Issue 1 Downtime

Vivienne stood waiting on a makeshift dock directly south from the Cathedral, with her was the dwarf leader Doagen, who had a large wrapped item resting on his shoulder.

Gemma walked up, dressed in a robe and eyeing the water. "I'll change as soon as we're there. Water and my other side sometimes don't agree."

"Alright, let's do this. Is there anything we should be aware of for this?" she asks Vivienne while eyeing the dwarf suspiciously.

"I can only warn you of the Unseelie who dwell there, beyond that I do not know." She held a small golden vial and a wooden bowl of pearls. "Fey sight and enchanted fresh water pearls. One pearl for each of you and you can contact me no matter where you are. Just pour clean water on a reflective surface and drop the pearl in. The elixir is dropped into the eyes, one drop in each eye. It is attuned to light magic, my magic, so you will be able to see through my wards and barriers around the pond. Light Fey will be a brightness, Dark fey darkness."

The short bearded man "hurmphed" at Jennifer and moved his burden to his other shoulder.

"How long does the elixir's effect last?" John asked.

"Fourty-eight hours and this is for you John." Vivienne motioned to the dwarf who grumbled.

"Aye, even with ya weak human metals, she'll out last ya legacy." Doagen unwrapped the large broad sword and offered it over.

"Damn that was quick," John cackled happily.

"Ahem. I am honored to accept this blade," he said with a bow as he took the sword in his hands. "I will wield it with pride."

"I did mention they were eager." Vivienne smiled.

"Ah, go get yer feet wet ya silly nymph." Doagen grumped and turned to leave smiling to himself.

Once the pearls were given out and the drops applied to everyone willing, Vivienne lead them out into the river. Stepping off of the dock the group would find themselves standing in ankle deep warm water.

"Relax and do not fight." Vivienne said softly as the water slowly rose up around them, creating a effect much like being inside a snowglobe only much dryer. There was a brief "down" sensation, similar to an elevator, then a similar "up" sensation. As the water fell away they were in their new location. Stepping out of the large impact "pond" the group would realize they were in another similar "snowglobe" situation. There was a ten foot radius around the pond that was green and fresh, outside, beyond the shimmer of Vivienne's barrier, was the darkness.

"Welcome home everyone." Vivienne said sadly.

Gemma shed her robe, stepped forward, and shifted all in one fluid motion. "I'll stick my neck out first. It can take a good bit more punishment," she said, moving to stick her head outside the barrier.

It's hard to know what Gemma was expecting. Rumors had abounded about the state of the university, and certainly, like the rest of the countryside, it must have been scavenged for parts and supplies over the years. A disaster zone would probably be an apt way to describe the expectations.

Only...that wasn't what was there. Not really, anyway. From the boundaries of Haley's Pond, one could see that the border of the university--the gated walls and the cliff face, specifically from this angle--were covered in thick, thick thick foliage. Past them, however, things seemed to get...calmer. The grass was even mowed. The sun was shining, and there was a cool sea breeze coming in from...well, the sea, presumably.

The pond proper had a bit of a ring of free space around it, so Gemma didn't immediately stick her head into something nasty. It looked, however, like something had moved some of the hedges from the hedge maze over here, as the pond itself was surrounded by a circle of brambles and thorns, stretching a good 15 feet in the air.

"Let's not dally too long," Brigid says, ready to move.

Gemma pulled her head back in, a puzzled look on her face. "Most of the place looks fine. Tended to even. There's a pretty tall, thick hedge around us though."

"It shouldn't be too much of a problem to get through," John said, feeling out the broadsword's balance.

"Marching order?" Vertie knelt and emptied her backpack and pockets of small rodents.

"The Avalon tare is in that direction. I shall remain here, unless I feel a light fey pass through. The pearls will allow you pass my barrier as you please, simply wait for me if I am not here." Vivienne sat on the ponds edge her feet in the water.

"The two dragons can take point, I'll follow behind them."

Gemma nods and pushes her way out, trying to avoid getting into the thorns just yet.

The space would rapidly become crowded, but not unmanagable for the small team.

Now that they were outside the bubble, they could tell it wasn't entirely quiet. There was some small noises from off in the distance of the old school buildings, and an occasional clunk from the general direction of the lighthouse, just barely audible over the waves on the shore.

"Probably want to head for the main buildings first," Gemma pondered out loud, rearing up on her hind legs and straining her neck in an attempt to see over the hedge. "I think they're over this way," she said, indicating a section of the hedge.

"Then stand back," John said, coming forward to chop at the hedge with a superstrength-powered swing of his dwarven broadsword. Part of him was in nerd heaven.

Vertie's rodents moved in pairs, biting into the thorns and slipping into the holes as John, Gemma and Trev worked to make a human sized path through. Vertie herself stayed behind with Jen and Brigid.

Hack hack hack, smash smash smash.

It was...harder than it should have been. The bushes seemed to be growing back and filling in, though not as quickly as they were cutting through.

A vine whipped out, looking to draw blood from some of the more vulnerable-types.

"Well, that's..."

She lashes out with her machete, trying to parry the vine.

"...disconcerting."

Disconcerting as it may be, it tried to wrap it's way around Brigid's arm, the thorns digging into her exposed flesh.

She's able to chop it away with her machete immediately afterwards, and the vines....paused.

Gemma's body immediately bursts into flames, trying to discourage any vines from making a grab at her. "Move," she says to John, trying to wedge her large flaming body into the gap to make it wider and hopefully keep the hedge from growing back.

John stepped back, warily eying the vines.

As John and Gemma push forward a faint shimmer surrounds Brigid and the rest of the group, Jennifer standing in the middle of them with her arms outstretched as she generates the protective force-field.

"I am so sick of all this vegetation."

"Anyone remember anyone with plant powers back in school?" Vertie asked before going a little "vacant" on the eyes as she divides her senses between the scout groups. She was attempting to get a ratty first look at what lay on the other side of the thorn barrier.

"I don't know, but I want to have a word with them," she growls, peeling the chopped off vine off her bleeding arm.

It was as Brigid through the vines clear that they---retracted. They sunk back into the ground, along with the hedges, so fast it appears as if they had just vanished.

The combined forces of chopping and fire and grumbling seemed to be quite effective, overall!

Vertie's main impression was that of a familiar smell, though one that was difficult to place immediately. It smelled vaguely of fire, and there was...motion. it was all very hazy, though, as if it wasn't really concrete.

"Ooh kay...next time maybe we'll lead with a thinly veiled Brigid threat." Vertie gave Brigid's arm a quick look. "May not even scar."

The wound was deeper than expected from a simple thorn, though that might not be super-surprising, seeing as how the thorns weren't exactly normal. Vertie was right, though--it could have been a lot worse.

Gemma kept her flames up, glaring around to get her bearings as she tried to figure out how best to get them towards the old school buildings. "If anyone actually cares to listen, we're X-Men," she said to no one in particular.

No reply. Just the blowing of the wind.

"This isn't eerie at all..." Jennifer says as she takes a couple careful steps out onto the open field. She reaches out with her telepathy to see if she can pick up anything.

Nothing clear at this range, at least. A bit of a hum, if anything.

"I say we keep moving towards the buildings and stay close together so whatever or whoever it is can't pick us off."

The rodent scouts fanned out ahead, squirrels heading up trees and rats darting in and out of the shadow. "There's a familiar scent, but I can't place it. I can make a few guesses."

Trev rubbed his thigh where a vine had wrapped itself around him, grimacing and keeping his hunting knife out. "Well....whoever is still here knows we're here, at least..."

Once everyone had grouped up, Gemma started working her way towards the school buildings, keeping an eye out for ambushes.