RPGWW

by **Seethe** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:37 pm

"I don't think the creature we're looking for is there," Rosalyn informed the others. "But it's true that we won't be able to sneak up on him with me around..."

The girl let out a sigh at the inconvenience she was providing, then went on to try to answer the question.

"I come from this very plane," she said. "I grew up with a group of Fharlanghn's followers. It's our tradition to travel and see as much as we can in our lifetimes, so when I found out about the Guild, joining it just seemed like the obvious thing to do."

by **Idran1701** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:49 pm

Looking down to Shawn, Florence smiles sadly. "It's all right. Looking back on the past can be hard sometimes. Especially when it still hurts." As Theller replies, she nods to him in turn. "Ah, I know what that's like. I never really fit in with my family either. And I've visited now and again. They've pretty much accepted my choice by now, but it was hard for them at first. I'm sure your family'll do the same once they see you're happy." Finally, she looks to Rosalyn. "Oh, you're from the Outlands? Whereabouts? Any other family in the guild?"

by **Shinigori V2** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:49 am

Shawn stops, dropping her gaze to the ground. "Yeah, it hurts. It hurts like hell! And it's never going to stop fucking hurting, ever!"

She shook it off, and began moving again, staying quiet.

by **Idran1701** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:51 pm

"Shawn..." Though the look Florence gives the young girl shows her disapproval at her language, it also shows a deep sympathy. She doesn't say anything else, though; she can't think what else to say. Eventually, Shawn will learn that yes, things will be better, but until then...there's just not much she can do for her.

by **Idran1701** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 8:56 am

Outlands - Tunnels

As the group gets within perhaps 30 feet of the source of the voices, they drop away. By now, they're close enough to see a pair of alcoves in the side of the tunnel; it's here, as best they can tell, that the voices came from. They draw closer, and before long they get a good glimpse inside the first. It's a now-empty storage room, with two people doing a poor job of hiding in back. They relax, though, at the sight of the newcomers, emerging from their shadowed spot and standing. The older one, a male human in his fifties, is the first to speak, with the younger one, a female teenaged goblin, staying behind him. Both wear ragged clothing and look fairly heavily wounded recently, though most of the most obvious injuries show signs of makeshift bandaging and at least a few days'-worth of healing. He keeps his voice in a hissing whisper. "Oh, thank the gods, someone uncontrolled's here! Are you from above? How did you find us?"

by **Spleen** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:44 pm

Theller approached with his crossbow drawn and loaded, preparing to fight whoever was inside. He relaxed visibly when confronted with nothing more than a human and a goblin, both wounded, but made no move to disarm his crossbow.

"We followed the sounds of your voices," Theller explained. "We have been looking for...whatever happened here. If ever there was a here, that is. Were you living in this town before the...battle? The one that took the lives of all the people we've seen?"

by **Seethe** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:25 pm

Rosalyn was about to answer Florence, but she didn't want to interrupt Shawn, and went silent for a bit to give the girl her moment. After that, they were too close to the voices, so she stayed quiet for safety's sake. Maybe they could take the conversation back up later.

Following Theller in, Rosalyn kept her own bow ready, but also relaxed when she saw that the two awaiting them weren't an apparent threat.

At the word "uncontrolled," Rosalyn felt a bit guilty, but decided to keep quiet about it. No sense in scaring these two if she didn't have to, as this wasn't the best time for unnecessary fights to break out.

by **Idran1701** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:31 pm

Outlands - Tunnels

Frowning, the human nods, scratching at an old blade scar on his neck, a wound fairly incongruous with the rest of his appearance. He's short for his apparent age, fairly stout, and puts on the appearance of a merchant more than any sort of combatant. "If you can call it living, at least. Those monsters had me enthralled for...I don't know. Months, I think. Everything starts to blur together like that."

The goblin steps up alongside her friend, scowling down the tunnel. "I was here at least as long, I think...maybe longer. They kept me down here, with everyone else that didn't fit their illusion on the surface." She speaks with a slight accent, her voice surprisingly low and gravelly for her frame; a hoarseness that suggests a long time spent mute. "We've been hiding here for days, and we ran out of food yesterday. I thought we were going to starve down here. Where did you two come from?" She glances to the human. "They're not from the town?"

by **Shinigori V2** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:38 pm

Shawn pads forward, slowly. She keeps her head up, so as to seem less threatening, and sneaks forward to give them both a sniff, trying to pick up any scents she could.

Though she secretly wished, if only for a moment, she had turned into a wolf instead. Too much sniffing.

by **Idran1701** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:49 am

Outlands - Tunnels

As Shawn takes in the wafting scents, many things come to her mind. The signatures of all those they've come in contact with for who knows how long. Strongest and most prominent, of course, are the smells of the individuals themselves. Harder to detect, but still different enough to be prominent, are the scents of dozens of people, signatures of other individuals for the most part she's never met, but that now would be quite distinguishable for her. For the older human, the scents consist mostly of humans, with a few half-elves and one or two elves. It's very faint, but she can just barely detect the scent of the mind-lost elf now devoted to the rat horde. On the goblin teen, she can pick up the scent of another few goblins, as well as other races that she doesn't recognize. There's a strong undercurrent of fear to them all, but an unnatural one for reasons she can't pick out.

Though fainter, on both she can also smell the scents of mind flayers. It's almost impossible for her to tell the scent of one from another, but there's enough difference that she can at least tell it is more than one imposed upon them. There's something else as well, something flayer-like, but...different. A related creature, she can't tell any more than that.

by **Spleen** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:02 pm

"No, we aren't from the town," Theller said. "We're planar travelers. Here...take some of our food." He did at that point disarm his crossbow so he could open his pack and find a day's ration for the human and a day's ration for the goblin. "We heard stories of this place and that communication with the people here was lost, and came to investigate. The stories about healing...they were lies to attract unwary travelers here, yes?"

by **Seethe** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:18 pm

So, they had been down there for days and hadn't been able to find a way out. It was possible that they hadn't looked around very much, considering that they were trying to hide, but it still left Rosalyn a bit worried. The only way she knew of to get out of here was the way they had come in, and if they went back there to find that someone had untied the rope, they might have been stuck.

On the other hand, she had though the glow they had seen down the other direction might have been from an opening to the outside. But apparently it wasn't, seeing how close these two had been to it.

by **Idran1701** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:40 pm

Outlands - Tunnels

The two survivors take the offered food, tearing into it ravenously. The goblin teen nods, talking between bites. "Mostly. I saw some people they healed and sent back out under control. The ones that weren't so bad. I don't know why they let them go. But most...usually they kept the healthy family. If the sick ones were too sick to work, they'd..." She trails off, swallowing her bite, but suddenly looking to have lost her appetite.

Filling the silence, the older man picks up the conversation. "I usually didn't see things down here. They just brought villagers down to...change them. They...changed us every so often. They put us in different roles. Changing our minds to fit, replacing our skills and memories. It almost seemed like they were...experimenting with different sorts of villages. Learning what worked, what didn't. What was more or less believable." He scoffs. "They even gave me a 'son' once."

"I never saw anything like that." The goblin frowns, slowly going back to her food. "I was just a servant down here. Cleaning mostly. Feeding the animals and the..." She sputters a little, spitting the word out. "...the foodstock sometimes. They told me I wasn't strong enough to guard, so I just had those sorts of jobs. They made me love those jobs too. I..." She shudders, falling quiet and failing to repress the quiet rage that suddenly floods her face.

by **Spleen** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:04 am

Theller glanced quickly at Rosalyn, then back at the pair before them. "We'll help you attain your revenge. We know there is at least one mind flayer remaining; we had an altercation with it recently. It escaped and possibly fled, but it deserves to pay for what its kind have done, and we intend to see that through." Theller clapped the butt of his spear against the ground for emphasis.

"The battle that took place here...it was between two different groups of mind flayers, correct? Two warring nations of them?"

by **Idran1701** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:22 am

Outlands - Tunnels

The goblin nods. "I think so. I don't know about nations, though. But I think they were different. They tried to turn me against them...it was like my mind was getting pulled by one, then the other. I think I passed out. But at least it meant I wasn't much use to either side." She smiles softly, a strange expression for one of the usually eternally-frowning race. "I was scrubbing the stonework in the plaza when they showed up. Just appeared out of nowhere, like how the mas-" She cuts herself off, glowering, and stops for a second. With force of will, she focuses, and spits her words out. "...the...illithids here could. They said something about 'Thoon', but I've never heard of that. They seemed obsessed with it, though. And they didn't like that the...illithids here weren't.

"They were looking for something at first. They had these...shiny eggs. They would grab something, and suck some sort of green stuff out with an egg, and hold it. I saw one pull it from just a plain rock, and another pulled it out of one of the other slaves. They were both fine after, too, so I don't know what it was. Then they found one of the m...illithids, and the fighting started up pretty soon from there. And that's about when I passed out."

The other refugee looks over the party. That's around when I got summoned down here with the other villagers, I suppose. They had us all grab all the weapons we could. Men, women, even the children. We all charged the plaza, and...it was a slaughter. I was near the back, and the one that was controlling me must have been killed before another saw me. I could think, but all...all I could think to do was run. I saw her lying in the hallway, I grabbed her, and I found somewhere to hide until it was all over."

by **Spleen** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:05 am

"Thoon, hmm?" Theller said. "That is good information to have. Thank you." He turned to Rosalyn and spoke in a low voice. "Rosalyn, why don't you go...outside. Find where Florence is waiting, make sure nothing has happened to her. I would like to speak to these former slaves without being...overheard, for their safety." On the raptoran's fierce features was a look of deep sympathy.

by **Seethe** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:52 am

After a moment, Rosalyn gave a nod.

"... Right," she agreed. "Probably the best idea."

Acting on Theller's suggestion, she stepped back out the way she had come.

by **Idran1701** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:58 pm

Outlands - Tunnels

Rosalyn steps out of the room, where Florence stands to the side and out of sight of the door, leading her away with a similar look of sympathy. She speaks with a low whisper, placing a hand on Rosalyn's shoulder. "I wish we could do more for you, Rosalyn."

by **Idran1701** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:49 am

Outlands - Tunnels

As Rosalyn heads out of the room, the man looks up to them. "What about you? Why are you here? What are you doing?"

by **Shinigori V2** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:58 am

Shawn returned to Theller and sat on her haunches, sighing. "That's..More or less my fault. It's a long story, but among other things, I'm supposed to be human."

by **Idran1701** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:00 am

Outlands - Tunnels

"You came for healing too, then." He sighs, leaning against the far wall of the closet. "That's why I came, I think. I can't...it's foggy now. A...brother, I think? I don't know...it feels right, though." Rocket trots over, sitting next to Shawn and lying his head on her hands.

by **Seethe** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:00 am

"... I... suppose I knew what kind of risk I was taking when started down this path," Rosalyn answered Florence, recalling what had once been said of the knight who had been taken away by the demon during the other group's journey to Pandemonium. "But if you can finish off that Mind Flayer, that would be the best thing I could hope for."

by **Spleen** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:30 pm

Theller nodded. "We sought the healing this place was said to provide and to aid its inhabitants, with whom we heard contact had been lost." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I do not want to alarm you, but after we leave to continue our search you would be well-served to search out a new hiding-spot. I have my...suspicions...that the mind flayer has eyes in this place, and you would do well to find another part of the cavern, or perhaps the surface. You know a way back up to the surface, yes?"

by **Idran1701** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:02 am

Outlands - Tunnels

The goblin woman shudders a little as Theller mentions the mind flayer, and in her paranoia she can't help but glance about, looking for the gaze bearing down upon her once more. Pushing it away, she nods at his question. "But we can't use it. There's creatures there. Animals they kept before the attack. They've been living in the tunnel mouth lately, and they're too strong for us. We tried to sneak past them, but they drove us back inside."

"We just barely got away in one piece." The older man frowns, rubbing his hands. "I don't know what they are. They're like cats, but...wrong. They've got mind powers too. Not magic, but like what the flayers had. And they're smarter than animals. Clever, even."

The goblin nods. "They used them as guards and pets. I don't know what they're called, but they're not like normal animals. There were three there when we tried to get out."

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving until I can see it die." Clenching her hands together, Florence falls silent, and a slight awkwardness settles over the two. Before long, she speaks up again in hopes of breaking it. "Is it...here now?" Though vaguely uncomfortable, Florence tries to keep her voice steady; it's for Rosalyn's sake, after all, not her own. "Is it in your mind all the time, or...if it's too much to talk about, you can just brush me off." She lets out a short laugh. "But I was hoping I could try to...understand, I guess. So you're not going through this as alone."

by **Spleen** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:31 pm

Theller nodded. "Likely the same as the beast I was chasing when we fell down into this place. We had originally thought that it had slain all of the inhabitants, but now we know the truth. It ran from us when we attacked it, so perhaps it will be similarly afraid the next time. We did set up another way out that you might be able to use if you are strong enough: a stout rope leading out of a collapsed part of the cavern." He outlined how to get to where Florence had hung the rope.

by **Seethe** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:02 am

"It's..." Rosalyn started to answer, but hesitated, like something more than just awkwardness was stopping her from saying what she was going to say. Eventually, though, she managed to find the right words. "I don't feel it right now. But... I'm okay with talking about it. I really don't want to be alone with this."

by **Idran1701** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:02 pm

Outlands - Tunnels

"And it's safe to get there, to the rope?" The goblin stands, staring off towards the underground city cavern, biting her lower lip. "I think we can climb it if we can get there, but...what if there's something you missed? I'd feel better if we could stay with you...you made it this far in, and neither of us can fight." The older man stays quiet, glancing between the direction of the rope and the party, his eyes lost in thought."

Florence nods, taking a seat on the ground. "Then feel free. Whatever you want to say, don't just keep it bottled up. I know..fairly well what that can do to a person."

by **Shinigori V2** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:26 am

Shawn thinks. "No offense, but it would probably be better if you kept your distance from the thing. The less people he has to mess with, the better." She looks pointedly out the door. "That's why I should go alone."

by **Idran1701** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:04 am

Outlands - Tunnels

Her lips tighten, and the goblin falls quiet for a few moments. "Can we wait for you in the village at least? You're the first free people I've seen in...I don't even know. I don't have anywhere else to go, and neither does he...I don't even know where to go after."

The older man, though, frowns deeply. "No, I...I don't know what's down here, something might attack us on the way to that rope. I'll keep my distance far away from that...thing, but I...I don't trust these caves." His hands twitch despite himself, and he clings them together in front of him. "I want to stay with someone that can fight. Someone that already fought their way through to here, so that I know you can make if back. Please?"

by **Shinigori V2** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:06 am

"That's what I'm saying." Shawn says. "You stay here with them. I'll go ahead."

by **Idran1701** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:12 am

Outlands - Tunnels

"You're going to fight it off alone?" The man frowns, staring off down the hallway. "...What are you?"

The goblin just watches her, tilting her head. "...What will you do when it takes you?"

by **Shinigori V2** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:15 am

Shawn's face sinks as the old man asks his question. Deciding to ignore it for now, she chooses the Goblin instead. "He can't. At least, not that we know of."

by **Spleen** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:08 pm

"It will take five minutes to bring them to the rope," Theller said, turning to Shawn. "No more than that. We can do that, can we not? Perhaps that is the safest option; they could wait in one of the abandoned buildings for us to return - surely we are a greater prize than they."

by **Shinigori V2** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:05 pm

"All of us is a greater prize than one of us, one of us that doesn't seem to be effected." Shawn says sharply.

by **Seethe** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:01 am

Rosalyn took a seat on the ground as well, and spent a few moments in thought.

"If it escapes, it won't just let me go," she said, lowering her eyes. "It's going to make me take it to another town. And then... it's going to... make me keep it fed..."

Of course, she wasn't thrilled about that idea, and it showed in her voice and on her face. Then, her gaze shot back up to Florence again, a bit of fear showing in her eyes.

"I don't want to, you know," she quickly blurted out. "I'll do anything I can to keep that from happening. I just... I can only hope I would be able to."

by **Idran1701** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:00 am

Outlands - Tunnels

Florence stays silent as Rosalyn describes the extent of the flayer's plans. When she finishes, she gives Rosalyn a firm look. "We won't let that happen. But you have to keep fighting it. You said you'll do anything to keep that from happening; remember that. People have escaped from the mind flayers before. Entire races, even. They managed it, and so can you. Things aren't hopeless so long as you keep that in mind."

The escapees fall silent as Theller and Shawn debate what they do, torn between the options and unable to make a decision, instead waiting for the two of them to tell them what to do as they both fall into old habits. But time is short, and one way or another a decision will have to be made soon. The longer they wait, the more the flayer will recover before he's finally tracked down once more.

by **Shinigori V2** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:05 am

"I'm going!" Shawn says firmly before darting off into the caves, using her heightened senses in this form to try and get a better lock on the mindflayer.

by **Idran1701** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:22 am

Outlands - Tunnels

Shawn dashes off and Rocket does his best to keep up, her form giving her and the tiger cub a boost in speed over and above the others. Florence looks up as she dashes, calling out, "Shawn, wait!", before the two turn around the corner and out of sight.

Shawn:

Spoiler:

by **Shinigori V2** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:46 am

Shawn sighs, and rests on her haunches for a minute. She tries to reaffirm her hearing and scent on the mindflayer, and tries again to get at least some idea of where he is. She occasionally looks at the...'experiment' and sighs.

So much waste.

by **Spleen** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:33 am

Theller hurried out as well, stopping as Shawn ran off. "Air Lords save us," he said. "She may be immune to its mind control, but could that possibly be its only trick? We need to stop her."

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