[center][h1][b]The Blood Tide Shifts[/b]
[i][sup][sup]Castle Cainhurst - Throneroom[/sup][/sup][/i][/h1][i]A Collab by [@Dark Jack], [@yoshua171], and [@Tuujaimaa][/i][/center][hr]
As they materialised in the now-familiar chambers of inner Castle Cainhurst, Ophelia followed the usual ritual of approaching the Queen's throne and assuming the kneeling position one took when seeking audience with her.

"It is on the topic of your mask that we return, Queen Annalise, though not yet with key in hand. We were successful in navigating the labyrinth that the chalice we sought unlocked, we have slain Arrayah, the Black Blade, and I have become the Champion of Cosmic Truth. I will wield this power to infiltrate the White Church and find the key in question--but I wished to examine the mask first, with your permission, to get a better idea of what it is that I am looking for." Ophelia said, the requisite reverence for the queen's renewed vigour showing through her voice.

The queen's head instantly cocked slightly as soon as Ophelia spoke, but after she simply listened in silence. "Thou utter names and titles that are meaningless to Us, distant kin."
Queen Annalise raised her left hand, and two tall, hooded, black-clad figures seemed to materialize out of the shadows before coming to stand on either side of her, all in total silence.
"If it is thy belief that examining the mask will aid thy quest, then We will allow it," she declared impatiently.

Granted permission, Ophelia immediately set about the task of examining the mask to see if there was indeed a keyhole or any other sort of identifying mark that might give them some clue as to how it might be broken, while simultaneously communing with her blade. Though she wished to be thorough, she also wished to be fast.

[i]"Do you sense anything about this mask, and how it might be unlocked?"[/i]

The examination did eventually show a hole, though calling it a "keyhole" would probably be misleading. The hole was tiny and perfectly round, making no room for a key with teeth or anything of the sort; the only thing that would fit there was a plain, thin rod.
"[I]It is very old and powerful,[/I]" the voice replied to Ophelia's query. "[I]An eldritch device meant to seal the power of whoever wears it, meant only to be removable if its wearer is killed. There is no mechanical lock on it, but powers of the Nightmare are keeping it shut; you will need the correct key to appease its curse.[/I]"

When finished with the examination Ophelia quickly and respectfully returned to the kneeling position.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It seems that what we are looking for is some sort of rod imbued with the presence of the Nightmare--this should narrow our search considerably. I shall go now to find it, and return with it in tow." she concluded, standing from her position and beginning to head over to the lantern. With the aid of the Truth rune she would speak to Farren, Torquil, and Gerlinde wordlessly.

"I think it best that I head to the White Church alone--the less presence we have there, the better. I'll keep in touch through the little ones, just send a message if you need me for anything. Obviously I'll only receive the message when I'm out, but it should be fine--I intend to be as quick as possible."

And for good measure, she repeated her query to the Cosmic Sword of Truth about the ritual in Yahar'gul now that they were in the Waking World.

Annalise simply dismissed Ophelia with a wave of her hand.
"[I]The ritual... has progressed far more than it should have,[/I]" the voice reported, a hint of discomfort in its tone. "[I]Something has caused it to leap closer to completion, and though its rate has slowed down again... the best estimate would be that it will finish in about three hours. Assuming there are no more sudden leaps of progress.[/I]"
The voice paused for a moment before adding: "[I]They are awakening a Great One and calling it to the Waking World. This Great One...[/I]" Now the voice's discomfort had intensified to fear. "[I]They are trying to call Obcasus, a being who has slumbered in the depths of the Cosmos for an eternity. Some call it the Peacebringer, others the Worldbreaker, for the ideal it seeks to visit upon reality is dark and silent oblivion. Champion, Obcasus is not like the other Great Ones you have encountered; if it is fully awakened, it [/I]will[I] seek to erase everything around it so that it may resume its slumber.[/I]"

[i]"We need more time... there is a serpentine Great One, a chronophage, who devours time as it passes--their scales are in the Snakescale Hourglasses... might we entreat them, perhaps?"[/i] Ophelia asked in return, freezing in her tracks as a creeping sense of fear began to overtake her. If even her blade, whose gentle light had warded her against all fear, was afraid... she took a shaky breath in to steady herself. The fear would persist, she had no doubt about that... but there was no failing in fear itself. So long as they acted despite their fear, that would be enough--either with assistance from the chronophage, or heading to Yahar'gul themselves to disrupt the ritual. Ophelia preferred the former option quite strongly, hoping that the power they had called upon might still be used for a more benign purpose... but accepting that if it could not, the ritual needed to end.

"[I]The Great Serpent? Perhaps. It has the power, but the question is whether it is willing. It likely serves as a guardian deity in the forest west of Yharnam; it has for centuries.[/I]"

Farren, for his part, bowed his head respectfully to the Queen, but did not remain as such. He had intended to depart, but lingered to hear Ophelia's conclusion regarding the Fell Mask that yet restricted Annalise. However, once the knowledge had been expressed, he nodded but once and began to turn to leave--intending to head for the Cainhurst workshop. However, when something caused Ophelia to stop dead in her tracks, a faint niggling intuition gnawed within his head, and he too stopped and turned back to his companion.

[i]"Now that we know what we are facing... perhaps that will be enough to sway it. Whatever its price, if it has one, it is likely better than oblivion."[/i] Ophelia returned with a swallow, and turned on her heel to face the others.

"There has been a disturbing revelation about the ritual at Yahar'gul. They seek to awaken Obcasus, the Worldbreaker... we must go to the Forbidden Woods to entreat the Great Serpent. Now." Ophelia spoke aloud, voice wavering and trembling for perhaps the first time since waking at Rebirth's Rise. She waited for the others for only a few seconds before continuing to the lantern and returning to the Dream.

Farren took in the fear he saw in the cast of her features and his own expression darkened. After a moment, Ophelia's voice rang out in his mind. Farren stiffened, but relaxed an instant after, only for the news to sink in. His jaw tightened, worked briefly then he grunted but once, sighed, and followed Ophelia back to the lantern--and in turn, the Dream. It seemed they did not have time to dally and he would have to avail himself of Cainhurst's workshop after other business was resolved.