Reality warped around the Gundarog when her spell impacted, cutting open its stomach and ripping the life out of it. It fell without a cry, helmet falling off to reveal its stretched, pig nosed face and impossibly wide eyes for seeing in the pitch darkness of its subterranean realm. After a moment of complete silence, the other Gundarog's screeched in glee and leaped over the corpse of their once-companion. Kyiriniae'aea would see bits of blackened flesh flying up as they devoured the dead thing. Kyiriniae'aea would have the time to grab the child, still fast asleep as she polymorphed him until a small turtle and dropped it in the sack with what little she carried with her. Within minutes, she had her small troop standing at the ready. They held their spears, long for them but only slightly taller than a tall man at the ready, with their black iron shields curved into spikes to make another stabbing implement. Standing they would be nearly her height, but they were perpetually hunched and ready to be commanded. The forest was as gloomy as ever, but magic permeated the air in a very pleasant manner to the sorceress as her minions walked and crawled interchangeably in front of her, keeping silent as they passed under bushes and over huge roots with, save for the hissing grunts and low growls they might emit as they 'marched'. The landscape seemed a never ending green and black as they delved deeper into the Blackwood, though the trees grew notably smaller (though still extremely large). Save for a few large spiders and at one point of hiding from an indigo colored, stout wolf the size of a pony, they saw little life. After what must have been an hour travel, the Gundarogs seemed to be speaking amongst each other and giggling fiendishly just as they passed the cusp of a bend in their path, leaping up and down like excited children. "We're here, Bright Lady! Yes yes, Bright Lady master is pleased!" They declared, though she hardly needed to hear it. It was plain to see before her; a thick canopy of trees covered the top of it, but before her was the stout 'trunk' of a tower made of large stone slabs. Clearly the work of humans, though no telling how old the building was. Wooden gates rotted and ripped off by something immensely strong, her eyes could see that the Blackwood had begun to reclaim the small keep. Grass tufts had grown out of the floor between cracked stones, and vines had snaked their way within. As they entered, the Gundarogs awaited outside to guard their new master as she looked about at her leisure, though there was not much to see. The archway had been an ogival arch with the ruined buildings laced with intricate tracery. Within was a basic stone floor and no other rooms save a small kitchen with no food likely, though it did have a door on its hinges (opened). The only unknown was a winding stairway you could watch ascend up the wall, twirled around the stones until it reached the second and likely final floor fully six or so meters upwards. From the ground, she saw a circular, railed opening in the floor above, meaning it had the likeness of a balcony, making it easy to stare at the ground floor if one were so inclined. As she ascended the stairs, she found herself looking and four different doors, all closed. The fifth door, the largest I might add, was opened. Within were cases upon cases of books, filled to the brim in such a manner that some books were half opened on the ground, from having fallen. To the left was a bed, albeit messy and unmade, though that was the least promising thing in the room. The center of the room's fore held a clearly mystical creation, wrought of magic and stone making a strange, eldritch archway. A small lining in the floor of what appeared to be silver had been laid to reach an item that lay at the true center of the room: A large ball of pure crystal, utterly black in color. Her alchemical eyes would find one last thing of note; upon the far right of the room was a table with a mortar & pestel, a retort, a beaker, an alembic, and calcinator. No supplies however, though doubtless the forest itself was full of such things. [hider] If you would like to try and attempt to activate any of the magical items, roll a 1d8+3. If you'd like to search the bookshelves for something specific, roll faculties or perception if you have an addition, and if you'd like to perform alchemy with whatever you have on hand, make an alchemy roll (or order your minions to find various herbs). You have so many options! [/hider] [@Penny]