Tales of Faerun

[Macman253]

Markas chuckled lightly. He had never seen a Half-Dragon Halfling before and it amazed him to see how much she took after her Halfling side.

 

"If ye' eat to fast you'll get the collywobbles." He said to her as he leaned against the bar, "Terrible feeling those.." He added.

 

Fang continued to chase the now freed plate across the room, licking it clean while dragging his drooping jowls on the floor while leaving a wet trail of dog slobber behind him, his tail beating the air like a griffons wing. He was clearly enjoying the meat scraps and it's remnants.

 

"I have to ask.." Said Markas, finding his courage. "Ne'er met a Halfling Half-Dragon before..." He added before taking a drink of his ale, he wipes his lips clean with the kilt he wore as a cloak. "...Truth be told, I ne'er met a Half-Dragon before, but I wanted to ask ye' what it's like to be one?" Said the Outrider with a wide and warm smile, his eyes filled with genuine curiosity.

[Llhunara]

While Abby responded with a mouthful of food, Llhunarra didn't bother to waste time talking. Instead she just nods her agreement before stuffing another handful of food into her mouth. The meal was quite delicious and the rogue had no intention of busying herself with anything but eating until the food was gone. Not using any of the delicacy or manners that Rameses displayed, the napkin sitting beside her plate went untouched for the entirety of the meal. Even when the redhead was finished with her food she turned to licking her fingers clean before finally using the napkin if only to dry them. Now that had been worth it, thank the gods they had stopped for the night...well, thank Rhaine anyway.

 

Shoving her plate away, she turns in her stool to once again observe the rest of the tavern. Leaning against the bar so that the two could continue their conversation around her, her hand reaches back for the wine glass she had ordered first. Despite not being able to see the container, she grabs it with ease, a practiced motion no doubt.

 

Sipping the soothing drink, her eyes drift to the two newest individuals. Their clothing and makeup stood out, that was for sure, the whole get up reminding the rogue of a group of woman she knew back home. The style was different, but such peacocking was usually the telltale sign of a very particular profession. Amused as one not so subtly targets Azuris, she settles in to enjoy the show.

[FreemasonGamer]

With several of his fellow adventurers doing the same, Rameses reclined comfortably in his seat after finishing his delicious, filling meal; he also watched the pair of Mulhorandi women curiously as they circled through The River Crossing and eyed the party's gentlemen. The fire genasi was partially curious of their intentions as they strolled amongst them in an amusing manner, but he was also slightly suspicious of what those intentions could be. As the younger of the two women with flowing black hair fearlessly began to socialize with Azuris, who was arguably the least outgoing or friendly member of the party, Rameses tilted his head while wearing an amused smirk. Glancing to the older of the two Mulhorandi ladies as she remained on the outskirts of attention, Rameses arched a brow before looking to Rhaine.

 

"Odd pair. Wonder what they're up to..." He mused quietly between the two of them, glancing back at the less straightforward of the two women.

 

The manner in which she was hesitant to engage in conversation or socialize with others reminded the fire genasi of himself; it took a particularly outgoing, friendly individual to convince Rameses into socializing. Finally mustering his courage, Rameses nodded to his companion Rhaine before standing. "Best find out." He said with a smirk, talking to himself more than anything.

 

So, Rameses approached the Mulhorandi woman with chocolate hair and golden eyes, offering a warm smile to hopefully offset his unusual smoldering szuldar and his imposing crimson gaze. "Well met, my lady." He greeted, bowing his head slightly. "I am Rameses Galeran."

Edited June 3, 2015 by FreemasonGamer

[AurianaValoria1]

When greeted suddenly by the fire genasi, the quieter of the two sisters involuntarily took a step back. She crossed her arms defensively, bangles clinking on her wrists. For a moment, she seemed to lose all ability to think or speak, but after a breath or two, she replied with a stammering, heavily accented voice, "I...I am Ayala. Ayala Solosu."

 

Her terseness was due to a number of reasons, all of which stemmed from her shyness and surprise. For one, she had never had anyone address her as a lady before. For another, she had never seen anyone with glowing eyes and runes on their body before, either.

[josh900]

As the colorefully dressed woman walked next to Azuris, he looked at her out from the corner of his eye as she asked what he thought of the wine in her thick accent. Wishing to be left alone, his answer was rather curt. "it's fine.' He grunted before returning his attention back to his meal.

 

Lief watched on from his own table and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The girls obviously wanted something from the group, and it would be interesting to see how long it would take the poor girl to realize that Azuris wasn't a sociable person as he himself had learned over the past couple of days.

[Diamondragon62]

Codswell decided to give up and return to the party and saw the girls he had heard talking by recognizing one's voice. "Ahhhh yes. The older sister if I remember correctly. I must say. You two look very well. You work hard. And make an honest pay. You fare better than I ever did in the beginning of my life. Please, let me buy you two and drink and food, and I will tell you about what the world is like." Codswell smiled, but he knew that if they still decided to go with them he might not be able to protect them and so he would do the next best thing, try and convince them to stay within the safety of the city. It at least was safer than outside the city. Far more safer. "There's many things to be told about the world and I have traveled quite a ways just to be here. I hail from Baldur's Gate."

[FreemasonGamer]

Rameses maintained his warm smile as the Mulhorandi woman introduced herself in return, her native accent mingled with an adorably timid stammer. "It is a pleasure, lady Ayala." The genasi replied politely.

 

For a moment or two, he simply observed the young lady after their initial greetings. She was clearly less confident in leading conversation as her companion was with Azuris, although that might have been because of an inherently hesitant nature or the intimidating appearance warranted by Rameses' outsider heritage. In an attempt to keep himself from being too threatening in appearance, Rameses consciously tried to suppress the glow of his runic szuldar markings, which would have usually flared awkwardly in equally awkward moments such as this.

 

"Perhaps we could sit down and make some conversation? Surely you would be more comfortable taking a seat than standing as you are." The genasi said in a friendly manner, chiding himself in thought for possibly being too outgoing.

[Flipout6]

"Looks like it'll be the type of mischief that's fun to watch." Amendale commented, shooting Zorica a sly grin and raising an eyebrow as he observed the two girls discreetly. He almost had to suppress a groan when one of them went for Azuris, but when one moved to talk to Weyland he gave the warrior a knowing look. Weyland caught his meaning with coloured cheeks and slyly placed his hand over Dri's once he saw his chance. She snickered mentally, just barely keeping it between herself, Weyland and Amendale.

"Wow, Rameses is really on fire." Sybille murmured as she passed by them on the way to the bar counter to have lunch. Annette, who was beside her, rolled her eyes and kept walking. She disappeared upstairs with her alchemy set, presumably to fulfill her promise of brewing more potions. Sybille bought a plate of bread, potatoes and pork-chops for both herself and Annette, but walked back outside for a moment, leaving the plates on the counter.

"I got her." Arland stated when his sister all but barged outside to check on Marie. He was steering her towards the bar by the shoulder while she clutched her cowl and kept her head slumped. "This'll get a tad interesting if I wind up drunk." He chuckled.


"You'll walk me into a wall." Marie deadpanned.

"Just keep that hand where it is and don't go any lower." Sybille told him, eyebrows raised. Much like Annette had, Arland simply rolled his eyes and walked by her.

"Where do you want me to sit ya?" He asked her.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered. "I think I'll find my room and retire for the night."

"You sure? They've got some pork-chops here that're like gifts from the gods themselves."

"Yes." He could barely hear her. "I think I can manage on my own from here."

"Let me at least take you to the staircase so you don't wind up tripping over a table." He offered. Exasperated, she nodded and let herself be led around the tangle of tables and chairs before she shrugged Arland off with a quiet thanks and climbed up the stairs on her own. Sybille brushed by Arland as she followed Marie up the stairs. The youngest Grey, feeling the effects of several hours without a meal, shrugged and went to the counter to grab some grub of his own.

"You're on fire, Rameses." He clapped the genasi on the shoulder as he passed before sitting down on a stool at the counter. He observed the two young Mulhorandi women for a moment before turning to Rhaine. "Stlarn, they don't want to join up, do they?" He whispered. "Forget our enemies, they'd be killed by the walking."

"Give Wings some credit." Weyland interjected before the Doomguide could say anything. "They'd need her permission to come along, and chances of them getting it are somewhere between "not in this lifetime" and "hells no." Just phrased more politely, is all."

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"Marie, in here." Annette ordered, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her into her room. Sybille followed, wordlessly laying Annette's meal on the nearest table.

"Wow." The warrioress breathed. "They really don't skimp on style here, do they?"

Indeed, the room was big enough to house a king-sized bed, complete with velvet pillows and a silk blanket, embroidered with patterns of the sun and the moon to break up the dark red of the blanket itself. A stone washbasin and tub lay in the corner, and there was a chest by the foot of the bed. Across from it beside a vanity and mirror was a massive wardrobe, large enough that Sybille wasn't sure he could lift it even with the help of her brothers. The back wall was simply a door between two marble pillars that opened up onto a small balcony, complete with hardy, colourful desert plants decorating the railings.

"...Or cost." Sybille added lamely.

"You've all got your own rooms like this." Annette said. "At least we'll sleep well tonight."

"Is that a balcony?" Marie asked.

"Yeah. Nice, huh?" Sybille raised an eyebrow.

"We have open balconies leading directly to our rooms and one of our enemies can fly." She stated matter-of-factly. "And we all saw what he can do." She placed a bitter emphasis on the word "see."

"True." Sybille agreed. "Maybe Rhaine or Amendale have a solution."

"I'll have to ask." Marie stated, moving to leave. Sybille stopped her.

"The sun's not even setting yet, it can wait."

"Why take chances?"

Annette was the one to answer that. "I doubt he'd be stupid enough to attack while we're all still awake. And that's assuming the damage that was done to him in our last encounter wasn't too much for him to recover from." She shrugged. "And I want you in here for a little while anyway."

Marie sighed, caving. She had trouble saying "no" to Annette anyways. "...Alright."

"How are you feeling?" The alchemist asked gently.

"Well they don't hurt too much anymore and Rhaine said we might be able to find something to cure it. At least the pain can be relieved."

"Well, there's that." Sybille remarked. "But I don't think she meant physically."

"Physically is the only factor that matters." The Ordain barked, tone far sharper than she intended. "I'm fine."

Sybille snorted. "Nice try. No need to hide anything from us though. You know that."

"Of course I do!" She protested.

"Then why try?" Sybille asked, almost accusingly.

"Because I'm fine." She affirmed, scowling.

"You su-" Sybille began, only for Annette to cut her off.

"But it's good to let us help you." Annette's voice was soft. "Why let it hurt you even if you can endure it? Let us help."

"It's the least I can do when I'm a burden now." Marie stated, voice hollow. "Without my sight I'm useless in combat or working with traps. Without it, all I'm doing is eating our food and taking up space. We're too far from home for me to step out and go back even if I wouldn't be ambushed once I roamed out of earshot. Mother's too old to take care of a blind woman and a blind woman won't be able to take care of her in a few years."

"If there's anywhere you can cure that blindness, it's here." Sybille stated matter-of-factly. "With Rhaine and Amendale around their magic could do it, even if it takes a while. Annie might be able to come up with an alchemical cure to it if we're lucky."

"Small reassurance. Nothing's worked yet." Marie countered bitterly. "Chances are I'm useless for life."

"Don't make any assumptions until you know for sure." The Grey woman lectured.

"It'll just make the pain worse." Annette added. "But you can lay it on us whenever it starts to hurt."

Marie sighed. "I know."

Sybille being Sybille, she pulled Marie into a one-armed hug. "We're here for you. Always will be."

"Unless you manage to get killed." Marie cracked a little smile that only widened when Annette joined in, wrapping her arms around them both. Sybille cracked a wry grin too.

And then, after a moment of silence, Marie awkwardly stammered, "...I love you two."

"We know." Sybille chuckled. "You're terrible at admitting it, though."

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine merely sighed at the spectacle unfolding before her eyes. With Rameses occupied, the Doomguide decided to leave the table and head upstairs to check on Marie. If nothing else, she needed another bout of healing magic...for whatever it was worth. She hoped that just the application of spells over time would be able to do at least a little something for the Ordain girl; she would need to do more extensive research, though, before she would know anything for certain. She was half-tempted to try a Remove Curse spell on the blinded girl...

 

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she did not have to go far to hear the voices of Marie, Annette, and Sybille behind one of the room doors. Tentatively, she raised a hand and rapped her knuckles on the wood, "Marie? I need to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

 

"One moment!" Annette said, before opening the door for Marie.

Marie managed to feel her way over, aided by her sister pulling her by the hand. "Right here. Meant to talk to you, anyways."

Rhaine reached out carefully and gripped Marie gently by the shoulder, "I'm going to need to apply more healing magic to you...see if we can't do some good. I also need you to do something for me."

 

"Alright." Marie agreed. "But I need to ask: the rooms have open balconies, and it won't be at all difficult to fly in, or climb up and slip in. Is there anything we can do to prevent this?

"Other than board them up? No," Rhaine replied after a few moments of thinking, "Amendale might be able to conjure some barriers of some sort, but I have a feeling they would be of the permanent kind...and the owners would doubtless object to something so damaging to the architecture. I will cast a few prayers tonight," she added, sighing, "and I am afraid that will have to be enough."

 

"Then firing my entire quiver and hitting the entire area will have to do." Marie was only partially jesting. "Now, what did you need me to do for you?"

Rhaine smirked, "First, I need you to get someplace comfortable, because what I'll ask of you may be taxing not only mentally, but also physically. Annette?"

 

"She's alright mentally, for the moment." Annette said, still happy to have seen her sister smiling. She helped her sister to sit down on the bed, giving her hand a squeeze before sitting down beside her. "If you need a hand or a potion, just ask."

Rhaine followed and sat on the other side of the bed next to Marie, first channeling a Heal spell, then a Cure Disease cantrip, and a Remove Curse incantation. As expected, there was no sign of improvement at all. The Doomguide let out a hiss of frustration, "Marie...this is going to be more difficult to cure than anything I have ever seen. It reminds me so much of that affliction with the horses back at Eartheart. I need to you give me more information...as horrid as it sounds, I need you to tell me what you are feeling. What you felt when you first were struck with this malady. Describe the pain, where exactly you feel it, and what kind of pain it is. Delve into your memories and be as specific as possible."

 

=================================

 

Downstairs, Argyros was too busy working on his third platter of food to notice much of anything; the dragon in elf disguise was far too absorbed in savoring all the flavors of Mulhorandi cooking. Every spice, every texture, he committed to memory, as well as the specific combination in which things were prepared and served. Nearby, Abby blinked at Markas with wide eyes and stared a few breaths before answering after a large swallow of food, "You mean other than the horns and the pointy teeth and the odd looks from pretty much everybody?"

 

Across from Amendale, Zorica shook her head as the one girl approached Azuris, "This...is pathetic."

 

=================================

 

Ayala hesitated before answering, "I...would appreciate that, yes. Rameses."

 

Her younger sister was having much less luck. The black-haired girl was taken aback by the man's rough answer, and she was stunned to silence for a few moments. Frustrated, but unwilling to give up, she answered, "I see...do you like it here?"

[tokyobiohazard]

Aera found herself in the same boat as Argyros, sampling everything she could until she was full of savory meats and vegetables. She pulled some coins from her pocket and offered to pay for her meal, but was declined.

The barkeep waved her money away with a shocked expression, and uttered in thickly accented Common, "No, no! For you, the meal is free. The avatar of Bast shall never pay for anything in MY inn. You will find most places here are of the same opinion."

Aera tilted her head to the side, then inclined her head and muttered her thanks. Noticing Conall alone, she headed over to him with the hopes he'd heard their exchange. "What was that about?"

Hazel, meanwhile, smiled at the exchange between Rameses and Ayala, and joined in, hoping she wouldn't be unwelcome. "May I sit with you two?"