the wind that send eddies of ash spiraling through the air. "You should not have doooone that."

The voice is faint, barely audible, but there it is, a voice carried on that gust of wind.

Josephines moving for the forge, looking around to the door back to the shop. "Show yourself. Shame on you whomever you are. You and your friends playing tricks on us. Don't make me set the iron guard on you!" She calls out, scowling.


To say that Laurel is surprised would be an understatement. As the poker actually fights her, the heavy tug making her arms jerk a bit she clutches it all the more tightly causing her already pale skin to go white. "What.." she says, her head lifting to look towards the sound of the voice, but seeing nothing save that she knows she is fighting something for possession of the poker. Frowning some, she tries to lower the edge of the poker to help press it into the ground and possibly gain more control.


That wind picks up, an impossbile thing, given the windows and the doors are all shut, but impossible or not, there is no denying the wind as it swirls and gains in speed and strength, starting to blow parchment pages off of desks and tables, rolling lighter tools and implements off surfaces. "I seeeeeee yooooou." The wind seethes, a violent gust blowing a glass jar off a shelf, shattering it against the floor.

"Laurel!" Now things are wrong, just wrong and Josephine reaches out for the younger woman. 'Grab my hand. We need to leave here." She calls out loudly as things start falling, shattering, the designs all blowing around. "Magic." She tells her. "Run for the door! To the shop!"


Run?! She only just got the poker in hand as everything starts to go horribly wrong. The kerchief on her head is pulled free by the brisk chill air and she blinks, staring down at the poker in her hands as if reluctant to let it have its own free will again.

Noting the tenor of Josephine's voice she gives a toss of the poker downward and reaches out in turn, eyes squinting as her other hand lifts to shield herself from anything wayward. "Go, I am here..." she means to help support Josephine in their flight, gripping her hand tightly.


One of the heavy display cases slams onto its side, barring the door and blocking the escape route. There is a thunk ke-thud from within the cabinet, one of the doors opening. Inside is the curled up body of Demetria. When the door falls open, her upper torso partially spills out, an arm falling at an odd, broken angle. Her head lolls bonelessly, her eyes clouded, any light of life extinguished as her blind eyes stare upwards.

Josephine checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Jo's hand closes on Laurels and as she leans on laurel for support to move fast, she reel back at the crash of a display case. Then screams at the sight of her daughter there in the case. Her oldest child. She lets go of Laurel's hand then, moving toward the case so she can go to the body, still screaming at the sight, mostly Demetria's name leaving her lips.


Laurel grips Josephine, starting to take the lead towards the exit to draw her out with. That is when the case slams and they both skitter to a halt to keep from getting clipped or running into it. What follows causes Laurel's stomach to turn. "Oh Gods.." she breathes out and as Josephine pulls away she tries to grab her. "Josephine!" But she understands all too well, as the expression on her face contorts a bit and she reaches her hands down to grip Jo gently, as if to protect her as she takes the moment to address the gruesome sight. "GO AWAY!!!" She cries out at the thing, a bit of anger seeping through her for the sudden loss presented to the Guildmaster.

Laurel checked perception at difficulty 17, rolling 32 higher.

Josephine checked perception at difficulty 17, rolling 14 higher.

It begins with the fingers. Demetria's fingers twitch, once, twice in succession from pinky to thumb and back again. The sound of her nails tapping against the floor becomes audible in the seconds before there is a snapping sound as her right arm straightens from that broken angle, the wrist twisting. The rest of her body begins to move, her head hanging limply down, even as her torso is lifted, her legs bending, her body crab walking awkwardly to get herself out of that wardrobe. Demetria's eyes begin to blink, though there is no change in their sightless state, no focus there, even as her lips begin to move as she crawls and crabwalks towards them slowly. "Mother." The word is raspy, buzzing, inhuman.

Josephine checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Though her apprentice challenges, Josephine balks, horror on her face as she sees her daughters body contort and the voice. The older woman clothes at Laurel and trying to draw herself and Laurel away, scrabbling against the floor of her shop as she tries, abject terror beating inside the guild masters chest.


"By all that is..." Laurel begins, her voice catching as she notes all the small movements, the snapping of bones and appendages back into place. "No..." she says, her eyes widening as she gives a light tug on Josephine if she is able only to find the older woman trying to get away with her. It means her skirts get caught up and she nearly falls over, taking them both with. One quick foot juts to the side and she catches them. A weapon likely would not have been considered save that she just abandoned one. Laurel darts back towards the hearth and reaches down for the poker to arm herself and stand buffer with the poker held out and ready.


"Mo-ther... why? Why... did you let me die?" The creature that was Demetria continues in those disjointed movements, crawling closer to the pair, as if oblivious or simply uncaring of the poker-armed Laurel. Her head continues to loosely hang down, jostled and swaying with her peculiar mode of motion. As she moves, there are protrusions that press outward with increasing frequency and violence.

Josephine cowers behind Laurel, one hand gripping the other woman shoulder, the old woman terrorized by the sight in front of her with tears streaming down her face at her daughters disjointed corpse accusing her. A hand pressed to her chest, pressure there and torn between going to her daughter with apologies and scrambling further away. What can be heard repeatedly is her apologizing to Demetria, telling her sorry over and over again.


"Stay...stay back!" Demetria is not her daughter, Laurel has a bit more gumption for dealing with it even IF her hands are shaking, causing the poker to jump about slightly. She backs up, keeping her eyes locked on the thing that is no longer Josephine's daughter as her sooty face contorts and she steps forward, feeling Josephine behind her dealing with the assortment of emotions. "She's not her...now back up...leave us!" She says and reaches forward to press the poker at the creature that is no longer human to try to urge it away.


Laurel checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 11 lower.

When the iron poker comes down, Demetria's body scuttles abruptly to the right, several chitinous legs burst out of her torso, digging in against the floor for added dexterity. The body rears up and hisses. "This and more will happen unless you cease! Do you hear me?!"

Josephine checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.

Hearts can only take so much and as what Josephine at least believes to be Demetria starts to have legs bursting from her chest, Josephine is bailing, trying to bail, heading for the vault, a place of safety in the room, silk tangling in legs, and a slipper coming off as she takes off for the supposed safety of the re-enforced cage in her workroom.


Laurel very nearly drops the poker which misses horribly. It very nearly slips from her hands again when the creature rears its upwards. The goodwoman stares up at the creature as her lips part and she lets out a sound as her face starts to fall. It is Josephine's movement that catches her attention and she nearly steps over herself trying to follow. She does not wholly take her eyes off Demetria's changed and deformed body but does hold out the poker as if ready to strike again if needed.


Laurel checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 2 lower.

The poker swings through the air, catching one of the little legs, ripping it off entirely. When it hits the ground there is a clatter and metallic ting. There is another hiss, Demetria's mouth opening, mandibles unfolding, stretching out as she hisses. There is a sudden pounding on the door that is blocked by the fallen cabinet. "What is happening in there?!"

Josephine checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 1 lower.

Laurel checked perception at difficulty 10, rolling 25 higher.

"MARCEN!" Retreated to the vault, Josephine waits for laurel to be safe inside, the jeweler ashen in face and falling to pieces as she screams for whomever might be on the other side. "MARCEN!" Demetria's bulky armorsmith of a husband. 'Laurel! Get in the vault!" She begs.


"Gods.." Laurel breathes out, feeling her strength starting to fade. She winds up though, hands shaking as she tries to keep the thing at bay. She backsteps still, trying to hurry herself into the vault when the pounding happens. SHe blinks, her head turning and for the moment briefly distracted by the voice on the other side of the door. "Demetria?! Josephine...she's alive...what is this..then?" she turns her head back, the poker nearly tumblign free of her hand as she gains a bit of focus. "GET THE IRON GUARD!!!" She screams at the real Demetria who is currently locked out of the room as she tries to turn and hurry into the vault with Josephine.


Once identified, Demetria's voice is obvious to the panicked Josephine. "Mother? Mother!? Yes, I am going!" There are the sounds of footsteps outside and the creature screams as its trick is revealed. "This was but a warning! Forget the butcher! Forget the search!" With that last shouted warning, the creature explodes outwards into ash, spiders, wasps and other creepy crawlies, the insects scuttling outward in a black wave.

"Demetria!" Her oldest. Her favourite. It's clear to anyone in the family that she is. A hand clutches at Laurel's forearm, and as that wave of insects burst outwards, Josephine violently shuts that vault door. Not that it would stop any insects. But the illusion of safety is there to the old jeweler who sobs out her daughters name as she retreats to the furthest corner of the vault, hands going to her ears. "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU! SHUT UP!"


The sound of the poker's edge hitting the floor when the door closes is all the sound Laurel makes right away. She's panting, her heart racing and pulse jumping against her neck. A cold sweat washes over her and she feels her legs quake. Adrenaline is still there but for the moment it is fear that is keeping her on her feet. It is Josephine's proclamations for quiet that have Laurel refocusing and drawing near the guildmaster to reach out and touch her arm, trying to gain her attention. "Humm, focus..." She hopes it helps but she may need it as well as a tear trails down the corner of her eye. There is no sob to go with it but its driven purely by seeing something so strange and beyond her ken for the first time.


There is a single roar that fades as the wind dies, disapating from its tempest. "Forget..." The insects remain, and in lieu of the body of Demetria, there are bits and bobs of items, ingots of metal, scraps of cloth. And bugs. There are so. many. bugs.

Hum. Focus. Laurels words mixed with that cacophony that only Josephine hears and so close to a loud source. But the jeweler tries. "It's a world of danger a world of fear" They're broken, the tune off and frail. "It's a world of darkness a world of tears. There's so much that we dare, it's a time to beware, it's a dark world after all." The tune is dark but as the old woman sings it, that tune that catches easily in the mind and sinks in, there is some hope. Just a thread. "There is just one moon and one golden sun and the archfiends try to kill everyone. While the dragons abide and our doom now betide, it's a dark world after all." It's a song laurel is bound to hear until help can get in.