GrueMaster Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) "Thank you, Charmelion," Kalin spoke. "I happen to come from a well-educated family, and a few years ago I used to be a mercenary. Learning several languages tends to help with trade and contract negotiations, I find." The elan smiled, the mild flippancy in his voice showing his pleasant mood. "My master also had an extensive collection of tomes on the many races of Faerun, which helped as well." "But you know, I shouldn't be so rude, rambling on about myself while ignoring my companions," the soulknife added, switching back to Common. He was enjoying the conversation with Charmelion, but being the center of attention so much was beginning to make him nervous. "I am sure you are eager to speak with them. If you will excuse me, I have to settle my personal effects. They need a bit of drying at the moment." He nodded to the dragon, then turned and went over by Rhaine, sorting out his pack as he sat down. "Talkative fellow, isn't he?" he murmured to the priestess. The thri'kreen clicked his mandibles as he set down the load of metal crafts. "Ssoftsskin iss welcome," Tak'we said to the stranger. "Thiss one iss known asss" *Tak'we.* He went back and hefted another large load, continuing to talk to Myn. *Tck!* "The only aid thiss one askss for iss that you help clutchmatess."Tak'we looked over at Charmelion and Kalin, trying to understand what they were saying but failing miserably. He looked at Myn. "Do you know what giant flying lizard and sstrange softsskin are ssaying?" The thri'kreen asked with his head tilted, "Or even what giant flying lizard iss?" Edited March 4, 2013 by GrueMaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 "That would be the tongue of the dragons Tak'we." Tannin said from behind him. "Spoken.. by dragons, which is what our large friend is. When conversing with us upright walking creatures, they prefer to use common to avoid any language barriers. I know a little bit of it myself." He said happily. His showoffy nature coming through. "Basically Kalin has introduced himself to our large friend and the he was impressed that he could speak his language. Asked a question and received an answer." Kento watched Maydiira fall. A look of sheer annoyance on his face he approached her. "Of course she would use a venom of sorts." He said picking up the knife. "Brought up from the underdark no less. Easy enough to find in the bloodstream, I would have thought that you would know how to cure yourself of it. This particular feat of mine takes considerable energy. " He said examining the knife. "This probably will not feel pleasant." He then used the tip of the knife to cut into her skin, deep enough to hit a vein and open it. After putting down the knife He placed his index and middle fingers barely an inch over the cut and closed his eyes. A deep loud hum filled the air as Kento proceeded to try and mentally pull the poison from her bloodstream. Little by little, tiny drops of the poison began to rise out from the wound. Eventually no more would rise out, so Kento stopped. Lowering his hand the humming stopped and his head began to throb like someone was beating him over the head with a club. Fighting through it he took some cloth and wrapped it around the incision that he made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Weyland yawned, not realizing how tired he was since he hadn't had any sleep as far as he could remember. He shrugged his rucksack off and began to unroll his sleeping bag. Amendale had tucked himself into a little rocky corner of the massive cave and tried falling asleep, wrapping his cloak around him to use as a blanket and shivering from a combination of the dampness of the cave and the dampness of his clothes. He ignited a pair of flames in his hands and tried to use that to warm himself up to little avail. Weyland sighed, knowing he would regret what he was about to do in the morning. "Amendale!" He tossed the sleeping bag to his friend, and accepted Amendale's nod of thanks without any reaction. "I'm going to sleep now, if that's alright with you lot. Amendale looks like he wants to as well." The elf was already climbing into the sleeping bag wearing his short-sleeved shirt and pants, grateful to his friend for such a sacrifice, even if he knew Weyland would be griping about it tomorrow morning. (That, or bragging about how he slept fine without a bed, you sissies.) Weyland yawned again and walked over to his rucksack. He found himself a spot by the wall, and sat down. He leaned back against it and used his rucksack as a pillow before he did his best to relax, keeping a canteen of water beside him and his enchanted blade to his other side, still in its sheath. He removed his helmet but kept his armor on to use as a metallic cushion against all the jagged rocks lying around, and after a longer amount of time then he'd like, fell to sleep. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arland barely dodged his own crossbow bolt as Ginafae deflected it back at him, and loaded another bolt. "......I hope we meet again." She said to him. "Ha! So do I. Coward." He snarled, and brought the crossbow up to fire at her again. She was gone. Arland cursed, looking in all directions with the crossbow pointing wherever his body did incase she was just planning an ambush. After a solid minute of this, he cursed again and slowly lowered the crossbow, before slipping it into place on his back. He drew both blades, turned around, intending to head back into the cave before a thought gave him pause. The town guard would very likely have investigated the disturbance in the blacksmith's shop, especially when spells were being tossed around and shouting. Arland's face was on every wanted poster from here to Westgate, and the two at the shop knew he'd commited a murder. He'd have to fight off the town guard, which risked him losing and getting hanged, especially if the mindreader and the elf turned on him as well. From what they'd seen of him his intentions would seem.....shaky, at best. He couldn't afford to head back in there. Cursing, Arland marched off into the hills, heading back towards town but not through the tunnel. Hopefully he'd be able to steal a map somewhere to plot his next course of action. Edited March 5, 2013 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Charmelion looked over the group, some of whom were already settling in to sleep. He rose and stretched, his brass scales shimmering in the yellow firelight, "As much as I would love continuing to chat with all of you interesting travelers, I see you are not in any condition to stay awake. Perhaps it would be best if I retired to my own chambers, as well..." the dragon yawned, his gaping maw unhinging widely and showing off every last one of his dagger-like teeth. "May you all rest well." The brass dragon then loped off towards one of the side corridors, the last sight of him being the tip of his flaming tail. Rhaine glanced sideways at Kalin, "Indeed. I wonder why his tail is like that..I've never heard of brasses having tails on fire before..." Maeve, Bilron, and Sori had taken their traveling cloaks and spread them atop themselves like a large blanket. The two parents curled towards their daughter, who slept peacefully between them. Husband and wife whispered to each other for a long while before they fell silent. ---------------------------------------------------------- Maydiira groaned as Kento pulled the poison out of her. She wasn't expecting to be sliced open again, but she realized it was the only way he could release the venom. She barely had enough strength to open her eyes, and her thanks came out in a shaking whisper, "So...you are not heartless after all..." She knew that Kento's hardness was the result of the tragedy that had befallen him. It was more like a mask than anything else...though she was certain that the only reason he saved her was because of her "uses." Still, he had saved her...and that was something. Perhaps his heart would soften again over time. Suddenly, there came a pounding on the smith's shop door. "By the authority of the guard, open up!" Maydiira's heart pounded, she managed to croak out, "Please, hide me! If they find me, they will kill me! The citizens must have reported seeing me..." -------------------------------------------------------------- Ginafae had long vanished into the tunnels, going deeper towards the Underdark. When at last she was certain that Arland was not anywhere near, she took her armor from her pack and began putting it on again, piece by piece. She was more than furious that the man not only had the audacity to betray her, but to follow her as well. Her savage red eyes glowed brightly in the shadows...the only things visible in the blackness of the cave. She would find him. She would hunt him to the ends of the earth...not because she gave a damn about anything he had to say or anything he had to do with Sana's idiotic obsession with Weyland... No, because he had the nerve to attack a Handmaiden of Lolth. And so, she would make him a fitting sacrifice to her goddess. Lolth orn ilstar jal. Edited March 5, 2013 by AurianaValoria1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrueMaster Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Tak'we looked at Tannin in surprise. "Really? It jusst ssoundss like two lizards hisssing to thiss one." The thri'kreen shrugged and wished the softskin goodnight. He saw Sori sleeping calmly and offered a prayer to Mother Moon to give the hatchling a peaceful rest. He walked past Rhaine and Kalin and nodded as he did so, gythka held peacefully in his hands. Tak'we stopped when he came to the entrance of the cave and sat down. The thri'kreen looked up to the sky, clutching his medallion, and stayed there for the rest of the day. The elan nodded his head in agreement. "Nor have I. And I used to worship Aasterinian, the brass dragon goddess," he mentioned casually. "There never was any mention of even her having a burning tail, so I wonder how it is so for Charmeleon." Kalin shrugged, saving the curiosity for later. "Well, as a friend of mine would say, 'Never look a friendly dragon in the mouth,' Heheh." Still chuckling at his little joke, he stood up and stretched, then pulled out his bed roll from his pack. "Well, milady, it has been a long day. I hope you have a good night. Or, in this case, a good day." He smiled. "Until tonight, then." The soulknife gave a polite tilt of his head and walked away. When he found a good spot, he laid down after settling his bed, then went to sleep. Edited March 5, 2013 by GrueMaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 "Perhaps it's for looks." Tannin said with a shrug at the mention of the dragon's burning tail. "They like their illusions so maybe that is one of them. Throws people off, or just likes to stare at it when he's bored." He said with a smirk.He watched the others lay down to sleep one by one. Having no intention of following suit he fished through his pack for his set of vials and ingredients and set to work brewing up his usual mixture to keep himself awake.------------------------------------------ "Don't be so sure." He muttered under his breath at Maydiira's insistence that he wasn't heartless.He sighed in annoyance at the beating of the door. "I am beginning to hate this place." He grumbled. "Hide behind the counter. I will see if i can get them to leave." He said before walking to the door and letting out a slow breath of air before the air around him sounded with a hum. He cracked open the door. "There is no trouble here. Your presence is not required." He said in a slow almost droning voice, using his mental ability to help persuade the guards to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Rhaine was too tired to give anything much thought. She simply shrugged at Kalin and Tannin's responses and rolled over. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the latter of the two brewing that strange concoction again. The Doomguide resolved to ask him about it when she was less exhausted. For the time being, though, she closed her eyes, and within a few moments, she was asleep. When she finally awoke, it was dusk, the light from the entrance cavern having transitioned into pinkish-purple again. She rose slowly and stretched, looking over the sleeping forms around her. Charmelion had entered the cavern again, but had stayed close to the outer wall, simply watching them with his almost unblinking gaze. The great dragon nodded his greeting, but said nothing so as not to disturb her companions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Maydiira drug herself behind the counter with much effort, grunting and groaning from the strain. I'll remember this the next time you are incapacitated, she thought, more than a little annoyed. The guards stared a bit after Kento's response. One of them furrowed his brow in confusion, "Aye? Are you sure? Several o' the folks here reported a drow entering this place? 'Ave you seen her?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrueMaster Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Kalin was turning in his bed roll, muttering whispers of fear in his sleep. The nightmare had returned. Kalin! Kalin, wake up! Elans don't dream! KALIN! But his silent pleas could not stir him from his slumber, and so the dream ran its course... His home was on fire, thick, black smoke filling the halls. He could hear screaming in the house. Kalin ran out his room and had his sword drawn, bewildered and scared out of his wits. He looked over the second-story bannister, horrified as he saw a family servant get dragged down by a demon and disemboweled, shrieking as the hellspawn tore his insides. Kalin was about to help the poor soul when he heard the familiar voice of his fiance, screaming for him.NO! He yelled, running and bursting into his beloved's room. A demon, a powerful one, was walking slowly towards her, her face hidden behind her arms in fear. Kalin unleashed a feral war-cry and slashed at the fiend. The demon laughed at him, and struck him down in one swipe, its talons rending Kalin's chest and launching him across the room. As he laid there. his life slowly fading, he struggled to lift his sword, trying to defend his love, but could not lift it. The demon laughed again, mocking him. It saw his terror for the huddled woman across from him in his mind. Itseemed to giggle in delight. "Your fear is delicious. I think I'll let let you live to watch as I feast on your elven half-breed."The monstrosity picked her up and started clawing her to pieces, cackling at her gurgled screams. Horror struck Kalin to the core, but he couldn't move at all now, and he laid there helplessly as the woman he cared for was killed slowly. The fiend dropped her body in front of him. "Ah, look at her face. Her terror is a beautiful sight," it laughed again. Her hair fell away, showing the fear and horror frozen on her now lifeless face. "No," Kalin whispered. "No, no, NO, NOOO-' Kalin awoke with start, his chest heaving and his body soaked in sweat. He closed his eyes, forcing back tears as he calmed himself. The scars on his chest from that night burned, and his hand ran over them. "Damnation...," he muttered almost silently. He had had the dream almost every time he slept since the attack, and it was always the exact same dream. Why do these dreams keep plaguing me? Like anyone is going to answer that for you, Kalin. The elan shook his head and looked around. He noticed that Rhaine and Charmeleon were awake, and cursed to himself silently, hoping that they hadn't noticed him. It was then he realized why he was so shocked when he first saw the priestess: She looked almost identical to his dead fiance. Oh, gods... he thought to himself, face suddenly becoming very pale. How is that possible? He felt light-headed, and got up almost frantically. Kalin, calm down! Panicking will simply draw more attention! He forced his breath to slow down, and once he felt more calm, he sorted out his things and packed them. Once he was done, he went over to Rhaine, his footsteps making no sounds. "Good evening, Rhaine," he spoke quietly, his calmness belying his inner turmoil. " hope you slept well." He gave a rueful smirk. "I know I didn't. I think I slept on a rock..." Edited March 5, 2013 by GrueMaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Amendale's eyes opened suddenly as he woke up, which probably would have scared the pants off of anyone had they been watching him sleep for some creepy reason. He unzipped the sleeping bag and shruggd himself out of it, completely unaware of Kalin's nightmare, before he rolled it up and attached it to the pack of the still-sleeping Weyland. Sleeping on a rock, in heavy armor, and he still slept longer than the majority of the people in the group. Amendale shook his head, amazed, although Weyland did wake up a minute or two later. He yawned and sat up, before rubbin his eyes and struggling to his feet. He began to pack up what little he needed to pack up, but suddenly interjected in the middle of Kalin's statement. "Ha! I know I slept on a rock. A rock floor, that is." He was packed up and ready to go in just under a minute. Amendale had to take the time to slip on his tunic and hooded cloak, clip on his sword belt, and put on his shoes, but was also done fairly quickly. "I'm ready when you are." He told Rhaine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arland woke up on the forest floor, miles out from the Blacksmith's shop, his swords at his side and a freshly-stolen map in his backpack. He'd made his decision the day before that he'd ask about Weyland himself, without having to kill anyone. He'd have to head into the lands where perhaps wanted posters of him weren't as common, which meant he'd be heading in the general direction of the Anauroch desert and the mountains. Still, he'd attract less attention that way and was probably less likely to be attacked by the local authorities. He packed everything up, strapped his armor and belt on, and forged towards the next town over. Edited March 5, 2013 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 "Hmph," Rhaine replied, as she had stuck a piece of jerky in her mouth right about the time the two had walked up to her; her oatmeal had worn off long ago. Removing it from her mouth briefly, she added, "I slept as well as I could, I suppose." She tore into the jerky, holding a bit of it with one hand and feeling of her plaits with the other...still secure. Sori had done an excellent job of keeping the hair tight, and so it would not need re-braiding for a while. The girl herself was up and about, happily sharing with her parents what rations they had grabbed before their sudden take-off the previous night. The Doomguide frowned as she chewed. Though their departure had saved their lives and taken a large amount of time off of their journey, they still had suffered great losses. Anything that had been kept with the horses was gone... As if reading her thoughts, Charmelion yawned again, rather loudly, and suddenly spoke, "I know that your method of travel has been severely hampered by the lack of steeds...perhaps I can help remedy that?" Rhaine finished her jerky and looked up at the dragon with curiosity, "What do you have in mind?" Charmelion grinned, and the Doomguide was left with the sudden impression that this was not going to be of sole benefit to the companions... "There is a gathering at an oasis just south of my lair and the Black Road...and not the usual gathering of traders and caravans. I have been watching them for roughly a tenday...they are Zhents, and they have teamed with a slaving party. They have not moved on, and so I believe they are waiting on someone," the dragon explained, "I tire of them. They are a threat to my security and an overall annoyance. I wish them gone." "And these Zhents and slavers have-" Rhaine began. "-plenty of camels and horses, both," the dragon finished, his grin widening, "What do you say?" The Doomguide nodded, returning the dragon's grin, "I say we remove some Zhents and slavers...what about the rest of you?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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