And now Eol has caught a glimpse into the inner workings of the entity called 'Morgana'

She has a very twisted psyche, and is very devoted to her motivations, and her A'nia. Truthfully, she'd probably be a much higher level encounter if she didn't use the majority of the power available to her in order to maintain herself and her network of dolls and mannequins...

Re: retcons... Are you suuuuure you want to undo Aranwen infusing Kithran with her life energies to undo the damage to her body that carrying an undead child causes?

I jest  yes to retcon if needed, just as we originally thought may be needed for post-HC

I don't foresee any particular impact on post-HC1, with respect to Morgana's origins anyhow. I just meant that it's a little tragic

One of the eventual encounters in KCandK would certainly reinforce Aranwen's survivor's guilt, but that is more of an explanation of why it's still there even post-HC1 as opposed to anything new.

Anyhow, to the mailboxes *fairypoofs*

In the hypothetical scenario where Morgana is killed by our trio without any exposition on the why she is the way she is and why she is currently targeting Aranwen, would you two like me to share those details?

Projected side effects include potentially emotional gut punches

"I was there when the strength of human blood failed. She could have ended it that day, but evil was allowed to endure..."

Sorry I got that scene from Lord of the Rings on the mind at the moment.

It's okay, Kithran will get to have her own doll friend later on that isn't the Kith-doll so she doesn't have to feel left out.

Bladesong now joined in full - without needing to worry about stealth, Aranwen can fight in the front line, which means between her and Ch'dau, I'm reasonably certain there isn't going to be much that will be able to resist their advance

Especially with Kithran hiding behind Ch'dau and firing sneak attack shots on occasion.

Also, very important... is Kithran keeping hold of the Sae-doll or what is she doing with that?

"If we,” Aranwen shook her head, “I - were just a bit quicker at getting through that door…" Aranwen gritted her teeth. It was one thing to survive a trap, but they were not out of danger.

“How are you?” Ch’dau asked Aranwen, regarding her closely.

Ch’dau’s steadying paw was warm, and as he examined her, Ch’dau could see Aranwen’s eyes were a bit slow to look back to his own. She lifted a hand to her forehead, “I am not hurt. She didn’t hurt me. But I feel as if I were being held underwater,” She took a breath, closing her eyes a moment as she centered herself, feel the ground, feel the air, listen to your breaths, she repeated to herself, before her eyes opened, refocusing on the others, “We should…”

Kithran listened to the bladesinger’s stoic answer as she picked up her dagger and the red-haired doll, thinking of the way that mask had been mouthing soundless words to the Sylvari woman. She had never seen anything like it before, and knew very little about magic, but the things that Morgana could do . . . .

Kith looked down at the doll in her hands, and back to the bladesinger, having lost track of the conversation for just a moment.

“Your oaths, Sylvari, will you recite them for me?” Unsure and uncaring if she had interrupted anything, Kithran watched her weary, golden eyes look back at hers.

Aranwen blinked, turning to Kithran, “To reciprocate aid given freely; to take the lives of others who would claim them for malevolent purposes; to do what I can in making safe the path ahead, for those who would come after,” she repeated her original oaths.

The half-Syl took a step toward her, her gaze locked on the woman but her senses ready, searching for another one of those dark shades to strike at any moment, “And you remain loyal to these?”

Aranwen nodded, “If we weren’t, then I would not be able to fight. At least, not with the strength of song that I have been trained to wield.”

Kith grinned, “Right, of course. Then I have just one more question and we can go bound after these scary slitches,” she held the red-haired doll up to Aranwen, “Who is this? In that room we faced a mini Kithran and mini Ch’dau, but this is not you. Why did she use this one for you?”

Aranwen flinched, “... Saeriel, my wife,” She whispered before replying, her voice stronger, “I lost her thirty years ago,” She added, before one eye closed as her face twisted in a look of physical pain. She shook her head roughly, before finally averting her gaze from the doll, choosing to look instead at Ch’dau, “I don’t know her game, but all we know is that she, Morgana, also remembers what happened. That battle we lost.”

Kithran’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked again at the doll, at Aranwen’s wife. Aranwen’s lost wife. She continued, softer, but she needed to know, even if it would turn out to be a lie, “And if this visage or some closer form came into conflict with one of your oaths, what then?”

Aranwen shook her head, “I don’t see how it could,” She replied instinctively, “Morgana might have made a toy doll that bears her resemblance, but we know that’s not her.”

Aranwen rubbed the bridge of her nose with a hand as she squinted, shaking her head once more, “She, Morgana, she told me I wouldn’t be able to open those doors in time. I don’t think they even budged when I slashed at them. She asked me to follow her, she claimed Saeriel was waiting. But that’s impossible,” She looked towards Mosic, “It’s impossible for that kind of a miracle to have happened, right?”

Mosic frowned, unsettled at the thought, “As far as I know, such a miracle is exceptionally rare, and it would have had to have been performed close to the time of death. Not thirty years past,” The cidal priest shrugged his shoulders, “Morgana also does not strike me the kind of being that can invoke the favour of any gods. Most likely to be lying, deceit and falsities are stock and trade for many such unreputable characters.”

Aranwen nodded, relief spreading across her face, “When I refused, Morgana… she…” Aranwen frowned, shaking her head again as she had several times recently, “We were talking. I know that. I remember that. But the words… I can’t… why can’t I…?” She sighed, “Everything just, kind of goes dark when I try to remember. That feeling of, almost like being underwater.”

The warm paw on her arm gave a comforting squeeze, “Will you be able to go on, khatun?” Ch’dau asked from beside her.

Aranwen nodded, “We’re uninjured,” her eyes focused as she took stock of their situation, taking up the role that Ch’dau saw in her, a title she wanted to have truly earned, “We need to keep going; if it was a trap, then the lack of an alarm was to keep us off guard, but it also let us get this far uncontested. Therefore, having survived, we are in a better position to take advantage of the opening that wasn’t supposed to be here. There will be greater resistance going forward, but that is unavoidable. I will join Ch’dau in front; Kithran and Mosic stay behind us. You know the layout, Kithran, so you’ll need to guide us with directions. We’d best be moving. I don’t know how far Morgana’s scream reached, but we think it’s safe to say that we should consider the guard on alert now.”

The half-Syl nodded, more wary than ever of the Syl but left with little choice, and pulled the dark blue hood back up over her head.

Ch’dau’s hand finally fell from Aranwen’s arm as he turned his eyes to Kithran. “Did you find what you were looking for in there, kibibi,” he asked, gesturing vaguely to the ravaged room behind them.

“No, by my understanding it is on the floor above us, anyway, but I had to check. Oh!” Kithran ran back into the room for just a moment before skidding to a stop before them once again, slinging her shortbow over her shoulder, “Thank you for reminding me, I may not yell at you so much later.” She gestured toward the stairs, “After you.”

Aranwen nodded, steady on her feet now as she stepped forward in the direction Kithran had indicated, her blade held ready at her side. She looked to Ch’dau, offering a warm smile, “Together, then.”

On the floor of the study, the doll that was dancing along the floor remained still and unmoving, its dress now returned to a pure white colour...

Bunch of oddballs. What would have happened if Ellie was kidnapped off the ship while in port by someone seeking to make some supposedly easy money from the reward for her return I wonder 

Ooh a post

That star eyed navigator... Sullivan or Sully? If my poor recollection of names hasn't failed me

And now thinking of my runaway engie Ellie...

What have I done to this thread

"What do you want?" 

You. 

Okay that wasn't actually what happened but yeaaaaah... Aranwen is Morgana's target for her own reasons now. 

Kind of ironic since Aranwen was targeting Morgana first in kind of a misguided vengeance.

Had inspiration to show the other side again, so I added it in. Might adjust it a bit later, just on transit currently  

Next time the blood collector is looked at, it is unmoving and the dress is a pure white again

Also don't worry about Morgana's hypnotic whispers to Aranwen. Those were only sweet nothings since she is trying to seduce Aranwen. Probably.

Kithran showed her that it was an opening, so even in her dazed thoughts she tried to follow up Kithran's strike with her own.

Unfortunately that was a 3 on the dice

Kithran saw Morgana's lips moving as the door opened, but her voice was not accompanying the movement. Needless to say, she was speaking to Aranwen very directly. 

Morgana was busy...  

What I want? Morgana purred, Let me tell you. But not like this.

The red haired doll motioned beside Aranwen, and she saw the blood red threads that went from the doll to the shadowed hand that controlled it. The silhouette form of Morgana beside her, the red lips on her black mask smiling. 

As those lips moved, Aranwen's eyes dulled. 

"Listen to my voice. Don't be afraid. Just relax, and listen..."

* * *

Aranwen made no response to the door, neither its state nor it opening. She only continued to stare at Morgana, her golden eyes cloudy and distant. She finally blinked when she heard her name, but had no time to react before a dagger flew past her. 

With practised aim, Kithran's dagger sailed past Aranwen's shoulder and struck the left shoulder of Morgana's apparition.

The red lips on Morgana's face opened, and a high pitched shriek echoed in a spine chilling scream throughout the hallway. Aranwen recoiled at the noise, but immediately stepped forward, bringing her blade up to strike.

The blade struck diagonally across the black mask Morgana wore, but the form faded away before her blade could strike true. 

The red-haired doll fell off of Aranwen's shoulder, landing beside Kithran's dagger, which also fell through the air where Morgana had stood.

Aranwen rubbed her forehead with a hand, grimacing as she stumbled backward, nearly falling against the wall. She stood there a moment to steady herself, her gaze turning to Ch'dau, Kithran, and Mosic. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Shaking her head she coughed and tried again.

"Wh-what happened in there?" Aranwen asked, "Are you alright?" she staggered towards the others with steps that grew steadier as she walked.

* * *

A sharp cry echoed through the octagonal room, and the one known as Morgana twisted in pain. 

"Easy, easy," the gentle cooing voice of Spiderlily came from beside her, reaching around the strange almost throne of thread to touch Morgana's shoulder, "I thought you said you wouldn't show your hand."

"It wasn't planned," Morgana rasped, snapping her fingers and bringing the threads of her gown away from her shoulder to inspect it. A thin line of blood trailed downward from an open pinprick visible on the exposed skin, and Morgana bit her lip in irritation, "But the opportunity was just too good. We almost had her!" she slammed a fist on her armrest in aggravation.

"Calm down. You are getting your threads caught in a tangle," Spiderlily replied, wiping the small bit of blood away and sealing the wound with a bandage left behind by her hand trailing over Morgana's shoulder, "And the evening is not over yet."

"Yes. You are right, my dear A'nia," Morgana re wove the cap to her shoulder, and once more picked up the red threads that trailed from her fingers, "Another opportunity will come. We will be patient..."

Good strategic point for Morgana to have suggested this ambush, neither too close for comfort nor too close to the exit that the group could run outside

Innocent insofar as all it did was dance along the floor and didn't attack either Kithran or Ch'dau  

This will be interesting... 

Also, the poor red-dress doll (I'm sure it's not white any more)  it was innocent

I think it's just right as is, it's not as if Kithran is guaranteed to know the book is in that particular place at this particular time so scared by suddenly fire seems appropriate  

Without her mannequins present, her actual combat ability is sparse. She might have cast Web to snare Ch'dau and Kithran in the fight if she had the opportunity, and had some other spells, but aside her spell casting, she has to attack via shade otherwise because that's almost the extent of direct combat with these felt dolls...

There is more she could have done, but she isn't committed to put full effort into a fruitless gesture as she knew attempting to keep her deal with Adedre would likely turn out to be. She still had to try, though. 

Without the skespider to be the distraction for the Kith-doll to back stab people, that doll and the Ch-doll will hide in the shelving. The white dress doll gathers what blood it can before likewise fleeing for cover.

Needless to say, Morgana is unhappy at that outcome... But not surprised

When Kithran has the door open, she sees Aranwen facing a very solid looking shade manifested from the Sae-doll, Aranwen's blade raised and ready but not in motion. From the movement of the lips on her mask, Morgana had just finished speaking. 

The tip of Aranwen's blade wavered in the air. All of her feelings told her to cut down this false felt effigy Morgana was taunting her with, but Morgana had not attacked her, and she could guess that it was Morgana who had separated her from the others.

"What I want, right now," Aranwen replied, forcing herself to keep her voice calm, "Is to look after those that are alive. Sae is... gone. I know that. But I can do something here and now, for those people that I can help here."

Such uncommon resolve... Morgana paused then, But what do you propose then, o bladesinger? You will not breach those doors, nor do you sound as if you will follow me. So then we are at an impasse, and time, as you are all too aware, doesn't stop for you.

Aranwen winced as she heard the muffled sounds of battle crashing in the other room, seeming to accentuate Morgana's point. In frustration, she turned to the door, and brought her blade about, swinging it at the divide between the doors. Though she succeeded in marking the door with her blade, even slicing into the wood, the doors still seemed as strong as if she hadn't struck them. She grit her teeth.

"I suppose everything's going just grand for you then," Aranwen growled beneath her breath.

Hardly, my dear, Morgana replied, not even attempting to hide the irritation in her voice. Aranwen whirled about at how close that voice had become, to find the Sae-doll sitting at her shoulder. Aranwen froze, looking unsteadily at Morgana's vessel.

"It's... not?" Aranwen asked, her voice cautious.

Circumstances are... not ideal. Morgana sighed, Adedre may be too... frustrated... by all these... complications... that she may, unwisely, not follow through with her side of our pact. As far as I'm aware, she doesn't even have the payment in hand as yet. Easier to simply... delay a debt, indefinitely, if you haven't the payment to give. Though I certainly have the means to make her pay for such a transgression, it would take no small effort on my part. But I must at least act in good faith to continue to uphold my end, even if it will give me far less than I would have liked with respect to the effort I've expended thus far.

Aranwen frowned and she paused, tense with the doll far too close for her comfort, "Then, if you were offered something you actually wanted..."

If Adedre were outbid with a... conflicting deal... Morgana's voice returned to a silky tone, Then... Perhaps... I might forego an advantage in this battle. I would still need to put some effort in regardless, you understand, but in such a change in circumstances, I might put in... less than I would.

Aranwen sighed. I can't believe I'm considering this... she thought to herself, "What do you want, Morgana?"

The kind of trouble Morgana could cause Kithran if she were able to fully mirror Kithran...

Yes, that works nicely it moves exactly as Kithran would lunge

The dress turns red the more blood they get, as in a visual indicator for Morgana to know she can harvest the blood they collected.

She can infuse the blood into the respective dolls that already have the likeness of Kithran, Ch'dau, Saeriel, and Aranwen.

So... if she gets more of Kithran's blood, for example, she can bring the blood collector to the Kith-doll, the blood will be transferred from the dress to the Kith-doll, and then the manifestation can appear longer, look more solid, hit harder... at the extreme, she could hypothetically take Kithran's full appearance, and be without a mask.

The shade does not follow the same movements as the doll. The doll draws the eyes because it moves wildly and in defiance of what a doll should be able to do; the shade fades in with a dash, striking at an opening she sees, then fades away as if a mirage. Does that help?