Active Freshen Up [The See of Chearon - Tea Party]

[Irihi]

Freshen Up [The See of Chearon - Tea Party]
About the RP
Location: A Bathhouse Near the Border of the Fae See
Expected Duration: One IC Day, less than an IRL month.
Posting Rate: At least once a week. There will not be a formal posting order, but try to give other writers time and space to respond.
RP Goals: Return Corporal Iona Glimmerleaf and Private Irihi Spokelse to life.

Ailinor Lóte Bathhouse


The bathhouse stands in the deep and heavily-wooded depths of a steep-walled canyon. The winding footpath to Ailinor Lóte is fraught with dangers both mundane and magical. Fairy lights try to lead seekers of the healing waters astray into the dark and trackless wood. Cobblestones turn unexpectedly underfoot, threatening missteps that will send adventurers into the roaring rapids of the river that has carved out the canyon over the ages.

Fantastic cataracts cascade from the walls of the canyon near the magical waters of the hot spring. The combined steamy and cold waterfall mists wend between the trees, sometimes thick enough to obscure even a hand held before your face.

The fog closes in around visitors even as the narrow pathway broadens into a fieldstone-paved causeway. Two stone statues stand sentinel on either side, looming over visitors to the bathhouse.

Past these huge guardians is the spa, itself. Sparkling outdoor pools surround the mossy stone structure. Smoke and steam waft from a half-dozen chimneys and open windows glow with inviting warm light.

Ailinor Lóte welcomes worthy bathers with sparkling waters that can be suffused with healing magics, potions, and poultices as needed or desired. There are public baths, private baths, hot baths, cold baths, and even--deep in the grotto into which the structure seamlessly melds--a still, steaming pool rumored to resurrect the departed.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Mentions: Irihi | Yuna TheTimePiece
Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> | {Sylvan}

“[This bathhouse better be really, really, really, really, really good.]” Almeida stated, having carried Irihi's remains around in a makeshift corpse-backpack. Seriously, traversing a path winding down some heavily wooded depths of a steep-walled canyon whilst trying not to misstep and break her mechanical legs? Having to ignore going after the funny lights all the time? And all that whilst carrying a somewhat stinky elf corpse? Life was rough. Yet a promise was a promise. “[I wonder if the Fairy will like it as well.]” She'd say to Yuna, who'd presumably brought along Glimmerleaf.

As they entered the fog she'd wave her hand in front of her. “[I don't like this much water in the air, instead of in baths.]” She'd state, wishing she could've just wave it away. Alas, she could not. She'd stop (or presumably be stopped) in front of two stone guardians. “{Hello? Anyone there? We're here for the resurrection bath!}” She'd call out.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yunaesa
​

Interactions: Irihi Elvario

Languages: "[Terran]" "%Analog%"

Yunaesa, having come with Almeida, was definitely helping by carrying Glimmerleaf.

"[Yeah I hope so! It would suck to have carried both of them all the way here to not be able to get a resurrection bath!]"

"[Zjorn said it's okay though we'll find another one if we have too! Long as we do it before ten days are up cause otherwise I heard it'd be A LOT harder to get them revived, and Zjorn and me dunno if there are even any bathhouses that do resurrections at that high of a level anywhere!]"

Yunaesa would have done her best to transverse the terrain and stay close to Almeida.

"[Not to mention they didn't exactly make it easy to get too.]"

"[I mean those lights look totally friendly, but you're not supposed to follow them. Guess they're mean lights if they're trying to lead us off the path!]"


"[She better like it! If she doesn't Zjorn isn't gonna be too happy about it, he's been trying hard too! So has Valerius!]"

When they arrived at the fog Yunaesa nodded, "[Humidity like this is pretty yucky, hopefully it'll be nicer in the water.]"


When they got the stone guards Yunaesa would switch to analog and make paced tactile sounding clicking sounds, it sounded like they were her mechanical parts generating them somewhere rather than her having to manually do it with her mouth which meant she much appreciated whoever created her's decision to do that feature.

She'd give a wave after saying the following:

"%Hello! We're here and it was tough to get here! We have some people who could really use a bath right about now! Some service would be great!%"

 

[Irihi]

Stone Golems
With a grinding noise, the two statues moved to block the entrant’s path. Given the enchanted nature of the forest and the difficulty in reaching the bathhouse, it would likely come as no surprise that the stone guardians were not simply decorative.

The stone golem on the right spoke in sylvan, while the one on the left popped and cracked in understandable--but granite-accented analogue.

Though the languages were different, message was the same.

{%
"I stand unyielding, made of earth,
I hold the past, the ancient worth.
You seek these waters, pure and clear,
But first, our riddle, you must hear:

I have no legs, yet I can move,
I cannot speak, but I can prove.
I grow and shrink without a sound,
And though I'm silent, life I've found.

What am I, that will not last,
Yet can heal and free the past?"
%}​

While the golem speaking Sylvan stood impassively waiting for an answer, the one speaking analogue seemed quite pleased with itself; its surface rippling with tiny earthquakes of pleasure, creating little cascades of marble and granite dust.

It is, after all, quite difficult to craft a rhyme in analogue, and thusly the golem was inordinately proud of itself for the lyric it had made.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Mentions: Irihi | Yuna TheTimePiece
Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> | {Sylvan}

“[At this point, I'm not even sure if we'd find another ressurection options within ten days, with how long getting here took already, so it's really gotta be this one.]” She'd nod, a tad concerned, but also optimistic. As for the lights, that was a valid point. “[Exactly! The light in the bathhouse in Widersia was a lot more fun, as that one tried to just explain stuff instead of trying to lead us astray!]”

As for gratitude, that was a real deal of concern. “[Indeed, she's had four people trying to drag her all the way here, so it'd be bad if she won't like it!]” Almeida had to agree with Yuna on that one. “[Exactly, bathwater is better than airwater.]”

Upon one of the statues starting a riddle, she was confused.“%We're not here for riddles, we're here for the resurrection baths.%” She'd try to correct it. Perhaps it understood them better in analog?

She then turned to Yuna. “%Do you like riddles? I don't. Too many options. So many things move without legs. Like... time, water, snakes, wind, planets... Also, prove bloody what? Also, life's always too bloody vague in riddles. Like... I don't know. Could be a wave? Waves aren't all that silent though, I guess... Ugh.%” She grumbled, annoyed. She was here for bathing, not riddling. That's when she got a brilliant idea.

“%Hey, Yuna, want to just spam some options with me? It didn't say we got a limited amount of tries, so lets just shout whatever comes to mind at it, until we get it right.%” She'd smirk at the statue, then faced it and started rapid-firing options at a speed that only the analog pattern speech could accomplish. “%Moon. Sun. Ocean. Wave. Water. River. Time. Dark. Light. Sunshine. Planet. Age. Life. Living. Wind. Current. Oxygen. Air. Dawn. Morning. Sunset. Tides. Plants. Grass. Bathwater. Temperature. Heat. Cold. Gravity. Humanity. Faefolk. Beasts. Bondage. Constructs. Statues. Yourself. Myself. The future. The past. The present. Music. Song. Movement. Speech. Breath. Thinking. Thought. Philosophy. Blood vessels. Soil. Mountains. Rocks. Hills. Volcanos. Hammers.%”

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yunaesa

​

Languages: "[Terran], "%Analog%"

Interactions: Elvario Irihi

Yunaesa looked a bit more concerned herself at hearing Almeida mention that factoid. "[Well if this one doesn't work out then we have to at least try! Maybe there's another one not so far away from this one.]"

She said, not terribly convinced herself this was likely but at the same time giving up wasn't something Yunaesa or Zjorn were made to do.

"[The lil light thing at the bathouse in WIdersia was pretty fun! It sounded like it was having a bit of a uh..what's the word..extra.extradental..extramental...extrarenal...existential! That's the word Existential, a Existential crisis, and I'm not really sure why to be honest! It didn't seem like it's existence was that difficult, getting to greet guests and tell them about the bathhouse, I hope whoever made it is able to adjust it so it's happier in the future.]"

"[Haha Bathwater is better than airwater!]" Yunaesa repeated cheerily, after nodding when Almeida had agreed with her on the topic of gratitude.

"%Yeah we'd really like to get to the bath! We've traveled really far, and would like to keep the word games minimal if we can help it!%"


"%I don't like them very much when they're getting in the way of us reviving our friends! Maybe if we were doing it with Decimus and he'd give us a prize after or something it'd be more fun, but this kinda stinks to be honest.%" She'd reply back to Almeida.

"%I think Zjorn might like them better than me to be honest.%"

When Almeida had her idea and she shared it, a grin came to Yunaesa's face.

"%Okay!%"

She'd turn to the statues and start clicking away again in analog:

"% Memory, Emotion, Dream, Mirage, Shadow, Echo, Idea, Hope, Fire, Frost, Tear, Whisper, Wish, Doubt, Mist, Secret, Glimpse, Imprint, Scent, Lust, Regret, Moment, Sorrow, Memory, Puff, Aura, Flash, Twinge, Linger, Haze, Blush, Glint, Shiver, Twitch, Vibration, Impression, Flicker, Trace, Reflection, Hitch, Dread, Wisp, Gasp, Pale, Glimmer, Dew, Specter, Twilight, Crack, Sizzle! %"


"% And Zjorn says!: Photograph, Gaze, Tear, Flick, Faint, Crinkle, Pulse, Glare, Shift, Chime, Ripple, Vapour, Tremor, Rays, Twist, Echo, Fume, Glide, Whiff, Flame, Stir!%"

Yunaesa was really hoping that one of these words would be the answer given how many they were trying, or if not that the stone guys would just let them through already.

 

[Irihi]

Stone Golems
The golems now both seemed delighted to be engaged, even if it was with a cascade of answers. While the right answer might have been in there somewhere, their rhyme for denying entry was a lot more fun, so they picked out one of the wrong answers the pair of constructs were rocking, and rolled with it..

{%"Your answer’s wrong, the path is closed,
The waters now remain enclosed.
The stone you seek, it does not yield,
And so the healing will not be revealed.
Turn back now, the bath’s denied,
Until the truth you’ve verified."%}

Clíodhna

A cloud of mist that was more than it seemed swirled before the visitors, wafting between Yunaesa, Almeida, and the golems. The mist resolved itself into the figure of a transparent spectral woman. She regarded the constructs and their burdens with a wavering gaze. It would be difficult to tell--due to her ephemeral presence--but she seemed to wear a somewhat displeased expression.

The woman of mist then turned to scowl cloudily at the two stone golems. The banshee spoke in Sylvan with a voice that echoed, like water dripping from stalactites in some deep and forgotten abyss. {“Gravok! Brammoth! Are you bothering the guests with your nonsense rhymes again?”} If a mist can look annoyed, this one did, waving evanescent arms, shooing the statues back into place.

{“For the umpteenth time; First: you are the doorbell, not the gatekeepers! Second: rhyming is less important than making logical sense, and, Finally: the answer to every riddle cannot be “rock.”}

With the doorstones properly chastised, the banshee turned toward Almeida, Yunaesa, and their burdens. {“Greetings, travelers, I am Clíodhna, and this is my bathhouse; welcome to Ailinor Lóte,”} she said. {“Please accept my apologies for our overzealous door creatures. How may I be of service? Are all here to take advantage of our baths?”} She guessed, since there wasn’t much else, unless you liked doing the monomaniacal rock riddle with Rocky and Stoner over and over again.

Once she had an affirmative answer, Clíodhna would usher the two constructs toward the bathhouse, stopping before the door.

“{Due to the ~~terms of our land-use agreement~~ kindness of our benefactors, our baths are free donation-based to all who survive the journey.}” She said, waving a misty hand at a donation box with a rather hefty “suggested contribution” written in all the myriad languages of the world.

“{Before you bathe, I would ask you to observe the rules of Ailinor Lóte. We do not allow weapons in the baths, but I can offer a steam cleaning for mundane and sentient equipment, as well as a dry sauna if that is something that appeals to you or your devices,}” she suggested, eyeing Valerius and Zjorn. “{For the health and safety of all guests, please wash yourself before entering any still water baths. No clothing or fabrics are allowed in the waters,}” the banshee sighed as she covered a few more obvious behavioral rules.

“{If you find yourself transformed into any creature with fur or feathers, such as a unicorn or harpy, you may remain in the bath, but please inform the staff when you are done, so that we may drain and refresh the pool.}” She offered a less-than-reassuring misty smile. “{Like the regenerative powers granted by our waters, most unexpected transformations diminish over time, and resolve themselves within a few weeks or years--almost always within the lifetime of the bather’s original form.}” She reassured them, rather un-reassuringly.

Clíodhna pulled a face. Maybe? It was hard to tell. “{I see you have brought departed friends, victims, or possibly a snack?}” she pointed to the shrouds covering the small sad corpses of Glim and Irihi. “{If it is the former, you’ll want the Veil of Echos--the pool in the WAY far back. If it’s the latter, please keep in mind that outside food is not permitted within Ailinor Lóte.}” the banshee warned. She did not address the middle option that Almeida and Yunaesa might be dragging around the corpses of their victims for some bizarre reason.

 

[Elvario]

Almeida

Spoiler: full image and source

From: Almeida

Mentions: Irihi | Yuna TheTimePiece
Languages: Common | [Terran] | %Analog% | <Beastial> | {Sylvan}

“[Oh, right, it did seem to glitch out for a bit, didn't it? I hope it doesn't get extraterrestrial again!]” She'd reply to Yuna, on the topic of the previous flying light.

“%What?!? That's no fair, Valerius didn't even have his turn yet!%” She protested against the constructs.

That's when the mist woman showed up. “{Hey! I guessed that, I guessed Rock!}” She first protested. Then she'd translate for Yuna. “[It seems the mist woman called these two out on their cheating as Rock was the correct answer and I guessed that one.]”

“{Nice to meet you Clíodhna!}” “[She's called... ehm... Let's translate it to just Cleo!]” She didn't want to risk breaking her tongue on that one. “{I'm Almeida, this is Valerius, she's Yunaesa and that's Zjorn!}” She'd introduce everyone back in turn.

“{Yep, we're here for the resurrection baths! I promised the Elf we'd go to a bathhouse together, but she died, so now we've got to resurrect her in one to be able to keep our promise.}” She'd nod after stating that flawless logic. “[She says she's sorry for the constructs stopping us and asks if we want to take advantage of the baths. I told her we want to resurrect our friends!]”

She looked at the donation box. “[She's asking for donations now.]” Almeida would comply, throwing in a few coins and some loose bolts and screws.

“{That's alright, the four of us don't carry any weapons~}” She'd reply when they were told not to bring weapons. The next bit caught her by surprise. “[Oh wow, Yuna, they've got a special cleaning thing for Valerius and Zjorn! Valerius is eager to try it out!]” She'd turn back to the mist woman. “{Valerius seems eager to try it!}”

She tilted her heads. “{I'm assuming we've gotta wash the stinky dead Elf first as well, right?}” She'd ask, just to double check. It'd be rude to do so if it wasn't needed. She turned to Yuna. “[We gotta wash up first, I think we gotta wash Glim and Irihi as well first. Also, we can't bring fabrics or clothing, though all of that sounds pretty normal.]”

The next bit was exciting. “{Wow, the baths can transform us?}” She'd turn to Yuna. “[Yuna! These baths can totally turn us into unicorns or harpies! That's wild! Apparently you can stay like that for weeks or even years!]” Ah, wait. “{Ah, I don't think my creator would like that. He already made me to be perfect. If I changed, he'd probably no longer think I am. Can I opt out of transforming?}” She'd ask, just to be safe. “[Yuna, did your creator try to make you perfect as well? That'd make transforming not all that nice.]”

“{What? No. Ew....}” She looked at Yuna. “[She's weird. She thought we'd eat Glim and Irihi.]” She shook her head. “{I wanted to bring bug meat to snack on, but they told me it'd spoil, so we didn't bring any snacks.}”

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yunaesa
​

Languages: "[Terran], "%Analog%"

Interactions: Irihi Elvario

Yunaesa giggled at hearing Almeida say it was extraterrestrial.

When it came to the guards denying them entry, Yunaesa pouted. "%Yeah! What's the big idea, you aren't even gonna tell us which answer you didn't accept? And Valerius should get a turn too!%"

The Fae language that the banshee spoke really didn't mean much of anything to Yunaesa, but she did give a wave to her and a smile, hoping that whoever this was going to help them out.

"[Oh the correct answer was rock? I wonder why they felt the need to cheat, that's not very nice particularly when it takes so much effort to get up here.]"

"[Thank goodness it sounds like someone around here is gonna help us out then! Cleo might just help us get our friends saved yet!]" Yunaesa replied cheerily to Almeida upon hearing her name.

"[Tell her I said it's okay because she helped but she should really consider getting guardians that at least don't cheat if they're gonna ask riddles!]"


"[Donations are worth it if it'll save our friends lives!]" Yunaesa cheerily also threw some loose coin and loose parts into the donation container. Unfortunately Yunaesa wasn't really wealthy enough yet to probably give the recommended , that military pay still wasn't kicking in quite yet.


Yuna grinned at hearing Almeida mention the special cleaning available. "[You can tell her Zjorn is excited to try it!]"

"[Yeah that sounds pretty normal to me!]" She agreed with a nod at the no bathing in clothing bit, and gotcha, I'll help wash Glim up then if you wanna handle Irihi.]"

Her eyes lit up at hearing about the possibility of transformation. "[That sounds kind of cool but at the same time weeks or years sounds like it'd be way too long.]"

"[I don't think the Widersian military would necessarily want a unicorn in it's ranks, a Harpie might be okay but..yeah I don't really think my creator would want me to be messed with either! Shortly after I gained consciousness for the first time that I remember He said I'm supposed to go off and prove how I'm the ultimate life to the world, so yeah, if you could tell her I'd rather not transform that'd be great. cause I don't think he'd think so or be happy either.]"

"[What? That is strange! I hope she doesn't think they'd make suitable food herself..]"

"[I wonder if we coulda treated some of the bug meat like Jerky if it'd have been workable..but then again, a bit of a time crunch, probably would have taken too long.]"

At that point Yunaesa was ready to do the next necessary steps to progress and get their friends rezed.

 

[Irihi]

Clíodhna
The banshee looked nonplussed at the lack of coin and the plethora of loose screws the two constructs had to spare. {“Sure. Just don’t get in the water--or get out if you notice you’re starting to get pruney, feathery, or furry.”} She replied to Almeida’s request not to turn into something else. {“The transformations are random, but they aren’t usually instantaneous.”} She shrugged. {“Usually.”} she repeated.

If Clíodhna made anything of Almeida referring to the “four of them” she didn’t show it. She did, however, first guide the visitors to the dry sauna--a stone hutch added on to the side of the main bathhouse. Inside, besides a fiery brazier--cleverly vented so that the room was hot but not smokey--there were racks suitable for weapons as well as benches for humanoids. Apparently guests were free to go around armed and prepared to chop the guts out of each other, so long as they did not do so anywhere their blood and gore might seep into the baths.

Clíodhna would not let the bathers proceed any further with Zjorn or Valerius, though she did promise to have both weapons cleaned, as mentioned.

The Veil of Echos
There were not very many bathers, and even fewer walls and privacy. Apparently separating the sexes was not something with which banshees--or at least Clíodhna--concerned herself. Up front, in the building proper, there were smaller baths in semi-walled-off rooms. However, this simply seemed to mean that you got to be cozier with whomever happened to wander in. There were rusty hinges in open doorways and the remains of some wooden walls--long since rotted away in the humid environment. Perhaps walls and doors had meant something to Clíodhna, when she’d been alive. Now that she was much more insubstantial, it seemed the proprietress had adopted the more ectoplasmic sensibilities of her present state--and expected her patrons to follow suit.

Back from the built-up baths, the natural grotto reached back into dimmer and dimmer depths. The first large pools were built up with bricks, but the further back the group walked, the more au-natural the scenery became.

{“You are welcome to utilize any of our baths, though you might want to stay out of that one.”} Clíodhna warned as they passed a rainbow-hued pool that bubbled slightly. Should they peer into it, they might note a pile of mostly-dissolved bones at the bottom, fizzing slightly in the incredibly caustic waters. {“Spirits, and soon-to-be-spirits only.”} She said. {“The pools back here are heated by volcanism. They’re mostly stable.”} She elucidated. {“If you notice a sudden increase in bubbles, temperature, or the amount of flesh sloughing off your bones, it’s probably a good idea to exit the bath.”}

At last they reached a part of the cavern where the ceiling was solid and the walls were lit only by faintly glowing minerals and lichens. Before them was a deep still pool that lay at the edge of a black abyss. Beyond it, the floor of the cavern fell away into absolute darkness. The pool itself was walled off from the precipice by a thin dam of calcium deposits, over which a sheath of water trickled into the chasm. {“Don’t sit on that side.”} Clíodhna suggested. She pointed to a shower of water falling from a set of fissures in the ceiling. {“Wash.”} There were also wooden buckets and brushes set next to a larger cascade pouring from a crack in the cave wall. { “Resurrect. …maybe.” } Where Clíodhna had wafted right along the edge of the acid bath, here she kept a healthy deathly distance from the pool of the Veil of Echos. She spread her hands. {“Enjoy. Any questions?” }

Irihi Spokelse

​

It would not be clear just when it had happened--perhaps hours or, even days, ago--but Irihi’s battered corpse was no more. If her shroud were unwrapped, all that would be found within would be a small pile of gray ash surrounding a gemstone. The gem was marred by a deep crack that scattered the light of a faintly-pulsating violet glow within.