AurianaValoria1 Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 "Trust me," Rhaine snorted, "His offer didn't make me feel any better about myself, either. He seemed to think I needed 'practice' or some such rot, because of my distinct lack of suitors in the past." She was getting angry just thinking about the incident, her face setting into a stony expression, and Nawen wasn't faring well either. The Doomguide then felt her hardened countenance relax as she saw the drow obviously upset about this information, and she moved to put her hands on Nawen's shoulders comfortingly. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you so," Rhaine apologized sincerely, "but I felt you had a right to know. And as I said, I have no idea what his true feelings are...perhaps he really does care for you. But the impression I received when he made that proposal to me was that he was after something far more simple and quick than an actual relationship. I fear he is doing the exact same thing to you. And that is not a treatment you deserve, my friend." She backed away, "I warn you again: please, be careful. I know not what he is up to, and I worry that he will only cause you grief and pain. Still, your life is your own; I will leave you to your thoughts and say no more." With that, she departed Nawen's room and returned to her own chambers, praying that Nawen would find some peace of mind and that Tannin would not end up hurting her with his loose ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Tannin was feeling a deep wave of regret drill into his stomach at the moment. The buzzing in his ears and bout of dizziness only amplified that feeling. He sucked in a deep breath and looked up and let out a laugh despite the pain. "Good one." He called out, nodding before getting back to his feet, fist up and at the ready, the shouts and screaming of the crowd that surrounded him egging him on as he squared off against an intimidatingly large Dwarf. Heavy drums beat a rhythmic tune for the fighters as they returned blows, the Dwarf's obviously more vicious than Tannin's, knocking him to his knees several times, eventually flat on his back. Tannin was quick, but the massive Dwarf's odd proportions just made things too difficult for him. "Ya dun yet whitey?" The dwarf asked with a grin, revealing several missing teeth. "I don't know." Tannin asked, "Is your mother ugly?" A thunderous laughter filled the smoke filled Tavern as the massive dwarf offered a hand to Tannin, helping him back up to his feet."Aye lad, she's the ugliest!" He laughed as he gave Tannin a pat on the back.-------A while later Tannin left the tavern bouncing a small bag of coins in his hand. His attempt at learning anything about the city's misfortune amounting to nothing, but at least he walked away with a few extra coins, even if it was the cost of a couple bruises here and there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) As the Grey brothers and Marie dispersed to find rooms in which to stay for the night, Sybille opted to follow Dagny as she navigated her way through the (rather confusing) halls of her home, her forlorn expression and posture screaming out her feelings on the matter louder than any words ever could. Eventually Dagny disappeared into what Sybille could only assume was her old bedroom, so Sybille followed her. The door wasn't completely closed, but she rapped her knuckles on it anyway and edged her way in, fixing Dagny with a concerned gaze. "I don't know if you wanted your space or not." She began. "But I figured I'd come by to help you if you needed it anyway. Figure you might want a friend around. If you'd prefer to be alone for a while just say the word." She gestured to the tankard in her hand. "I took the Everfull mug from Arland if you wanted to share a few drinks. Not sure what else we can do in the face of this much tragedy." She spoke softly, eyes wide. She felt useless to her friend when so many of her loved ones had died, but damn if she wasn't going to at least try and comfort Dagny. Edited September 18, 2014 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 Zorica finally arrived at the clanhold not long after Rhaine and many of the others had retired for the night; she had stocked up on some rations and had a few drinks and some dinner before placing an order for a new leather cuirass and breastplate. Saris's undead minions had done a number on her armor, and she was in dire need of some replacement pieces. All of the rooms had been taken, she soon found, and thus she was forced to double up with someone. The half-drow peeked inside the nearest room, the door having been left open just a crack. She saw that the Amendale was inside, already asleep on a bedroll in the floor instead of the short dwarven cot. She carefully tiptoed in so as not to disturb him and began removing armor pieces, stripping down to her shirt and breeches. Then, as she slowly climbed into the bed, she had to pull up her knees so her legs would not hang off the foot of it. After wiggling and turning this way and that for many moments, she finally got comfortable, and she stroked Sir Meowsalot's warm fur as he curled beside her until she fell asleep. ----------------------------------------------------- Dagny heaved a heavy sigh and waved Sybille inside, "Aye, you're right, lass. Let's drink to the memories of these fine folk that have been lost, shall we?" ----------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Rhaine had returned to her room, closing her door and extinguished all the lights. She almost immediately fell asleep as her head hit the pillow as her desire to rest had suddenly intensified, the events of the day having sapped her of most of her energy. Screams...horrid, wailing howls of anguish and terror...the choking scent of smoke, the scorching heat of fire...bright flashes of russet and crimson...flames and blood...an elvish woman's face contorted in agony...a village burning...a shadow standing over it in triumph... The Doomguide started, sitting straight up in bed, a cold and clammy sweat coating her body. The only sound now was her panicked breath, coming out in quick pants. Her emerald eyes stared deeply into the utter darkness as she clutched at her holy amulet. A wave of calm answered her touch, and she gradually managed to gain control over her breathing. What in the Hells was that all about...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Lucas laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The plight of the Dwarven city keeping him from sleeping. Once again he felt completely helpless. Azuris meanwhile was passed out in a few short minutes. Though concerned for the city, the thoughts of their suffering didn't plague him as they did young Lucas. If there was anything that was plaguing him, it was once again, the disappearance of Hexol. How the Kender always managed to disappear without anyone noticing, Azuris would never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 (edited) Sybille smiled and did indeed drink to those lost beside Dagny. In fact, they each drank so much (their logic being that there were so many dead to mourn, and it was worth not remembering some of this night.) that they both passed out and slept in that room while still wearing their full suits of armor. They slept noisily, but soundly. That was not the case for everyone. Arland, after a night of drinking dwarven alcohol, was plagued with nightmares involving Rhaine coming at him with Touch of Death and him struggling for his life against her. Marie couldn't sleep, tossing and turning in her bed until Annette slipped her a sleeping concoction strong enough to drop a horse...something which she noted made for a terribly dark pun in the face of the river incident earlier that day. Amendale had it the worst. He was plagued with a nightmare very similar Rhaine's, with monochromatic flashes of image and sound conveying an impression of a town in flames a horrific, gruesome glimpses of screaming and violence and death, a titanic shadow towering over the ruins. Finally, the grimy, wounded face of a woman screamed audibly in pain or fear, and then nothing. Waking up in a cold sweat, he heard creaking in the next room over- Rhaine's room - and frowned. He shrugged off the blankets and opened the door, not even bothering to don anything besides a shirt and pants. The moon elf knocked on Rhaine's door and the Doomguide answered with little delay. She looked haggard and weary, with messy hair and bags beneath her eyes... look Amendale too possessed. He didn't think he needed to ask, but Amendale spoke anyway. "You get it too?" She nodded simply, eyes narrowing as her mind began to kick into gear. "The screaming woman, near the end, I recognized her..." Amendale's eyes were wide. "My mother." Edited September 20, 2014 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted6317247User Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Shortly after Rhaine left, Nawen quickly changed into her sleeping clothes and went to bed, hoping to get some sleep and try to think over things with a clear head tomorrow, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't fall asleep. She tried to think about other things, even repeat names of plants she knew which used to help her fall asleep when she was much younger, but nothing worked. Her thoughts kept returning to the earlier conversation, and how it made her feel. "Like the open relationship wasn't bad enough," she thought to herself as she started at the ceiling, "but now this too?""Maybe he's with someone else right now? Someone better than me. Why wouldn't he? I doubt anyone else is as terrible at this and useless as I am." She heard someone opening the door but thought nothing of it, she sat up in her bed and looked at Rhegar. The wolf was sleeping by her feet, curled into a ball. "I thought I'd be happier," she said to the wolf quietly as she stroked his fur gently, "but now everything everyone keeps telling me makes me feel worse." She sighed heavily and lay down again. "If only I knew what to do..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 (edited) "Your mother?" Rhaine repeated, blinking at the moon elf. His expression did not change, which confirmed that she did not mishear him, "The fact that we both dreamed the same vision is no coincidence, my friend. How do we approach this? Do we take this as a warning, or as a sign that something has already occurred? Either way, does your family happen to live nearby? And if so, is there any possibility that we can reach this village without leaving Eartheart too far behind? I think...something is terribly wrong, here, and it makes me suspicious that the plight of the dwarves and this village are somehow connected." She ran her slender fingers through her scarlet mane, closing her eyes in obvious growing frustration, "Else, why would we both have identical dreams while staying here, in this specific place?" At that moment, Zorica emerged in the hallway behind Amendale, her eyes communicating concern, but her countenance otherwise stony and indifferent to the outside observer. She had watched Amendale through his nightmare, having been woken by the elf's moans and quiet whimpers. She had felt a deep twinge of pity for him then, seeing him so vulnerable. Her brows rose in surprise as she caught the mention that he had dreamed of his mother in some sort of trouble, and the half-drow was even more intrigued that Rhaine had shared his dream. "This mean we're going to have to go on a rescue mission someplace?" Zorica finally asked, hoping she was not butting into a conversation in which she did not belong. ------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Dagny awakened from her drunken slumber with a loud groan, her head pounding as she lifted it from the small table in front of her. Her hair was coming loose from its braid, and there were dark circles under her eyes. "Ohhh, that was about fifteen tankards too many, lassie..." ------------------------------------------------------------- Argyros and Conall had both risen early, both of them ill at ease over the unnatural quiet of the dwarven halls. It was as if the clanhold was too large for the number of residents now, even with the party taking up the vacant rooms. As they entered the main hall, Dagny's mother fussed over them as much as she had the previous night, ordering breakfast to be made and ready for everyone within the hour. "I've already sent a messenger by griffon rider to get in contact with Falhgrod. Maybe he can give ye the information ye need to proceed with things," she spoke as she worked, cleaning the tables and pulling up chairs for the group, "In the meantime, if ye have any questions, I'll do me best to answer. Don' really know where to start first, though. It all happened so fast." Edited September 21, 2014 by AurianaValoria1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 (edited) "I don't know." Amendale replied helplessly. "I don't know. If it was a warning, though, I think it would have been more clear with the message. And would have shown images of places and people we all knew, instead of just myself. It scares me, though...my family, amongst the other in the clan, are nomads. And we come around to these parts every few years. They could have had the bad luck to have come here now of all times." When asked if they intended a rescue mission, he looked Zorica dead in the eyes and said, "Yes, if it was real and we're able. I won't sit by on my hands if something's happening to them." Despite his projected calm and collected thinking, Amendale was secretly terrified for the safety of his old friends and his family, and it showed in his eyes. "One thing is for absolute certain." He stated. "There's something sinister at work here. I'd suggest we ask around about any other settlements nearby, especially ones using the same river or ones Earthheart has lost contact with. Perhaps they can shed some light on this." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sybille woke up face-down on the floor, still donned in her metallic suit. She groaned and waited for the headache to pass before she lifted her head and looked around. Light was just barely cracking in through the window, but she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now, so she stood up. Dagny was up soon afterwards, commenting about how much they'd drunk. "Maybe it was fifteen tankards for you." The Grey shot back. "I hit at least twenty. I've seen someone have a seizure after less." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, at breakfast, Amendale sat quietly beside Rhaine, not saying a word as he picked at his food. Weyland, knowing the elf better than most, noticed something was off very quickly and noticed that Rhaine seemed off as well, so he spoke up."You two alright? You look like you've seen a ghost. Well, probably something much worse than a ghost." "We shared a nightmare last night." Amendale explained. "Images and sounds going by barely fast enough to perceive them. Burning buildings, dying people...others in some kind of agony. People I knew." "Well, Rhaine tried to kill me in my dream." Arland mumbled and was pointedly ignored. Weyland almost choked on his food. "After the river's poisoned? No way in the hells they're unrelated." "That's exactly what we think." Amendale added. The next time Dagny's mother reappeared in the dining room, Amendale was quick to ask her questions about any other settlements nearby, especially elven ones, and especially ones that perhaps hadn't been heard from in a while. The dwarven matriarch, while still haggard and grieving, answered his questions without hesitation but with some uncertainty. "Aye, lad. There's a little town a few hours' walkin' up the river, filled with all sorts of elves like yerself. Friendly bunch, they were, but we haven't glimpsed or heard a thing from 'em since people startin' gettin' sick. One of the watchmen said that there was a big fire burnin' up that way last night, could see it from here. An' I saw meself just a few minutes ago, there's smoke comin' from up that way as well. I don't think whatever happened bodes well for ye, laddie." Amendale paled. "It makes sense, we've come around these parts before." He looked at Rhaine. "When can we head out? And who's coming?" Edited September 21, 2014 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Rhaine inclined her head to the elf and stood, "We can go immediately, if you desire." She checked her vambraces and adjusted a strap on her left pauldron, instantly wishing she had had her helmet repaired before now - it was useless in its current state. Zorica also stood from her seat, her expression grim, "I'm going with you, then." Conall gave her a look of concern, "Isn't your armor in rough shape?" The half-drow shrugged as she began fastening her battered breastplate over her shirt, "I've fought in less, before." The werewolf sighed, "I'll go, too." Dagny held her head in her hands, "I'm no use to ye in this state, and someone's got to stay here and wait on Falhgrod. I wish ye godspeed and good luck, elf." Argyros was silent for many moments before speaking, "I shall remain here as well. I feel I should watch over the remnants of Dagny's clan while you are gone." Rhaine nodded, "As you wish. What about the rest of you?" The Doomguide looked around and fastened Touch of Death to her hip. She then dug around in her pack for her helm and tossed the damaged piece to Dagny, "And, if you could, find someone to repair that or replace this for me?" Dagny caught the plumed helmet and grinned, "Aye. It'll be done this evenin' and waitin' on ye when ye return." "We'd better hurry," Conall quickly recounted the bolts in his quiver before pulling on his pack, "If something bad has happened to these elves, then even seconds matter if we are to have a chance of rescuing any survivors." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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